Most leaders have been there: We see someone who needs help, and we quickly provide it, only to end up feeling taken advantage of. Maybe you helped an employee out of a financial jam, only to see them keep making bad decisions. Or you spent hours coaching a younger colleague and then watched him ignore your advice. Or you stepped in to “rescue” a teammate who wasn’t prepared … [More]
Top Eight Things to Avoid when Responding to a State Government RFP
And counterstrategies to win
Distinction is the key to winning. Businesses that respond to state government requests for proposal by simply meeting the requirements and qualifications will not stand out and likely won’t win. It’s imperative that a business find a way to distinguish itself through its solution, its expertise and its industry credibility. These eight top mistakes hold businesses back … [More]
Dealing with DEI Pushback
Eleven strategies to defuse resistance in your organization
Inclusion is good for organizations and good for employees. But if your company is like many, everyone may not welcome the new conversations and initiatives taking place around diversity, equity and inclusion. In fact, there will almost certainly be resistance to your efforts to create belonging — maybe subtle, maybe overt, or maybe both. Some people might refuse to engage … [More]
Companies Can’t Afford to Lose Focus on Talent Retention
On top of costs, even filling open slots can be difficult
Talent retention is a critical aspect of any successful business. Retaining talented employees, or failing to do so, can have a significant impact on a company’s bottom line. A business that can keep employees around long-term reduces the cost of hiring and training new employees. Talent retention also mitigates lost productivity caused by constantly having to train employees. … [More]
How to Upskill Employees during a Tight Hiring Landscape
The focus is on helping them align with their organization’s overall growth strategy
Talent development initiatives are growing increasingly important, especially as hiring concerns shift from quiet quitting to conscious quitting and beyond. Hiring the perfect candidate is costly — in fact, hiring anyone will likely cost an organization around $5,000 on average. In this landscape, many enterprises don’t have the financial stability to take a chance on hiring a … [More]
All Video Is Video Content Marketing
Five rules for greater reach
Being on video and watching videos is today’s business norm. A recent survey showed 76% of consumers watched a video before purchasing a product. Social media influencers promote products through video-based storytelling. They login to video meetings daily with prospects and customers. Since 2005, the year YouTube launched, video has increasingly grown in prevalence, … [More]
Use an Advisory Board to Benefit a Business
Seasoned, impartial experts add market strength
We can probably all agree that many businesses often operate with scarce resources and limited expertise, sometimes making it challenging to navigate complex business decisions. However, if a business owner had the opportunity to solve this problem by consulting a team of experts solely dedicated to providing guidance based on previous experiences, wouldn’t they take it? I am … [More]
Expanding Workforce Development
Businesses benefit from workforce development programs for disadvantaged and underrepresented populations
A hot topic these days is businesses’ difficulty in filling open positions. Creating a pipeline or directly supplying workers are organizations who contribute to workforce development through their focus on serving disadvantaged or underrepresented populations. Disadvantaged Bring Unexpected Strengths Phoenix-based One Step Beyond, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization … [More]
Navigating Murky Waters?
‘Sacred Six’ principles will help you succeed like a shark
Whenever we open a news app, we’re inundated with headlines on foreboding topics. Looming recession. Political turmoil. Social unrest. Climate change. It seems there’s no end to the doom and gloom. In times like these, the path toward success isn’t just murky; it seems to have fallen away altogether. How can leaders navigate the challenges ahead — and come out on top — if we … [More]
Build a Culture of Safety and Human Reliability
Seven practical steps that take good ideas from talk to action
A technician spills a toxic chemical. She isn’t injured, but easily could have been. The Hazmat cleanup costs more than $10,000, and shuts down a critical building for a week. An electrical engineer flips the wrong switch in a substation control room. He isn’t injured. But within seconds, a $50,000 transformer is destroyed. Three financial clerks in two different … [More]
HR Pitfalls and the Dangers of ‘Quiet Promotion’
Giving responsibility or taking advantage?
Thanks to all the talk of “quiet quitting” hitting the news cycles recently, many managers are newly suspicious of their employees’ intentions. As it turns out, the suspicions may go both ways. According to a new JobSage survey, a whopping 78% of American workers report receiving a “quiet promotion” — an increased workload without increased pay. And most of them are not happy … [More]
HR Pitfalls and How to Avoid Flatlining Deserving Employees
Flatlining is an age-old obstacle to talent management
In a tight labor market, businesses want to fill open positions with new talent but may have in-house talent that fits the bill. However, these in-house applicants do not always receive the encouragement or take the initiative to apply. Over time, this can result in “flatlining,” which is when successful, deserving employees are stalling in their careers without forward … [More]
Hyperinflation: If You Are Reading This, You Are Already Behind
As we enter a phase of hyperinflation, no one has the muscles or experience to navigate this new business climate, which means CEOs and their leadership teams need to figure out a new way to lead and win. The hyperinflationary toolkit is drastically different from the one that has been applied for the past 30 years, with steady 1% to 3% inflation combined with a cost of capital … [More]
The ABCs of ADUs in Phoenix
Phoenix appears to be poised to open the doors wider to accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and for good reason. These freestanding backyard structures — also known as in-law suites, granny flats, casitas and cottages — create additional living spaces at a cost of about 40% less than a traditional renovation or home remodel. With water, sewer and electrical service, ADUs are homes … [More]
Partnering with Your City Can Help Your Business Grow
For many businesses, the recent economy has presented opportunities for growth, but unexpected challenges may still be standing in the way. Whether a company is a brand-new small business looking to get started or an established giant needing to expand quickly to meet new needs, local municipalities have a surprising number of resources dedicated to helping businesses in their … [More]
Five Key Elements of Digital Transformation Payback
Digital transformation as we see it is the business transformation of a firm/corporation. These transformations have five characteristics. Design/Strategy Numerous frameworks and strategy approaches have evolved over time, become the hype of the day, and then vanish again (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand, and Lampel 1998). No matter what the approach chosen actually is, one thing I have … [More]
Workplace Trends to Watch in 2023
The future of work is dynamic. One would need an entire book to describe the many forces affecting trends in the workplace now and in the years to come. Unfortunately, by the time that book made it to print, its contents would be out of date. So rapid are the forces of change, many organizations in the United States are still reckoning with the effects caused by the COVID-19 … [More]
Why B2B E-Commerce Needs IT Voices at the Table
When COVID-19 arrived on our doorstep, the shift in B2B buying preferences from in-person to online was already well underway. The pandemic simply sped up the tide of change by pressing the digitally reluctant to take the leap. Newbies soon found that B2B e-commerce offered them a slew of advantages. For buyers, online purchasing made it easier to identify suppliers and … [More]
