Mark Goulston

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Give your employees the flexibility they need to thrive with these unique offerings and strategies. Numerous studies have found that employees not only value flexibility in the workplace, but they also thrive when they actually receive it. While hybrid and remote work arrangements have become increasingly commonplace, organizations continue to explore unique and uncommon ways to provide even more flexibility. Companies that do this are more likely to attract and retain a workforce that's both productive and highly satisfied. To help businesses support their teams, 20 members of Newsweek Expert Forum share out-of-the-box offerings and strategies to give employees the flexibility they crave.

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Leaning on the perspectives and expertise of the entire team can help ensure decisions are made with care. Leaders are often faced with critical decisions that can significantly impact a company's success. However, the process of decision making can often be clouded by preconceived notions and assumptions. To make the best possible choices, leaders must step back and evaluate their own biases—but they may not always be sure how to do so. Below, 18 members of Newsweek Expert Forum share top strategies to help leaders set aside their assumptions and approach critical business decisions with an objective eye.

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The future of AI isn't about humans versus machines, but rather humans and machines working together to build a better future.

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This phenomenon sheds light on the challenges couples face navigating the demands of raising infants while grappling with societal expectations and personal aspirations.

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B2C outreach involves creativity and planning, and these tips will help your team achieve long-lasting results. Successful B2C outreach hinges upon a well-rounded strategy that engages and resonates with your target audience. To achieve this, there are several essential ingredients that must be carefully incorporated into your approach. Each factor plays a crucial role in driving meaningful connections and driving business growth. Here, 13 Newsweek Expert Forum members each share one vital ingredient needed to craft well-rounded, effective B2C outreach and delve into why these ingredients are pivotal in capturing attention, fostering loyalty and generating lasting results.

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To unravel this mystery, we must understand the human psyche's fascinating nuances and its propensity to react differently when serving oneself compared to others.

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Adopting tried-and-true strategies for achieving ongoing success through hard work, smart planning and unwavering dedication can help leaders advance. In the pursuit of success, it can often appear as though some individuals are blessed with luck, stumbling upon triumph by chance. Yet, upon closer examination, it becomes evident that true achievement stems from a combination of unwavering dedication, meticulous planning and strategic execution. This begs the question: What are the powerful strategies that foster consistent and repeatable success?  Below, 19 Newsweek Expert Forum members explore key strategies that pave the way for sustained success and the underlying mechanisms that make them so effective.

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To attract and keep customers coming back for years to come, businesses have to maintain their human essence. As the old adage goes, "People buy from people." In today’s technologically-driven business landscape, entrepreneurs now have a multitude of ways to engage with current and potential customers across the world.  While changes like automation can increase employee productivity, streamline operations and boost the number of interactions that lead to sales, many businesses focus so much on the efficiency aspect that they don’t recognize the potential of losing the human touch, which is what initially entices customers to purchase and keeps them coming back. As experts, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum have experience making their brand more appealing to customers. Below, 16 of them share concrete ways any business can humanize its product or service offerings and why these actions are essential to building long-term relationships with customers.

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Next time you feel that someone is resisting you, even aggressively, let them react however they choose.

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Seeking out and actively encouraging employees to share their opinions is critical to making the right business calls. Businesses of all sizes are constantly making decisions that have a considerable impact on the entire organization. The gravity of these decisions as well as the chances of conversations sparking disagreement and sowing team division may cause some leaders to limit discussions to a select few. Fortunately, safeguards can be put in place to add employees at all levels into the conversation, effectively limiting conflict, keeping discussions respectful and allowing individuals to offer insight without fear of negative consequences. To help businesses create space for various perspectives and set boundaries, 15 Newsweek Expert Forum members share approaches leaders can leverage to encourage vigorous, yet respectful debate in their organizations.

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In spite of the aspiration to create “win-win” sales that benefit both customers and salespeople, as long as they’re in a transactional exchange, both parties are looking to get the most while giving up the least.

