Organizational Behavior

When you think about customer experience (CX), the first thing that may come to mind is an interaction with a friendly employee. However, creating a great customer exchange involves more than a single positive instance. How shoppers feel at every touch point can be the difference between a one-time buyer and a lifelong supporter.

That’s when small businesses must consider building a CX culture. This strategy is where everyone puts the buyer first in every aspect of the company. Building a strong CX culture sets the foundation for sustainable growth, and leaders must take accountability by following the right steps.

An effective employer brand gives quality job seekers a good reason to choose an organization over its competitors, helping it build an expansive talent pool. Discover the many benefits of building an employer brand and how to create a targeted impact.

Why Should Businesses Build an Employer Brand?

At face value, asking candidates what they want and giving it to them seems like the best way to attract and retain talent. However, according to the Harvard Business Review, this approach tends to be a trap. 

Star employees stand out as people with strong work ethics and likely wear many hats. When one of your top performers hands in their resignation, it can knock the breath out of you. Small-business owners often grow close to their longtime staff. You are losing someone you likely value as a colleague, friend and top talent.

If handled incorrectly, a single resignation can become a tsunami of employee churn. Fortunately, some solid next steps can help you retain other workers and minimize the impact.

Business professionals are familiar with greenwashing and social washing as ways corporations manipulate customers — whether intentionally or not — with misleading information. Since the advent of widespread artificial intelligence (AI), AI washing has become a trend. Uncover what this entails and how entities can avoid it to maintain customer loyalty.

Unchecked work-related exhaustion could have dire effects on people's mental, physical and emotional well-being and devastating impacts on an organization. Effective leadership understands their employees are human. When burnout strikes the workplace, you must look for the signs and make changes accordingly.

Earth Month in 2025 is an opportunity for you to lead with purpose. People pay attention to how brands show up, and they expect more than just a green logo or a recycled social post. Your customers want to see action, not just talk.

You don’t need to be a global giant to make an impact. Whether you run a growing business, design for ethical brands or manage marketing campaigns, this month is your chance to do something real — and make it stick long after April ends.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all matters. This means businesses must adequately upgrade their facilities and communications technology while prioritizing accessibility and assistive technologies. If your company employs 15 or more people, it must comply with the ADA requirements.

Complying with the ADA is a good start to improving accessibility in your workplace. However, other considerations can take things a step further and make your enterprise one that welcomes people of all abilities and backgrounds with open arms. Here are some features you should consider.

What happens when one or more of your employees fail to live up to your expectations? Low performance can impact the entire company, especially if top workers feel they aren’t receiving the recognition they deserve for their contributions. The process of building team members up in the hopes they’ll catch up to others is a balancing act between encouraging them while not discouraging those putting forth real effort. 

Many companies worldwide prioritize continuous improvement — a broad concept that every business can apply differently based on its values. How can your organization get measurable results from this principle? Understand how goals encourage ongoing learning and provide real-life examples of what it can look like when implemented correctly.

Feedback is critical for professional development. However, constructive criticism can be a tough pill to swallow for some employees. Although your intentions are good and will enable growth, you may be met with resistance, defensiveness and dismissal. Unfortunately, when an employee pushes back against feedback, it can impact the company's success and tarnish team morale.

It’s up to you as a manager to explore why some workers demonstrate resistance to feedback. A high level of emotional intelligence (EQ) is necessary to reach them effectively and develop solutions.