The Ultimate Path to Work/Life Balance? A Conversation with 'Virtual Office' Provider Ralph Gregory
As the mortgage crisis extends to affect office leases, the concept of a virtual office may be more appealing to small business owners. The president of one such provider explains why.
Healthy Food, Healthier Work Cultures: A Conversation with Law Firm Office Manager Betty S. Hui
Hui's law firm is a customer of The FruitGuys, a West Coast-based supplier of fresh produce to offices. Read Hui's account of how switching from junk food to fruit and vegetables has impacted her workplace's culture.
Working Healthier: A Conversation with Workplace Nutrition and Fitness Consultant Traci Danielson Mitchell
Traci Danielson Mitchell is a Chicago-based nutrition coach, certified metabolic typing advisor and health columnist. In this interview, she discusses how employees have become more active in leading wellness efforts in their businesses.
The Pulse of Work/Life Balance: A Conversation with Wall Street Journal Senior Writer Sue Shellenbarger
Sue Shellenbarger has been the Work and Family columnist for The Wall Street Journal since 1991. In this interview Shellenbarger provides tips that leaders can use to improve work/life balance for their employees.
Encouraging Employee Ownership: A Conversation with Entrepreneur and Author Jack Stack
Jack Stack is the founder and CEO of SRC Holdings Corporation and the author of several highly touted business books. In this interview, he discusses how employees can be empowered to innovate through the use of open book management, as well as the commonalities among the Top Small Workplaces finalists that he found as a one of this year's judges.
The Future of Innovation: A Conversation with Business Consultant Praveen Gupta
Praveen Gupta is an adjunct professor of business innovation at the Illinois Institute of Technology's Center for Professional Development. In this interview, he predicts the role that smaller firms will play in business innovation in the future.
Defining Success: A Conversation with Business Reporter and Author John Eckberg
John Eckberg has been a business reporter and columnist for the The Cincinnati Enquirer for 27 years. In this interview, he discusses the traits he sees as common among successful entrepreneurs.
Rethinking Corporate Responsibility: A Conversation with Corporate Strategist and Author Christine Arena
Author Christine Arena is the former managing director of Boston-based integrated marketing firm Polese Clancy. In this interview, she provides advice on what organizations can do to meet their corporate responsibility goals.
Effective Recognition: A Conversation with Management Consultant and Author Cindy Ventrice
Cindy Ventrice is a management consultant and workshop leader with over 20 years of experience in a wide range of industries. In this interview she provides guidance for owners and leaders to assess the quality of their current recognition programs.
Achieving Workplace Wellness: A Conversation with Workplace Stress Management Therapist Beth Moses
Beth Moses, founder and CEO of Oh Well!, Inc, a workplace wellness firm in Indiana, has over 25 years of experience in the fields of business, wellness and healing. In this interview she provides takeaways that workers can use to reduce stress and increase energy throughout their day.
A Conversation with Helen Johnson-Leipold of the Johnson Family Companies, Part 2
Helen Johnson-Leipold is Chairman & CEO, Johnson Outdoors; Chairman, Johnson Financial Group; and the first woman in five generations to lead a Johnson Family Enterprise. In Part 2 of this interview, she discusses why the family has never wavered from relying on employees to drive innovation.
A Conversation with Helen Johnson-Leipold of the Johnson Family Companies, Part 1
Helen Johnson-Leipold is Chairman & CEO, Johnson Outdoors; Chairman, Johnson Financial Group; and the first woman in five generations to lead a Johnson Family Enterprise. In Part 1 of this interview, she discusses how her family members use passed-down values to arrive at majority decisions on important business matters.
Dancing Deer Baking Co. Rises to Meet Plight of Homeless: A Conversation with President and CEO Trish Karter
Trish Karter is president and CEO of Boston, MA-based Dancing Deer Baking Company and a 2005 Winning Workplaces/FORTUNE Small Business Best Boss. In this interview she discusses how the company's Sweet Home Product line serves a specific philanthropic need and reinforces the organization's underlying values.
Cultivating 'High-Involvement' Organizations: A Conversation with Edward E. Lawler, III
Edward E. Lawler, III is Distinguished Professor of Business at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business and Founder and Director of the USC's Center for Effective Organizations. In this interview he discusses the findings of his and James O'Toole's new book, "The New American Workplace," and their ramifications for small businesses.