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To continuously drive business growth, leaders have to be more willing to lean on their employees and ask for help. At times, leadership can be a heavy burden. For some, being a strong leader means subscribing to the idea that a leadership role entails bearing the pressures of the position alone. And while this belief can and has led to gains, shouldering every aspect of a business on one’s own will only work to a limited degree of success. Instead, learning how to build, manage, delegate and lean on your team can positively impact the entire team and the business. To help, 14 Newsweek Expert Forum members offer strong leaders tips for successfully managing their staff to drive business growth.

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To create an effective leadership team, it's important to consider everything each candidate can offer the business. Across industries, leadership plays an essential role in the success of a business. These leaders set the tone of the organization as a whole, impacting not only operations and decision making, but employees and customers as well.  To build the right leadership team, companies have to be willing to take their time with the process as every misstep could potentially negatively impact the business long term. Below, 14 Newsweek Expert Forum members explore common mistakes organizations make when assembling a leadership team and share advice on how those errors can be corrected.

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Leaders can use a simple activity to remind employees that, no matter their background, they have something important in common.

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While a productive workforce is vital to a successful business, leaders must balance good management with giving employees autonomy. For many business leaders, having a hand in every aspect of their business has allowed them to ensure that each and every client is well taken care of. This method is an effective way to maintain high-quality products and services while also maximizing what each additional hire is able to contribute to the business.  However, if a leader is too heavy-handed, this management strategy can have an adverse effect internally over time, straining manager-employee relationships and negatively impacting workplace morale. A productive workforce is an essential component in building a successful business, but leaders must be careful not to become a hindrance to their employees. To help leaders adopt a management style that works with and not against employees, 12 Newsweek Expert Forum members each offer a piece of advice for increasing employee productivity without resorting to micromanaging.

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What if there was a way to flip a switch to see conflict as good? How could that happen?

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Demonstrating the unique value your business offers can help set your business apart from the competition. A crowded market can present entrepreneurs with a number of challenges. In addition to building up the business and establishing connections with prospective customers, entrepreneurs also have to know how to navigate competition. Others in the market may offer similar or even the same products or services, so learning how to best appeal to potential customers helps set your business apart. When customers have a variety of choices, demonstrating the value your business can offer is essential to attracting and retaining those customers. To help, 12 Newsweek Expert Forum members share how entrepreneurs can approach differentiating their products or services in an oversaturated market.

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There are four levels of speaking that correspond to four levels of listening. And you can tell which one you're doing by observing the body language of the other person.

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Even the most experienced of leaders can struggle when it comes to managing several different priorities. Between catering to the needs of customers, ensuring employees are engaged, remaining true to the values of the organization and staying compliant on changing laws, running a business naturally requires entrepreneurs to balance several different priorities all at once. No matter how experienced a leader is or how top-notch their juggling skills are, any person would struggle with these responsibilities. Stepping outside of the mindset that they have to handle everything alone is a key first step for many leaders. Below, 12 Newsweek Expert Forum members each share one additional approach leaders can take when managing multiple projects and priorities.

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Before addressing any activism in the workplace, leaders need to have a well-developed approach. With racial justice protests, labor shortages, a global pandemic and a budding “quiet quitting” movement, the workplace of the past few years has undergone many changes. While it may have been easier to draw distinctions between one’s professional and personal beliefs in years past, it is growing increasingly difficult for leaders to keep these boundaries in the work environment in place as employees now expect leadership to stand for their values and take a side.   If leaders do decide to take action, it’s best to prepare beforehand with a well-thought-out strategy. To help you determine the best approach, 14 Newsweek Expert Forum members offer recommendations on how leaders can respond to growing employee activism in the workplace.

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Understanding how to change your immediate response to triggering events can help you improve your mental and emotional well-being.

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Offering resources and opportunities for employees to further develop skills helps ensure the creation of a supportive workplace.  Every employee starts out with certain skills that help them do their job, as well as the expectation that they’ll pick up other needed skills along the way. These skills can be learned in one’s own time or gleaned from a mentor; however, for an employee to truly progress and move to the next level, there needs to be support from leadership. To provide some guidance on how to do that, 11 Newsweek Expert Forum members share essential steps for creating a workplace that actively supports the personal and professional development of its employees.

