Thought Leadership Articles | Kuczmarski Innovation

Building Trust: Critical Currency in a Competitive Job Market

Article originally posted in Xpert HR Blog Linda Pophal.

Trust in major institutions is at an all-time low. The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer revealed 9-point drop in trust among the general public—and a 23-point drop among the “informed public.” “The United States is enduring an unprecedented crisis of trust,” said Richard Edelman, the company’s president and CEO. That distrust trickles its way down into the workplace.

Workplace Culture

Article originally posted in Hearth & Home Mark Brock.

Around Phifer’s manufacturing center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, it’s not unusual to see the company CEO, Beverly Phifer, walking through the plant, greeting employees by name, and taking time to chat. It’s all part of a family-oriented culture that can be traced to the company’s founding in 1952 by her father, J. Reese Phifer, and being

4 Employee Communication Mistakes — and What to Do Instead

Article originally posted in EmployeeChannel Sandy Wu.

Communication is often viewed as a simplistic, innate ability. Unfortunately, many leaders don’t have a natural ability to successfully communicate with employees. A study by Quantum Leadership Group found that ‘clearly communicating expectations’ (56 percent) and ‘communicating often and openly’ (42 percent) are two of the 10 top competencies expected of leadership. However, our own research found that 30

Shortcuts – Susan Kuczmarski

Article originally posted in School of Thought Podcast

In this episode of the School of Thought Shortcuts Podcast, Susan Kuczmarski discusses the intersection of leadership, communication, and education. Here are some practical, useful, applicable insights into culture and innovation. Listen to the podcast at this link

Review of Lifting People Up by Foreward Clarion Reviews

Article originally posted in Foreward Clarion Reviews Anitra Budd.

Clarion Rating: 4 out of 5 Lifting People Up is a business book that combines powerful leadership development advice with sound, actionable tips. Lifting People Up collects practical ideas and tips for building people-centered organizations through praise and feedback. Husband-and-wife team Susan Smith Kuczmarski and Thomas D. Kuczmarski have written a warm, practical guide to

A Sustainable Corporate Culture Embraces the Values of All Members

Article originally posted in Playbook - American Management Association Susan Kuczmarski, Ed.D., and Thomas Kuczmarski.

Corporate culture can be extremely hard to change. Not only is it difficult to define something so intangible, but it can be challenging to identify the appropriate steps to turn a desired culture into a reality. Culture has a direct effect on an individual’s productivity and motivation. However, many companies don’t take the time to

Unconventional Management Strategies That Work

Article originally posted in Business.com Bennett Conlin.

Learn how to implement surprising management tips to boost team performance. When you look at successful businesses, you often see a strong team behind that success. From high-level executives to interns, businesses with cooperative and supportive team members tend to perform better than groups where team members are more focused on individual interests. Team cohesion

The Values Gap: From China to Zappos

When the values held by a few people at the top of an organization do not fit or match the values of employees below them, this will generate problems within the overall company culture. This gap in values will often manifest itself in many different undesirable and detrimental ways. In our newest book Lifting People

This is how Google motivates its employees

Article originally posted in Fast Company Stephanie Vozza.

Google is consistently rated as being a top employer, and the culture it created helps to attract and retain top talent. The company optimizes its talent by designing and motivating strong teams—an ability that is essential to be successful, says Robert Bruce Shaw, author of Extreme Teams: Why Pixar, Netflix, Airbnb, and Other Cutting-Edge Companies

The Power of Public Praise

When talking to an employee about the work they have done, it is important to understand the implications of the audience to the feedback you are giving. While constructive criticism is best given in private, praising a colleague or employee’s good work is something that deserves public attention. There are many benefits to communicating praise