Don't insult your employee's intelligence with quick engagement fixes...

Did you know that companies spend $38 billion dollars each year in an effort to get their employees engaged in their day-to-day working activities? I’m not sure which side of the tracks you grew up on, but I think $38 billion dollars is a lot of money to spend on gift cards, pizza parties, prizes, holiday banquets and other awards. Despite this huge amount of money being spent - we also know (from Gallup) that 71 percent of America’s workers...

From Journalist to Leadership Consultant

I was hired right out of college to be the weekend editor for a small newspaper in Nampa, Idaho. After the interviews were over and the offer accepted – I was excited for the opportunities this new position would prepare me for. My reporting and copy editing skills were already significant – and the journalism world was mine for the taking. My confidence and drive to prove my value at this paper couldn’t have been any higher. That is, until she showed up. Who was ‘she?’ She is that reality of the workplace that college courses just don’t...

Leadership Lessons from Jean Valjean

Hollywood has decided to give us a gift this Christmas in the form of the movie Les Miserables – based on the Broadway hit musical, which happens to be extracted the classic book Les Miserables, penned in 1862 by renowned author Victor Hugo. The story chronicles the life of Jean Valjean – a paroled convict who through divine providence receives a second chance to become an honest man. He seizes the opportunity despite facing significant...

John Livingston

It's been two weeks since a layoff pressed me into a new chapter of my working career. Over the past five years, I've been fortunate enough to work in a field that allowed me to become an expert in the field of employee engagement, social media and traditional marketing, leadership and organizational development, project management and corporate recognition best practices. Yet, when you're 42 years old and suddenly without employment,...