Cherokee culture influences its work environment | How small business can work around the noncompete ban | How a system of self-reflection can improve leadership
Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, speaks with then U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh at Talking Leaves Job Corps Center Tahlequah, Okla., in 2023. (Department of Labor)
The largest tribe in the US, the Cherokee Nation, has 467,000 citizens worldwide, 45 companies and 15,000 employees, about 80% Cherokee, and has been named by Forbes as a Top 10 employer in Oklahoma. Cherokee culture and traditions are reflected in employment practices, which include uncles, who play an important role in the culture, in bereavement leave, using a Seventh Generation approach in financial planning and emphasizing the importance of family.
The Federal Trade Commission prohibited future noncompete agreements on Tuesday, which can harm small businesses' talent retention and proprietary information. To combat this, business leaders can implement non-disclosure and non-solicit agreements, increase retention incentives and proactively prepare for succession, according to Matthew Erskine, managing partner of Erskine & Erskine LLC.
Equip Yourself with the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® SHRM certification isn't just a badge of honor; it's a testament to your dedication to mastering the art and science of people management. Apply for the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP by the extended deadline of May 12. Become an innovative thinker and unlock a world of possibilities in HR.
Some people may expect to remain in the workforce longer than they actually will, a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute suggests. Twenty-eight percent of respondents in the survey expected to retire at 65, but the median retirement age is actually 62, the survey found. Despite encountering certain surprises, a majority of retirees report being at least as happy as they thought they would be.
AI will play a growing role in HR, but it will be important to stay focused on the human element of the job, HR executives emphasized at a Workhuman convention last week. "Being able to have an active role ... realizing that technology is in every single part of the employee experience and lifecycle, if you're not involved in that and they can't come to you for that advice, then you're definitely going to be deemed as irrelevant and not adding value or being a stakeholder that they want to engage in," said Dominique Brewer, HR chief of staff for Takeda.
Canadian writer and film photography enthusiast Dmitri Tcherbadji is experimenting with several different compounds he can use to develop film, including perhaps becoming the first to use cannabis flower to create a developer he calls Sativa Cannanol. Tcherbadji says the weed-based developer did not work as well as a more popular home concoction derived from coffee but did best developers made from urine and pond water. Whoa, dude.
I could have used this nugget two nights ago when my daughter and I got into a rare argument. The conversation started out well enough, but then my mouth and righteous indignation took over and the next thing I know, we’re arguing. We finally hung up, exchanged emails saying we loved each other and I went to bed.
I slept fine, but when I woke up, it was with the stark realization that I did a terrible job listening to her. She needed my ear and got my mouth instead. I wanted to kick myself. She probably did too.
Listening and getting comfortable with silence are two areas where I have room (and an urgency) to improve. But I need to; every excellent leader I know has this skill down pat. I’m determined to be a better, kinder, more empathic leader.
And that starts with better listening.
Are you a good listener? Are you comfortable with silence? How do you do it? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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