Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of trends come and go. Some have caused us to feel very optimistic about the future of work; yet, others have caused us great concern. For example, a recent poll indicates two-thirds of employees are not engaged at work. To quote James Harter, chief scientist for workplace management at Gallup, “They [Employees] feel negative about work and the workplace, and are doing more harm than good when they come to work.” The impact of disengaged employees is profound … [Read more...]

Leadership is hard work. It takes knowledge, courage and determination. It also takes emotional intelligence, which entails identifying and managing your own emotions and those of others. In fact, a major research study concluded that emotional intelligence is a hallmark of truly effective leaders. In working with leaders for many years, we have found traits such as self-awareness, empathy, mutual respect, and communication have propelled people forward in their personal and professional … [Read more...]

Managing people can be difficult. Managers are expected to attract and hire the best people for their teams. And, once they’re on board, managers must work hard every day to ensure their teams have the resources they need to achieve the goals assigned to them. Additionally, when obstacles arise, as they so often do, managers must help their team members overcome these challenges to maintain momentum. As we all know, the stakes are high. Managers are under a lot of pressure; yet, the rewards are … [Read more...]

The most important part of an organization’s commitment to achieving greatness is investing in its people. In his landmark book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Do Not, leadership expert Jim Collins wrote: “Those who build great companies understand that the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets, or technology, or competition, or products. It is one thing above all others: the ability to get and keep enough of the right people.” We … [Read more...]

There is so much information available to us. Some might say too much information. Sifting through all this information can be a daunting task; however, we need information – to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – to ensure we are ready to be successful and take the necessary steps to make success a reality. One of the key advantages we offer is firsthand knowledge of the issues that our clients are facing. We’re proud of the partnerships we’ve built across the globe, … [Read more...]

We love this time of year! In particular, as the leaves turn, the combination of colors creates a unique mosaic that is truly a miracle of nature. For sports fans, there is also a lot to be excited about – cheering on our favorite youth sports teams, the World Series, college and professional football, basketball, and hockey. And, of course, all of the wonderful food that is created at this time of year. As we think of all of the various things that combine to create a remarkable result, we … [Read more...]

While experts may disagree about how many job openings are not broadly communicated, commonly referred to as the “hidden job market,” there is no question that networking is an effective way to ensure your long-term success. Human resources professionals as well as hiring managers face a number of challenges when attempting to fill a position such as wading through hundreds of applications and resumes in order to identify who to interview. As a job seeker, how can you stand out? One sure-fire … [Read more...]

These most recent Olympic games had many highlights. They were filled with remarkable individual and team achievements as well as fascinating behind-the-scene stories of athletes overcoming adversity to succeed. While the competitors earned their place on the podium and, in some cases, in the record books, credit should also be given to the people who helped them reach this pinnacle of success. Without question, the athletes’ family and friends were instrumental in helping the athletes … [Read more...]

Summer is in full bloom. Given the winter and so-called spring we had this year, it felt like summer would never arrive. Well, the wait is over, and we do hope you’re enjoying this time with family and friends. This is also the time of year when we see and experience some of the results of our hard work in the first half of the year. Like gardening, we invested time, money and effort to cultivate our careers. Hopefully, you are now seeing that things are blossoming. Yet, we also know that … [Read more...]

This is a perfect time of year to take a step back and assess how you’ve done. We spend so much time planning for the year ahead and then invest nearly all of our time and effort in trying to achieve our goals. However, it’s critical to keep in mind that any good plan should be flexible and adaptable in order to identify and overcome obstacles that unexpectedly arise. This approach can be applied to organizations and individuals. For organizations, they may have experienced an unexpected loss … [Read more...]