

Businesses are starting to understand what development experts have long known: investing in women pays dividends. Women are more likely than men to put their income back into their communities, driving illiteracy and mortality rates down and GDP up.
The hug. It’s a simple gesture that can make a happy situation happier or help someone overcome with sadness feel a little better. Studies have shown that hugs can actually make a difference in one’s health; research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that a hug can lower blood pressure and reduce the harmful physical effects of stress.
Hugs are thought to be so beneficial, there’s even a day dedicated to celebrating the gift of a hug. Jan. 21 has been deemed “National Hugging Day,” and according to the organizer’s website, the day was “created for family and friends to hug often and freely with one another.”
Learning leaders at firms across industries are ringing in 2012 with some big ideas, looking to fix old problems and open up new opportunities.
What better way to kick off the new year than by taking a big bite out of a big initiative? I checked with a number of CLOs and executives to learn where they will focus in the new year.
As many of you know, I have expressed considerable skepticism about whether performance evaluations are even worth using, if they do more good than harm. And Sam Culbert has gone the next step with his book, Get Rid of the Performance Evaluation.
When it's time for annual reviews at LendingTree, there's one question on every employee's mind: Am I a 1, 2 or 3? Managers at the online lending exchange rate workers on a three-step scale, based on individual goals and performance. The top 15% are told they are "1s," the middle 75% are designated "2s" and the bottom 10% are assigned "3s." Managers are also ranked by their respective bosses.