Since the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, U.S. international trade policy has undergone several momentous changes, and more developments are on the horizon. Most recently, the continued viability of international trade agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, has been called into question, as well as the U.S. … [More]
Core Motivators of Human Behavior
Human beings are more alike than we are different. We all yearn for deeper connection. We all want more time and less stress. We all desire health and well-being, freedom, adventure, revitalization and self-improvement, but most of all we crave significance — a sense of purpose. When companies connect with their customers’ deep emotional motivators, the pay-off can be … [More]
The Case Study Format – Valuable Lessons for CEOs
As the CEO of a mobile communications platform in the healthcare sector, Andrew Steele maintains a sharp focus on the rapid growth of his early-stage company, BeckonCall. Like many entrepreneurs, he is hard at work attracting capital, networking and managing a growing team. It’s the nature of the business for CEOs, he says, to have a strong emphasis on aggressively scaling a … [More]
Even Successful CEOs Need Peer-to-Peer Feedback
Patrick Stafford’s Phoenix-based business has a front-row seat to the global economy. His tower cranes are shipped all over the world — anywhere there’s a building boom and a need for a 300-foot crane to help change the skyline. His equipment has been on construction sites in Dubai, Ireland, Guam, Brazil, Uganda and Peru —to name just a few countries. Locally, Stafford … [More]
Impact Investing – Making a Difference in the Community
More jobs. Affordable housing. Sustainability. These are among the many areas in which impact investing has been put to use, not only in Arizona but also around the country and world. There has been a growing demand for this type of investment, as more people are looking for ways to not only earn a return on investment, but also to put their money toward making the world a … [More]
Business Fronts for 2017
It’s been a unique start to 2017. The first quarter brought us an interesting mix of uncertainty coupled with overall steady conditions and solid job growth. As we move into the second quarter, the opportunity for meaningful, dynamic gains is very real, and I advise business leaders to think boldly about growth. In fact, it’s time that they step on the gas as they examine their … [More]
Better Hiring and Recruiting
For employers and recruiters alike, there is no better feeling than finding and landing the perfect candidate whose skills are aligned with the open position and is ideal for company culture. However, it can also be extremely frustrating when hiring and recruiting don’t work out for the best. A company’s bad hiring choices can lead to costly mistakes that benefit no one. Bad … [More]
Death of the Performance Appraisal?
A growing body of data suggests that the traditional annual or twice-yearly performance appraisal may have outlived its usefulness. Today, information is both transparent and instantaneous, goals are mutable, and organizations of all kinds are ditching the paper trail. The problems with performance appraisals are wide-ranging. Not only do they frame the conversation in a way … [More]
Real Estate: The Surprising Cost of Inaction
With real estate and facilities as two of the largest expenses (and assets) for the average organization, it may be surprising to learn a sizable portion of that spend is going toward wasted energy and lost productivity associated with unsuitable and inefficient performance of the physical work environments. This is not just an issue for Fortune 500 companies; increasingly, … [More]
Global Businesses and HR Leaders Are Failing to Deliver Future Leaders
Given constantly changing market dynamics, new technologies, shifting government regulations and evolving customer expectations, leaders must understand and respond effectively to seismic shifts that affect their businesses. Traditional leadership development programs are failing to deliver collaborative and visionary business leaders, according to new research from Bersin by … [More]
Leadership in the Era of Digital Disruption
The rapid advancement of technology continues to change the world — and the marketplace — faster than many businesses can keep up with, disrupting all their plans and threatening to render them obsolete. It may be time for business leaders to take the initiative and start doing a little disrupting of their own. In this era of “digital disruption” — which refers to how … [More]
Quantifying Love in Business
In this age of analytics, big data, business intelligence and data science, it is commonly understood that one must measure something if one wishes to manage it. Simple enough. But when it comes to something that is explicitly qualitative — a healthy, loving business culture — how might a leader go about quantifying the impact of such a workplace? Can love really be … [More]
The Strong Case for Culture by Design
The United States destroyed its enemies in World War II because it out-produced them. Its manufacturing capacity was enormous and efficient. Its workforce was inspired and committed. The government, suppliers, and competitors all collaborated to produce the biggest manufacturing juggernaut the world had ever known. It seemed there was no end to America’s manufacturing … [More]
Loving Well, Sans Weirdness
While integrating love in business may sound nice as a theory, the real question is how to do it without it getting … weird. Of course, like anything in life, love can be a bit messy. But, for the sake of everyone, it doesn’t have to be mushy. Loving well and fostering such a unique culture is helped by these simple steps. Build Authentic Relationship It all starts with … [More]
Diversity Trends in Small Business Investing
Maria Contreras-Sweet, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the voice of small business on President Obama’s Cabinet, last month heralded the release of “Measuring the Representation of Women and Minorities in the SBIC Program,” a groundbreaking SBA study showing the racial and gender makeup of investment boards is tied directly to investment decisions … [More]
The Integration of Love and Business
Driving and texting. Church and state. Love and business. At first glance, one would think these things should stay as separate from one another as possible. And, frankly, that’s how most people treat them — as combinations that simply don’t mix well, each half of the given pair to be compartmentalized and engaged with on its own. The thought of love being exercised in … [More]
Combat Social Media Mud-Slinging
Winston Churchill said, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” An Internet search for “Charlotte police shooting” will pull up more than 20,000 news articles and videos littered with speculations and quotes from witnesses, family members and police. Did Keith Lamont Scott have a gun, or was it just a book? The viral nature of … [More]
SBA Awards $18.8 Million to Support Small-Business Trade Growth
Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, last month announced $18.85 million to support export growth among American small businesses. The funding was awarded through SBA’s competitive State Trade Expansion Program. The share for Arizona businesses in Fiscal Year 2016 is $299,903. Calling it a boon for America’s small businesses, … [More]