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Whether describing your role or your company's role, do so confidently and in a way that lands with your listener.

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For a business to succeed, entrepreneurs have to know how to effectively pitch and get stakeholder onboard with every new initiative. No matter how good a business idea may seem, every new initiative will not have complete buy-in from stakeholders at the start. No matter whether it’s investors, employees, partners or consumers, the onus is on the entrepreneur to present a worthy pitch, gain support and address concerns that may arise from the audience.  While this process may seem straightforward, the challenge lies in devising a plan to put any and all doubts from stakeholders at ease. As leaders, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum know that full support for business ideas is critical to success. To help, they offer strategies entrepreneurs can use to approach changing someone's mind and gaining buy-in from stakeholders.

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Next time you experience a breakdown or upset, pause, take a few long slow deep breaths, and say to yourself, “Don’t do anything to make this worse for 72 hours and keep up your usual routines and habits that contribute to your psychological and emotional well-being.”

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In order to keep up with the amount of fresh online content needed today, businesses need a defined content creation process. From blog posts and photos to TikToks and Reels, businesses today have a lot of options available when it comes to engaging with clients and consumers online. However, with so many platforms to create content for on an ongoing basis, content creation can eventually start to feel like a never-ending process that no longer sparks joy like it used to. For leaders not directly involved in this aspect of the business, this problem may not be taken as seriously because they don’t see the value content provides, but current and prospective customers will be able to tell when a business is only interested in getting something out. That’s why it’s essential to implement a creative process that keeps content fresh and valuable for consumers. To help, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum offer recommendations to help business leaders navigate the seemingly endless grind of creating content.

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Now that websites and social media have become vital for businesses, leaders must develop an effective strategy for engaging their audiences on these platforms. Regardless of the industry an organization operates in, the marketing channel a leader chooses to use to contact current customers and prospects will have a direct impact on the success of their business. This is especially true now that websites and social media networks have become important components of interacting directly with stakeholders. With online interactions becoming essential to operations, learning how to contact and build relationships with customers is a hurdle business owners have to overcome. As experts, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum all have experience testing various channels for outreach and marketing purposes. Below they share how they best reach their target audience on their preferred marketing channel and why that method works so well for them.

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Establishing connections in larger markets can open up entrepreneurs to a wide variety of new business opportunities. When an entrepreneur is just starting out, connecting with the local community helps set their new business up for success. Establishing a loyal client base and developing connections are central to building a local presence in a small market, but growth may be limited if other markets aren’t considered as well. In fact, expanding to customers and investors in larger city markets can open up a breadth of new opportunities that will take a business to new heights.  However, it’s not easy to determine the most effective way to break into a large market. To help, a panel of experts from Newsweek Expert Forum share tips on how entrepreneurs can better reach clients and investors in larger market spaces.

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How the “outrage enrage bifurcate” prevents you from dealing with conflict.

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It's easy to choose a path based on preconceived notions, but business leaders must be as objective as possible when making decisions that impact their company. Objective decisions are vital to the success of a business. Sometimes, leaders have to make tough choices that may feel personal, like letting an employee go or hiring one candidate over another. Leaders may also be too close to the business to see a problem that needs to be fixed or a solution that might work better than a system already in place. These decisions and considerations contribute to a business's bottom line and are therefore important to carefully consider. Below, 15 Newsweek Expert Forum members give their best advice for making sure leaders let go of assumptions about their business and make decisions more objectively. 

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I believe that I exhibited validational empathy with Jack, which went beyond the other three levels by telling him that I believed him.

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Keeping a close eye on customer behavior can help businesses stay on top of changing trends. Trends can come and go in the blink of an eye, and if a business isn’t paying close enough attention to its customers, leaders run the risk of losing current and future customers. Rather than waiting for new customer behavior trends to hit the company’s radar, being more proactive about learning and leveraging each trend in real time can give an organization an edge over its competitors. As business experts, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum are familiar with just how quickly customer behavior can change. Below, they offer advice on how leaders can effectively leverage customer behavior trends as they gain more ground.

