Kevin Kinsley: How to take advantage of your competition’s inability to change
Through the recent uncertain economic times, we have all had to adjust our budgets and personal spending choices. As a marketer, I can say that the mentality that has been applied to personal spending has also been present in the executive suite. Businesses are making calculated choices as they budget for marketing expenditures. We have […]
The three biggest, and most costly, IP mistakes businesses make
You’ve just launched your product, which has taken months of research and development effort to bring to market. Soon after its debut you receive a notice that you’re infringing on an existing patent or trademark. You’re now left with a decision: License the technology that you’ve infringed, which you may or may not be able […]
Dan and Henry Walker look for leaders who can be bold at Farmers & Merchants Bank
Daniel K. Walker doesn’t just encourage his direct reports to question his decisions at Farmers & Merchants Bank — he demands it. “I allow them to question me from every perspective, every decision that I make,” says Walker, the bank’s chairman and CEO. “I keep it very open so I can allow them to stop […]
Are the rising costs of employee benefits keeping you up at night?
Rising health care costs have driven up insurance premiums, straining employers’ funds and leaving less money available to invest in their businesses, hire employees or award pay increases. “Any time costs go up, there’s less money to spend on other things that are important to the growth of a business,” says Ross Farro, a principal […]
How utilization management drives patients to the right kind of health care
The Institute of Medicine estimated 30 percent of health care spending in 2009 was wasted. Patients get duplicate services, unneeded services or services that haven’t proven to have medical value, which is where medical management can help. Utilization management enables health plan members and network providers to contact a benefits manager to determine whether services […]
Mark Scott – Why the recipe for primo customer service recommends employees just be themselves
When California Pizza Kitchen head G.J. Hart arrived on the scene in 2011, he found a number of issues he wanted to address. One of the first items on his list was the structured approach his team took toward serving guests in the restaurants. CPK developed a series of steps for servers that started when […]
Mark Scott – Why it really is the thought that counts and the commitment that seals the deal
Have you ever made a promise and failed to keep it? Of course you have, you’re human. That doesn’t make you a bad person, assuming it was not your intention to deliberately deceive the person or people to which you made the promise. But sometimes in our zest to please others, we don’t always think […]
Sue Parks – Why a strong wellness program will save your business more than money
I went to a talk on corporate wellness the other day. The speaker was a physician who had led the corporate wellness efforts for a large company. The organization spent $150 million annually on health benefits for its employees. She asked for $400,000 to run a wellness program. The powers-that-be only asked about and challenged […]
David Hankin – Why it's essential that you honor the good – and the bad – as you move into the new year
The “opening bell” for 2014 has rung and the new beginning it represents demands a conversation between company leadership and individual contributors — a conversation to celebrate the achievements of 2013 and look forward to 2014. At the Alfred Mann Foundation, we have found the all-hands meeting effective in not just delivering a consistent message, […]
A trusted resource: Elmer’s Products solidifies itself as a brand of choice for the education community
Elmer’s School Glue is synonymous with education. We all remember buying school supplies in the fall and packing the iconic white bottle with its orange cap in our backpacks. “Elmer’s has been a staple in schools for many years, and we’ve been asked, ‘How do you make glue?’ many times,” says Terri Brown, director of […]