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US employers explore overhauls to employee benefits to preserve jobs, budgets

Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk Management

COVID-19 has led to the loss of over 1 million lives worldwide (over 245,000 in the U.S. alone). It has also decimated economies and led to global upheaval. For U.S. employers trying to stay afloat, balancing business continuity, safety, and compliance — while attracting and retaining employees — is challenging at best. Gallagher’s 2020 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey Report reveals how the pandemic is affecting hiring, employee benefits, and compensation.

How the ‘rusty trustee’ can help your board

Robert C. Harris Association Management

New directors may think, "I won't say anything for six months, until I learn the ropes." This is a poor approach to governance and the responsibilities of directors. There are methods to help new board members. They must learn the fundamentals of governance mixed with the culture and principles associated with board service. It is the culture that can be hard to communicate. A unique idea is the appointment of an experienced leader to coach the board and new directors. The concept can be traced to the Kentucky Optometric Association, referring to the seat informally as the "rusty trustee."

Revolutionary voice-activated museum opens in Washington, D.C.

Dave G. Houser Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

Revolutionary, both for its purpose and its cutting-edge technology, Planet Word, the world’s first voice-activated museum, debuted Oct. 22 in Washington, D.C. Dedicated to the "power, beauty and fun of language," it helps show how words shape the human experience. Planet Word is the first major museum anywhere to take a high-tech approach to bringing language to life. It features 10 immersive learning galleries that employ technology in novel ways to reimagine the typical museum experience.

Why cultural understanding is essential: Part 5

Douglas Magrath Education

Culture is an important element for any ESL program, and instructors need to be aware of learners’ cultures as they work with international students. New students may feel isolated, especially if no one else from their country is in the program or school. Language teaching, including ESL/ESOL, should include a cultural component. Language and culture go together. Sometimes culture is missing from the curriculum. This represents a missed opportunity for student engagement: Without cultural contexts, students are robbed of a full and engaging language learning experience.

5 ways to get your website ready for Google’s user experience update

Natalka Antoniuk Marketing

As if 2020 wasn’t bad enough already, Google has let us know about an upcoming algorithm update that will most definitely send SEO gurus into a frenzy. Whenever Google rolls out an update, everyone panics. It’s no wonder when a one-position drop in your search rankings means you can lose 80% of your organic traffic. This time it’s different. Usually, we have no idea when Google is planning to update its algorithm. The SEO tools are pretty good at picking up inferences that suggest an update. But in most cases, we have no time to prepare and no idea as to what the update has changed. This time, we know.

What is game theory, and why should it matter to your business?

Victoria Fann Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Benjamin Franklin once said, "Games lubricate the body and mind." Maybe it’s time to start seeing business as a game; at least that’s what game theorists might suggest. Developed by mathematician John von Neumann in 1928, game theory, which could loosely be defined as the study of strategic decision-making, was originally associated with a branch of applied mathematics. Now, however, it has expanded to many other areas of study. So, how is it connected with business?

A swag bag for the chief elected officer

Robert C. Harris Association Management

After installing the chief elected officer, he or she receives a leadership manual and a briefing. They are somewhat “on their own” to establish their governance style. To encourage and guide the elected president, make up a swag bag. A swag bag is an assortment of items that complement an event or experience. In this example, the executive director is gathering the items that will enhance understanding and support good governance. Here’s what’s in the president’s swag bag.

The beginner’s guide to church websites: 4 steps

Mark MacDonald Religious Community

There are many communication channels for your church. You can talk from the stage, in your bulletin, through text or email messaging, on one or all social media channels, and your website. What matters most? That you communicate where most in your congregation have access to — and where your community can discover you. Print can’t do that economically. Your church needs a digital communication hub that’s trusted and known. Everything points there. If your congregation or community wants info, they know they can find it at your web URL address. Here are the initial four steps to creating a successful website.

3 areas where small improvements can make a significant difference

Deborah Ike Religious Community

As we start to wrap up a challenging year, making any significant changes or improvements may be a bit too much to ask. However, there are several ways to make incremental improvements that lead to lasting impacts. We all want to see significant results from ministry efforts. We want to see more people coming to Christ, increased attendance at worship services (online and/or in-person), more volunteers serving consistently, etc. Those are worthwhile goals that would be wonderful to see happen. However, getting to that fruit typically doesn’t happen overnight. So, what can you do now to see that fruit later?

Putting on the best virtual conference — Part 2: Learning to be more…

Linda Popky Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

The recent virtual annual meeting for my association, the Society for the Advancement of Consulting, was a great success. We had 34 Zoom sessions and more than 50 speakers over a two-day period. More than three times the number of people attended as the previous in-person event. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. Not everything was perfect, of course. But the event ran smoothly, even in spite of a few behind-the-scenes glitches. Here are our key learnings — of both what went well and areas for improvement.

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