Insights Archive - ACTN Strategies

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What is Risk Management and What Does it Mean for Your Company?

Risk management is the process of identifying, evaluating, and responding to current and future threats and opportunities that can impact a business (operationally, financially, etc.). In practice, risk management means looking ahead to identify potential obstacles and prioritizing resources to minimize the cost of unfortunate events. At the same time, it also means positioning your […]

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Strategies to Boost Employee Retention

Employee retention is a critical issue for many companies—especially those with people as their primary resource—and it’s an integral part of building and maintaining operational resilience. Employee retention is part of workforce planning, continuity planning, and overall business performance. In other words, whether your business is big or small, establishing a strong strategy for employee […]

Understanding the Value of Time Off for Employees

With more employees working from home than ever before, the boundaries between work and life have blurred for many. As employees, we want to produce the best work product that we can. As managers, we want to help our employees be their most productive. But to perform at our best, research indicates that our brains need a […]

Cyber Readiness in Today’s Digital World

Cyber—both the word and the concept—has made its way into our vernacular, and we use it daily whether we’re discussing shopping, the latest data breach, or security issues at work. The sheer ubiquity of conducting elements of both our personal lives and business via computer has made it more important than ever to be aware […]

The Value of Strong Branding

Good branding builds value, generates new business, and creates loyal customers. It can be used to build trust both internally with employees and externally with new and experienced customers. Strong branding is too important to be an afterthought. As you build your business, identify your company’s values, and serve customers, each element should be represented […]

How to Choose a Risk Management Consultancy

Risk management is strategic, multifaceted, and most importantly unique and personal to a business. While some risks, such as safety and compliance requirements, are more proscribed, how a company chooses to build its culture, position itself in the marketplace, and respond to external factors are part of a business’s individual risk management strategy. And risk […]

Embracing the New Normal in the Workplace

We’ve been living with COVID-19 for more than two years now, and businesses throughout the country have endured openings, closings, re-openings, and re-closings. With the most recent wave of the pandemic, it’s become increasingly clear that businesses need long-term, sustainable methods to operate through and thrive despite the crests and troughs of the pandemic. As […]

What is Red Teaming?

Red teaming, also called alternative analysis, is an organized process that can be used to assess weakness or vulnerability in an organization’s plans. To perform the analysis, a red team adopts an adversarial approach to systematically challenge plans and systems to identify any potential faults or flaws. This method has historically been used by the […]

How to Build Trust as a Leader

When it comes to building teams and developing leaders, trust is the fundamental element. Employee productivity and commitment increase when they can buy into their leader’s vision and feel supported and heard by their manager. And building trust within a team is the first step in developing a manager into a leader. Building Trust is […]

The Value of Mentoring Black-Owned Businesses

Entrepreneurship and business ownership promote economic growth and create community wealth, both for small business owners and their employees. Yet, according to a 2019 McKinsey survey of consumer finances, only five percent of Black Americans hold some business equity, compared to 15 percent of white Americans. Moreover, the average Black American’s business equity is worth […]

Strategic Partnering for the Construction Industry

With the recent passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Georgia is gearing up for a number of new construction projects. As government agencies and construction companies seek to set these projects up for success right from the start, we want to share a little about strategic partnering for the construction industry. Strategic partnering is one […]

ACTN Speaks Louder Than Words – This is Who We Are

Risk management is strategic, multifaceted, and most importantly unique and personal to a business. And it’s time for risk management firms to bring an individualized and imaginative approach to their solutions. Historically risk management has centered around compliance, but at ACTN Strategies it’s our mission to redefine what risk management looks like for small […]

2021: Our Risk Management Firm’s Year in Review

This year has been huge for us. As 2021 draws to a close and we take our own advices to reflect on all that we’ve experienced and learned, we want to share with you some of what we’ve accomplished. We’ve grown our team, expanded our mission, and achieved some big successes (for us and our […]

Strategic Planning for the Upcoming Year

At the end of the year, it’s natural to reflect on the previous twelve months and to take stock of the year’s accomplishments and challenges as you look ahead to your goals for the year to come. And doing so in a systematic and well-documented way can do wonders for your business. Strategic planning isn’t […]

The Value of Gratitude

Each November as we approach Thanksgiving, we’re reminded to take stock of all that’s going on around us and to be grateful for who we are, where we are, and what we have. And while the holiday is a great reminder, there’s real value in practicing gratitude year-round. We of course know that conveying gratitude […]

