A recent study found that online interactions result in less creativity than face-to-face. The reason: When online, people mostly stare at the screen rather than letting their eyes wander around, which sparks more divergent thought. But the flaw with this study was that the conditions that actually result in creative thinking were not set, not in the online nor the in-person … [More]
The Rise of Recruitment Marketing
Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic upended the culture in the United States, flipping the labor market on its head. The Great Resignation, as many call it, has shifted attitudes of workers — and the impact is not only immediate but, seemingly, long-lasting. Isolation, burnout and lack of employer empathy have resulted in a mass exodus of qualified and skilled … [More]
Compensation Strategies for High-Value Employees
This year is shaping up to be one of the most challenging in history for employers thanks to the highest inflation rate in four decades and a growing imbalance between the number of job openings and the number of candidates willing to fill them. Pressure has increased across all industries to raise salaries and hourly wages, but that simply won’t be enough for many companies. … [More]
Estate Planning for Closely Held Businesses
Many owners of closely held businesses are so busy with the daily activities involved with running a business that they haven’t had time to put an estate plan in place. Or, if they have an estate plan, it hasn’t been updated recently. While having an estate plan is important for everyone, it is particularly important for closely held business owners in order to protect the … [More]
Developing Artificial Intelligence: Are Your Lawyers Involved?
Artificial intelligence, or “AI” as it is commonly known, is becoming more prevalent as businesses have come to realize that AI can accomplish many basic tasks more efficiently and economically than a human employee. AI refers to machines or systems that simulate human intelligence in performing functions and solving problems. AI frequently uses algorithms to make decisions and … [More]
Maintain Company Morale in Times of Uncertainty
If the events of the past few years have proven anything, it is that companies’ success correlates with the morale of their employees. Studies have shown that when employees feel happier and more appreciated, they tend to value their work more, leading to boosts in morale and productivity. At the same time, when employees’ morale declines, they begin to feel less valued in … [More]
Together, We Can Protect Arizona Businesses from Illegal Trade
In 2020, Arizona welcomed more than 32 million visitors to the state, and we were delighted to welcome them. Collectively, they spent $15 billion, representing a tremendous economic investment in Arizona. From the Grand Canyon to the Chiricahua Wilderness, Arizona boasts some of America’s most beautiful national treasures. There are endless opportunities to explore Arizona’s … [More]
Walking the Line: How to Keep Your Employees Healthy, Safe — and Respected
There was a moment this summer when it seemed the end of the tunnel was finally here. Something like normal life blossomed for a couple of months before the Delta surge; I even went out to a movie at one point. It was almost like old times. Now, with national vaccine mandates in place covering tens of millions of workers and private mandates coming into force at countless … [More]
From Idea to Market
Can anyone say they have created a business all on their own? Even when that prospective business is just the spark of an idea, there is always at least one area where support from someone else can advance the idea from possibility to reality. As founder and owner of the highly successful Bounce Curl, I understand the challenges of launching a business independently and am … [More]
Are Investors Missing This Huge Opportunity in Their Private Equity Due Diligence?
The competition to acquire high-quality companies is intense. Private equity firms each have their own methods for evaluating the current and future values of companies they wish to invest in: the product and service, leadership team, future scalability, and competition in the space. But there’s another piece that often gets overlooked, one that may hold the biggest key of all … [More]
Avoiding the Turnover Tsunami
Employee turnover is always a looming concern for businesses. But, as the pandemic slows down and the world begins to recover, employee turnover has started to emerge as one of the most pressing issues in the workforce; in fact, many experts are warning of a “turnover tsunami.” According to a recent report, more than half of employees surveyed in North America plan to look … [More]
Flip the Pyramid – Bottom-Up Pipeline for Ideas
Innovation doesn’t just come in a box or get delivered to overnight. Like a plant, it needs to be watered and fed so it can grow. Many organizations realize this, but the pipeline of ideas can get strangled, and ideas get lost in the shuffle of day-to-day business or, worse, have no place to go to be vetted and implemented. TruWest Credit Union recognized an untapped resource … [More]
What Is the YOLO Economy?
The acronym “YOLO” took the world by storm in 2011 when Canadian rapper Drake used the term, meaning You Only Live Once, in a song. Since then, YOLO has been used far and wide as a newer version of carpe diem, or seize the day, as a way to encourage people to take risks and live life to the fullest. Now YOLO is being used to describe a new mindset that is changing the economy … [More]
Second Chance Hiring Can Transform Business
As businesses emerge from the setbacks of the pandemic, they are increasingly challenged to find the workforce they need to grow. Much of this is demographic. Many older workers have permanently left the workforce, joining a march of retiring baby boomers that will average 10,000 retirees each day over much of the next decade. The millennials, largely already in the workforce, … [More]
Branding and Politics
The corporate furor over new restrictive voting laws currently being advanced across the country is the latest example of corporations rewriting how they are engaging with social and political issues. In the past, companies tended to remain publicly neutral on even potentially divisive topics. However, over the last decade, more corporate entities and business leaders have … [More]
Leadership Ethics, the Only Standard
It seems the public’s faith in many U.S. businesses, banks and financial markets has been eroded because of reported management failings, continued bankruptcies and repeated financial crises. Sadly, trust in corporate management, boards of directors and political leaders seems to be at a low point. What led us to such a low point in our moral beliefs and our moral conduct? … [More]
Now is the Time to Launch a Mentorship Program
When I consult with corporations and higher education institutions about establishing mentorship programs, I’m often asked about the benefits. Let me take a brief moment to tell you the bevy of reasons that your company should consider such a program — and why now is a better time than ever before. First, why me? As I researched and drafted my book, Teach to Work: How a … [More]
Behavioral Patterns Impact Communication
Two years ago, when setting out to write The Search for Why, the tools we had at hand were not up to the task to adequately answer the question of why we do what we do. So, we set out to use the best science from the related fields of data science, neuroscience and behavioral science to build a Model of Why. Since the dawn of civilization, the greatest thinkers in the world … [More]
