Tag: leadership

49ers forgo short-term gains to make long-term investment in character

by Dan Oswald A few weeks ago, the San Francisco 49ers, with the 131st pick in the NFL draft, chose Marcus Lattimore, a running back out of the University of South Carolina. Considered by many to be the most talented running back in the 2013 draft, Lattimore wasn’t chosen until the fourth round because he […]

Conclusion of college commences life of learning

by Dan Oswald My oldest graduated from college this weekend. In addition to reminding me that I am, indeed, getting older, it caused me to consider what sage career and life advice I might have for him. My first thought was that I had the order of those two things reversed—that I should be providing […]

Teach Your New Supervisors How to Train Effectively

Training employees is a big part of any supervisor’s job. Whether it’s formal classroom training, safety meetings, on-the-job training, or coaching, teaching employees how to do their jobs properly is an important part of your supervisory responsibility. Training improves worker performance and productivity. Formal and informal training should build skills and competence as well as […]

The devil is in the details

by Dan Oswald I was traveling last week and had tossed a couple of recent copies of Harvard Business Review (HBR) into my briefcase before leaving home. So on the plane, I dutifully grabbed the April issue and was greeted by a cover that said, “We Studied 25,453 Companies over 44 Years to Find the […]

Letting go of yesterday

by Dan Oswald Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. Begin it well and serenely with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. —Ralph […]

How One Company Promotes Continuous Learning

“We feel that a well-trained workforce plays a significant role in enabling our business,” said Chuck Schneider, president and CEO of U.S. Security Associates (www.ussecurityassociates.com). “From protecting the people, property, and assets of our customers to management and leadership development, learning is an integral part of our company culture.” “We are very proud of all […]

Embrace your workers’ curiosity

by Dan Oswald I’ve been reading Tell My Sons . . . by Lieutenant Colonel Mark Weber. The book is filled with the life lessons he has learned. After a routine Army physical revealed he had stage IV intestinal cancer, he began a battle for his life that he ultimately will lose. When he realized […]

Is Learning an Integral Part of your Company Culture?

Continuous learning and development are high priorities at U.S. Security Associates—a fact that is evidenced by the firm’s many training awards and accomplishments of individual employees. In the fall, the Atlanta-based firm received an American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) BEST Award for the second time. The firm, which provides national security services and […]

Coaching Can Be Effective—But There Are Challenges

In a recent survey of 230 organizations by AMA Enterprise, a division of the American Management Association (www.amnet.org) that offers advisory services and tailored learning programs, executive coaching programs are seen as being “very effective” by 26% of companies offering such programs and “somewhat effective” by 62% of companies. In addition, 12% reported that their […]

How do you make people feel?

by Dan Oswald I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. —Maya Angelou On Saturday, the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football team held its annual Red-White Spring Game. With time for just one final play, Jack Hoffman walked […]