Planning for Time Off: Our Out of Office Checklist for Employees and Managers

With more employees working from home than ever before, the boundaries between work and life have blurred for many. As employees, we want to produce the best work product that we can. As managers, we want to help our employees be their most productive. But to perform at our best, research indicates that our brains need a […]

Beyond Inclusion: Operational Planning for Accessibility

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and the perfect opportunity for businesses to assess what hiring practices, workplace culture, and available accommodations are needed to build a diverse and productive workforce. As experts in operational resilience, we want to encourage your team to take the extra time to think through and develop these elements so you […]

What Should a Business Continuity Plan Include?

Disruptions to business operations come in many shapes and sizes. The ongoing pandemic is top-of-mind for most of us—it quickly halted day-to-day operations and required most companies to find a new way to do business. Whether it’s a natural disaster, a fire, or a cyberattack, we rarely have advanced notice ahead of disaster. And that’s […]

Introducing our Newest Service: Global Intelligence

As a consulting firm that partners closely with clients, gets in the trenches, and meets organizations exactly where they are, we’re tuned in and ready to grow to meet our customer’s needs. After carefully observing trends, listening to our client’s questions, and evaluating our own skillset and expertise, ACTN Strategies is proud to offer Global […]

Steps to De-Escalate a Conflict in a Crowded Environment

As experts in operational risk management, we do (and see) it all. And that broad experience and deep expertise, particularly in crowd management, have allowed us to develop industry leading practices that we pass on to our clients. If you operate a venue that’s just opening up after an unprecedented year, you probably have a […]

Getting Employee Buy-In

Getting Employee Buy-In Leadership teams at companies both big and small are making some tough decisions right now. For many organizations, the way we do business has changed over the last year, and if we’ve learned anything, it’s that change is constant (and that’s not a bad thing). Strong leaders recognize that a company’s success […]

Why Touchless Ticketing

Before writing this article, we discussed amongst ourselves, “Are people even still asking this question?” In the age of COVID-19, the advancing technology of the twenty first century, and increasingly high expectations for customer experience, the advantages of using touchless ticketing feel overwhelmingly clear. But if you run a business or event, large or small, […]

ACTN Strategies at Work – Strategic Planning Before the Next Disruption

This is the final installment in our four-part series where we’ve examined real-world challenges that our clients have faced and the approaches we took to solve problems and make an impact. Here, we’re going to put it all together and share some of the insights and lessons learned. To get up to speed, check out […]

ACTN Strategies at Work – A Case Study on Strategic Partnering

This is the third installment (and final case study) in our four-part series highlighting real-world challenges that our clients have faced and the approaches we took to solve problems and make an impact. To get up to speed, check out the first two case studies on Crowd Management and Security and Creating Resilient Organizations before reading on. ACTN […]

ACTN Strategies at Work – A Case Study on Creating Resilient Organizations

This is the second installment in a four-part series where we’re evaluating case studies that examine real-world challenges faced by our clients and the approaches we took to solve problems and make an impact. Before reading on, we’d love for you to check out our first case study on successful crowd management and security at a high-profile […]

ACTN Strategies at Work – A Case Study on Crowd Management and Security

At ACTN Strategies, we design and implement solutions to our clients’ toughest challenges. This is the first installment in a four-part series where we’ll present three case studies that highlight real-world challenges that our clients have faced and the approaches we took to solve problems and make an impact. The final installment in our series […]

3 Keys to Success in Post-Pandemic Business

It’s neither a secret nor overstatement to say that the way we do business has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, we reflected on some of changes we’ve seen in how businesses operate one year after pandemic-related shutdowns began. This month, we’re looking forward – here are three keys to success for your […]

Expect a Quick Reopening

With vaccines rolling out at a rate of upwards of 2 million doses per day, the White House has said that we can begin to expect a return to something more closely resembling normal by midsummer. Along with the increasing vaccine supply, consumer confidence is on the rise, according to the Conference Board, which is another […]

One Year Later: A Look at How Business has Changed as a Result of the Pandemic

It’s been just over a year since the US reported its first cases of the coronavirus and stay-at-home orders were handed down across the country. While some businesses found new...