Understanding and Serving Your Audience: A Conversation with Winning Workplaces' Mark Harbeke
Mark Harbeke joined Winning Workplaces in February 2006 as Manager of Content Development. In this interview he discusses the writing and editing experiences that have shaped his career so far, and describes the goals of our information clearinghouse for small and midsize businesses.
Fundraising is Networking: A Conversation with Winning Workplaces' Jessica Ticus
Jessica Ticus is Winning Workplaces' Director of Development. In this interview she discusses the benefits for small businesses that join us in promoting positive people practices as well as the challenges in fundraising today.
Maximizing Organizational Transformation and Change: A Conversation with Winning Workplaces Board Member Kimberly Scott
Kimberly Scott is Director of Northwestern University's Master's Degree Program in Learning & Organizational Change. In this interview she discusses how the Master's Program prepares students to effect organizational change and her own work transforming the workplace culture at the William Wrigley, Jr. Company.
Of Marines and Management: A Conversation with Michael Mulqueen of the Greater Chicago Food Depository
Michael Mulqueen is executive director of the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD). In this interview he discusses the management skills he learned as a general in the U.S. Marine Corps, the logistics of running a large food bank and why recruiting is a CEO's most important duty.
Healthcare Consumers: A Conversation with Terry Flanagan of Dann Insurance
Terry Flanagan is an employee benefit advisor for Dann Insurance. In this interview, he discusses the role of employee engagement in containing healthcare costs and what employers can do to foster that engagement.
Healthy Choices: A Conversation with Chris Mittelstaedt of FruitGuys.com
Chris Mittelstaedt is the Founder and CEO of The FruitGuys, a service providing fresh fruit to businesses and their employees. In this interview, he talks about what inspired him to found the company and some of the health challenges facing American businesses.
Engaging Jobs: A Conversation with Winning Workplaces' Diane Stoneman
Diane Stoneman is Winning Workplaces' Director of Consulting and Training. In this interview, she discusses her prior work and the keys to a promoting an engaged, satisfied workforce.
Confidentially Speaking: A Conversation with Listen Up Group President Alice Peterson
Alice Peterson is the president of Listen Up Group, a provider of confidential whistleblower systems and related ethics and compliance services. In this interview she discusses her company's work and how a whistleblower hotline can help improve the workplace.
The Plight of Working Caregivers
In this interview, Susan Rothas, R.N., B.S.N., and Nicole Batsch of the Mather Institute on Aging discuss some of the challenges facing working caregivers and what businesses can do to help them remain healthy and productive.
Every Employee an Owner: A Conversation with 2004 Best Boss Susan Torroella
Susan Toroella is the CEO of Columbia MedCom Group, a Columbia, Md.-based medical communications firm. She recently oversaw the implementation of an employee stock ownership plan at her company. In this interview, she discusses the benefits of an ESOP and the keys to successfully establishing employee ownership.
Lifelong Learning: A Conversation with Bruce Woolpert of Graniterock
Bruce Woolpert is the CEO of Graniterock – a Watsonville, Calif.-based supplier of building materials – and a 2003 Best Bosses honoree. In 1988, he led a transformation of the then 89-year-old company from one with a top-down decision-making structure to one that emphasizes self-leadership, accountability and learning. In this interview, he discusses how learning and development have impacted the company and his people.
Quality Control
Roger Hale is the former CEO of Tennant, an industry-leading manufacturer of industrial and commercial floor-maintenance equipment, and the author of several books on quality issues. In this interview, he discusses the relationship between workplace best practices and effective quality management.
Employee Health Benefits
Michael Freeman, executive vice president of the Healthcare Leadership Council, discusses "Cover the Uninsured Week" and how small business owners can provide employees with health coverage.
The Accessible Workplace
Patrick Hughes jr. and Hollister Bundy of Inclusion Solutions discuss some of the challenges businesses face in meeting ADA requirements and what entrepreneurs can do to make their places of business more accessible.
The Road to Affordable Housing
King Harris is the vice-chair of Chicago Metropolis 2020 and leads the non-profit organization's housing program, an initiative designed to help improve the availability of affordable housing in the greater Chicago area. In this interview, he discusses what employers can do to help alleviate long commute times and the lack of affordable housing in job-rich areas.