January 2010

Have you ever been in a meeting when an employee “lost” it and either went on a tirade or got up and slammed out of the room?  If you ever have encountered an employee who has a burst of anger at work, you understand the impact of those behaviors.  It is everyone’s responsibility to act [...]

It has become increasingly disappointing to see the deterioration of basic etiquette and professionalism in the workplace.  Some say it is just “this generation” but I’m not convinced because I see it in all demographics.  I believe it is an organizational culture symptom that is modeled from the top down. Office etiquette and professionalism is [...]

Leadership means “the ability to lead; an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction”.  The term leadership is used in many forms to describe many things but is ultimately the act of leading people in a certain direction. Following are some leadership characteristics that successful leaders demonstrate and develop through their own professional journey. Influencer [...]

Job descriptions are important when they are tied to organizational goals and long-term strategy. In my article 5 Step Process of Strategic Planning, we discuss how a vision drives a strategic plan. A strategic plan translates into organizational goals which dictate departmental goals within the organization. Once departmental goals are established, it is important to [...]

Have you ever wondered how some business  take off and grow very rapidly in just a few short years and others stay the same for years and years? Business growth takes strategy and strong leadership.  Some new business owners achieve a certain level of success and begin to sit back and become lax in their [...]

Most of us have been inundated with media cries for financial help for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.  As responsible citizens and business owners, we need to be diligent to make sure that our donations to this relief effort truly make it to the people who are hurting the most. For whatever reason, [...]

If you’re like me, staying up on software upgrades is a constant challenge.  It seems that as soon as we get the hang of working with a computer program, they upgrade the software and impose a new learning curve for us.  The positive side of this is that there are always really cool features in [...]

Benefits for church employees are part of a strategy that is used to attract and retain key employees. Benefits vary greatly by organization and can be as simple as health insurance for church employees to as complex as flexible work schedules or on-campus day care. Benefit packages come in many shapes and sizes, depending on [...]

Performance Appraisal Rater Errors

Since we are all human, it is common for us to make “errors” when assessing employee behavior and writing performance appraisal documents.  These errors are reflective of our unconscious biases toward the employee.  These biases can give an employee an unfair advantage or disadvantage over others in their peer group. The book, Human Resource Strategy by [...]

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Disaster Recovery Plan – 3 Phases of a Disaster Plan

Considering the current crisis in Haiti it may be a good time to stop and think about how to plan, prepare and be ready to respond in the event of an emergency or disaster. A disaster can be defined as a natural disaster (flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake), an act of terrorism (9/11) or armed intruder (Columbine).  [...]

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Recovery Theory Customer Service

Great customer service is the cornerstone of any successful business. Knowing who the customers are, what they want and exceeding their expectations is the key to business growth. Unless an organization understands this very basic principle, they will have a difficult time achieving all their desired results. Service Recovery is a theory that suggests that [...]

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Definition of Customer Service

Customer service is a common term we are all familiar with which means “one who aids or provides help to the purchaser of a good or service”. Customer service is seen in all industries and across all demographics. It is important because if the purchasers of our goods and services don’t feel like they are [...]

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