The past three weeks have been challenging for the TEN|10 Group. We've lost a dear colleague, a friend, a sister and a mother. Filling the gap left by Casey won't be easy, but with the long-experienced team, who partnered with Casey in the beginning, and clients we consider more partner than customer we believe there is a strong way forward. As we move ahead, the core TEN|10 team will expand existing roles incrementally.

Love them or hate them, virtual meetings are now a way of life. Even for those of us back in the office part or full time, we continue gathering online almost as frequently as we are gathering in the boardroom. As our comfort and adeptness with virtual meetings has improved over the past two years, many benefits have clearly emerged. Increased accessibility to colleagues across locations, decreased expense in travel and increased productivity for those who must be home for one reason or another (sick kids, a plumbing appointment, etc., just to name a few).

Small acts of gratitude build connection, culture and employee retention.

As the summer winds down and back-to-school season commences, people across the country are longing to hit the reset button and return to a normal routine. The question on many professionals’ minds is, “What does the new normal routine really look like?”

As summer heats up, companies large and small are welcoming new summer interns seeking real-world work experience and exposure to an industry or discipline in which they hope to launch a career. As anyone who has ever managed an intern knows, organizing and supervising meaningful work is, well, a lot of work. That said, when companies and supervisors move from managing interns to mentoring individuals, the benefits to both parties are undeniable.

Just over a year ago, in our January 2020 blog post we challenged you to tell your story.  We said, “Leaders who can effectively harness the power of storytelling can build fiercely loyal customers and ignite passion and ingenuity in their employees.”  This year, we are doubling down on our challenge: tell your story and harness the power of visual imagery to make it come alive. 

As stay-at-home orders lift and a “now normal” dictates changes to our old routines and practices, most of us remain unsure about the recommendations, risks and requirements regarding air travel. While the status and implications of coronavirus remain fluid, we’ve rounded up advice from experts and resources for your reference as you plan upcoming business activities

As environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues continue to permeate the social consciousness and national conversation, it is important for corporate managers and boards to pay close attention and evaluate their own policies. No longer merely a public relations tactic, a company’s ability to address ESG challenges is increasingly critical to its long-term competitive success. 

This month marks one year since our inaugural TEN|10 blog post, Gratitude in Action. Recognizing the philanthropic work of our clients and partners was an especially meaningful way for us to launch our blog. Now, the holiday season is here, and once again the TEN|10 Group is full of gratitude. We continue to watch our clients give back, not only with their checkbooks, but also with their time and talents. It’s this roll-up-your-sleeves-and-dig-in approach that gives real meaning to gratitude and giving back. In other words, it is the doing that counts. In that spirit, we chose to end 2019 by reprising the Gratitude in Action post. We applaud all of our partners who are out there doing good work all year. We’d like to recognize just a few.

We took a short summer break from blogging, and now we’re back with some tips on how to run an effective meeting. It’s a paradox​.​ Over the past decade, the means for workplace communication have proliferated, as have the tools available to support more efficient, productive and streamlined communication in the office. From phone, texting and internal messaging to slick apps like Slack, Flock, Google Hangout and Facebook Workplace, we have so many methods by which to exchange information, and yet our calendars seem to be more packed full of meetings than ever. 

Every organization has a culture. Whether it is willfully ignored, passively observed or intentionally nurtured, culture exists — and it is often instantly recognizable to internal and external constituents alike. Leaders who recognize the value in defining and cultivating culture will better position their firms to prosper through various market cycles and eras of disruption .

Whether chairman, inside director or outside director, occupying a seat on  a board  means more than just, well, occupying a seat. As discussed in our previous blog post, Adding Value as a Board Member: 10 Ground Rules, active involvement and commitment are critical. The same is true when it comes to managing a healthy board.