Let’s Get Functional
3 tips for better board performance
Most board members join an organization for the right reasons, but many fail to make a meaningful impact. Meanwhile, executive directors complain their board lacks engagement and makes unreasonable demands. Obviously, a disconnect exists, but this scenario has a solution and can be fixed. Here’s how:
Directing versus Informing: The Dual-Language Quagmire
Successful communication hinges on the ability to meet in the middle
Scenario: You open the refrigerator to find a near-empty milk carton. What would you tell your partner or roommate? Whether you would say, “Get milk when you go out,” or something more like, “Hey, we’re out of milk,” can tell you a lot about your communication style.
Legacy in Waiting
If Mayor Johnson moves on, just what will he leave behind?
I think Mayor Johnson is ready to move on. He has been a big fish in our small pond long enough. The grand opening of the arena in October 2016 will likely be his public farewell, a metaphorical victory lap. Cuts ribbon. Drops mic.Take my prediction with a grain of salt. But if 2016 is his last year in office, how will he be remembered as mayor?
Book Review: The Nature of the Tribe
Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization
We live in a world of tribes. On a macro level, we discover that every organization is a tribe, a cadre of people involved in formal and informal levels of engagement. The existence of these tribes has major implications for today’s leaders in their quest to create world-class teams, businesses and companies that make a difference.
Status Check: 2014 Young Professionals
Last year’s crop of young leaders still moving and shaking
In March of last year, we highlighted 12 rising leaders in our inaugural young professionals feature (“Command and Deliver,” by Russell Nichols, March 2014). Here’s what a few of them have done since:
So You Want to Try Telecommuting
3 steps to get you started
Telecommuting is a hot topic around many water coolers and a popular office perk, particularly for enticing young professionals. But while it may be commonplace in a number of companies, deciding if it is right for your team takes careful consideration. If you do choose to enable telecommuting, a few simple policies can make the process smoother.
Toxic-Content Cleanse
Make sure you're getting the most out of your website
Old or poorly planned content can render your website ineffective and obsolete. Here’s how to flush it out.
Smarty Pants Don’t Always Fit
Critical thinking and communication skills are more valuable than fancy credentials
Hiring is a confounding game. Some people have a great knack for it and an intuitive sense about people — but even they can get it wrong. The world-renowned Disney Institute hires “attitude versus aptitude,” and you would be wise to do the same.
Diversify Your Board
State Treasurer John Chiang on the importance of keeping your board relevant
California State Treasurer John Chiang is on a mission to make California’s corporate board rooms more diverse. Chiang believes greater board diversity is simply good business, saying that those which choose to remain what Forbes once deemed “pale, male and stale” are “just not capturing the opportunities of the 21st century.”
Cracking the Glass
Local leaders weigh in on the state of gender equality in the workplace
Focusing on four sectors — STEM, justice, development and investment — we rounded up some of the city’s key leaders: a district attorney, a med school dean, the head of an FBI office and enough CEOs to rival “Shark Tank,” to get their take on how women are perceived in their industries, how that perception has changed over time and what it will take to truly reach parity.