It’s the time of year when we gather with friends and family to give thanks for the good things in our lives (and to stuff ourselves with turkey and other goodies). But gratitude can also be helpful in another important setting: the workplace. Famed business leader and author Dale Carnegie believed that “the big secret
Wendy Brawer was an English teacher in Japan vacationing in Bali when she noticed how peaceful, rural hideaways were turning into tourist hotels. When she returned to the U.S., she was determined to shift environmental attitudes. She eventually hit upon the idea of helping communities create maps of their ecological and cultural resources. In 1995,
Romanticizing the free-lance lifestyle can be dangerous. Compared with going the corporate route, it’s mistakenly viewed as idyllic. Nowadays, the term “free-lancer” is giving way to the sexier monikers such as “contract worker” and “free agent.” Or, if you’re at the upper end of the salary and experience scale, the term du jour is “interim
A lack of jobs in a particular field or geographic region or simply the poor economy can stymie some b-school graduates attempting to make career changes. These factors have been working against Kathryn Wiyninger since she earned her M.B.A. from the University of Oklahoma’s Michael F. Price College of Business in 2001.
Despite the hiring slowdown in the information-technology field, thousands of IT professionals and wannabes are banking on certifications to boost their careers. Computer professionals use certifications as yardsticks of their skills in hopes of better jobs and higher pay. Employees in other fields may be lured by the thought that computer certifications might help them
Confused by recent headlines about money and happiness? Here’s a quick cheat sheet summarizing recent academic studies on the link between the two. Relative income and happiness Summary: While the rich are generally happier than the rest of us, your income compared to your peers is a stronger predictor of happiness. The higher the income
Please don’t sign, or let your salespeople sign, a non-standard contract to supply staff without taking advice first.
Employers benefit from having both formal performance review and compensation review cycles. Many companies have a semiannual performance review cycle. One of the two reviews often coincides with the normal annual salary review while the other is used sparingly for special or off-cycle salary adjustments. This formal process is helpful because it allows the employer
In a recent webcast, “Winning in 2013: Alternative Compensation Strategies to Boost Your Competitive Edge,” Author and Managing Partner of Lance A. Berger & Associates, Lance Berger presented some alternative approaches to talent management that will help companies remain competitive in unpredictable and volatile business conditions. During this webcast, Lance discussed what competitive business strategies should
Salespeople are a company’s ambassadors to the world. They actively promote the company and its products and services. They are the front line between the company and its customers, and are typically the driving force of revenues – top-line company growth. These employees have a direct impact on how the marketplace perceives their employer and
Companies Must Focus on Education, Employee Training to Bridge the Skills Gap There is, it seems, a skills gap in this country. Even as the national unemployment rate lingers above 8 percent — 12.5 million people — tens of thousands of jobs are going unfilled as employers contend that they just can’t find qualified candidates.
Question: Three weeks before my scheduled date of resignation, I got sick. After spending a Friday in the hospital and the rest of the weekend at home, I told my supervisor I expected to be in by the following Friday at the latest. She then told me I would be laid off because I had
Tips for Improving Your Office Environment Quickly & Efficiently Don’t Let Morale Get Too Low Workplaces go through a myriad of changes including adjusting procedures, hiring, firing and promoting employees, obtaining new clients and adding or removing products and services. The nature of your company’s environment can influence employee morale in the workplace. Low employee
Get the Most Out of Your Employees Without Breaking the Bank Money Isn’t Everything Many employers lose good employees, thinking a pay raise or bonus will keep them going. Of course, money is always a solid motivator, as is a strong compensation plan, but a bigger paycheck is not always the better answer. Gas, groceries
Tips for a Smooth Transition When Implementing Big Changes Within Your Company The ability to successfully introduce and execute organizational change is attained by winning support of the workers. If the employees are not holistically involved in change management, they are likely to show resistance in acceptance and implementation. Intuitive change communication is the
Employers Must Know Their Workers to Understand How to Get the Best Out of Them Employee motivation is vital to the success of any business. Without it, even the most skilled and capable workers can become unproductive, at which point the entire organization suffers. As an employer, you’ll need to manage your employees’ morale —
Tips to Retain Key Employees & Productivity During Periods of Interim Executive Leadership Companies hire interim executives to fill a void. In most cases, a company needs to complete a special project and has no one on staff with the expertise to oversee the work. Interim executives are often top level executives with
