GreatWork Blog

Building better workplaces through compliance, culture, connection

When presenting to a group or an audience, we need to establish rapport with our listeners and have ways to engage them in the conversation. Instead, presenters often lose sight of the audience and become preoccupied with the material they wish to cover.

Many times meetings to discuss plans and change are poorly facilitated. Participants sometimes don’t share their concerns, or contradict each other and don’t commit to action.

When I’m presented with an employment situation which could result in some sort of change in an employee’s status with the company, such as a disciplinary action or a performance plan, there are four questions that I always ask in order to assess the risk.

Where else can you design your own comfortable, minimal shoes? Let me introduce you to this intriguing family-owned business in Corvallis. 

Even very smart people assume that employees are either motivated or not, that no one can change the way they were born and bred. But that’s not true. Leaders listen carefully and probe. They are open to suggestions and build the confidence of others. They keep us informed and challenge us with goals and feedback. They praise our efforts and celebrate our meaningful achievements. They focus on our strengths and let us do what we do best every day.

Decade after decade when supervisors were polled and asked to rank ten dimensions of work in terms of their importance to employees, they guessed wrong. It wasn’t “Good wages,” “Promotion and growth” and “Good working conditions” that employees put at the top. Instead the number one ranked dimension was “Full appreciation for work done,” followed by “Feeling like I’m making a difference.”

This Albany, Oregon based Company is the pioneer of freeze-dried foods for outdoor recreation. Read on to learn more about this impressive local employer.

Would you like to build a spectacular team? One great place to start is to uncover positive memories of your potential team members.

This will come as no shock, but interviewing is no easy task. This is especially true in an employee’s market when attracting great candidates is particularly challenging. Because we are currently in an employee’s market, now is a great time to evaluate your approach to the interviewing process, starting with the questions you’re asking. 

Once again, what we learned in early education is relevant to gaining insight in our leadership style. The four sentence types – declarative, interrogative, imperative and exclamatory – and how you use them reveal much about your leadership competency. 

This Sunday is Daylight Savings Time. This change can impact wages for non-exempt employees, particularly those on the graveyard shift.

At the core of this Cascade member is a simple idea that has held steady since the beginning: that organic agriculture is necessary for a healthy environment and healthy people. They’re committed to doing business in a way that is “good, clean and fair.”

Arnie (names changed) dragged his Arkansas accent down the Oregon Coast to become a boat builder at Freeman Marine. His coworkers appreciated his hard work but thought him naïve. 

I love it when a member asks, “Now remind me, what are the benefits of membership in Cascade”? I see that statement as an opportunity to share something that I know every employer can use: resources to help develop their organization into a great employer.

One of the best things about my job is the opportunity to go inside and learn about the many diverse organizations we have right here in Oregon. Often those organizations turn out to be great partners for any business.

Start the New Year off right with a quick check of your compensation practices to make sure they are competitive, attractive and equitable, and to ensure you are on the right track.

Let me introduce you to this custom winemaking company, crafting under the brands of Wine by Joe and Dobbes Family Estate, among others.

The last two weeks of the year don’t have to be the slowest time of the year, according to Mary Pender Greene, a New York City psychotherapist, relationship expert and career coach. “It is unfortunate that some people might put their personal lives and problems ahead of their business concerns, ” 

In the beginning, one of the first things that settlers learned was how to dry and cure beef into jerky for the winter. The ones who taught them were the original Oregonians – the Native Americans indigenous to the area. The name “Tillamook” itself is from the language of the people who lived here before us. Let me introduce you to Tillamook Country Smoker, founded on this long-standing survival heritage.

Starting January 1, 2016 Oregon’s mandatory sick leave law will take effect requiring employers to provide protected (and paid for employers with 10 or more employees) sick time away from work. By protected, we mean you cannot discriminate, retaliate or in any way use the absence against the employee.

You hit it . . . the maximum of a pay range! Now what? When I get this question (and lately it seems like a lot) I have a few questions that I need answered.

Ever wonder where all those wooden paintbrush handles are made? Let me introduce you to McRae & Sons, Inc. This Bay City, Oregon family-owned business has been a Cascade member for nearly 30 years and in business for 60 years.

For a guy who is sometimes a “no-nonsense” manager, this entire concept is a little woo-woo. But, in the “no-nonsense” world of work we are always looking for an edge, a way to make our workplaces more effective. 

If you are like most, you are especially conscious of weaknesses in yourself and others. It’s built in our wiring, our insecurity. But we get much further by focusing on strengths. 

In your travels over the past few decades, you’ve probably noticed the increasing number of people using bicycle trailers to share the joy of cycling with their children. More than likely, the trailers you’ve seen were created by Burley Design. 

Do you want to be an ethical leader? First, relax. Being ethical shouldn’t require moral self-righteousness, rigid standards, covering up that we aren’t perfect, or even always following the rules. Bureaucrats follow rules, but ignore the spirit behind the rules. Ethical people try to find the best thing to do, given the limits of their perspective. We don’t know the long-term ramifications of each ethical act, but we try our best to take the long view.

Fiercely devoted to their mission, SPOON Foundation improves nutrition and feeding practices for children in orphanages and foster care, and for children with disabilities, so they may grow and develop to their full potential.

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me.” Well said, Aretha. Especially, the last part about finding out what it means. Respect in the workplace seems like such a basic and simple concept, but it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular training sessions I do. Why? Unfortunately, sometimes the busyness of work and life gets in the way and this core value gets pushed aside.

Cascade Employers Association and HRCI have partnered to offer Cascade members several benefits when obtaining or renewing their HRCI certifications.

We hear a lot from the workplace research nerds that personal recognition of accomplishments and involvement is a key driver of employee engagement.