Think back on your work career; try to remember those leaders or mentors that really stand out. What made you think of them? Why did they stand out? If you are remembering more than one, were they both the same type of leader? There are different styles of leadership and each one of them may bring success, but great leaders, must also possess the ability to unify those around him or her and those that report to them. They also […]
Your company has a problem. You used to be small and innovative, but lately you’ve gotten too big. It used to be easy to implement big and exciting new changes to products and processes, but now it seems difficult. Projects balloon out of control, and seem to serve the company rather than the customers. How can you keep growing, but recapture the spirit of innovation that you’ve lost? Is it possible to innovate at all levels? It’s easy to despair […]
Kaitlyn’s company had a big contract coming up and she wanted to put the perfect team together to finish the job. As a very involved CEO, her first step seemed obvious. She went straight to the resumes. She knew she needed a coder, a designer, a technical writer, a customer support person, and a manager. She’d just choose the best person for each job, and then she’d have her dream team, right? Wrong. As she compiled her list, Robert, her […]
Mike was the third-generation owner of a manufacturing facility located in rural North Carolina. He loved his town and the local culture, and he was proud to maintain a business there. In fact, he even wanted to add a line to his facility, but he had a problem—he’d tapped out the local market for qualified employees. While he offered excellent pay and benefits, he had trouble attracting applicants who didn’t already have roots in the community. His beloved small town […]
We recently encountered a client with a problem. They wanted to build their business with an engaged, cooperative workforce—a common goal of so many of our clients. However, their company was extremely compartmentalized, so employees from different divisions hardly ever spoke to each other. This led to a great deal of disconnect between various departments. For instance, the sales team and the warehouse team viewed each other as adversaries, rather than as allies. Obviously, this was a roadblock on the […]
Millennials make up a big portion of our workforce. The most recent Pew Research survey states that they make up the largest portion of our workforce. This new breed of worker has created a new breed of leader, and many of these leaders are changing up their styles in order to work with Millennials and give them the leadership they need. Despite all that, about 60% of Millennials will leave a new job within three years. So why isn’t […]
Sarah was enthusiastic as she started her first management role. When first offered the job, Sarah was warned regarding her new reports. They’d had a rough time with the previous manager and many were now despondent, disengaged, and actively looking towards the exits. Being young and inexperienced, Sarah brushed off these concerns. Surely the departmental culture couldn’t be that bad! Sarah was sure that once the staff met her, they’d understand that it was a new beginning in the […]
In this week’s video blog our expert guide, Don Hadley, discusses the important role communication plays, whether a business is growing exponentially or contracting. Business growth or decline can cause tremendous strain on individuals, teams, and leaders. There are two main elements affected by businesses growth or decline: cash and people. A critical piece in times of transition is to become a better team. To become a better team, improved communication is key. Good, effective communication is needed for: Day-to-day […]
Organizations may have tremendous leaders and key employees with great talent and who produce powerful results while continually upgrading their capabilities. Additionally, these talented people build and contribute to a strong business strategy as part of the recipe that will propel the organization forward in a way that engages the whole team. At the same time, incremental decay may occur elsewhere in the organization and then, one day (usually in a poor response to a major crisis or an inability […]