Productivity & Trade Briefs

D&I professionals do not object to being relevant to the mission of their organizations or to leveraging D&I as an enabler of business strategy. Most agree that all elements of the business, including D&I, must deliver results to help achieve the collective goals of the organization.

The 2015 new study “How Americans Manage Their Finances”1 provides insights into financial management and at all ages. The study provides insights into use of financial products, debt, financial stresses, and planning for the future by age group. This article offers a few highlights from the study and my views about the implications for employers and employee benefits.

Simply put, we should license leaders. Think about it. No other professional group impacts as many lives on a daily basis as those who call themselves leaders. They impact the lives of employees, clients, customers, constituents, and patients.

It’s no longer unusual for teams within organizations to span different countries and cultures. While there are many benefits to this, one of the challenges for leaders of these global teams is navigating everyone’s vacation schedules.

The challenges inherent in presenting a business case for diversity management become further complex when there are more C-Suite executives involved. If you think it is hard to keep the CEO focused, imagine what it’s like to have the CEO and 10 of his or her direct report sitting around the table. There is a strong probability that your presentation will get derailed, probably more than once.

With growing congestion a global megatrend, companies have a choice. Either accept it (and its higher costs and lower profits) or take control of your fate with strategic, game-changing actions that cut time and costs from the supply chain.

Even if you love your job, it’s common to feel burnt out from time to time. Perhaps you just wrapped up a big project and are having trouble mustering motivation for the next one. Are some forms of rejuvenation better than others?

To grow and innovate, organizations have to come up with creative ideas. At the employee level, creativity results from a combination of expertise, motivation, and thinking skills. At the team level, it results from the synergy between team members, which allows the group to produce something greater than the sum of its parts.