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 […]
Every industry needs new faces and fresh ideas to stay relevant. For showy new industries like the startups of Silicon Valley, it’s easy to seduce brilliantly talented young people who want to make a change in their field. For well-established industries, it’s just as important to bring in that talent, but how does a long-standing industry like banking make the same appeal to new graduates? A group of Raleigh bankers is actually reaching out to young adults in North Carolina […]
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 […]
We believe that great teamwork is essential to an organization. It enables businesses to achieve goals that an individual working alone cannot. Employees can achieve a higher level of contentment and becoming part of something greater is the very fuel for happiness. In order to create an effective team, we have identified four necessary attributes: Have The Purpose, Value or Charter In Writing If you are going to achieve success, you must start by identifying your purpose, values, or […]
When I was young, my father was a middle manager at a busy company. While the company offered a generous vacation package, employees also felt discouraged from taking all of their available vacation days. The company did business with a number of clients who were vocal about their long hours at work, and employees were expected to match these hectic schedules. As a result, even when our family was on vacation, my father wasn’t. Once, in the days before ubiquitous […]