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The importance of new director orientation and mentoring
John T. Dinner Association ManagementI hear two recurring concerns among directors in the course of my boarding consulting practice: the poor quality of information provided to boards before meetings and the inadequacy of new director orientation.
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Supportive workplaces: The gift that keeps on giving
Michael J. Berens Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe start of a new year is the time for evaluating performance and deciding who will get the bigger carrot and who will get the bigger stick. Your employees' hearts and minds may be focused on their wallets, but studies show that employee satisfaction and productivity are greatly influenced by their work environment in the long run, perhaps even more so than by their compensation or bonuses. What's more, new research suggests the work environment also affects how employees regard the organization's leadership.
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Including sustainability in the risk framework
Dr. David Hillson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementSustainability has become increasingly important to organizations across the world in recent years, as both a business objective and a necessary constraint. But what does it mean? And how should it be included in the risk process? The word sustainability has changed its meaning significantly over time in the business world.
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Top 10 mistakes interviewers make
Mel Kleiman Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementRecruiting and hiring new employees is both an art and a skill. Unfortunately, too few business owners and hiring managers have ever had any training in the proven, best-practice techniques used by employers-of-choice like Disney and Southwest Airlines. Without training, most interviewers just "wing it" — ad-libbing their way through interviews and making decisions based more on instinct and impressions rather than logic. No wonder costly employee turnover is such a constant headache.
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Contentment is the enemy of greatness
C. Fredrick Crum Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementI recently heard a quote from Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life." The quote goes as follows: "If you don't learn contentment, you'll never be happy. You'll always want more." Needless to say Rick Warren's quote caused me to shout, "You are wrong, you are dead wrong!" I think my wife's ears are still blistered from my rebuke of his quote.
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Corporate asset protection: Shielding your business from lawsuits, threats
David B. Mandell and Jason M. O'Dell Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIn attempting to protect an ongoing business against lawsuits and potential creditor threats, most businesses leave much to be desired. They may rely too heavily on insurance, have suboptimal corporate structures in place and even unknowingly miss out on significant tax advantages.
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5 threats to effective organizational communication
Mike Wokasch Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementEffective communication is a critical success factor in any effort involving two or more people. From small businesses to large corporations and even government, effective communication can inspire, align interests, mitigate differences and build trust. Most importantly, effective communication can get things done. When two or more people want to or need to get something done, success or failure is often attributable to how well the parties communicate with each other.
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What workers want in a job
Mel Kleiman Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhen an employee quits, most managers take it personally — and for good reason. For more than 20 years, employee exit interview research has been telling us the No. 1 reason the best people leave is because they feel they are being poorly managed. Whether you're recruiting managers or hourly employees, there are five specific things everyone wants from a job. If you can provide most or all of them, you'll be able to attract and retain the employees you deserve — the best.
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The elusiveness of good governance
John T. Dinner Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe achievement of good governance is elusive due to challenges that typically confront and often confound boards. These challenges tend to be somewhat common across organizations and typically relate to difficulties with sharing power, delegating authority and group decision-making. These issues, in turn, are most often related directly to the extent to which trust and confidence exists between the various boardroom players.
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Back to work: How to start 2014 right
Jessica Taylor Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAs you go through the rush of the holidays and entertaining guests, the last thing on your mind is work. But as you return to your office for the new year and see the pile of work, unanswered emails and missed calls on your phone, it can become overwhelming.
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