Eric Swenson's Leadership Blog

In the last two employer assessment surveys we conducted for medium-sized businesses (both since the recession started) – both employers...

But there are a number of compliance issues as well. Baker Donelson has a good piece on some of those pitfalls. A reduction-in-force is...

2009 is shaping up to be a challenging year for small businesses with a world full of unknowns. The businesses that succeed will be those...

Generally, layoffs should be a last resort; there are many other techniques available to reduce your payroll costs that should be...

Successful small business owners don’t look at this recession as a challenge – they look at it as an opportunity. Your competition is...

And think of the phrase – “we’re like a family here”. Families have break-ups, problems and issues – and so do businesses. So when I...

It’s not as easy for large, entrenched companies as it is for smaller companies used to moving and changing rapidly. But businesses that...

Instilling confidence is a key trait of all leaders, and inspiring passion is one of the most difficult traits for a new managers to...

Recently, I was conducting this program for a professional services firm in Nevada. I asked the 6 executives in the room to think of the...

Jeffrey Wortman, a partner at the Los Angeles office of Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, spoke on ways to treat employees fairly at a recent BLR...

And in this dreadful economy, communication is more important than ever. It’s my #1 recommendation for clients asking about how to...

In most states, employers are required to provide time off to employees in order to vote (for the specific state-by-state run down, click...

Here’s my response: Don’t panic. It is way too easy to make rash, and then regrettable decisions (for example, immediate layoffs). Get...

From the incomparable Tom Peters: Tough times are in fact golden opportunities to get the drop, and the longterm drop at that, on those...

Employee turnover is a major reason why businesses don’t succeed. There is an enormous cost to replace a new employee – from recruiting...

Accommodating religious diversity in the workplace means more than deciding if a Christmas tree or Menorah should be displayed in the...

Being condescended to, 44 percent Being reprimanded publicly, 37 percent Micromanaging, 34 percent Loud talkers, 32 percent Cell phones...

Writing in Harrison Ford’s Management Update, Jeffrey Ashendorf says that “Employers should review the terms of their benefit plans and...

It’s not a great idea, since it is a short-term fix at a long-term cost. William McKinley, in an article titled Organizational...

In most states, an employer cannot prevent employees from dating. (However, most states permit employers from halting a romance between...