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To remain in business long term, entrepreneurs have to get comfortable making difficult choices. Business decision making can sometimes be a difficult process, with each decision potentially impacting employees or customers in a negative way. That potential to harm stakeholders may cause some leaders stress, even to the point of delaying decisions until they’re absolutely sure of the possible outcomes. Learning how to understand and see fear as a natural part of doing business is key if entrepreneurs want to last long term. As leaders, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum are all familiar with the challenges of making decisions. Below, they share advice for fellow leaders to be able to embrace fear and make difficult business decisions with confidence.

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The counterintuitive piece triggers curiosity and a desire to find out more, otherwise known as "buy-in." The intuitively correct part triggers curiosity and a willingness to give something a try, called "trying." And finally, we are "doing" when we reach the practically doable stage.

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When creating a more adaptable workplace, input from staff members will help ensure initiatives are inclusive of employees' needs. The last few years have shown that the traditional workplace has the potential to be a much more variable space than previously thought. As employers continue to navigate the return to the office and the hiring of new employees, it’s critical to consider the changes that have taken place and how those changes will impact what the workplace looks like, including where and how employees will work from now on. Regardless of the workplace ultimately set up, a leader must aim for an environment that is adaptable to the needs of the employees working within it. Below, 13 Newsweek Expert Forum members share less commonly known ways to give flexibility to employees.

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Creating a workplace dedicated to employee development helps build a culture that retains and attracts employees. Junior employees rely on their existing knowledge and skills to get a role, but what really helps an individual flourish in their position is support from superiors. From establishing mentorship programs to building a culture that allows employees to explore and grow their skills, leadership support can manifest itself in a variety of different ways.  Creating a workplace that truly caters to the development of employees requires that leaders put in both time and hard work, and the potential results alone make these efforts worthwhile. To help, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum each share one practical way managers can ensure junior employees are receiving adequate training and support to fuel their professional growth.

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How much better would the world be if people exercised self-restraint instead of taking pedal-to-the-metal and caution-to-the-wind approaches in their behavior? How much better would your life and your world be if you learned to exercise more self-restraint?

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Taking the time to mitigate stress can lead to a more productive work environment. Between tight deadlines, a heavy workload and multiple priorities that have to be juggled, stress tends to become part of the everyday work routine. Unmanaged stress, regardless of the cause, can eventually take a heavy toll. While some stress is natural, taking steps to mitigate it and its negative impact can prevent it from completely tanking your quality of life. Below, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum share strategies for handling feelings of stress at work.

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Leaning on a a team or a network of knowledgeable peers can help leaders maintain a finger on the pulse of recent tech trends. Regardless of what industry your business operates in, keeping up with changes in technology is essential for remaining competitive. Leaders know how important it is to maintain knowledge bases, but with all the work that goes into running and maintaining a business, it can be difficult to continuously learn about new innovations with a hectic schedule. Technology can change in the blink of an eye, so a leader needs to adopt a process to ensure their own knowledge and the knowledge being used in their company remains as updated as possible. Below, a panel of Newsweek Expert Forum members each offer one recommendation for business leaders interested in staying on top of the latest trends in tech.

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Culture is one of those words that is so abstract and misunderstood that it often limits its usefulness

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While some may not see the appeal of continuously fixing what isn't broke, intentionally adapting in business can lead to new opportunities. When you've been in business a long time, certain habits just stick. Making adjustments to business strategies that are currently working well enough may seem unnecessary, but continually working on improving the efficiency of business operations is key to staying relevant in any industry. Becoming too complacent with the status quo is dangerous for businesses that want to last long term, but it’s hard to break out of bad habits once they’ve been set in place. To help leaders begin moving in new directions, a panel of Newsweek Expert Forum members each share advice on steps to take to rethink old habits and establish new ones.

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What can be done to bring both the right and left sides of America back from the point of no return?

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Actively seeking to connect with your target customer base can create real opportunities for authentic engagement. With the Internet now widely serving as a social space, society as a whole continues to move toward a culture that seeks shared experiences with peers over those with expertise. This means that consumers these days are no longer limited to experts when it comes to seeking advice on products and services.  Developing an effective way of authentically connecting with customers can bring more business opportunities, but the challenge lies in finding the right strategy for engaging and interacting with these consumers. To help, 10 Newsweek Expert Forum members share tips for companies interested in creating more shared experiences with current and future customers.

