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Free monthly articles of interest to managers and others who want to improve motivation and collaboration in their workplace. Send e-mail to jean@thinkbusiness.com or call 1-888-639-8552.Jean Houston Shore, Author
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Category Archives: leadership
Don’t Let Budgeting Glitches Become “Gotchas”
As fall rolls around, finance departments everywhere gear up for their budgeting busy seasons. If part of your job includes managing a budget, now is a great time to refresh your memory about a couple of budgeting and operations difficulties. … Continue reading
Posted in decision-making, leadership, work behaviors
Tagged budgeting, cross-subsidization, sub-optimization
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Healthcare Costs to Be Revealed – on Your W-2
It’s still a year away but for tax years beginning after 2010, your W-2 form will contain some handy new information – the amount your healthcare coverage really costs. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires this disclosure by … Continue reading
Unintended Consequence: Federal Earmarks Decrease Private Sector Success
When federal money comes to town, you’d expect all businesses to benefit. That makes sense; more money in equals a more prosperous community. But that’s not the effect that three Harvard faculty found according to their whitepaper “Do Powerful Politicians … Continue reading
Posted in decision-making, leadership
Tagged decision-making, federal earmarks, uncertainty
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Healthcare Change Communications: Aim and Summarize
In the coming months your company will need to explain how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Healthcare Reform”) will affect your employees. You’ll probably receive some model messages from your insurer explaining each of the changes and telling … Continue reading
United Healthcare/Medical Center of Central Georgia: Threat of Change Could Roil Employees
Another notice went to United Healthcare’s plan participants this week. The summary? “We’re still negotiating with the hospital, but if we can’t come to agreement then you’ll soon be ‘out of network’ if your favorite hospital is Medical Center of … Continue reading
Beyond 80/20:Small Ideas Combine to Reduce Business E. coli
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service recently provided technical guidance for cattle producers that flies in the face of business’s oft-quoted 80/20 rule. Pre-Harvest Interventions The guidance isn’t a regulation exactly; instead it explains a list of what it … Continue reading
Posted in leadership, teamwork, work behaviors
Tagged beef producers, E.coli, process improvement
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When Beef Prices Soar, Convince People to Eat Chicken
If you watch commercials with any interest at all, you’ll soon notice an absence of “Where’s The Beef?” spots from fast food chains. Perhaps the ads will tout the taste, convenience or even health benefits of non-beef choices. But mark … Continue reading
Posted in leadership, performance measures, work behaviors
Tagged beef prices, chicken, input prices
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American Samoa, Tuna and Concentration of Risk
A quick look at recently released Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) highlights a big problem for American Samoa; they’ve got all their eggs in one basket – er, can of tuna. When you … Continue reading
Posted in leadership, performance measures
Tagged american samoa, gross domestic product, risk concentration, tuna
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Apple and Adobe: Not “Working Together Better”
Collaboration lessons tumble from Steve Jobs’ recent memo explaining why Apple isn’t supporting Adobe’s Flash software on its recent devices. (Explained: Your iPhone won’t be serving you any Flash content. Sorry about that.) Here’s a summary of Jobs’ points and … Continue reading
Posted in leadership, teamwork, work behaviors
Tagged adobe, apple, collaboration, flash
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Should You Work with Friends – Part 1
Lots of crazy things can happen if your company hires your friend. Is it wise to risk it? Continue reading