I am reminded in this graduation season of the time my husband and I spoke at an honors convocation at our alma mater, Lehigh University. It was back in 1987 when we were “young professionals.” It was also a time when making a lot of money was considered an indicator of success. But financial success was not
While I typically speak about employee/volunteer engagement with people currently active in the workforce, the prospect of being with an audience of retirees was too good to pass up. My recent session for Penn State Lehigh Valley’s SAGE Lecture Series was designed with a dual purpose: 1) share the current state of workplace engagement and 2) tap into
Public relations (PR) is an essential part of a nonprofit’s marketing function because it helps educate the public on the organization’s mission, increase donations, and find more volunteers. With nonprofits allocating an average of five percent or less of their budget on PR and marketing, team members have to rely on less expensive options such
In honor of National Customer Service Week (observed the first week in October), here are three amazing stories told by customers — all marketing professionals — who experienced and analyzed them. They represent different situations that share a common theme. Customer experience #1: “I walked into an Eckerd Drug Store to buy a sympathy card. Before
[Note: This post first appeared on myHR Blog and is shared with permission from Tina Hamilton, PHR, founder of myHRPartner, an HR outsourcing firm. Tina is a well-respected business professional who is frequently quoted in the national media on HR-related issues in the workplace, and I’m proud to know her as a colleague and friend. To learn
Steer clear if someone you work for – or with – says any of the following: “I’m not the boss because I’m always right. I’m always right because I’m the boss.” “Why should I invest in your training? You’ll just take all this knowledge and go to work for someone else.” “Lack of planning on
I had an interesting discussion with a colleague who manages an internal service department for a medium-sized organization. She’s a supportive manager whose team takes pride in providing quality service to internal clients. However, she finds it a challenge to keep her employees at the top of their game when some internal clients are unappreciative
I am one of more than half a million followers of Shane Burcaw’s Laughing At My Nightmare blog. I’m also greatly impressed with the nonprofit organization he co-founded with his cousin, Sarah Yunusov, with the mission “to spread a message of positivity while providing equipment grants to those living with muscular dystrophy.” The popularity and
One of the most challenging jobs I know of is held by people who work in nonprofits — they are as passionate about their work as they are stressed trying to accomplish much with limited resources. I explored this topic recently with a former nonprofit leader, Debrah Cummins, who is now Vice President of Development for Northstar
[Note: This guest post was written by Kim Plyler, a communications professional and media strategist. CEO and founder of SahlComm, Kim works with high level clients in the technology, finance, manufacturing, cyber security, NGOs and nonprofit sectors. Her company’s mission is to further the mission of others and help improve humanity.] 5 Ways to Boost Your