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Management transitions can be tricky, so it's important to have a plan in place when a senior staff member makes their exit. There comes a time in every company when a leader is ready to move on. This company loss can be bittersweet and even provoke anxiety and feelings of the unknown among their previous team members. Employees may be concerned about gaining a new leader and how their job may change once a new leader is appointed. To help mitigate these fears, a panel of Newsweek Expert Forum members shared what to do when your company has a key leader resign. Follow their recommendations to ensure a smooth transition.

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Knowing how to manage and track department goals can help leaders ensure objectives for the wider company are also being met.  A new year offers businesses the opportunity to set both company-wide and department-specific goals. As each department works toward achieving set objectives, tracking progress can help ensure short- and long-term goals are on the right track and moving in the right direction for the entire organization.  Though knowing how to manage and track the goals of each department alone is difficult, the challenge also lies in how leaders can do those tasks efficiently while also balancing the achievement of goals set for the wider company. To help, 10 Newsweek Expert Forum members share recommendations on effective methods companies can adopt to better track department-specific goals in the New Year.

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Entrepreneurial lessons are learned every single day, but some have a greater effect on the future of your business than others. Every new opportunity, challenge and experience in the business world is a potential lesson for an entrepreneur. Some circumstances can teach useful tidbits that a business owner can pull out of their proverbial back pocket when needed. Others have a much more tangible effect and change the course of a founder's entrepreneurial future. A panel of Newsweek Expert Forum members reflected on their own entrepreneurial journeys and the biggest lessons they've learned along the way. Below, 13 of them shared a lesson that has made a huge impact on their business in the long run and how they've applied it to their strategy for success.

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What if we could transform a contentious confrontation into a cooperative dialogue?

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Taking the time to carefully vet business partners decreases the chances of something going wrong down the line.  A partnership with another person or company can increase your chances of successfully bringing your ideas alive. After all, a partner will be able to offer additional information and resources, and the combined effort means more work will get accomplished.  However, one must carefully vet every collaboration before signing on the dotted line. Though a business partnership may look good on paper, asking key questions beforehand can help ensure your prospective partner actually ticks all of the right boxes. Below, a panel of Newsweek Expert Forum members each share one question to ask a potential business partner before officially joining forces.

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Minor workplace disagreements left unchecked have the potential to quickly become completely unmanageable. Workplace conflicts are an inevitable part of working with people. As such, leaders need to have a proactive plan in place for handling these conflicts when they arise between employees. Disagreements left unchecked increase the chances of a conflict escalating, negatively impacting the culture of the company and creating a toxic environment as a result. To help leaders deal with workplace disagreements before they spiral out of control, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum share how to effectively de-escalate and mediate workplace conflicts when they arise.

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Investing more time into nonbusiness critical endeavors can positively impact an entrepreneur's skills and business. Pursuing professional development has always been a valuable practice for continuously growing and developing business skills. Despite the benefits, however, some entrepreneurs are still reluctant to take steps toward investing in their own development. For them, any time and effort not spent on business-critical tasks may be seen as unimportant when compared to work that directly impacts and drives business.  However, entrepreneurs need to rethink their current beliefs about professional development if they are truly interested in growing their businesses and enhancing their own skills for future success. To help, 15 members of Newsweek Expert Forum shared recommendations on how entrepreneurs can take action and start investing in their own professional development.

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You must realize that whoever you’re speaking or communicating with is not just listening to you but also listening for something from you.

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If you're concerned about meeting fatigue among your remote workforce, try these strategies to ensure each virtual gathering has a clear purpose. The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted work culture in several lasting ways, including the growth of work-from-home arrangements. As companies begin to embrace smaller physical office locations and the workforce's ability to work from home, the road and other places, new challenges arise. Between a constant flow of meetings and life distractions, employees can easily start to burn out and feel "Zoom fatigue." One way to address this is by ensuring every meeting held is intentional, purposeful and engaging for all attendees. Below, members of Newsweek Expert Forum share insights for how they believe leaders can improve meetings and make sure each one held is worthwhile.

