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LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS
At an insurance company I once worked with, the management used to proudly proclaim that their business was a great place to work. They sent out annual employee satisfaction surveys and got high marks from all of the employees who participated. Despite that, whenever I went to the break room and listened, almost all of the employees had complaints. On top of that, company turnover was high, even though employees were being paid well above the industry average. So why […]
Here’s How Forward-Thinking Companies Can Establish a Better Work-Life Balance for Happier Employees
If you walk into the off-white building on the east end of Haywood Road in Asheville, North Carolina, you won’t find a corporate office with rows of cubicles. Instead, you’ll find an open space, where people from dozens of different industries work for dozens of different employers, and even for themselves. These people are taking part in one of Asheville’s first co-working environments, where instead of going to traditional offices and punching a time clock, they rent desk space and […]
As children in the schoolyard, we were told to act as leaders and stand up to bullies. Unfortunately, it seems like this lesson often goes out the window once we grow up and enter the workforce. Luckily, that’s not the case for one Charlotte-area restaurant chain, which has decided to take action against a corporate bully. Charlotte’s Queen City Q, a local barbeque chain with four locations, has organized a boycott of Anheuser Busch (AB). The restaurants will no […]
In recent years, Raleigh, North Carolina, has become a technology start-up powerhouse. Why are so many innovators drawn to this mid-sized city when they could be moving to recognized technology hubs like Silicon Valley or Austin? This shift is partially thanks to Derrik Minor. Minor, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Manager for the City of Raleigh, has been one of the key players in achieving the city’s new status as a home for up-and-coming businesses and ideas. Minor focuses on fostering […]
When you take a look at the front page of the business news in North Carolina, you’ll probably see a common theme. Despite the fact that the state is largely involved in manufacturing and agriculture, the front page has recently been filled with headlines about new technology and big conglomerate mergers. Companies in more traditional industries, like those in manufacturing, construction, and others, don’t often get a lot of attention. That lack of attention can make it difficult for […]
There is a new trend in the workplace. Since 2007, employer sponsored charitable programs have been rising steadily, with 20% of employers offering some kind of charitable options as of 2013[1.Halzak, Sarah. “Paid Time off for Volunteering Gains Traction as Way to Retain Employees.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2015. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/paid-time-off-for-volunteering-gains-traction-as-way-to-retain-employees/2013/08/09/86189774-fe95-11e2-96a8-d3b921c0924a_story.html]. Whether employers are offering their workers time off or matching contributions in their name, employers are learning that getting involved doesn’t just help […]
The Golden Rule is something I hear about quite often: “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I grew up with that rule, but over the years, it has created much frustration on my part in terms of getting leaders to lead and teams to be teams in a powerful manner. It has also limited the ability and results of leaders and teams in molding culture. It has bogged down processes and allowed strategic plans to […]
At this time of year we look at the trends emerging for next year and for a few years to come. Here are a few of our observations: We have seen that teams, organizations and leaders have become much more flexible and fluid to stabilize their structure and organizations. Leaders are paying more attention to millennials. A purpose must be created and a value system understood with a clear sign of progress seen to attract, motivate and retain this group […]
The December day started like any other in the office. People focused on their work, preparing for the end of the year review. Orders flooded in as clients spent the last of their annual budgets. Coworkers wandered from cubicle to cubicle, exchanging holiday greetings and planning for the annual party later that week. When his phone rang, CEO Dan Brown expected a small crisis, or a question about next year’s budget. “This is the state police. Do you know […]