Five Key Principles To Follow When Presenting to a Board

Just when I was getting ready to present a key proposal at a major board meeting, a colleague who was the CFO (now a CEO) reminded me, “there is no such thing as a good board meeting—just one where nobody gets fired.”

That’s not far from the truth. I’ve seen too many self-inflicted career wounds in front of a board. I’ve seen executives go into board meetings full of confidence and come out crushed. I’ve witnessed senior leaders do such a lousy job presenting to a board that it damaged or destroyed their careers. READ MORE

As More States Legalize Marijuana, Where Should Employers Stand with Drug Testing?

Ten years ago, Washington and Colorado became the first U.S. states to legalize the recreational use and sale of marijuana. Since then, almost 20 states have done the same, and last month, New Jersey became the latest one to join the list. 

As reported by the New York Times, at least a half-dozen medical marijuana dispensaries opened their doors to all adults on April 21, after winning final approval from New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission. READ MORE

Didn’t get that promotion? Study on rejected CEO candidates gives reason to hold your head up

Recently missed out on a big promotion opportunity? Don’t sweat it. New research from The University of Texas at Austin reports that as long as you’re talented and qualified, a similar outside opportunity will find its way to you soon enough.

Whenever a CEO position becomes available, it’s common for companies to encourage senior executives to apply for the promotion. These internal CEO contestants can only have one winner, though, so what happens to the rejected internal applicants? Study authors investigated this topic, and find that in the vast majority of cases it doesn’t take long for similar opportunities to arise from outside the organization. READ MORE

The 25 Sales Tools Your Team Should be Using Right Now

Whether your company is a three-person endeavor or a large enterprise, you need tools to help sell products and services. Tools for sales reps can keep data on your customers readily available so your company can make decisions based on facts, not hopes or guesses. An educated sales department is a successful sales department. However, there are so many sales tools out there it can be tough to narrow down which ones are right for your company. READ MORE

The Great Resignation has no end date

Job turnover is 20% higher in our new remote and hybrid working world — and it's going to stay that way, new research from Gartner, a technology research firm, shows.

Why it matters: Companies should brace for a lasting culture of quitting.

By the numbers: Some 37 million people will leave their jobs in the U.S. this year, Gartner projects. That's a 20% jump from pre-pandemic levels. READ MORE

How to Be a Compassionate Manager in a Heartless Organization

Research shows that employees who work for compassionate managers are 25% more engaged in their jobs, 20% more committed to the organization, and 11% less likely to burn out. But too many organizations seem not to have gotten the memo yet. They still have rigid hierarchies and treat their employees more like resources than humans, requiring excessively long hours, pressuring people for unrealistic results, and treating them as if they were all exactly the same, without regard for their individuality. READ MORE

The Senate just passed the next Apollo program

It’s one small step for Congress, one huge leap for American competitiveness. By passing the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) with strong bipartisan support, the Senate went a long way in countering what Secretary of State Antony Blinken called “the biggest geopolitical test of the 21st century” — China’s growing military, geopolitical, and economic aggression under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping. READ MORE