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.

With the rapid pace of change all around us these days and the constant drum beat of crisis, it is easy to fall into the Nike trap of management: Just Do It! Just do something! Just do anything! We all remember playing the childhood game, “Don’t Spill the Beans,” at least one point in our lives. The concept is easy: you compete against an opponent by carefully considering how to place beans on your half of a balanced bean pot in order to tip the pot towards your opponent so he gets all of those rotten beans.

The game of business is similar. A great organization knows how to place its “beans” in order to achieve success. When talking about customers or profit, we want the pot to tip in our direction. In regards to bad collection issues or supplier time delays, we want the pot to tip away.

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA) in an effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Act passed in the House by a vote of 217-213. After meetings with the White House and amendments to the plan in recent days, the Republican House leadership was able to secure the votes to pass this legislation.

Risk exists in every line of work. Whether you’re a banker or a construction worker, there are inherent risks you must identify and manage. In construction, risk management is extremely vital as it is about keeping people safe. It’s not inconceivable that someone could die on the job. It is, therefore, important you develop a comprehensive and effective risk management strategy.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Thomas Gryp, President & CEO of Notre Dame Federal Credit Union. We hope you enjoy Tom’s wisdom and perspective!

The world today seems obsessed with the topic of leadership. Specifically, what skills are necessary to rise through the business ranks to become a good, inspirational leader. The fact that there continues to be an insatiable appetite for material on this topic, strongly implies that the definitive answer to this riddle still remains elusively out of reach.

This year, I turn 60. Whether that labels me as being “over the hill” or “still in the prime of my life,” is a matter of perspective. What I know for sure however, is that the road I have already trodden is much longer than the road that still lies ahead. Throughout this journey, I have experienced several unconventional truths and momentary flashes of enlightenment about leadership not often discussed in traditional business literature. That is what I would like to share with you today.

The saying goes “April showers bring May flowers,” but storm season can sometimes do more harm than good when it comes to your foliage. Fallen trees can result in significant damage, so this is the ideal time to review what is covered by your insurance policy when it comes to the damage they cause.

Here are five different scenarios involving fallen trees and your homeowners insurance policy:

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Amish Shah, President & CEO of Kem Krest. We hope you enjoy Amish’s wisdom and perspective.

As a curious youngster my favorite word was “Why?” and the most disheartening response was “Because I said so!” While parents have every right to give direct commands without providing further details, (and frankly it would be exhausting if you had to debate every decision), an answer without context and understanding always leaves people unsettled and dejected.

Why is timely reporting important for workers’ compensation claims? If you, as the employer, report claims in a timely manner you’ll see faster treatment for the injured employee, the prevention of injury exacerbation, and even future accident prevention. You’ll also likely notice lower costs.

Spring brings rising temperatures, extended daylight, and blooming flowers. Though the cold weather and icy road conditions of winter are gone, it’s important to remember that the spring and summer months have their own hazardous weather conditions that require preparation.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Terry Bush, Director of HR Services at Kruggel Lawton CPAs. We hope you enjoy Terry’s wisdom and perspective.

I’ve been fortunate to be in the accounting profession my entire career thus far. It's incredibly rewarding and also a bit ironic. Rewarding in that I get to work with talented, motivated, enjoyable people every day, something for which I feel very lucky. Ironic in that my academic background is human resources, and I wasn't planning or expecting to join this industry.

Countless people have influenced my life, mostly for the good I’d like to think. Perhaps I’ve discarded memories of those whose impact wasn’t positive or hopefully I’ve forgiven them. At any rate, lately I've been thinking about some of the people who have had the most significant and positive impact on my career. These individuals have taught me so much. Taking the time to reflect on these relationships has been quite valuable.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Dr. Eric Bricker, Chief Medical Officer of Compass Professional Health Services. We hope you enjoy Dr. Bricker’s wisdom and perspective.

The February 28, 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article by Dr. Michael Fischer and Dr. Jerry Avorn entitled, “Step Therapy—Clinical Algorithms, Legislation and Optimal Prescribing,” that explains the benefits of step therapy, an approach intended to control the costs and risks posed by prescription drugs.

Step therapy is a relatively new program offered by insurers and pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) that requires patients to try lower cost or generic medications before they can ‘step up’ to a more expensive medication.