What could possibly go wrong?

I always laugh when I hear someone say those words because of course anything can go wrong. Or it can go right. But much of that depends on how well we are prepared. In both my personal and professional life, I believe in planning for contingencies. When my kids were little, I didn’t leave the house without extra clothes and diapers. I knew the likelihood of needing them was high. In the professional world, the failure to plan for contingencies can lead to catastrophic failure.

You may ask, why should we care about our ability to communicate? Well, that’s easy. We should care because we want others to understand what we mean. We want to improve our relationships. We want to make sure things get done and in many cases, we want to advance our careers. One of the job skills employers desire most is effective communication. When people communicate effectively, they can build a productive working relationship, solve problems, supervise others, and create trust in the workplace.

Let’s face an unfortunate truth – American culture is fixated on beauty.

That obsession carries into marketing and design. Some privileged souls work in organizations steeped in a “planning” culture where a project never begins without a clearly defined creative brief. Others wander a busy highway of squirrel-chasers.

One of the business buzzwords that garnered stream back in the early 90s was the term Emotional Intelligence or EQ as it is referred to in business. This concept was studied and developed by Daniel Goleman in his book titled Emotional Intelligence. He makes the case that our definition of intelligence as measured by IQ is too narrow and ignores a critical range of abilities that matter immensely to our success in life. Such factors are self-awareness, impulse control, personal responsibility, and social adeptness.

How does it feel when someone praises your accomplishments? Do you suddenly feel inspired, sharp and ready to take on new challenges? Science shows that there are many psychological effects of praise. Used correctly, praise can boost self-esteem, increase performance and supercharge productivity. Used incorrectly or not at all, it can tear down and render the most high-powered team impotent.

Managing team development can be a challenge. Many of us will have to manage a team at some point in our lives. When that time comes it might help you to know that all teams go through a series of sequential stages as they grow towards sustained levels of high performance and synergy.

You see them everywhere. People with their heads down looking at their phone, sitting at coffee shops with their laptops, and scrolling through tablets to catch up on the latest news. So how do you become relevant in a noisy world? How do you speak to your community? How can you be heard amidst the many videos, memes, and personality quizzes? The key to promoting your church or ministry through social media is developing a strategy and consistently following the plan.

Ever wonder if God cares if you cast a ballot? Or does He care how you cast your ballot? The answer to both of those questions is “Yes.” Yet how would Jesus have us vote?

One of the biggest issues in presidential elections today is often overlooked by voters. I’m referring to judicial activism , particularly in the Supreme Court and federal courts, which increasingly condone immorality and restrict religious liberty. This is significant because the president appoints all federal justices.

No matter what field you are in, you probably find yourself contemplating ideas to help improve your organization. These ideas may come from you or from others on your team. Regardless of whether it was yours or not, it is a great feeling to see something go from a concept or idea thrown out in a meeting to something you can see or experience – especially if the idea works!

So, what steps can you take to see a good idea come to fruition? In this article, Dr. Tony Garza explains the importance of evaluation to ensure it’s actually a “good idea.” From there, he explains why it’s crucial to question the idea’s purpose, relevance to your organization, and timing throughout the process of its execution.

There is no shortage of times of crisis when doing business on a global scale. Succeeding or failing in those emergencies depends on successful planning. This type of plan is called strategic planning.

What’s the strategy for the organization where you work?

While the Bible provides guidance on the topic of money management, sometimes it can be difficult to translate those lessons into daily practice. Lanny Rogers, MBA in Finance from the University of Dallas, CPA candidate, and Certified Treasury Professional shares his best tips, tricks, secrets and advice for financial planning.

If asked to name the top selling girls children's toy from the past year, what would you guess? One might reasonably (but incorrectly) assume Barbie , Goldiblox , or the continued onslaught of Frozen-themed merchandise. But, if you have young daughters or grandchildren, you won't be surprised when I say Shopkins .

How do you handle conflict? Each of us has a conflict management style that we use predominately.

Everyone deals with conflict . Learning good conflict management skills is important to succeed in the world of business. Organizations that understand how to channel conflict appropriately are the most effective.

The scenarios may differ, but the question is the same almost every time. If there is no law, no rule and no written reason not to do something, why not pursue the easiest path? In the world of marketing, this becomes even more relevant with tight deadlines, constrained budgets and goals that are not as clear-cut as they once were. The typical idea of marketing has completely changed, and functioning ethically becomes even more critical in this environment.

When most people think about entrepreneurship, business endeavors most likely come to mind. It’s true – entrepreneurship and business go hand in hand and an entrepreneurial mindset often is the creative genesis that identifies a business opportunity and the revelation of what it takes to transform the idea into a successful enterprise. Utilizing the same thought process and applying some of the profitable principles can yield favorable results in other areas as well. Incorporating an entrepreneurial approach to the “business” of life, in general, can help one create and lead an extraordinary, meaningful life that is filled with purpose, accomplishment, and fulfillment.

When markets become volatile or we lose a job or lose business revenue unexpectedly, the human response is to allow fear to overtake us. Multiple questions begin to plague our minds such as, “How will I pay my bills or make payroll?”, “Will this ever turn around?”, and “How will I reach my retirement or other financial goals?” Additionally, our well-meaning friends and loved ones begin to ask us “So, what are you going to do?”….repeatedly!

So, how should we respond? In this blog, Melody Gray Block, Certified Financial Planner and MBA, shares how we can turn to biblical scripture for our questions about financial uncertainty.

Building trust in leadership is an essential element of being a good leader. Without it, people won’t follow you. Since building trust is such a vital part of leadership, I’ve developed nine steps that will substantially impact your ability to build trust as a leader.