My writing career began in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where I was editor of my high school newspaper. Since then, I have spent most of my writing career specializing in corporate communications. For much of that time, I worked in Houston, Texas, for two major energy companies, Tenneco and Duke Energy. Now serving as a business writer for Administaff and our Web audiences, I specialize in researching and developing reliable human resource content and other business-related information.
Coaching is all about helping star performers achieve more than they ever thought possible.
Surveys indicate that growing numbers of workers are concerned about potential threats of workplace violence.
A recent research report says that the self-employed are significantly more satisfied with their jobs than other workers.
Does your organization have a truth-speaker?
Major sales events can attract overly zealous crowds. Last year's Black Friday tragedy is a poignant reminder.
Do your managers lead by a compass in their head and a magnet in their heart?
"What really decides consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising, not its form."
Service providers recently reported handling over 210 billion text messages in one three-month period.
Company parties are business and social events. Employees usually take their cues from the boss.
In situations where emotions run high, managers and supervisors may need extra support and guidance.
Can a simple misunderstanding turn a rational employee into a road-raging maniac and put an employer at great risk?
A very wealthy and successful entrepreneur said his successes were based on partnerships from the very beginning.
Fully engaged, high achieving employees can improve business performance by up to 30 percent.
Did you know that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is one of the most violated of all federal employment laws?
Cyberbullies can tarnish a good name and demoralize employees.
An innovative organization is one where decision-makers do not choke on their thoughts or check their brains at the door.
A verbally assaulting, threatening, intimidating, humiliating, sabotaging workplace is not a healthy or productive one.
I was surprised to learn that over half the companies on the 2009 Fortune 500 list began during a recession.
Someone once said, "Hope is grief's best music."
September is National Preparedness Month. Is your business prepared to survive a catastrophic event?
Educate employees, and enlist their support, to help protect your business from cyber crime.
Do your employees wish they worked for a flip-flop friendly company?
Want to know what ails some employees? Some employees are eating all the good cookies.
Employees are expected to cooperate and work well together in order to achieve business goals.
Are some cell phone users addicted to texting? What can be done about employees who put others at risk by driving and texting?
Are you thinking about tweeting for your business or organization?
How should leaders and managers guide teams to win and to succeed?
Many Americans, especially employers and business managers, are growing increasingly concerned about the threats of workplace violence.
Results from a recent national poll showed that one-in-four teens surveyed think that "behaving violently is sometimes, often or always acceptable."
Jack Welch, an international figure, best-selling author and Manager of the Century, writes and speaks often about the importance of HR leadership in helping businesses grow and prosper.
Are your managers weary from babysitting adult employees? Are employees disengaged from their work? For a review of 12 elements for great managing, read this.
Businesses may want to consider monitoring what former employees might be posting on the Web. Job seekers and consumers are influenced by what they read online, according to some studies.
If you need a 2009 calendar, here's one that helps track holidays and other observances. The IRS Web site also provides small businesses and the self-employed with 2009 calendar services.
Some people may wonder: How can HR strategies help businesses cope in an economic downturn, particularly during a credit crunch?
An employer-of-choice status appeals to employees, stakeholders and investors. This status is generally attributed to workplace cultures that attract and retain the most talented and reliable of people.
Goofing off at work can be kind of an arbitrary activity and judgment call. For IT security and productivity reasons, some employers are concerned about employees shopping online during work hours.
Would you like to know what others have been reading on HRTools.com in 2008? Click above to catch up on sensitivity training, employee gossip and other workplace issues.
Our military veterans are highly trained and experienced in areas such as leadership, management and teambuilding. Their global experiences can also help a business compete in this world economy.
In a recent poll, a majority of employees at my company chose wearing jeans over a number of other reward-type options. Wear-Jeans-to-Work days and other no-cost reward programs can benefit employers and employees, especially during hard economic times.
Why are businesses and organizational leaders, employers and managers showing a growing interest in this area of human behavior?
Emotionally intelligent people are smart with their feelings. Changing times require adaptable, engaged and high-performing employees more than ever.
Good listening skills are essential for strengthening business and personal relationships. While listening is free, it takes effort and doesn't always come naturally.
According to a recent workplace survey, workers who leave messes in "communal spaces" is another major pet peeve of American workers.
A Houston small-business employee is in the news. Working as an accounting clerk, this employee is accused of stealing $6 million from her employer.
Homicide is the fourth-leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the United States.
When your employees walk in the office or shop door, many are bringing their personal anxieties with them.
According to a recent Randstad survey, gossip is listed as one of the top three pet peeves found in the workplace.
I recently saw Senator John McCain on the national news, hand-delivering pizzas to a Midtown Manhattan fire station in New York.
This year’s presidential race has captivated me. As a Baby Boomer, I am wondering, “How does Barack Obama do it?”
Have you been asked many times to appear for jury duty, yet you’ve never been selected to serve? Do you wonder why? Perhaps, it’s not what you say, but how you say it.