Michael Cupps

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Leading experts share 20 tips to help managers and their employees find a reasonable work-life balance that gets the job done.  Even before the COVID-19 crisis took the world by storm in 2020, managers at most companies were not promoting the idea of a remote or hybrid work culture environment. But when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a shelter-in-place mandate, employers had to quickly adjust their traditional policy.  Realizing the cost-effectiveness on both sides of the aisle, some companies have fully leaned into the idea of enabling employees to WFH and have never looked back while others continue to resist the idea when their staff members question whether they must commute from home just to sit inside a cubicle space. Below, 20 Fast Company Executive Board members weigh in on how employers can work with employees to find common ground and implement the right policies—aside from the current standard hybrid solution.

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Leading business professionals offer advice to the next generation. In a changing world market and tough economy, no one can predict what the future of work will look like in the short term or 10 years from now. One way or the other, what people are realizing in the new norm is that although technological innovations are being elevated every day, companies need to embrace them if they don't want to be left behind. However, these business leaders also agree that the human touch is still essential to ensure smart decisions are being executed for the growth and success of organizations. Below, 14 experts from Fast Company Executive Board discuss how specific industries are currently being impacted and what the next generation of leaders should do to prepare for the unknown.

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Applying the "show, don't tell" method in today's digital world can work wonders if you want to build your sales pipeline. When your sales and marketing team members are gearing up to promote your organization at a yearly in-person or hybrid-remote industry convention—in the new normal, it's always important to figure out the best strategy to effectively rise above the competitive noise and capture the attention of your target audience. So, how can company leaders elevate learning opportunities for current and potential customers to gather and retain information about their business products and services in the most efficient way? Below, 12 Fast Company Executive Board members share tips to keep consumers engaged and interested in what your brand has to offer, showing them why they should stick around to hear more and possibly give it a chance rather than moving on to another vendor.

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As AI continues to evolve, I believe prompt engineering will become vital in shaping AI systems for the better.

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Here's what to do when the best-laid business plans of leadership and teams suddenly go awry.  For many business leaders and their teams, the month of August is an essential time for them to assess how the first half of the year went. Are the current strategies that they have in place really working? It's also a time to set (or reset) their goals and objectives for the upcoming year.  Keeping all that in mind, sometimes plans, unfortunately, fall by the wayside or may require some unexpected tweaking depending on external factors like market conditions, customer needs, or technological innovation. That's why it's important to remain flexible and have an open mind about how to pivot correctly when necessary, considering the current situation of your department or organization. Here, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members offer their solutions to help other business leaders and teams stay focused even when their initial plans begin to get sidetracked or fail altogether.

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Here's how to transition away from your current "transactional" sales approach that's getting you nowhere.  If you are feeling the pressure to help your company meet its bottom-line metrics quarter over quarter, working in a sales-driven environment is not the only way to encourage your sales team to achieve its goals. Instead, you may want to try a different approach that will also enable you to build a stronger rapport with current and potential customers. Here, 11 Fast Company Executive Board members share the best way to pivot your sales strategies and transition your team away from a "transaction now" mentality when dealing with potential clients. They also discuss how to maintain a good balance and still make the deal.