Darin Myers

Collaboration. It seems like such an easy concept to grasp and embrace, particularly as it pertains to the teamwork required to run and grow a successful company. But then why do so many business owners, leadership teams and organizations struggle to foster a culture of collaboration? Is working together in an orchestrated effort really that hard? Well, it sure can be. And the reasons are many. For instance, organizations with a hybrid working model are particularly vulnerable to poor collaboration, as WFH employees and office workers are partitioned by distance,

These days, business leaders are more focused than ever on finding ways to promote employee engagement and productivity. Although circumstances differ from one business to another, certain key principles apply in most cases. An effective starting point is looking closely at exactly how things get done within your organization. There’s far more complexity than ever before (with respect to innovations in technology, processes, and produces), so it’s increasingly critical that you do all you can to help employees do their jobs. Find time to step back and evaluate how things get done

It’s no big surprise that employee engagement is critical to the productivity and long-term success of your business. What might be shocking though is how often engagement is overlooked, even by those organizations committed to fostering a positive company culture. Culture and engagement are not synonymous. Culture is an environment of shared values, goals, and behaviors that distinguish an organization and sets the bar for how things get done. Engagement refers to the level of employee activity and commitment to their work and the success of the organization as a

Today’s employees have elevated expectations of their workplace environments. Long gone are the days of mindlessly clocking in and out from an unsatisfying, sterile, and disengaging job. Employees want more. They want to feel valued. They want to be rewarded for a job well done. But perhaps most of all, they want to work for a business that supports their overall health and wellness. Business owners are quickly stepping up to the plate to accommodate the evolving preferences of the modern employee, and not just for altruistic reasons. Companies that

There have been a lot of talks lately about Artificial Intelligence and how it is poised to change how nearly every business owner runs and grows their company. And it’s already happening. The introduction of ChatGPT and GPT-4 has expanded curiosity into artificial intelligence and ignited interest into how to best leverage the tool in everyday business operations. It is by all accounts pretty impressive stuff. Even big dogs like Google and Microsoft are adding the technology to their platforms and browsers. While AI is expected to quickly impact nearly

Fostering wellness in the workplace is just good business. Employees who feel respected, safe, and mentally healthy perform higher, are more satisfied with their jobs, and are substantially less likely to resign than those who feel undervalued, stressed, or burned out. It makes sense, particularly within the current labor market. The labor pool is much savvier than they were just a few short years ago. They value themselves and their time more. They feel a sense of control related to their jobs that were mostly lacking before the pandemic. And

Employee morale has a massive impact on the overall success of your business. When employees are happy, engaged, and thriving they are more productive, less likely to call in sick, and much less apt to quit their jobs. According to a recent Gallup poll, “highly engaged business units realize an 81% difference in absenteeism and a 14% difference in productivity.” Quantitative data is important in understanding employee morale and workplace wellness dynamics. Many business owners mistakenly assess their employee morale on a feeling or general sense of their team’s perceived well-being

Working remotely has been a part of our lives since the beginning of human existence. It started with the hunters and gatherers. Even as late as the 1800’s, most business owners ran their services from their own homes. But then came the industrial revolution, which transplanted the bulk of the labor market to factories, offices, or other places of business for more than a century. It really wasn’t until the 1990’s that the Work from Home (WFH) employment model started popping up again as a desirable employment model and a

Editor’s note: You can DIY marketing and plunder your way through mistakes or turn to an expert and get it right the first time. 1. Trying to expand product offerings and reaching multiple markets at the same time. There are many reasons your marketing is not working. Most companies begin by offering a limited product or service line to a target audience. Growth can come by expanding the number of offerings to your existing clientele or expanding the number of markets you approach with your current offerings. Problems arise when

Darin Myers is the local facilitator of The Alternative Board (TAB), a peer-to-peer advisory board designed to help company leaders maximize their opportunities and work through challenges. Darin recently retired after a 30-year career in the nuclear industry as the leader of Plant Vogtle I and II. He has proven success regarding strategic planning and alignment, employee development, organizational performance improvement, accountability, and coaching. Recently, he started a family business in Augusta focused on home health care, providing him the knowledge and experience surrounding small to medium-sized business operators. Branding