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Test your product with real users to work out the bugs and prepare for your official launch. When you’re launching a new product, one of the best ways to make it more effective is by running user tests. Many companies rely on user testing to better understand what their customers need and how they can improve their products for their users. To help you improve your user testing techniques, nine members of Newsweek Expert Forum shared their approaches to implementing smarter user tests. Follow their advice to stay in sync with your users and their feedback and improve your product prior to launch day. 

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What if there were a way to defuse or prevent any argument?

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Without strict boundaries, working from home can leave employees with no real barrier between their personal and professional life. With some employers opting for remote or hybrid operations, the workplace no longer looks like what it used to. There are innumerable perks to telecommuting, but moving the workplace to within one’s home brings with it challenges for both employees and employers. Not having to leave home to work means no commute—and no real barrier between your personal and professional life.  Luckily, there are strategies to combat the tendency for employees to overwork and to instead maintain a healthier work-life balance. Below, a panel of Newsweek Expert Forum members offer expert advice on different strategies business leaders can use to prevent the trend of employees working harder and longer due to telecommuting.

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Transparency in your customer communications is a surefire way to encourage loyal, lasting relationships with them. Open, honest communication is the cornerstone of any good relationship, including that between a business and its customers. Without transparency from a brand, consumers can be left feeling vulnerable and uncertain about whether a company will fulfill their wants and needs. When internal concerns stretch an organization thin, a good customer service experience can be hard to replicate over and over again. However, there are techniques that can ease communication between companies and the customers who support them. Below, a panel of Newsweek Expert Forum members shared their top recommended ways to leverage transparency and increase customer loyalty. 

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To survive in business long term, leaders must be able to respond and adapt to sudden changes. Nothing is ever certain in business. The products and services provided by companies solve real, current problems, but the mission that fuels a business is bound to change as time goes on. Leaders must be able to pivot and adapt their organizations in a changing environment. Despite the challenges presented by a fluctuating market or evolving times, it’s still possible to effectively make and achieve goals that help secure a business’s future. Below, members of Newsweek Expert Forum share their expert advice on the best strategy leaders can use to create a vision for the future of their organization among uncertainty.

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Establishing and maintaining a robust network of authentic connections is the key to finding new opportunities. It takes time and effort to ensure the establishment of an authentic relationship. The same is true in business where remote and hybrid operations over the past year have made networking essential for finding new opportunities.  With social media and virtual meetings being more widely used, we’re no longer limited to just the traditional means when it comes to interacting with other people. However, business leaders must be careful to not make the mistake of thinking that continually building new connections and sustaining contacts virtually with their network is supposed to be all about business. Here, five members of Newsweek Expert Forum share tips on how to build genuine relationships in a virtual environment.

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When you're having trouble buckling down and focusing, taking a step back to ground yourself can help you get back on track. Some days, it’s easy to lock into a productive mindset and get everything done efficiently. Other days, it’s a little (or a lot) harder to maintain that focus. This can be especially challenging when you’re on a tight deadline or have many competing priorities. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted or simply “out of it,” you know you need to recalibrate, but might not be sure where to begin. To help you recenter and get your work done, 15 members of Newsweek Expert Forum share their tried-and-true tips.

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Actively leaning into feedback from employees can help leaders create workplaces that foster open communication. The creation of an inclusive workplace starts long before an employee officially joins an organization. It’s in the structure of decision making. It’s in the language used in the recruitment process. It’s also in the value leaders place on ensuring employees feel heard and safe once they are a part of the team.  While employers are well aware of the benefits of diversity and inclusion, they may not know the best way to go about actively implementing those initiatives in the workplace. Below, 10 members of Newsweek Expert Forum share recommendations on how leaders can practically develop and maintain inclusiveness as a core component of the workplace.

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How to guide a productive debate among team members.

