While decades of research has effectively made what might be called the business case for greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace, it seems many companies still struggle with identifying pathways to achieve more inclusive workplaces. This article will provide an overview of some of the many channels through which progress might be made. Continue reading
When the #MeToo movement began gathering steam two years ago after media reports about sexual harassment perpetrated by what felt like a truly alarming number of men in powerful positions, it was easy to think things would change for the better for women. There are always skeptics about the potential for any movement to achieve lasting impacts, which begs the question: What has the MeToo movement accomplished? Have there been unintended consequences? Are things any different or better for women now? How does all this impact what’s happening in workplaces across the nation? This article explores these questions and more to uncover the good, the bad, and the ugly regarding the MeToo movement. Continue reading
Have you ever experienced poor customer service or support? Something isn’t right with the product or service you bought. You sigh, steel yourself, and dial up the customer service phone number. Maybe you get lost in a convoluted voice menu. Maybe you get tired of waiting on hold after 10 or 15 minutes (or more). Maybe you become frustrated and give up when it’s clear the person you eventually speak to can’t or won’t really do anything to help resolve your situation. Maybe you’ll try again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day after that. What’s really going here? Continue reading
When you see a company’s primary leader being ousted due to some company failure or scandal such as the Wells Fargo fake account debacle, it’s easy to think to yourself, “Whew! I’m glad I’m not a leader!” Upon reflection, however, that’s a bit of a cop-out, isn’t it? If there’s one thing I’ve learned about leadership from many years of studying the topic, it’s that companies and organizations need all its employees to exhibit leadership. You’re not off the hook because what any business needs is what I call leadership everywhere. Continue reading
In case you haven’t noticed, the world has gone digital. We’re nearly two decades into the new millennium, which many are calling the Digital Era, and for good reason. It seems everyone is living more of their lives through digital channels, from researching product alternatives to making purchases of anything and everything. If your company hasn’t yet fully embraced digital transformation, you run the risk of falling behind and becoming obsolete. This article provides some guidance for catching the digital wave and riding it in to the shores of business success. Continue reading
If you’re the kind of person who thinks of what you wished you would have said in a particular situation at work several hours or days after the confrontation, you’re not alone. It happens to more people than you think. When the interaction comes as a surprise or in the middle of a high-pressure time, it’s hard to get your brain and your mouth working together. There’s a lot of good and not-so-good advice out there on what to do when this happens at work. In this article, I’ll look mostly at the big picture of handling difficult workplace situations, but also point you to some great resources with good advice for specific incidents and how to respond. Continue reading
Maybe you have mastered your fear of public speaking and have managed to focus on all the key points you want to deliver to your audience. Unfortunately, this alone doesn’t ensure you will keep them captivated. Learn how to create visually engaging presentations and structure them in a way that keeps your team members curious by giving reminders throughout, summarizing key points and telling your story in a relatable way. Preview video. Continue reading
Conducting performance appraisals is one of the most dreaded tasks among many managers. Besides the daunting amount of paperwork and planning, what are the best strategizes for providing feedback that is both encouraging and constructive? Preview video. Continue reading
Workplace bullying is on the rise, according to recent studies. An estimated 65 million Americans have had to deal with a workplace bully at some point in their career path. Employees can feel helpless when bullied in the workplace, for fear of it affecting their performance and possibly even losing their job if they speak out. This course explores strategies on how to take back your power from a workplace bully. Preview video. Continue reading
Why be concerned about manufacturing safety if manufacturing is in decline? As many people know, manufacturing in the US has declined precipitously in the US since WWII, during which the percentage of the nonfarm workforce employed in manufacturing was 38% (source). When the war ended, that figure immediately declined to 30%, and then continued marching downward right up to the present day, when only 8.5% of the nonfarm workforce is employed in manufacturing jobs (source). And although we manufacture a lot more with fewer and fewer resources, the share of the economy as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) that comes from manufacturing has dwindled from 24.3% back in 1970 (source) to a mere 11.3% in 2019 (source). All these indicators do point to a clear and continued decline in manufacturing, but that doesn’t mean manufacturing safety is no longer an issue. After all, there are 12.9 million people employed in manufacturing as of June 2019 (source). How can manufacturing safety be put back into the limelight to protect the health and safety of millions of workers? Continue reading