For Editor’s Note: Tom has more than 35 years of proven leadership experience, in both the public and private sector, and is locally recognized as a regional expert in public policy implementation, consensus building and strategic planning.  He exercises strong organizational and development skills and is committed to developing team and individual performances. He is a long-time AOE client and we appreciate him helping us celebrate Women in Construction week! Women aren’t ...

Ask any employee working in the field about the current remote working trend and they will likely tell you little has changed for them. These are the frontline employees, approximately 80 percent of the workforce, who do not work in an office—and haven’t since long before COVID-19 transformed the dynamics of the workplace.Much has changed in the last year, including more alignment between headquarters and the frontline and an increased understanding by leaders of the challenges and e...

Editor’s Note: Edelman, a global communications firm, surveyed more than 33,000 respondents in 28 countries for The Edelman Trust Barometer. In its 20th year, The Trust Barometer has been a key indicator of society’s trust of major institutions. Trust is the foundation upon which organizations build with their stakeholders. Here are some key findings from the 2021 Survey. The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer has proven that people no longer know where to gather reliable information, neve...

“Communication is at the very core of our society. That’s what makes us human.” – Jan KoumCommunication makes us human and, as humans, we need to communicate. In the past year, our ability to interact with others has been challenged. Many of us have turned to technology to connect with loved ones, coworkers and clients. Yet, after participating in multiple Zoom meetings and FaceTime calls, we can still feel disconnected.In fact, according to the Twin Cities Chapter of the...

Much has been written about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the event and meeting planning industry. Pathable, a virtual event company, recently released a survey highlighting some of the lessons learned during the last year related to the changing event industry. Here are some highlights: Before COVID-19, 45 percent of events had less than 500 attendees, 42 percent had 500-1,000 attendees, 27 percent had 1,000-5,000 attendees and the remaining five percent had more than 5,000 attendees. ...

Like plants that need to be nurtured to thrive, your members need to be nurtured if you want them to perform and stick around. Nurturing (your retention strategy) should begin as soon as they come on board. Engaged members are happy members. Happy members are, in turn, less likely to leave and can be powerful recruitment advocates.The key to retaining your members lies in the value you provide them. Offering easy access to information through online tools, resources and educational opportunities...

2020 brought many changes. In addition to the challenges of navigating the virtual workplace, business and association leaders were challenged with how to stay connected with clients, customers and members. Gone in 2020 were the traditional annual meetings, conferences and events. With large gatherings off the table, organizations scrambled to transition from pre-COVID in-person to virtual events. AOE, among others, recognized the challenges and offered tips for shifting big meetings to virtual....

By: Emily Gallagher, Marketing AssistantCOVID-19, politics and economic factors impacted nearly every business in 2020, but small businesses were especially hit hard. In 2021, small business owners need to re-establish their presence and reach customers. To meet this need, LinkedIn is offering a new feature for small businesses to promote their business. The #OpenForBusiness campaign is a LinkedIn service that enables small business owners to share the services they offer and connect with people...

By: Emily Gallagher, Marketing AssistantSocial media engagement can easily be maximized by strategically scheduling posting days and times. Posting at the right time is critically important to ensure your content and messages are reaching your audience. The more your followers interact with the post -- such as likes, comments and shares -- the more you will maximize the reach of your content. Understanding when your audience is active on different social platforms is extremely important. Posting...

Word of mouth is an important aspect of marketing and in the construction industry, in particular. Local construction markets are often a small world, and potential customers and project partners typically trust the opinions of friends and colleagues about working with your company. When word of mouth is taken online via social media and customer review sites, it becomes amplified as it reaches a larger audience.This is why establishing a presence on social media channels and crafting messages o...