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Business challenges can be difficult to face, but they can also provide an incredible learning experience for company leaders. Every difficult situation and mistake offers an opportunity to learn something valuable for the future. This is especially true for business leaders, who deal with challenging situations on a near-daily basis. Amid these tough decisions, it can be hard to discern the “right” path. However, each step forward and challenge faced is another lesson learned. Below, 13 members of Newsweek Expert Forum share the significant business challenges they believe can become a great teaching experience for leaders. Here's why they think these situations are such excellent teachers. 

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It's easier than ever to share information—which means leaders must take extra care to ensure that information spread throughout their company is factual. The ease of access to information today is a great public utility. However, this means there is also greater access to misinformation. When business leaders are sharing anything with their teams, they have to be sure the information is accurate and fact-based. Otherwise, something may be interpreted incorrectly and the rumor mill may start turning at your organization. To help leaders ensure they're not contributing to the spread of misinformation, 15 members of Newsweek Expert Forum shared their best tips for businesses.

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A company's core values are the most important part of its culture and ethos. As a leader, it's your job to enforce and live those values every day. The modern employee and consumer want to know that companies care about more than just sales and profit. People are more motivated to work -- and consumers are more likely to patronize a brand—when they believe a company's values align with their own. As a business, messaging about your core values should come from the top and be enforced within your culture every day. Below, 15 members of Newsweek Expert Forum share their tips for strengthening a company's core values and making sure that they are enforced. Follow their recommendations to ensure your team and your customers know exactly what you stand for.

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Actively connecting with disengaged customers could make all the difference in encouraging repeat business. Smart business owners know that it costs less to keep a satisfied customer than it does to acquire new ones. That's why it’s so important to focus on repeat business and customer loyalty. To do this, you’ll have to invest in your current customers and find ways to continuously engage them. But what do you do if a customer is disengaged or goes inactive for a while? If you’re unsure how to solve this issue, follow the advice of these Newsweek Expert Forum members. Below, 13 of them shared tips for organizations that want to connect with unengaged or inactive customers in the hopes of earning their business again.

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Strong leaders project confidence, so it's important to have strategies for building it within yourself. When you're in a leadership position, your team will reflect your actions. If you are negative and worried, your team will be as well. Conversely, if you project strength and stability, that will be mirrored in your employees.  To build your confidence, you need to practice the right strategies and habits. That's why 11 members of Newsweek Expert Forum offered their best tips for becoming a more confident leader. 

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Employee burnout in times of crisis can be detrimental to a business, and leaders must find a way to motivate their teams to keep going. Burnout is a common issue for professionals today. Amidst the global pandemic when many people are working fully or partially from home, more and more workers are battling emotional exhaustion. As a leader, you’re responsible for supporting your team through these difficult times. To help you do this, nine members of Newsweek Expert Forum some share ways leaders can address employee burnout during a crisis.

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You don't need to reinvent the wheel when starting a business, but you do need to develop your own unique and innovative spin. Carving out a unique business path is no easy feat. From coming up with a concept to differentiating yourself from the crowd to scaling your operations, there’s a lot that goes into the journey of developing and growing any business, let alone one that stands out from the crowd.  It may be difficult to come up with an idea that feels truly "original." Fortunately, you don't need to come up with something entirely new -- you just need something that's different enough to make you the clear choice among your competitors. When looking for business ideas, a little bit of inspiration from the right places can go a long way. Below, four members of Newsweek Expert Forum share their approaches for leaders looking to develop and carve out a unique business path.

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Instead of reacting to changes in your industry as they’re happening, take a proactive approach to prepare for problems before they arise. The business landscape is ever-changing, with consumer and market trends shifting regularly. If businesses are not prepared to act on these changes, they will be forced to simply react -- often belatedly or without sufficient consideration. To avoid this outcome, it’s wise for leaders to stay on the pulse of industry trends and take action appropriately. Below, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum share seven steps leaders can take to be more proactive about solving business problems.

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Reputation is everything in business. Make sure yours is solid with these strategies. One of the most important things a business can uphold is its reputation. Both customers and top talent are drawn to companies with demonstrated success and the ability to deliver on its promises. While gaining and maintaining a good reputation is often easier said than done, there are several actionable steps leaders can take to build up that positive momentum. Below, seven members of Newsweek Expert Forum share their top tips for bolstering your organization’s reputation. Follow their recommendations to improve and boost your public image.

