A View From The Buy Side

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This first of a series of blogs designed to share with you the thoughts and insights of corporate leaders and their perspectives on the decision making process around outsourcing. Our first is with Ed Susman, who is with Citibank.

What are the most important attributes you seek in a potential provider/ partner?

While each sourcing opportunity is distinct with specific attributes that drive the selection of a provider there is one attribute that is transcendent, integrity. If a provider does not behave with integrity it does not matter how capable they are or what savings they might be offering. Sooner or later  the anticipated benefits will be outweighed by the cost of a contentious relationship. Continue reading →

How to Get the Most Out of Your Executive Education

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80-michael-schrageby Michael Schrage

My summer short course executive education “students” are terrific. They come from all over the world and radically different industries. They’re entrepreneurs as well as intra-preneurs inside established organizations. They’re motivated, dedicated and demanding—as they should be. They authentically want to be better innovators. I’m grateful for their commitment and how much I learn from them. Continue reading →

7 Tips for Bringing Virtual Teams Together

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by Sara Sutton Fell

Virtual companies can often run like well-oiled machines, with high productivity and work-life balance for employees, well, in balance. I founded the 1 Million for Work Flexibility movement because I know just how valuable work flexibility is for both employees and for companies.

Still, managing work from home teams can be a challenge, and it can be isolating for some workers. That’s why it’s worth the effort to establish practices for your distributed teams that foster a team culture and help keep everyone on the same page. Here are seven ways to help your workers create—and maintain—strong ties. Continue reading →

10 Facts About Labor Day

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Wishing you a Happy Labor Day from your friends at ISSG

1. Labor Day in Canada began in 1872 in Toronto but quickly made its way south to the U.S. Originally it began as a significant demonstration demanding rights for workers.

2. The first U.S. Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, planned by the Central Labor Union. The Labor Day parade of about 10,000 workers took unpaid leave and marched from City Hall past Union Square uptown to 42nd street, and ended in Wendel’s Elm Park at 92nd Street and 9th Avenue for a concert, speeches, and a picnic. Continue reading →

Why Vacation Matters …

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by Ellyn Shook

As chief HR officer for a professional services company, I’m focused on providing our clients the talent they need when and where they need it. Doing this means I often spend time analyzing key data — from chargeability and payroll costs to talent supply/demand forecasting and retention. Then there’s a metric many might be surprised to learn I also keep a close eye on: vacation time used.

Why? Certainly, a company’s balance sheet can benefit from employees using their paid time off. But to me, the advantages lie in innovation and productivity. Continue reading →