Reflections on another strange pandemic-era CES

In the weeks leading up to CES, we made a difficult decision. With omicron cases skyrocketing around the country in the lead up to the holiday travel season, we canceled our flights and re-strategized. It made for a chaotic last few weeks of the year, but as long as the show continues to be held the first week of each year, those of us who write about hardware for a living won’t be able to take much time off during the holidays, regardless. READ MORE

Do You Have The Right Leadership In Place To Implement High-Performance Management?

You can’t have a high-performing company without high-performance management. But high performance is more than just another management style. For leaders who consistently nudge the needle toward outstanding, it’s part of their DNA. They often exceed even their own expectations and won’t settle for less. These high-performance leaders drive results and seem to be a magnet for others just like them. READ MORE

America’s 250 Best-Led Companies

They are the unsung heroes of the U.S. economy. Companies with annual revenue between $50 million and $2 billion. They're lithe enough to maneuver, but big enough to have a broad impact. They employ 35 million people--about one in four U.S. workers. They deliver nearly 40 percent of the country's economic vitality. They are America's midsize companies, and it's time they are recognized. READ MORE

WeWork co-founder faces new business venture as an apartment landlord

Adam Neumann, who built office co-working giant WeWork before resigning as chief executive when his fortunes soured, has a new business venture under way: apartment landlord. 

Entities tied to Mr. Neumann have been quietly acquiring majority stakes in more than 4,000 apartments valued at more than $1 billion in Miami, Atlanta, Nashville, Tenn., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and other U.S. cities, according to court, property and corporate records and people familiar with the transactions. Many of these investments occurred within the past year. READ MORE

Inflation, workforce participation and real wages: 3 key indicators for monitoring the economy in 2022

Americans, especially those on low incomes, have felt the pinch of higher prices in recent months. The price people pay for everything from fish to gasoline has soared, with the pace of change the highest it’s been in decades.

Inflation is a sustained, generalized increase in the prices of many goods and services in an economy. Inflation erodes consumers’ purchasing power and the value of their cash, in effect reducing their real incomes. READ MORE

HR executives share some of the biggest challenges of 2021

As the pandemic persisted throughout 2021, so did the challenges that companies faced.

Many corporate leaders and human resource executives had to contend with delayed office re-openings, mask and vaccine mandates and evolving safety policies. Some also had to figure out which work model would be best for the company, effective ways to combat employee burnout and how to recruit and retain employees in a tight labor market. READ MORE

Building More Resilient Supply Chains

For a glimpse at the state of the global supply chain in 2021, a look out at the waters off the coast of southern California told the story. On any day, more than 60 ships could be waiting at anchor unable to unload cargo at the two ports that handle 40% of all containers coming into the United States. This record backlog is limiting supplies of everything from toys and furniture to video game consoles. Even the great toilet paper shortage of 2020 was poised for an encore when retailer Costco announced purchase limits in the fall. READ MORE

One-third of workers would take a pay cut to never dress for work again

This past fall, Lululemon’s design team noticed something unusual. Wall Street bros were flocking to the Brookfield Place store in the Financial District to buy the On the Move trousers, which look like chinos but are made from the same soft, stretchy, moisture-wicking material used in the brand’s activewear. That’s right: Finance execs were finally ditching their suits. READ MORE