Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Tony Hutti, CEO/Owner of Renaissance Executive Forums Indiana. We hope you enjoy Tony’s wisdom and perspective.

Over 25 years ago, I started taking at least one week a year to read and reflect. This time proved to be quite valuable – now I take at least three weeks a year to focus on reading and reflection. I cannot overstate the importance of this time in growing my various businesses and keeping work-life balance.

Are you taking time to sharpen your saw? Are you devoting time to recharge your intellectual and emotional battery?

You want your employees to become better health care consumers. To use preventative care measures, to choose urgent care over emergency room visits when appropriate, to consider the options when scheduling a test or procedure, to choose generic prescriptions when possible….you want them to make more informed health decisions.

But how can they do these things if they don’t understand basic health information and services? They can’t make smarter health care decisions until they understand the terms.

Employees can’t become better health care consumers without health literacy!

Tragedies involving Lyme disease have become all too common in recent years. And unfortunately Lyme disease is just one of the hazards brought by ticks.

When you’re gearing up to spend a day outdoors you often remember to pack sunscreen to prevent burns and water to stay hydrated, but are you thinking about ticks? Employers with outdoor workers - is your workforce at risk of exposure to ticks? Have you educated them on proper precautions?

For both outdoor workers and individuals simply enjoying some time outside, take time to review these important tick safety considerations:

Employees are our greatest assets. But the recruitment, development, and retention of those employees doesn’t come without its complexities and challenges. From harassment and discrimination to FMLA, ADA, workers’ compensation, and more – there is a lot of noise in the HR world!

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Patrick Frazier, owner and executive coach for The Coaching Authority. We hope you enjoy Patrick’s wisdom and perspective.

What does it take to be successful?

Ask around and you will find different answers to the formula of success. The truth is, success leaves clues and you can achieve the success in the area you desire by observing the common qualities and principles. They are simple and considered to be common sense but most people simply do not follow them.

You may have dismissed the idea of using HR software, aka HR platform or HRIS, to help run your business as too costly and unnecessary. However, an HR platform can be an enormous benefit and often pays for itself in the long run.

From spring to fall, the backyard becomes one of the most popular places to be! Whether enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a book, going for a swim, jumping on the trampoline, or firing up the grill for some barbecue – the backyard provides a great place to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. No matter how you prefer to enjoy your backyard oasis, don’t overlook these 6 backyard dangers. Take time to understand the risks and how you can help prevent injury or incident. Make sure you’re considering these as part of your personal risk management strategy to protect your family and home.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Craig Sroda, author of YOU in the SWEET SPOT and Intentional Living. We hope you enjoy Craig’s wisdom and perspective.

The best gift you can give yourself or someone else is the gift of self-awareness. It is pretty much a fact that the highest predictor of success both personally and professionally is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Being self-aware can be a secret advantage if you can get there. Most people don’t realize that being self-aware can advance them in their career, in their relationships, and in their home life.

As adults, we tend to think of bullying as something we may need to protect our children from. However, bullying isn’t limited to children. Unfortunately, instances of adult bullying are on the rise.

Over 25% of adults admit to having been the victim of bullying as an adult. The most predominant environment in which adult bullying occurs? The workplace. 

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Jesse Lyn Stoner, business consultant, coach, former executive, and bestselling author. We hope you enjoy Jesse's wisdom and perspective.

Sometimes leaders make bad decisions or harm team morale by making autocratic decisions without involving others. And other times they waste their team’s time by unnecessarily involving them.

How do you know when and how much to involve your team in decisions? Sometimes the answer is pretty obvious.

You don’t need to call a team meeting to decide to order pencils for your office. On the other hand, if one of your direct reports has the authority to make decisions about office supplies, your taking over might not be appreciated.