Thought Leadership Articles | Kuczmarski Innovation

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

Management Best Practices: How Top Companies Reward Their Employees

Workplace rewards have a hugely positive impact on employees, so it’s a mystery as to why all companies do not have a rewards system in place. In addition to building self-confidence, rewards can play an important role in increasing pride, allowing for peer recognition at work, increasing motivation, and ultimately providing a greater sense of

How to Motivate and Engage Employees Through Praise and Rewards Programs

Article originally posted in Talent Economy Tom Kuczmarski.

Building employee engagement requires a strong company culture that focuses on rewards and praise. Employee engagement is a code that has consistently been difficult for companies of all industries to crack. Studies have shown that increases in engagement and retention yield significant growth in production as well as savings to the bottom line. Whether the

How to Keep Employees Engaged and Motivated

As part time employment soars, and millennials continuously seek new jobs, there is a growing need for organizations to keep employees engaged and motivated. One huge barrier to retaining high quality talent is a growing sense of anomie in the workforce. Anomie, as described in our recent book, Lifting People Up: The Power of Recognition,

Finding a Balance Through Disciplined Freedom

The phrase “disciplined freedom” may at first appear to champion a set of two inconsistent ideals. When people think of discipline, they usually think of rigidity, both in rules and structure. Freedom elicits thoughts of bountiful choice and independence – almost the exact opposite. However, there is a middle ground that exists between the two.

Leveraging Mentorship as an Inclusion Method

When bringing together a diverse and inclusive workforce, a great way to encourage professional development is through shared experience programs such as mentorships. Mentors can help bring inclusivity to the forefront of the workplace by providing a support system to mentees who might feel alienated from the rest of their team, or need help with

New Leadership Guide Unearths the Benefits of ‘Peopleship’ in the Workplace

Article originally posted in Independent Publisher

BY CRAIG MANNING / AUGUST 2018 Unemployment in the United States is currently hovering around 4 percent. As tends to happen, this recent trend of low unemployment has created something of a job seeker’s market. In many fields, there are more jobs than there are qualified people to fill them. As a result, it’s fallen

Tom Kuczmarski named one of StreetWise’s “20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans”

StreetWise, a nonprofit that empowers people and provides resources for the homeless and at-risk populations throughout Chicago, announces this year’s honorees for a new award created to recognize and honor the “20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans” who are making the city a better place to live and work. The honorees, selected by a committee of Streetwise