Women in Leadership Part 2: Overcoming Barriers

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to increase the workplace gender gap with one in four women contemplating a career slowdown—such as shifting to part-time hours or a less demanding role—or leaving the workforce entirely

Women in Leadership Part 1: The Value of a Diverse Team

Over the last several decades, we’ve seen a measurable increase in the number of women in leadership roles across the country. In 2020, for example, the share of female CEOs at Fortune 500 companies reached an all-time high of 7.4%, according to a Pew Research study. Let that sink in. The mere 37 women heading […]

The Benefits of a Multigenerational Workforce

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC Too often, we approach the concept of a multigenerational workforce as a problem that must be solved. In reality, a multigenerational workforce is an asset that more companies should aim to possess. Mentorship When we think about mentorship, we usually envision an older person mentoring […]

ACTN Strategies Emergency Awareness Guide

Millions of people across the United States are struggling with power outages and freezing temperatures, with more snow on the way. To help you and your loved ones stay safe, ACTN Strategies is providing you with a free printable resource. Please be sure to share it with your employees, friends, family, and loved ones and […]

Diversity in the Workplace Is About More Than Training

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC Most businesses recognize the importance of having a diverse workforce. However, some may be confused on the best way to implement the changes necessary to make it happen. Training Diversity training can be a useful tool in a larger, more comprehensive diversity program. When used […]

Ready for the Resurgence?

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC As COVID-19 vaccines begin to roll out across the globe, people everywhere are looking forward to leaving their homes and attending live concerts, sporting events, festivals and more. Is your organization ready for the resurgence of in-person events? Things May Be Different The return of […]

ACTN Strategies Emergency Awareness Guide

Heavy snow, freezing temperatures, and flooding have all been forecast for the United States over the upcoming holidays. To help you and your loved ones stay safe, ACTN Strategies is providing you with a free printable resource. Please be sure to share it with your employees, friends, family, and loved ones and don’t forget to […]

Is Your Business Ready?

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC The year 2020 has been riddled with disruption. A global pandemic, social unrest and political instability have all brought about changes that have affected small and large businesses alike. How has your organization coped with the changes? Is Your Business Prepared for More Disruption? […]

Crowd Management and COVID-19 Series: Part 5

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC Day after day we are seeing record levels of COVID-19 cases being reported across the United States. The Return of Lockdowns Government health officials are warning of the real possibility for a very trying winter as hospitals continue to struggle with the number of individuals […]

Do You Have a Plan for Re-Opening Rollbacks?

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC As COVID-19 cases continue to spike across the U.S., more and more counties and states are rolling back re-opening plans in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. This could put more strain on businesses that are still shuttered or are operating at […]

Crowd Management Is About Strategy

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC Crowd management is crucial in order to ensure the safety of patrons and staff at any venue where a large number of individuals could be present. This could be anything from a sporting event, shopping center, museum, and more. While it may seem simple, crowd […]

Are You Prepared?

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC 2020 has been a year of chaos. On top of a global pandemic that negatively impacted businesses across the United States, we have also had unprecedented wildfires and an extremely active hurricane season. The best way businesses can prepare their employees for emergencies like the […]

Crowd Management and COVID-19 Series: Part 4

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC As the weeks and months pass by, it’s easy to become complacent about COVID-19 safety measures. Especially if you have not been directly impacted by the virus. Summer has come and gone, and we have all, in one way or another, begun to settle into […]

Safely Reopening Your Business

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC According to various sources, the timeline to achieve an end to the COVID 19 pandemic will vary by location and could last until the end of 2021 or beyond. With this in mind, it is important that all of us are aware of the necessary […]

Crowd Management and Polling Places

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC With the 2020 presidential election only three weeks away, officials are scrambling to ensure Americans are able to make it safely to polling places and through polling stations in order to exercise their right to vote. Political Tensions The rapid increase in divisive rhetoric being […]

Crowd Management and COVID-19 Series: Part 3

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC The phrase “when we get back to normal” has become the punctuation at the end of many sentences lately. It’s only natural to look back longingly at the time before a traumatic event, and COVID-19 is nothing if not traumatic. However, the reality is, COVID-19 […]

Conversations on Culture Series – the Loss of an Icon

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC On September 18th, 2020, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a staunch defender of gender equality and justice, passed away at the age of 87. Her contributions to the fight for women’s rights were vast and incalculable. She will hold a prominent place in United States history for […]

