Category: Learning & Development

Employees are valuing career development more than ever—it’s a sign that the company is willing to invest in their future. How are businesses approaching training today? What are their pain points, and what topics are being addressed in training?

remote

Transferring Public Learning Opportunities to the Virtual World

The transition from working on-site to working remotely in the COVID era has changed the workplace in myriad ways. One of the most obvious impacts has been the lack of in-person group time. While telecommunications technologies have been a savior for many companies and allow them to mimic much of in-office life in a virtual […]

skills

Upskilling Isn’t Going Anywhere, as Long as You Get It Right

More than anything and like never before, the difference between business success and failure is having a growth mind-set vs. a fixed one. The pandemic crystalized this, giving us the best example of Carol Dweck’s theory of motivation in action. Companies that reacted and shifted their businesses quickly were able to better respond to the […]

The Importance of Cross-Training

Companies want their employees to be effective at and knowledgeable about their jobs, and many managers try to remove ancillary activities from employees’ plates to allow them to focus on their core job functions. For example, companies hire administrative staff so their managers, accountants, lawyers, etc., don’t need to spend time scheduling meetings or routing […]

expectations

Investing Time in Early Feedback

Regular and constructive feedback is essential to the success of any staff member, as well as to the success of his or her team and the broader organization. When you think of employee feedback, you might think of formal performance reviews conducted at a set date annually or quarterly. But feedback should be provided consistently […]

The Distraction Cycle

Distraction is one of the most significant and constant enemies of productivity. Some estimates say it can take as much as 23 minutes to get refocused on a task after a distraction. Obviously, in certain workplaces prone to frequent distractions, that can eat up the bulk of a day if not controlled.

recruitment

Paving the Way for Intrapreneurship

The great minds of business founders are often the driving force that propels those businesses to success. Examples like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Jeff Bezos come immediately to mind. Of course, for companies that are already established, it’s obviously not possible to find a “founder,” but they can hope to find a […]

pitching

Rethinking the Details of E-Mail Communication

With millions of Americans working remotely, there are much fewer nonverbal social cues that come from in-person interaction. While the sophistication of modern telecommunications technology has been a saving grace in the midst of widespread remote work, it is not, at least at present, a perfect substitute. This means it’s more important than ever to […]

Changing Up the Workplace to Spur Creativity

It’s hard to find the perfect workplace, and much of what makes a workplace “perfect” depends on the nature of the work being done. A quiet, secluded office devoid of any distractions might be perfect for powering through mundane, repetitive work. But it wouldn’t necessarily lend itself to creativity. The Creative Power of Public Spaces […]

Tips for Reducing the Impact of Negative Employees

It’s doubtful there’s an employer that hasn’t had to deal with negative employees. Without any intervention, negative employees can quickly cause a decline in morale, and the entire workplace might be affected, even increasing turnover.

quit

Common Mistakes Executives Make Leaving Their Job

In a previous post, we discussed the surprisingly common issue of executives leaving their job on bad terms. According to research conducted by Heidrick & Struggles, just 16% of senior executives surveyed reported that they would have done nothing differently the last time they voluntarily resigned from a position. That, of course, means that 84% […]