“Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book? It took me years to write, will you take a look?”
- The Beatles, Paperback Writer
Over the summer, I took a break from writing my weekly blog. It was a sabbatical of sorts so I could focus my energy and effort on – go figure – writing. In this case, it was to tell a story much bigger and more personal than a few blogs could do. And while it didn’t take years to write, it’s one that certainly developed over a number of years.
You would not sign a contract without reading it first. And this means a lot of reading if you are a contractor. So, how are you managing this review process? Do you understand all the implications a contract could have on the future of your business?
Most companies will say they review all contracts with the help of their attorney. This is the optimal path, but we need to throw a wrinkle in it. When was the last time you involved your insurance broker in that review process?
You trust your insurance broker to review a key contract you utilize every year: your insurance policy. They ensure your company’s risk is properly transferred to the insurance carrier using the most up-to-date coverages, endorsements and enhancements available in the market. But when it comes to reviewing and updating insurance requirements in a contract, the insurance broker is often left out of the picture. Now your attorney is forced to be the legal expert AND the insurance expert.
The modern contract review process involves a meeting between your attorney and insurance broker on an annual basis at a minimum. This collaboration helps ensure you are properly addressing all risks you face before you sign a contract.
Let’s look at some common scenarios in which this updated contract review process could have prevented significant losses.
Do you like what you do? According to the book, Well Being, written by Tom Rath and Jim Harter of Gallup, only 20% of Americans answer that question with a strong “yes”. This statistic is startling when you consider how important employee engagement is, not only to the health of an organization, but to individual health.
Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Don Wood, CEO and President of 80/20 Inc. We hope you enjoy Don’s wisdom and perspective.
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”
This quote, by Warren Bennis, summarizes one of the most distinguishing features of a leader. To achieve success and growth a vision is imperative. Really. Turning that vision into a reality takes leadership.
In March 2013, CVS announced a new corporate wellness program which posed a choice to employees participating in their health plan: complete a free health screening and wellness review OR pay $600 in additional health insurance premiums each year.
This type of incentive strategy is not uncommon. Many employers offer premium discounts or other incentives to employees who participate in wellness programs. However, CVS’s plan was publicly criticized with concerns over patient privacy. Allegations of corporate coercion dominated the media limelight. Though the plan was offered as a voluntary incentive, public perception viewed the $600 as a penalty rather than a reward.
Controversy aside, one key takeaway remains: employers are serious about cracking down on health costs and they are engaging employees for answers.
Each year OSHA releases the 10 most frequently cited standards.
Are you taking proper precautions to avoid these hazards in your facility?
Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Jerry Scott. We hope you enjoy Jerry’s wisdom and perspective.
“Anyone can become angry – that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way – this is not easy.” - Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics
Businesses must approach disaster planning as a probable scenario. Approaching it as a possible scenario is not enough. There are several points of impact resulting from a disruption in power, from (the obvious) loss of connectivity, to (the physical) damaged equipment, or (the elusive) reputation damage. Businesses lose more than just power when an outage occurs. Disaster preparedness involves a planning process resulting in both external and internal communications that help a business continue operating as usual, no matter the situation. To facilitate the planning process, ten steps are discussed, beginning with the “Analysis Of Potential Threats,” and concluding with the ever-important “Recovery Phase.”
To honor the passing of William "Bill" Kennedy, we're re-running this blog post from March 2013.
Is work ethic becoming passé? It seems much of today’s “leading” business thinking focuses only on working smarter not harder.
Well, one person determined to keep “work ethic” alive is William “Bill” Kennedy. He’s the owner and leader, of Hartson-Kennedy Cabinet Top Company, in Marion, Indiana.
Fall is my favorite time of the year. The crisp temperatures and awesome views of the changing leaves are just a couple of reasons. Fall also brings the month of October, which happens to be National ESOP Month. It might not technically be as good as Christmas, but October is a great month for us at Gibson! We celebrate our GESOP throughout the month.
Yes, we celebrate our GESOP in the other months as well, but typically we have one ownership-related activity each month. In October, we have an ownership activity each week. One week, we’re bringing in Dairy Queen treats with themes of “How Sweet It Is To Be An Employee Owner” and “It’s A Treat To Work At Gibson”. Another week, we’re playing GESOP bingo, where all winning cards will go into a drawing for a really cool prize.
