All Business Management, Services & Risk Management Articles
  • How do you know when you’re done for the day?

    Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    As seems common in many conferences lately, the audience was asked to participate in a brief group mindfulness exercise. After we all adjusted our postures and closed our eyes, the facilitator asked us to take a deep breath and, while exhaling, acknowledge that we were done for the day, free to let our minds go and… something. I do not know what the last thing she said was, because I could not get past the phrase: done for the day. It was 4:30, how could anyone possibly be done for the day?

  • UAW strike ends with ratified agreement, but 3 GM plants close

    Michelle R. Matisons Transportation Technology & Automotive

    On Oct. 25, the United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) achieved a new, four-year contract with General Motors (GM) in a vote of 57% to 43%. During this time, UAW also ratified an Aramark janitorial contract at five GM Ohio and Michigan locations. This latest strike produced mixed results that were highly dependent on workers’ locations. While outsourcing and plant downsizing keep manufacturing jobs below optimal national levels, GM workers will largely enjoy improvements in labor conditions.

  • Shopping at the board store

    Robert C. Harris Association Management

    In La Crosse, Wisconsin, I passed an interesting shop. In bright lettering, the awning read, "The Board Store." The U.S. has 1.5 million exempt organizations. Each has a board of directors. I wondered what tools and equipment the board store sold. Here are the tools, planks and signage the store could sell to support good governance.

  • Will 2020 be the year you quit your job?

    Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    Quitting has often been thought of as a negative: a result of an inability to handle the pressure or requirements of the job. Now, however, quitting is becoming the hallmark of success. The tight labor market has afforded more and more of us the ability to quit our jobs for better opportunities. We are doing so across regions and industries and at a steadily increasing rate. The question is: will 2020 be the year you quit your job?

  • Construction has a growing problem: Getting paid

    Scott Wolfe Jr. Construction & Building Materials

    For at least half of all contractors in the U.S., getting paid is hard, costly, and time-consuming. That’s according to the 2019 National Construction Payments Report, based on a survey of more than 500 construction professionals conducted by Levelset and TSheets by Quickbooks. According to one survey respondent, "Cash flow is the number one problem we deal with. It is demoralizing and a constant frustration."

  • Survey: Toilets cleaner than kitchenware, other supplies at UK offices

    Scott E. Rupp Facilities & Grounds

    According to the findings of a new survey by GCC Facilities Management — a commercial cleaning services company in the United Kingdom — office parks and facilities are downright filthy. The 650-person study found out how often workspaces are cleaned. Regarding cleanliness in general, only about a quarter of the respondents say they have used personal cleaning supplies in the office to maintain cleanliness. Perhaps not surprisingly, only 35% of respondents said their desk is cleaned daily.

  • Fair Pay to Play Act promises a better deal for the black college athlete

    LeRon L. Barton Sports & Fitness

    It is no secret that the black male has been the engine for collegiate sports for many decades now. African American athletes make up about 60% of all college football and college basketball teams. Football and basketball are the two revenue sports that dominate college sports. That dominance has created an incredible source of revenue for the biggest schools. As part of the podcast "Gangster Capitalism," a program dedicated to examining the college admissions scandal that has rocked the news this year, sports journalist Kevin Blackistone examined the racial overtones existing in the matter of high-level college sports.

  • Infographic: Optimizing reputation management with AI

    Brian Wallace Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    Customers read the reviews, but it's not enough to have good reviews. Those reviews also have to be believable. Your company's online reputation can make or break your business, and your ratings even influence your ranking in searches. Increasing your company's ratings from three to five stars can increase your visibility on Google by up to 25%. Learn more with this infographic.

  • Should your business have a podcast?

    Catherine Iste Marketing

    More than 50% of Americans over the age of 12 have listened to a podcast. For businesses selling goods or services directly to consumers, this confirms that podcasts are mainstream. Does this, however, mean they are a good way for us to focus our time, energy and marketing dollars? Perhaps. Here are a few things to consider before starting a podcast.

  • Survey: Almost one-third of workers have left a job due to lack of flexible…

    Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    Flexible work used to be a “nice-to-have” benefit, but it is rapidly becoming a requirement for workers. In fact, according to a recent survey by FlexJobs, 30% of workers reported leaving a job because it did not offer flexible work options. The survey findings were not a revelation to Sara Sutton, founder and CEO of FlexJobs. "I wasn't necessarily surprised because so many of the people we help every day are in that exact situation — they're working in a job that lacks the flexible work options they need or want, so they're in search of a better way to work."