All Business Management, Services & Risk Management Articles
  • Knowing when the ruts of life have hit

    Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    You start a new job. It's exciting to learn all the nuances of your responsibilities. Each day is a challenge. Stressful, sure, but nonetheless exciting to be stretched outside your comfort zone. At some point, the job becomes second nature — like driving a car. Frankly, it can get a little boring because you no longer have to think so hard. Next thing you know, that routine becomes your prison. How did you lose your initial excitement? Where did it go and why? Ruts are symptomatic that learning has stagnated.

  • Your brain on the holidays

    Catherine Iste Mental Healthcare

    One of my sisters recently noted she was about to complete a knitting class. In the midst of the hubbub of Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping and several birthday celebrations, she had committed to a multiple-session class to learn how to knit. While I assumed that would have increased her stress levels, instead she said it reduced them because it forced her to sit still each class, concentrate on something completely new to her and best of all, would result in the creation of several gifts. Research by a few professors at Harvard confirms her claims.

  • Don’t let toxic employees ruin your organization

    Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    Toxic fumes and toxic waste illicit emergency responses because everyone realizes that these poisonous substances must be addressed immediately. Toxic employees? Not so much. Companies tend to have a much more subdued, almost nonchalant response to toxicity in human form. In fact, according to a survey by Fierce Conversations, companies prefer to pretend nothing is wrong. Sidestepping the problem doesn’t bode well in the long run. So, what is a toxic employee, why are toxic employees so dangerous, and how should they be handled?

  • Infographic: Breaking up Big Tech

    Brian Wallace Science & Technology

    Are tech companies growing "too big to fail?" In 2018, five tech companies — Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Google — earned a combined $800 billion in revenues. In March, Elizabeth Warren released a campaign ad calling for the breakup of big tech companies. Facebook removed the ad, sparking bipartisan backlash. Today, 2 in 3 Americans — regardless of political party — support the breakup of Big Tech. This infographic outlines why so many are calling for the tech giants to be broken up and the laws that might make it happen.

  • Survey: Over 40% of job candidates say ‘bye’ if employers won’t…

    Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    We're currently at or close to full employment, and companies need to be more flexible if they want to snag desirable job candidates. According to a recent Robert Half survey, applicants aren't afraid to walk away when companies aren't willing to negotiate — and not just on salary. In the survey, 43% of respondents said they lost interest in a job offer because the company was unwilling to negotiate elements beyond salary. So, what are the other areas that job applicants want to negotiate?

  • US payrolls add 266,000 jobs; unemployment rate falls to 3.5%

    Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    In November, total U.S. nonfarm payrolls added 266,000 new hires, as the unemployment rate dipped to 3.5%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate has been under 4% for 21 straight months. Unemployment among major worker groups changed scantly last month, as did the number of people out of paid work at 5.8 million. Additionally, GM workers returned from being on strike. Wage growth, however, is not as robust as job increases, according to economist Elise Gould of the Economic Policy Institute.

  • Tips for surviving your deposition in employment-related litigation

    D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    If you are a human resources professional, chances are that you will have the "opportunity" to be deposed in some form of litigation during your career. Depositions are where attorneys for the parties to the litigation get to ask questions of witnesses "on the record." Testimony is then typed up in a nice, neat transcript that the attorneys use as part of the evidence to help them prevail in the litigation. This article contains some practical tips on how to conduct yourself if you are ever called upon to be deposed.

  • 5 ways to sustain association membership

    Simma Lieberman Association Management

    According to social psychologist Abraham Maslow, everyone has the need to belong, to be connected to others, and to feel accepted. In my consulting practice, I've seen that no matter how long people are at work, they want to feel valued and part of a community. Peggy Smith, director of marketing, membership solutions and community brands at YourMembership says, "Most people decide if they’re going to participate in your association long-term within the first months, days and even minutes of joining. The first interactions with your organization make a lasting impression on a new member."

  • Infographic: Is the future of security biometric?

    Brian Wallace Science & Technology

    More than 85% of Americans want to use biometric security to verify their identity or to authorize payments. Since Apple first introduced Touch ID in 2013, the global market for mobile biometrics has grown to over $14 billion. So, are PINs and passwords becoming a thing of the past, and are biometrics really better than traditional security? This infographic outlines the realities of biometric security.

  • 10 holiday gifts for busy executives

    Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    The secret to gifts that are memorable and appreciated is to get something people really want and/or need. When choosing gifts for busy executives, it may help to consider their lifestyle and work routine. This can lead to selections that are practical, stylish, and sometimes downright fun. Below are 10 gifts that we think any busy executive would like to receive.