When was there ever a time that there wasn’t uncertainty? The truth of the matter is that there has always been uncertainty, and there always will be uncertainty in life and in business. Do we actually think that our ancestors expected WWII or the Great Depression? They did not, and they could not have expected the impact that those two events would have nationally and globally. Yet out of those horrific, historic occurrences, leaders, like cream, rose to the top and yes, they led. Not only did they lead they led with courage, innovation, empathy and new sustainable ideas. This […]

When the new normal becomes a reality, there will be a few things that will not change in the world of Human Capital Management. Employee development will be one of those things.   More than ever employees want to know where they stand with their company. They will be focused on their future, and on their personal and corporate development. Career pathing will be top of mind. They may have been furloughed, terminated by another company or asked to work from home. Bottom line uncertainty and suspect of their future will be the new normal that corporate leaders will be experiencing […]

Talent Curve / Leathers Milligan has been helping leaders with communications for decades. In a recent training engagement, every single leader present acknowledged that it wasn’t necessarily what you say—but how you say it, that matters. So, why does it matter? One common mistake in communication is passing the blame to the other party if they don’t fully understand what you mean. It’s not their fault they don’t understand you—it’s your fault. Whether it is a peer, your subordinates, prospective hires, vendors, partners or other leaders—if they don’t get it—it’s your fault. Now that we have established that, let’s get […]

We’ve all seen the news and it’s true- unemployment is at 3.8%- the lowest it’s been since 1969! So if unemployment is so low, do you really need outplacement services? Of course!  While downsizing may currently be on the decline, rightsizing continues to be a popular method of reorganizing and streamlining an organization. When layoffs take place, it can make the remaining employees uneasy and maybe even cause them to look for other employment. If you want to retain loyal employees, you need to show them loyalty as well. The best pay to promote loyalty is to give it back […]

Brand and Culture are big buzz words these days. After studying, building, and communicating brands for over 20 years, I want to boil down a couple key observations. Brand and Culture are a big deal, period. Especially when it comes to recruiting and retention. Talent is drawn to the big brands—Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Home Depot, Wells Fargo, etc. All are well-branded companies that all of us are familiar with. We know the Apple icon, the Facebook favicon, and the Wells Fargo stagecoach. That is the brand identity (logotype or logomark), the component that we are most familiar with—we immediately […]