In this article originally published by Gibson's Loss Prevention Manager, Gary Clark, we explore best practices for staying safe during the cold winter months. With the cold weather, winter brings a slew of workplace safety hazards. From proper attire to snow removal and slippery surfaces, you should be thinking about how the cold weather impacts your employees. How can you protect them from the cold this winter?

Consider the following tips to keep your workforce prepared and protected:

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Jason Meyer, President/CEO of Passages, Inc. We hope you enjoy Jason’s wisdom and perspective.

We’ve all had that boss, supervisor, or co-worker we looked up to and wanted to strive to be one day. We’ve also had the opposite experience – a leader we were sure we’d never be like if we had his or her position.

Now as we lead others, have you ever taken the time to pause to think how you are a different kind of leader? Have you ever taken a minute to take a look in the mirror to see if you are the leader that you never wanted to become? Do you want to become that different kind of leader?

As we lead others, let’s take time to look in the mirror. Are we the kind of leader we always said we would never be?

To be a different kind of leader it takes commitment. It takes a willingness to be vulnerable. It requires us to check egos at the door and to be very humble. It requires LISTENING to the people we lead. Most importantly, if you get nothing else out of this blog post, being a different leader is not rocket science; it is much like the golden rule - leading others as you would like to be led.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Kathy Mayfield, Integrator at Traction Tools. We hope you enjoy Kathy’s wisdom and perspective.

Even if your leadership team has been running on the Entrepreneurial Operating System^® for years, you can still run into speed bumps in your team meetings. Tough Issues can be…well, tough to solve. It’s in those moments when you need your team to step up to the plate with creative ideas. Those are also the moments when your team may feel stymied. Meeting participation drops and you’re left with one or two people who drive the discussion.

If that sounds familiar to you, we’ve got your back. Here are seven proven ways to generate more engagement, stronger participation, and more creative ideas to solve your toughest Issues.

Looking for ways to educate and engage your employees on safety & health topics throughout the year? Check out our 2020 Safety & Health Calendar.

Workplace safety and wellbeing should be a top priority for leadership and employees. But how can you keep your employees engaged all year long? For every organization the approach is different – you could have a safety committee, newsletters, monthly training sessions, and more. The 2020 Safety & Health Calendar is a valuable tool you can utilize to make your efforts more effective.

A new year and new decade are upon us. I’ve noticed social media already calling it the #roaring20s. 

A recent opinion piece in the WSJ recalled the energy and creativity of the original Roaring 20s: “These remarkable 10 years saw the rise, all at once, of the world’s great cosmopolitan cities—New York, Chicago, Paris, Berlin, London. Music, art, drama, literature, ballet, architecture, movies, newspapers—it’s hard to grasp the creative radiance and energy of the decade.”

And just like in the 1920s, we have major political and cultural battles over taxes, tariffs, and traditions. Many are not prepared or willing – just like a century ago – to deal with the coming reality.

The previous era was known for creativity and new thinking about everything. Whether the 2020s will earn the title of roaring or not, with certainty I predict they won’t be the #boring20s.

Don’t let the new year get off to a bad start! Keep safety in mind to ensure you, your family, and your friends have an accident-free New Year’s Eve celebration!

Hard to believe we've been sharing #WhatsTheRisk blogs for nearly 7 years! As we wrap up this year of blogging, I'd like to share my gratitude. Thank you to our guest bloggers for sharing their insight with us! And to all of our readers - thank you for reading and sharing these blogs with others!

Here are the most popular #WhatsTheRisk blogs of 2019:

If you’ve been following my Friday leadership blog posts in 2019, you’ve likely noticed a common thread: excellence. We focused on lessons from Tom Peters’ The Excellence Dividend, with particular attention on these 12 “No. 1s,” - not only with my blogs, but also within Gibson.

As the year comes to an end, it is a good opportunity to recap these topics. Even if you don’t have time to read all 12 blogs, I’d encourage you to spend 5 minutes reading 1 of these posts because as Peters says, “Excellence is the next five minutes”…

This holiday season, we want to take the opportunity to thank you for being our client, colleague, and confidant in 2019. We wish you the happiest of holidays and a glowing hope for the new year!

Today we’re sharing insight from guest Art Betancourt, Principal & Founder of AEBetancourt. We hope you enjoy Art’s wisdom and perspective.

If you’ve ever been to a Disney resort or theme park, then you know that the level of service Disney's staff of “Cast Members” is unmatched. No detail is beneath their attention; their entire focus is on ensuring your family has the best possible experience during your stay.

What you may not realize is how incredibly difficult it is to land a spot in Disney's team. For instance, on a recent visit to Disney World, my family was delighted by a particular waitress at the Rose and Crown Pub. When I asked her how she came all the way from England to our table, she told me that she was one of the 40 hand-picked out of a pool of 6,000 applicants, or that position to join the cast—0.007% of applicants made the cut.    

While most organizations may not have the luxury of being as selective in their hiring decisions, you must admit Disney is on to something. Their success aligns with significant research on talent sourcing and development as well as the best practices in finding, selecting, and growing talent.

So, what can we learn from Disney regarding hiring and retaining top talent in today’s labor market?