Economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic could very well continue to play out over decades. Change is a forerunner to growth, and businesses across the nation were forced to pivot over the past two years. Perseverance was tested, resilience was built and the presence of small businesses on social media, or lack thereof, was noticed. Small businesses, which account for 99% … [More]
An American Businessperson in a Global World
In the American business world, there is a generally accepted, and often unspoken, etiquette that most businesspeople follow: Be on time, dress professionally, use a firm handshake, make eye contact, show initiative, be respectful of one’s superiors and so on. Look around the world, however, and there are widely diverse protocols that can quickly lead to cultural barriers, … [More]
Could the U.S. Really Move to a Four-Day Workweek?
The pandemic is responsible for opening our eyes to the importance of “quality of life.” We were all confined to our homes in the blink of an eye, and the requirement for a drastic increase in remote work saw 42% of people working from home in 2020, according to the American Time Use Survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the time, the labor force was able to … [More]
Three Hacks for Creating an Effortless Customer Experience
Most every company strives to be “easy to do business with.” But as common as that mantra is, it remains a rarity to come across a business that is consistently effortless to patronize. One reason: Most organizations aren’t detecting the pain points that drive their customers away. Sure: the 30-minute call center wait or the poorly designed website — these are examples of … [More]
The Best Leaders Know How to Set a Vision
Among the many challenges that leaders face is maximizing performance. How can they get the best out of their people? What can they do to grow the business? What innovative products and services can they bring to the market? Although these questions are critical to a company’s success, the first thing the senior leadership team must do is get clear on their vision. Setting the … [More]
Handling Difficult Conversations Remotely
No one could have accurately predicted that one day just about the entire world would go remote. But that’s precisely what happened when the coronavirus hit and pretty much brought everyone to a standstill. Within days of the official announcement of a pandemic, employers shut down their offices and sent workers home, leaving no time to train leaders on how to best manage … [More]
4 Skills Everyone Needs to Thrive in a Digital Future
There’s a lot of talk these days about disruption and the constant change we all seem to experience at faster and faster speeds. In the past decade, every industry worldwide has been impacted by the rise of technology, people and interactivity coming together to create an explosion of new products and services that did not even exist 10 years ago. Who could believe that one day … [More]
Performance Management Techniques for Managing Remote Workers
Remote workers are here to stay, so business leaders need to know how to get the most out of their team. Statistics show that 4.7 million people in the United States work remotely at least half the time. With these numbers — which are still growing — it is important leaders understand different techniques so they can get the best performance from their employees. Scheduling … [More]
Time to Shine a Light on Renewable Energy End-of-Life Planning
To address the unique end-of-life challenges and opportunities presented to renewable energy developers and operators, Lewis Roca created a first-of-its-kind Renewable Energy End-of-Life Planning Group. This team draws on our many years of experience in the energy and utilities sector and includes attorneys from throughout the firm’s practice areas to assist clients with … [More]
It’s Not IF; It’s WHEN
We all wanted to think the worst was over — that those early pandemic days of stress and uncertainty were behind us and our companies could get back to normal. But with COVID cases rising and new global lockdowns just announced — and some companies re-thinking return-to-work plans — it seems that normal may be distant dream. From now on we can expect one disruptive crisis … [More]
Electric Vehicles Are Hot for Arizona
There was a time when going to the mall meant shopping for clothes and home knick-knacks – offering a lot of choices thanks to there being a number of stores conveniently in one place. Now, it can mean shopping for one of an individual’s biggest purchases: a car. Electric vehicles are making this merchandizing move. Scottsdale Fashion Square boasts a collection of three … [More]
A Proactive Approach to Employees’ Mental Health
By taking a proactive approach, organization leaders and HR professionals can focus on building a resilient workforce, increasing the comfort around mental health conversations and designing benefits plans to meet current employee needs. The overall goal is to help today’s employees survive and thrive during uncertain times by cultivating a workplace that reduces the mental … [More]
Healthcare Worker Burnout Affects Everyone
Most business owners and managers understand the importance of workplace wellness and how that affects productivity. But what happens when the healthcare workers providing care to the employees are not well? Recently, it seems as though the discussion about healthcare workers and the pandemic doesn’t occur without the mention of “burnout.” World Psychiatry defines burnout … [More]
Vaccination Stress
Dialogue between the vaccinated and unvaccinated can be fraught with stress, and the issue is gaining urgency as businesses are bringing employees back to the company workplace. How can those who are vaccinate best encourage their friends, family members or co-workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 when they’re still reluctant? Some people don’t need much convincing … [More]
What’s the Secret for a Successful Family-Run Business?
Being an entrepreneur is difficult enough on its own, but adding a family to the mix creates another layer of challenges. Many family businesses struggle for a variety of reasons, including personal and professional conflicts, management hurdles, emotional stressors, lack of structure and a general loss of interest from one generation to the next. While family businesses … [More]
Hyperautomation Is Useless if Businesses Don’t Invest in a Solid Foundation
Hyperautomation is an idea being discussed and deployed by both the business and IT side of many businesses, large and small. In many cases, hyperautomation means different things to each group in terms of expected outcomes. I am often asked where and how business should invest to provide a solid foundation for hyperautomation. I think the answer may come as a surprise. Hint: … [More]
Lost in the Amazon
When I think about what’s wrong with today’s internet experience, I often remember the time I tried to plan a family vacation. I logged in with high hopes. In the old days, I might have turned to a travel agent, but today all the tools that were once the sole domain of the professional travel planner are available to me. I started using search engines, trying a variety … [More]
Leading When Times Are Good
It’s almost second nature for business leaders to lean in and help their team weather a storm. The pandemic was a perfect example, as many companies were trying to figure out new and creative ways to make sales to keep from closing their doors. On the other hand, these trying times turned into a pot of gold for many companies that were able to pivot quickly. The stream of new … [More]
