How can you create workplace hygge and improve the winter experience? Hygge is, pardon the pun, the new “hot” solution to the cold and bleak long winter days. Adopted from the Danish, and pronounced “hoo-guh” or some variant depending on the dictionary, it is a quality of coziness, comfort, warmth and well-being. It’s nurturing joy.…
Does your business create marketing “Wow!”? Are you constantly thinking about new ways to delight your customers? Do you have an edge? Competition in every field is fierce. Even if you dominate your market, there are always others ready to enter, offering something new and enticing to your steady customers. Your predictable, dependable product suddenly…
Finding work-life balance – welcome to the ultimate no-win guilt trip. Too much work time, and you wonder, “What am I missing? What am I working for? When will I be able to live? And what if I die tomorrow?” And in the midst of leisure, the nagging little voice says, “You’re falling behind. Associates…
Do your meetings destroy morale? Do your staff members suffer a slow “death by meeting?” Meetings, whether face-to-face or electronic, are entrenched in business culture. We feel we need to keep people informed, and solicit input, feedback and buy-in. We feel meetings build morale. But do they? Are your meetings building morale or tearing down…
A strategic network is a powerful tool to boost your career and ignite business growth. Professional colleagues, working together, can create synergies and opportunities far beyond the capabilities of any one individual. Power partners can make introductions, open doors, lend expertise and offer critical insights. Business is a team sport. No one can be an expert…
The eclipse was amazing, and as we settle back into the routine, what leadership insights can we take away? Lessons from the Eclipse: We become caught up in the everyday, and lose perspective on the greater picture. Leadership is a process of continuous learning. Consider the following reflections from our shared eclipse experience. Being at…
Power networking builds; thoughtless networking destroys. Visibility in person and online can attract customers, supporters and affiliates. But the wrong actions or the wrong communications can at best make your efforts useless. More likely, the unknowing steps you take can damage your business and tarnish your personal reputation. Beyond the basics, networking adheres to unwritten…
Who is the right hire for the job? That’s a question managers and recruiters face with every open position. Almost always there is a job description, and informal knowledge about the daily activities. And on the other hand, there are dozens if not hundreds of electronic applications. And on both sides, there is imperfect information.…
Employee turnover can be deadly. Look inside. Is your workforce empowered and enthusiastic, or do they look like beaten dogs? Are people coming and going so quickly that you can’t remember all incumbents in a position for the last three years? Some turnover is inevitable, and indeed, beneficial. New ideas and expertise refresh operations and…
Change Management: Danger Ahead Change management is like sailing into a minefield. One wrong turn can take a simple project and transform it into a bloodied mess. You’re progressing on schedule and on plan, only to be blindsided by something that throws you into damage control. A critical component has been discontinued. Contractors find asbestos…