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Diversity is more important than ever in the business world, but equity must go hand-in-hand with these efforts. In today's social climate, companies are rightfully looking to diversify their staff. This often involves developing unbiased hiring process and opening up the floor to input from employees of all job levels and backgrounds. The result of such changes is a rich tapestry of unique perspectives that contribute to better business solutions. However, without a simultaneous focus on equity and inclusion, those diverse voices may not be properly incorporated and leveraged. Eight members of Newsweek Expert Forum offered advice to leaders who want to develop and promote more egalitarian workplaces. Follow their tips to encourage a truly diverse culture and workforce.

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Before you make a public statement, be sure to think about the potential consequences to your business -- both positive and negative. In recent years, socially-conscious consumers have become more interested in supporting companies that share their same values. This is especially true after the social and political turmoil of 2020, when deeply polarizing issues came to the forefront for many businesses and organizations. With this in mind, business leaders are more inclined to make public corporate statements about social issues. However, this could potentially lead to more controversy if this statement is poorly written or displays the wrong sentiment. To help, 11 members of Newsweek Expert Forum explained what organizations should consider before making a statement on a political, social or potentially controversial issue.

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Breaking down a goal into manageable steps can help reduce pressure and increase productivity. Perseverance is one of the most important traits for a business leader to possess. Even in hard times or when others might give up, a leader must remain committed to their organization and its vision, and take the steps necessary to achieve it. If you’re a business owner tasked with accomplishing a goal that seems overwhelming or challenging, you may struggle with finding the motivation to stick with it. To help, 14 members of Newsweek Expert Forum share their tips for committing to tough goals and seeing them through.

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Resilience is a key characteristic of every successful and sustainable business. The ability to stand tall through economic downfalls and other obstacles that might impact your business is crucial. However, building a resilient business isn’t easy. To help, 10 members of Newsweek Expert Forum shared practical ways companies can build their resilience. Here are their recommended methods and why following them is critical in today’s world.

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What Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have in common.

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Business leaders have a lot to take care of, but self-care is of paramount importance if they want to keep performing at their best. As an industry leader, you have to deal with countless stressors, from the pressures of business management to the well-being of your employees and other stakeholders.  It can be difficult to find time for yourself when dealing with all these concerns. However, if you don’t prioritize your emotional health and fill your own cup, you’ll be too depleted and burnt out to take care of your business’s needs. To help, eight members of Newsweek Expert Forum shared ways industry leaders can maintain their own mental wellness while tending to their leadership duties. Follow their tips for better balance and overall well-being.

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Your industry is constantly changing. Learn how to change your brand along with it. An industry never remains the same for too long. There will always be new trends or developments on the horizon, and if a brand doesn’t evolve, it will soon be forgotten.  However, there are ways to keep your brand top-of-mind for consumers and industry peers. The key is being able to adapt and adjust your strategy to suit the times. To help you do this, a panel of Newsweek Expert Forum members shared ways institutions can maintain relevance amidst the constant shifting trends and challenges in their industry.

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In the current market, keeping your customers around is more important than ever. Here's how to build a loyal audience. Consumers today have become increasingly more cognizant of how and where they spend their money. People want to engage with brands that not only add value to their lives, but ones whose values and messaging resonate with them. That’s why it’s more important than ever to forge and continuously develop connections with their audience. To help, nine members of Newsweek Expert Forum share their top tips for industry leaders looking to retain customers and build loyalty.

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If you want your business and your team to keep growing and evolving, you need to have breakthrough conversations that get you to the next level. Initiating and fostering the exchange of ideas is essential for moving a business forward. It can be tricky to encourage these discussions to happen organically. However, if done right, sparking these “breakthrough” conversations can lead to the next innovative breakthrough for your business. The best way to create a safe and open dialogue for teams, business partners and other industry leaders starts with your willingness to create it as a business owner. Below, 11 members of Newsweek Expert Forum each explain one key factor in opening up your business to these breakthrough conversations. 

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How to respond when a colleague raises their voice.

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How design thinking can improve your company's problem-solving process.