WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: Dear millennials, we need you
Millennials, rest assured. There is a silver lining in the national shortage of skilled labor. Quite simply, it’s you.
Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow / Special to IBJ
Articles
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: Company culture: the elephant in the room
Effective communication in the workplace among people from diverse cultures can be especially challenging, especially between a head office located overseas and the regional units in the Indianapolis metro area.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: A leader’s apology in a tweet
The good news is, people don’t expect online perfection from even the savviest leaders. People understand that leaders are bound to make mistakes when using online platforms to connect with stakeholders, share knowledge and increase transparency.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: How to deal with bullies at work
An Accountemps study found managers and executives at Fortune 1,000 firms spend 13 percent of their work time resolving uncivil behavior. That’s the equivalent of seven weeks a year down the proverbial drain.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: Are you a new leader? Here’s how to be trusted now
To deliver necessary results, you need to build trust and confidence fast. Trust builds loyalty, and you’ll need a loyal fan base to help you deliver winning results.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: Liar, liar, your negotiation is on fire
Some bad behavior has become more acceptable in the workplace, and the practice of lying has morphed to accommodate the needs of business.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: For future negotiating success, get gritty
Grit is a collective mind-set of hardy character traits and personal resilience. Research shows grit is a better predictor of long-term success than IQ and conscientiousness.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: Crime undermines Indy’s many advancements
In his recent State of the City address, Mayor Ballard expanded on a familiar theme of making Indianapolis a more livable city, one that can build on its unique amenities to attract middle- and upper-income residents back into Marion County and even the old city limits.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: Diversity still has bad rap in Indiana
What “D” word is used most sparingly or avoided altogether by Hoosier political, business and civic leaders when sharing how to position Indiana for growth and success? a) debt, b) deflation, or c) diversity?
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: Return to sender: Get a clue about email
If I had a dollar for every time I read a news article or post about a public official getting busted for sending or exchanging inappropriate emails and texts to fellow officials, colleagues and subordinates, I’d be well on my way to financial freedom.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: The insidiousness of income segregation
As a child, racial segregation was a fact of my life, whether by law or by custom. In the South, barriers between whites and blacks were rigidly codified by statute before the civil rights victories of the 1950s and 1960s.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: Older neighborhoods need attention
Everyone knows the old real estate adage about location, location, location. But these days, for revenue-hungry Indianapolis communities, you can add another priority—development, development, development.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: More black men in college than in prison
My children grew up in an autocratic household with non-negotiable expectations. “You will make your bed before you go to school.” “You will respect your elders and teachers.” And the biggest mandate, “You will go to college.”
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: Youth violence is state health issue
Everyone knows you are not supposed to discuss taboo subjects such as religion and politics in the workplace.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: ‘Bus stigma’ detailing mass transit
I moved to Indianapolis in the summer of 2005. Since then, I have learned to count on three things to occur each summer—a substantial number of die-hard Indianapolis Colts fans will still suffer from acute post-season withdrawal; mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds will nip at my ankles during my evening walk; and a massive, five-month road construction project (or two) will spring up somewhere on Interstate 465.
WESTERHAUS-RENFROW: Lessons from the War on Poverty
America has come so far, having elected a black president to a second term, mainly by women, young and non-whites. Yet, I hear all too often that Indiana companies cannot find qualified African-American workers.