Holly's Blogs

Get More Done – Interrupt Your Interruptions

Constant interruptions reduce focus and effectiveness. Learn how the human brain handles interruptions (poorly) and how to work more effectively by stemming their flow.

Read More ›

Sponsored Posts

Smart Classrooms, Smarter Students: AI Avatars Changing Education Dynamics

Image source Hey pals! Let’s have a conversation about how our classrooms are getting super smart with DEEPBRAIN AI avatars. These avatars are like super-smart computer buddies who are making our learning time way better! DEEP BRAIN AI avatars are like magical friends in our class. They help our teachers teach in a super cool…

Key Competencies That Any Business Leader Should Know Inside And Out

Effective leadership is the cornerstone of any thriving business. A leader’s role is multifaceted, requiring a diverse set of skills to navigate the challenges of today’s dynamic business environment. This article delves into five critical competencies that are indispensable for any business leader, shedding light on their importance and offering insights into how they can…

The Competitive Edge: Employee Rights and Talent Attraction

The battlefield for top-tier talent is no place for the faint-hearted. It demands enticing perks and brand prestige and a deep, demonstrable commitment to employee rights. Companies at the forefront know this secret: the brightest candidates seek a workplace where rights aren’t merely respected—they are celebrated. This realisation isn’t a light bulb moment; it’s a strategy…

Most Asked Questions By Small Business Owners

Launching and scaling a small business comes with no shortage of questions and uncertainties. Here we tackle some of the most frequent queries entrepreneurs have relating to legalities, marketing, technology, hiring, accounting and more. How Do I Choose The Right Business Structure? Factors like tax treatment, liability, investment needs and record-keeping determine ideal structures. Most…

Top Tips For Successfully Expanding Your Business’s Product Offering

image source Expanding your business’s product offering is more than adding items to your inventory. It’s a strategic move that requires careful planning, market understanding, and customer-centricity. This comprehensive guide will explore the top tips for successfully expanding your business’s product offering. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting, these insights will pave the…

How Does A Clean Office Affect Employee Productivity

Image Source Imagine walking into your office first thing in the morning, the sight of stacked papers, overflowing waste bins, and coffee stains on your desk meets your eyes. For most of us, this visual clutter creates an unconscious distraction that sets a negative tone for the day. In contrast, entering an organised, clean workspace…

Expert Interview Series: Developing Leadership

I was recently interviewed by John Mattone as part of their Expert Interview program. Read the interview and let me know what you think!  Click here: Holly_Green_Expert_Interview_Series

Read More ›

Brain Biases: Tricks or Treats?

  Do you believe in ghosts? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, a recent Harris Poll reported that more than four out of 10 Americans believe in the spooky apparitions. It could be due to the fact that we’re all watching too many haunted house movies. Or, it could be a reflection of the way…

Read More ›

How to Suck at Winning

A while back, I wrote a blog about how to suck at leadership. A tongue-in-cheek look at how not to be an effective leader, it turned out to be one of my more popular blogs. In the spirit of those rare Hollywood sequels that don’t suck, here’s one on how to suck at winning. Apparently,…

Read More ›

Six future leadership trends

Holly welcomes guest blogger Monica Wells of BizDb- Despite the fact that the last decade saw considerable investment made in executive training, a poll conducted by researchers from Harvard University showed that 70% of Americans consider leadership crisis a significant factor in the national economic decline. This is a very puzzling situation – on the…

Read More ›

How to Lose the Fear of Focus

    The business world moves so rapidly these days it’s a wonder anyone can keep up. While this create stress, it also opens up a host of opportunities for those with the vision and passion to pursue them. However, like a kid in a candy store with only a few dollars to spend, it…

Read More ›

Three Steps to Creating an Intentional Culture

Creating the right culture for an organization is a key component for long-term success. Unfortunately many leaders don’t know how to clearly define culture, much less build the one they want. Workplace culture is the character and personality of your organization. It’s what makes your organization unique, and is the sum of its values, traditions,…

Read More ›

Is Winning a Secret in Your Organization?

