Stephanie Hsu shares an article that explores the issue Asian American Pacific Islander non-profits (AAPI) face when trying to access stable funding. This past spring, we were in Chinatown San Francisco visiting low-income Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth who live in 150 square foot tenements with their families, sharing bathrooms and a kitchen with […]
Bob Armstrong shares a post on Goodhart’s Law and why statistics are not always a solid foundation to count on. Goodhart’s Law is named for Charles Goodhart, a British economist who in 1975 popularized the idea that Any observed statistical regularity will tend to collapse once pressure is placed upon it for control purposes. I […]
Most people value creativity, but only one out of four feel they’re living up to their own creative potential. Fostering creativity in your business brings many benefits, professionally and personally. So says consultant and brand strategist Susan Meier, who led a virtual workshop on creativity in brand-building for Umbrex and Veritux women’s groups in April. […]
Stephanie Soler provides key questions that guide the development of an effective coaching plan. One of the essential tasks of a leader is to coach those who work for you. When it comes to creating coaching plans, most leaders are incomplete. They focus on simply identifying 2-3 development areas and checking in on them. The […]
Susan Meier shares an insightful perspective on the benefits of walking the path that’s neither straight nor narrow. I’m captivated by the Olympic figure skating. I’ve always watched, but this year I’ve taken it to another level. I’ve been staying up past my bedtime, getting up at the crack of dawn, watching on my phone […]
Patrice Gorin provides an overview of using software as a means of digital self management and how it can help promote team productivity. As described in my previous blog (Software as a Second Self: SaaS2), our ability to handle life in all its many facets is under constant pressure. As a result, it is becoming […]
Cancel culture may have identified the covert (and often, overt) bias that pervades society, but has it stopped the opportunity for healthy discourse? In this article, John Murray reminisces on days gone by where healthy discourse and personal differences could be voiced freely without fear of discrimination or disdain. It is tough to get a […]
Diane Mulcahy shares an article published in the Harvard Review that explores how the indicators of success in the gig economy are changing. The winners and losers in the U.S. economy have traditionally been easy to identify. If you had a full-time job, you won. A full-time job provided the steady income needed to support […]
Sean McCoy shares an article on the importance of maintaining a measured approach to promoting new customer growth. Sales commissions and incentives are a major part of the sales culture in many industries, and insurance agencies are no different. Agencies are considering what’s best for the policyholder when they offer a variety of plans from […]
In this article, Andrew Hone identifies the six common strategy delivery challenges that hinder a successful deployment. Translating a strategy into action is a major challenge Translating a strategy into action is a significant challenge. All too often, the benefits that were promised are delivered late, or fail to materialise at all. Management teams get […]
Winning projects is what independent consultants concentrate on most, but sometimes how you wrap up your work with a client is just as important as how you start the conversation, especially if you hope to win client recommendations. Best practices and tried and tested tips were revealed in Episode 287 of the Umbrex Unleashed podcast, featuring […]
Robyn Bolton provides sage advice on how to shift your team’s culture. “We want to build a culture of innovation.” It’s a noble goal. After all, a culture that values and encourages innovation is an essential component of an innovative company – one that repeatedly and reliably uses innovation to grow revenue. But you don’t […]
