Management

Marie Kondo, who created and popularized the KonMari method for organization and decluttering with her bestselling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” has five daily tips for productivity that you can use in the new year: 1.

We’re in the midst of hiring for a couple of positions at 360 Media. One of the biggest hiring challenges is that people don’t always show you who they are until after they’re hired.

Being productive as a company is one thing, but making sure your team is happy and motivated is also important.

A favorite part of my day job is coaching teams on how they can use design thinking to solve their business challenges.

Recently, our team took the CliftonStrengths assessment, a fascinating exercise reflecting both individual and collective talent DNA.

Recently, I had an employee tell me that her paycheck was not as important as the education we could provide her. As a business owner, you can’t afford to cut out employee development from your budget.

A new year always starts with challenges of change — new promises and goals, different directions, healthier lifestyles and so much more.

Communication can be tough. With a team of many different personality types, it can be easy for someone to perceive things differently from the person sitting next to them.

Why do startups fail? We often get answers like “poor management” or “money ran out.” The real reason startups fail is founders build a product no one wants. Moreover, they find a solution to a problem no one has.

Running a business comes naturally to me, but managing a staff is still a challenge. It’s review time in our office and after 22 years, there is no magic formula to lead and motivate. Here are five tips to help those of you like me.

In the ’90s, I met a company that provided computer networking and system integration services to its clients. On our tour, the CEO showed us a room he called the “Funhouse,” which housed the latest computers, servers and software and was available to all employees.

A business school professor told me his job was “to teach managers to make good decisions in the absence of perfect information.” The goal is to make a good decision, not to analyze endlessly.

The late Andy Grove, CEO of Intel and a great business leader, advocated paranoia about competition. In the fast-moving world of semiconductors, that served him well.

My friend Ted became legend at Robinson-Humphrey for handing a young colleague a stack of financials and saying: “Here. You’re an analyst. Analyze.” The story was told in training classes for years.

Change is as inevitable as death and taxes. Technology and competition evolve continuously. Jack Welch famously said, “Change before you have to,” a dictum all managers should heed.

The #MeToo movement has brought some shocking misbehavior to light. Bad behavior is real, pervasive and includes all forms of discrimination and harassment. There is no place for it in the workplace.

Leadership is a favorite topic for sages, and grand quotes about vision, inspiration and bold action abound.

Late in the game against their arch rival high school, the coach pulled all seniors but the quarterback, replacing them with sophomores. The quarterback calmed his nervous huddle. “If each of you execute your assignment on this play, we will score.”

The apex of football season highlights the importance of talent.

I’ve worked with entrepreneurs a long time. One was an Army Ranger in Vietnam, another was a motorcyclist with a ponytail. Despite stylistic differences, successful entrepreneurs always have a vision and a plan.

A friend’s family company manufactures customized products. A customer called to say that delivery of his order by Friday was critical. The receptionist checked, then replied that standard delivery should arrive Thursday. On Thursday, only two of five boxes arrived. Unhappiness ensued.

These last weeks have seen the toppling of powerful men for sexual harassment. Sexual harassment, physical or verbal, is abhorrent and unacceptable in any environment. Consequences for the guilty should be severe.

Sir Francis Bacon is credited with the aphorism, “Knowledge is power.”

Whenever I think back on the Dot-Com Era, I have to chuckle.

We live in strange times. Anyone can broadcast anything via the web and social media. Unsubstantiated and biased “news” quickly compounds in prominence through the magic of algorithms. Truth has become elusive.

Much like sports teams cycling through head coaches, companies often seem to constantly be changing CEOs.

Unlike millennials, Generation Z (born after 1995) grew up in uncertain times, so they have different priorities. This is important for employers to know, because members of Generation Z are now seeking their first jobs.

Company holiday parties celebrate the year’s accomplishments and help employees bond, but inappropriate behavior or accidents from excessive drinking can lead to colorful water-cooler stories and land employers in legal trouble.

On Dec. 1, many more salaried workers may become eligible for the federal overtime premium. Under a new Fair Labor Standards Act regulation, some employees who make less than $47,476 will no longer qualify for exemption from overtime pay.

I met a long-time friend for lunch. We each worked at that great securities firm, The Robinson-Humphrey Company. The firm…