Handling employees who have medical conditions that restrict their ability to do their job - this is one of the most difficult and important topics employers face today.

Wherever your organization is headed, information technology is an essential tool to help you get there. Your website helps you engage with customers, clients, and stakeholders. You need email to communicate both internally and externally. And digitally stored data allows you to quickly and efficiently retrieve information. If something harms your IT system, your organization could easily be knocked off course.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger David Nicole, President & CEO of the United Way of Allen County. We hope you enjoy David’s wisdom and perspective.

We used to “Show up and Throw up.” For United Way the relationship with a company’s CEO is critical. The CEO determines both the corporate contribution and the level of access United Way has to the company’s employees. As any good sales department would do, the fundraising team would make annual visits to the CEOs of our top campaigns.

The vast majority of employers with 50 or more employees are still offering health insurance, even with the passage of the Affordable Care Act back in 2010. Why do they do it? Employer funded health insurance still seems to be the key employee benefit that matters most to prospective employees. But if everyone is still doing the same thing, how can you stand out from the crowd? Below are a few essential categories that top performing companies value.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Rosie Ward, Ph.D. We hope you enjoy Rosie’s wisdom and perspective. 

Our world is fundamentally different today than it was just a few short years ago. Consequently, the “rules of engagement” are changing for organizations. Workplace culture not only shapes the quality of the entire employee experience; it is also your brand in the marketplace. Now more than ever, it is critical to rethink the importance of culture and how you are creating the conditions for both organizational and employee wellbeing to thrive.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Justin Maust, President and Founder of Leader Legacy. We hope you enjoy Justin’s wisdom and perspective.

Your personal and team success hinges on one primary skill…your ability to identify and solve your issues. In my 7 Practices For Building Powerful Teams, Remove the Ripple is the 6^th practice.

“Houston, we have a problem!!” I’ve got lots of energy. I’m passionate. I run hard. However, behind closed doors, I’ve been known to procrastinate.

Kylene Polhamus, OD, co-authored today’s blog. She is an optometrist with Boling Vision Center with specializations including treatment and management of ocular disease and pediatrics.

A total eclipse once signaled the end of the world—or at least a message from God. Though a total eclipse may not seem so significant today, it is still a big deal. Those who have experienced one describe it as night falling—suddenly—in the middle of the day. It gets so dark that the stars appear in the sky, summer insects strike up their evening chorus, and birds fall quiet. You can see beads around the dark moon and maybe tongues of red fire around the edge of the sun. And it’s over in minutes.

In less than two weeks, on August 21, 2017, America will experience its first total eclipse in 38 years. It will travel from coast to coast, which hasn’t happened in nearly a century, cutting a “path of totality” across the middle of the continent. Although Indiana is (just) too far north to experience the total eclipse, we can experience a partial eclipse. In South Bend, where we’re writing, the eclipse will begin at 12:57 p.m. and last nearly three hours. At 2:22 p.m., the moon will cover 88% of the sun. (You can check this information for your own location here.)

That will be something to see—but not without proper eye protection.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Rosie Ward, Ph.D. We hope you enjoy Rosie’s wisdom and perspective. 

Hardly a day goes by when someone doesn’t publish an article on the “war on talent” and the need for recruiting and retaining good people. Setting aside the irony of referring to attracting, engaging, and keeping good people as a “war,” it is important for companies to pay attention and work to close the gaps from where they are and where they need to be for their organization and its people to thrive; otherwise, they will struggle to find good people and grow – let alone survive.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Ron Kitchens, Chief Executive Officer of the Southwest Michigan First Group of Companies. We hope you enjoy Ron’s wisdom and perspective.

Each year, I get to welcome a group of local, future leaders to “my house,” our offices at Southwest Michigan First. Recently, I found myself being a bit overwhelmed at the opportunities each of these kids has in front of them. The generosity of the Monroe Brown Foundation has arranged for each of these dynamic young people to not only receive a tremendous internship with an innovative company, but also a college scholarship.

I consistently have great conversations with most of these young people but one that stands out was not the one that thanked me for the free food or for helping the Monroe Brown Foundation. It was the young lady who asked, “Other than education, what else should I do to succeed?”

Core values are the heartbeat of your organization. You likely have values that address topics such as respect for all people, individual dignity, and trust among team members. But every day your organization can face threats to your values. These threats can come in the form of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, favoritism, and gossip.