The straight line

By nature, most people avoid planning for crisis situations. After all, there is so much to do in the here and now without trying to second guess the future. Business leaders are no exception when it comes to the often thankless task of crisis planning. Unfortunately, disaster can strike any company, at any time. Even more difficult than actually...

Have you seen the Chevrolet commercial where the boss tells a group of employees to “take a knee, team?” One young man drops into a quarterback kneel and the boss asks, “What’s he doing?” With the rest of the group looking confused, the employee responds, “You said ‘take a knee.‘” The boss responds: “That’s what that means?”...

Back before society became so mobile, checking the backgrounds of potential employees was pretty much a matter of asking around the neighborhood: Were the applicants honest? Reliable? Hardworking? Things have gotten considerably more complex. Today, virtually every company is vulnerable to hiring problem employees – not only those who are dishonest, but those who create untrue...

A company can use workers provided through an employee leasing company or professional employer organization (PEO) to save money on benefits such as health and life insurance, as well as administrative costs. Here’s How it Works An employee leasing firm hires people for your company and pays all the related costs for them. You then pay the...

During his first state visit to the United States in September, Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed a range of global, regional and bilateral issues with U.S. President Obama. The leaders’ discussions included their joint vision for an international agreement on climate change that will be concluded in Paris this December. The state visit was followed by...

There’s an old saying in advertising: “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.” Appeal to emotions, be entertaining and keep it short because no one has time to read anymore. The idea is that if your ads stand out for their sizzling originality, you’ll get customers to eat more steak. Many successful consumer campaigns are built on...