The name of the game is FREEDOM: How innovative companies motivate, get, and retain the best…

“The competition to hire the best will increase in the years ahead. Companies that give extra flexibility (freedom) to their employees will have the edge in this area.” Bill Gates I can’t neglect (since I missed the window over the 4th) to make sure to make a point about freedom during our nation’s birthday month. And as by coincidence or actually, by what really makes a whole lot of sense, you can’t talk about what drives innovation without talking about freedom. America is a country that was built around the concept of freedom. Despite a presidential campaign grounded on “Making

Innovate or Die? And the Best Places to Work

Innovation is a buzzword in business now.  In a fast-paced world where change and adapting is necessary in order to survive in business, innovation seems to be what all people want to point to that keeps companies alive.  “Innovate or die” we hear.   But is it worth all the hype? Despite the fact that I often hate cliché words or phrases (don’t ask me about what I think about the word “synergy”, for example), I’m on the innovation bandwagon. I believe in today’s business world it truly is what separates the winners from the losers.   And you can see why

How Neuroscience Is and Will Revolutionize HR

  In December of 2014, my then four-year-old son started having seizures. After three of them occurred in a short period of time, we went to see a pediatric neurologist who first did an electroencephalogram (EEG) to begin to identify the cause of the seizures so we could determine a course of treatment. Utilizing this technology as well as other techniques, she put our son on a medicine that has controlled his seizures. He hasn’t had one in over a year, and we are thankful for the doctors, the scientific discoveries and the technology that made this a reality. Neuroscience

How Simulated Work Environments Can Drive Performance in the Classroom, and Ultimately the Workplace

Continuing with our theme this month, we wanted to reflect on performance management in another arena – the classroom. After all, students are future employees and shouldn’t performance management in the classroom prepare them for performance management in their future careers? First, I want to share a thought from a local employer when asked about industry needs concerning current and potential programs that are developing the future workforce. The quote reads: “While there appears to be attention given to communication and employability (skills), these areas remain our greatest problem. We are looking for hard working individuals with a strong work

You Go Jennifer Lawrence- Girls, Know and Stand-up for What You’re Worth

Jennifer Lawrence, Hollywood’s highest paid female actress still doesn’t make as much as her male counterparts. And she’s pissed. But who she is pissed at may surprise you. She’s mad at herself. You can see more on the story that aired on NBC Nightly News last week here: http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/jennifer-lawrence-speaks-out-on-hollywood-s-gender-pay-gap-543867971910 Kudos to Jennifer. When we can take ownership of the issues that affect us personally, then we are on our way to fixing them. Blaming others doesn’t help the situation. Women (and men) knowing what they are worth is a critical step in that ownership, then being willing and able to