It feels good to win – in business as well as sports and almost any other endeavor. We all know winning when we see it or feel it. It’s that moment of excitement and exhilaration. It’s the urge to jump in the air and pump our fists; to give high-fives to our teammates. It’s that…

Read More ›

10 Clichés Leaders Use (and How to Avoid Them)

Holly welcomes guest blogger Sarah Landrum- As a leader, one of your responsibilities, among other things, is to make sure you and your employees remain on the same page. If you do that by bombarding them with clichés , however, it is likely you’ll end up with a team of bored, unmotivated and jaded people….

Read More ›

10 Excuses for Not Developing Strategic Agility

In today’s warp-speed business world, strategic agility – the ability to move fast with flexibility and focus – is no longer a competitive advantage. It’s a business imperative. If your organization can’t adapt on the run without losing sight of winning, your competition will soon be looking at you through their rear-view mirror. Interestingly, when…

Read More ›

Employee Engagement 2015: Not Much Has Changed

Do you have an engaged, committed workforce?  How do you know? Here’s one way to find out. Each year, Gallup surveys a broad base of employees on this issue. They identified 12 key indicators that translate to high levels of employee engagement: I know what is expected of me at work. I have the materials…

Read More ›

Practice Your Way to Winning in 2015

Winning in business takes practice. Not just practicing any old thing, but practicing the right things. Far too often, however, I see organizations practicing the wrong things. For example: Conducting disorganized meetings where people arrive late, unprepared, and not focused on what’s really important Making decisions based on assumptions rather than hard data Failing to…

Read More ›

Stop Pretending to Be Rational at Work

At times, English can be an illogical, irrational and downright confusing language. Just look at all the homographs and heteronyms that crop up throughout the lexicon. A homograph is two or more words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. A heteronym is a homograph that is also pronounced differently. For example: Is…

Read More ›

Brainteasers: Play with Your Brain

I frequently write and speak about the need to pause, slow down, and focus on winning every day. With so many interruptions, distractions and lengthy to-do lists, it’s all too easy to take our eyes off the ball and lose our sense of direction. It’s also important to pause and have some fun from time…

Read More ›

A Pause to Say Thank You

2014 was quite the year for The Human Factor, Inc.! As usual, it included a lot of learning and adapting on our part to make sure we’re still meeting your needs and fully supporting your success.  For example, we launched the neuroprompt subscription series (https://ad934.infusionsoft.com/app/storeFront/showProductDetail?productId=86), a fun and convenient way to prompt yourself to pause…

Read More ›

Pause and Plan to Win in 2015

Did you blink and another year went by?  Me too.  Which means it’s time once again to climb up on my soapbox and talk about getting ready to win next year. But first, a few questions. How did 2014 go for you?  Did you and your organization achieve all that was possible?  Did you meet…

Read More ›

Are You Assuming Your Way Out of Business?

What do Sony, Radio Shack and Sears all have in common (besides instant brand recognition)? They’re all losing money, and lots of it. According to a recent Forbes article entitled “Wrong Assumptions Create Lousy Results,” Sony has lost money for 15 out of the last 16 quarters, and projects a loss of $2 billion this…

Read More ›

How Elite Leaders Win

Have you ever noticed when you buy a new car you suddenly start seeing it everywhere on the road – even if it’s not a popular model? Well, it’s happening to me, only not in relation to cars. Earlier this year, I published a blog https://thehumanfactor.biz/are-you-an-elite-leader about the characteristics that define elite leaders. Since then,…

Read More ›

The Danger of Deadlines

We all know the value of a good deadline. It helps us get focused, motivated, and sharpens our thinking, right? Not so fast. Current brain research suggests that, in most cases, deadlines do the exact opposite – creating stress and tension while limiting our thinking. Having a sense of urgency does stimulate the part of…

Read More ›