Kelly Borth: Simon says — Knowing ‘why you do what you do’ is often a game changer
Do you know why you get out of bed every day? Do you walk through your office door with a dance in your step? Do your employees know why they go to work every day? Do they execute with purpose and enthusiasm? Does your team know why your business exists and why it matters? If […]
As BloomNation changes the floral industry, it also gives the local business community new life
David Daneshgar doesn’t shy away from the fact that he loves playing poker. It’s a passion for him and the card game delivered one of the best moments of his life when he won the 2008 World Series of Poker. But Daneshgar didn’t want poker to be the only thing that defined his life. “I […]
Janet E. Jackson: Embracing uncertainty — Solving complex problems with a collective impact approach
In both the business and nonprofit worlds, getting concrete results is the key to success. In business, shareholders and customers demand results. For nonprofits, our donors, advocates and volunteers are motivated and energized by improving lives. Helping people build pathways out of poverty and strengthening our community are the results they demand — and rightly […]
Having real people working your customer service line will pay off
Business is more competitive today than ever. There are few people who would disagree with that statement. Today, trying to reach the goals of additional sales or a greater market share is challenging since customers have so many options as to how they spend their resources. If you want to keep customers loyal to your […]
How thinking critically needs to be a team sport for leaders
Leadership and critical thinking are intimately connected. If you look at virtually any business problem, it goes back to one simple thing — poor, unethical leadership. “Decisions are often based upon woefully incomplete levels of thinking. If we can teach people how to think more critically, more creatively and more ethically, how to think at a deeper level, we won’t get caught in this […]
Rick Ruffolo: Why your imagination is one of your most valuable tools
One of the most important things my career has taught me is that growth is never linear, in life or in business. My wife and I have seen our fair share of “growth spurts” where clothes that fit our five children the week before suddenly look two sizes too small. Every organization desires growth, and […]
Craig Vodnik: Be passionate about your work without being the first one in and the last one out the door
You’ve probably heard a friend say or have seen a job description contain the phrase “passionate employee.” But what does that really mean? I mean I’m passionate about avoiding work. Does that make me passionate? Obviously it does not qualify as passionate, but what does that phrase mean and when should you hire passion from […]
How a company's identity can drive productivity and affect the bottom line
A strong company culture can not only attract employees, it can boost the bottom line, says Stephanie Martinez, PHR, Director of HR Services at Benefitdecisions, Inc. “Disney and Google have very successful businesses and much of that success is due to their culture and how they on-board their employees. Other companies are trying to emulate them to see if it will impact their bottom […]
Reduce litigation costs, exposure by improving your email habits
Central to discovery in civil litigation is that parties to a lawsuit must preserve, gather and produce relevant documents. However, this is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive because of the staggeringly high volume of electronic communications in the workplace. “Discovery obligations are not going away, so it is important for employers to improve emailing habits by teaching discretion and organization,” says John Shonkwiler, a partner […]
Building Stronger Communities: One Percent for the Planet
Network connections — One Percent for the Planet links up area business, nonprofit with similar values Chris Bishop, owner of Backroom Coffee Roasters — a small operation that roasts and sells coffee out of Bishop’s bicycle store — was looking for a different way to promote his business and better connect with other environmentally minded […]