Office bonds
While relationships between employees and their bosses have always seen their ups and downs, the turbulent economy may be forging stronger ties as employees look to shore up their job security.
Year: 2008
Rewarding a snitch can be a good thing
Here’s a new office morale booster: Organize a company snitch program. It runs on the same grapevine that conducts office gossip, only all the news is good. Snitchers tell one another about accomplishments, small victories or acts of heroism that go beyond the call of duty.
Don’t let innovation slip; keep solutions comin’
Businesses already had a problem with innovation, even before the economic crisis. But this is no time to let innovative ideas slip out the back door, says Judy Estrin, former chief technology officer at Cisco Systems and author of “Closing the Innovation Gap.”
2009: the year of the shipshape worker?
As health insurance costs skyrocket, even as benefits dwindle, so does the trend toward employers setting up wellness programs—71% of U.S. employers offered such programs in 2008. Is your office ready to be a part of the wellness movement? Here’s how to make the case to leadership and take some initial steps.
Crisis readiness: Know your 3 P’s
The current economic meltdown underscores this reality: We’re never too far from a crisis. Before a crisis causes things to blow up, train your office for first response.
If it’s important, say it again
When you need co-workers to remember something, you need to deliver it multiple times, says William H. Rastetter, who taught at MIT and Harvard before becoming CEO of Idec Pharmaceuticals Corp.
More power to the penny pinchers
According to PC World magazine, thrifty web sites are getting more attention (and site traffic) than ever before. Click on any of the sites listed here for good advice on saving money and guarding your finances.
The importance of initiative
America’s foremost business philosopher, Jim Rohn, says the biggest mistake people make is thinking they work for someone else, rather than themselves. When you pretend that you work for yourself, you’re more apt to take initiative. Here’s why.
What should you give to board members?
One admin directed this question to peers on our online forum, hoping to find top-notch suggestions to fit a tight budget (www.businessmanagementdaily.com/APF). Here are a few creative responses.
How to generate the best ideas
Do you want a brainstorming session to generate one great idea or several above-average ones? A new study looked at two models: 1. Assembling a group of people and having them come up with product ideas. 2. Asking individuals to work on ideas by themselves before sharing their thinking. Who came up with better ideas?