Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Ed Baldwin”
I’ve recently been on the college recruitment circuit for my company, speaking with hundreds of students at several universities, many of whom are seeking internships or their first “real job” once they’ve earned their degree and are ready to conquer the world. And it surprises me that while these students have impressive interpersonal skills, great academic credentials and applicable part-time …
I’m competitive. I always have been. Sometimes individually and other times as part of a team, but I thrive in competitive environments. Some of my passion for competitiveness likely came from my upbringing. But there is also something in my DNA, for sure. Born or bred, I’m more competitive than most. As you might imagine, because of my competitiveness sports has always …
We all know it. Employees know it too. It sucks. It’s practically unreadable. No one reads it unless they have to. Only time they’ll try to find it is when they feel like they got screwed by the company, or are about to be by their manager. So they painfully dig for that passage that will get them off the …
Companies have long sought actions they could take to increase engagement and retention and keep good people. Among these strategies – above market compensation, stock options, long term incentives, work flexibility, work from home, lunch subsidies, comprehensive and fully-paid benefits packages and a really cool and hip workspace – all these help support retention efforts. But one overlooked strategy is …
I recently listened to a podcast of one of my fellow FOT team member’s Let’s Fix Work podcasts (which are awesome Laurie, by the way) that was titled Why the Side Hustle is Failing You. The premise of the episode is that side hustle is something that’s been inappropriately glorified by Gary Vee and others, and that it actually can …
Because I’m reaching the “vintage” where the most junior employees I work with are now the ages of my own kids, I’m now recognizing this management phenomenon in the workplace more than ever before. Do you treat your employees like your own kids? On the surface it sounds preposterous. But then again, I treat my own kids pretty well. I …
How much have you thought about retirement? If you’re a generation Y or Z-er then your answer is probably “not much”. But if you’re an X-er, an old X-er like me, then it’s probably been on the regular playlist in your mind for a while. After all, some of the most fortunate in our generation are retiring. So playing …
Let me start by saying that I’m a big advocate for diversity. And this post isn’t suggesting otherwise. In fact, quite the opposite. I’ve seen the power of diversity first-hand many times – assembling a diverse group of folks attacking a problem or issue from every possible angle and dimension, one goal in mind, collectively architecting a solution that broaches …
Sometimes I learn things from my personal life and can apply that learning to situations I encounter in my work life. Sometimes it’s the other way around. I’ve personally never been able to keep my home life separate from my work life. I’m a continuous learner on both fronts. And I’m just not wired that way. One such lesson that …
When I take a quick scan of any Best Places to Work list, I pessimistically always wonder whether these places would be on the list if they weren’t profitable. Do you feel having a great culture mandates that you must also have a healthy bottom line? Does big profit always precipitate enviable culture? While I haven’t taken the time to do …