ACTN Strategies Emergency Awareness Guide

With so many disastrous events happening across the United States, it is more important than ever for you to know how to respond in the event of an emergency. With this in mind, ACTN Strategies is providing you with a free printable resource. Please be sure to share it with your employees, friends, family, and loved […]

Conversations on Culture Series – Labor Day

By Sherry Robinson – President & CEO, ACTN Strategies LLC Labor Day is the observance of the contribution American workers have made to the success of the United States as a country. The first nationally recognized Labor Day holiday was celebrated in 1894. Then A typical workday in the 19th century looked vastly different than […]

After the Hurricane

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC Those who have been directly impacted by Laura are not only dealing with the chaos and uncertainty a hurricane brings, they are trying to do so while simultaneously navigating through a pandemic. Here are some ways you can help those in need. Volunteering As an […]

Crowd Management and COVID-19 Series: Part 2

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC More and more states are moving to the next phase of reopening. As venues like arenas, museums, and theatres prepare for an influx of patrons, they must consider how they will handle crowd management in an emergency situation during a pandemic. Consider the Location Crowd […]

Crowd Management and COVID-19 Series: Part 1

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC With public venues reopening, crowd management has become more important than ever. Putting systems in place that will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 should be everybody’s top priority. Here are a few things to consider. Limiting Attendance The nationwide shutdown created unprecedented financial strain […]

COVID-19: Your Health Matters Now More Than Ever

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC Washing your hands, wearing a mask, and social distancing are, of course, the first line of defense when it comes to reducing the likelihood of contracting COVID-19. However, there are other things we can do as individuals to bolster our health and give our bodies […]

Protecting Your Workforce in an Ever-Changing Environment

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC Steadily rising temperatures have resulted in increased flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes and more. This change has impacted, not only our personal lives, but our professional lives as well. It is important that we educate ourselves on how best to respond when faced with any of the natural hazard named […]

Remote Work Series Part 4: Pandemic Personal Wellness Strategies

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC Working remotely can be challenging in the best of times. However, when a global pandemic is added to the equation, it is important to take extra steps to ensure your mental and physical well-being is a priority. Here are a few strategies to you can […]

Remote Work Series Part 3: Best Practices for Mental Health

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC For many companies, implementing remote work means leadership and employees have a more flexible schedule and have eliminated arduous commutes into the office. However, it can also mean a decrease in mental wellness if organizations don’t have a support system in place to help employees […]

Remote Work Series Part 2: Managing a Remote Multi-Generational Workforce

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC Remote work has become commonplace in organizations across the United States in recent months. Having a remote workforce that oftentimes spans four generations means leaders need to identify potential pitfalls while leveraging each generations unique strengths in order to create a unified remote team. Technological […]

Remote Work Series Part 1: Lessons Learned From the Pandemic

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC The Covid-19 pandemic forced many businesses to implement remote work for the first time. The sudden necessity pushed many leaders to consider a more permanent role in their operations framework for a remote work model. Is your organization considering having a percentage or even all […]

Leaders – It’s Ok to Start the Conversation About Race

By Sherry Robinson – President & CEO, ACTN Strategies LLC We are experiencing unprecedented levels of unrest and turmoil related to recent protests and COVID-19. Whether it’s the result of losing a family member due to the pandemic or at the hands of police aggression, these national events have had a direct impact on people of color. Media coverage over the past weeks has exacerbated the suppression of grief and pain felt by many Americans. This suppression is usually unacknowledged by leaders and colleagues in the workplace. Danielle Cadet […]

Covid-19 Has Changed the Way We Prepare for Hurricane Season

By Sherry Robinson – President & CEO, ACTN Strategies LLC In an effort to help everyone prepare for the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, ACTN Strategies is providing a free printable resource. Please be sure to share it with your employees, friends, family and loved ones. By helping us keep this conversation going, you could be saving lives. June 1st marked […]

HURRICANE SEASON 2020 EMERGENCY KIT CHECKLIST

In an effort to help everyone prepare for the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, ACTN Strategies is providing a free printable resource. Please be sure to share it with your employees, friends, family and loved ones. By helping us keep this conversation going, you could be saving lives.

Hurricane Season and COVID-19: Is Your Business Prepared? 

By Sherry Robinson – President & CEO, ACTN Strategies LLC As hurricane season approaches, it is time to dust off the emergency plan to get ahead of the curve. Although hurricanes are not new, this year may be quite a bit different with the added challenges of COVID-19 and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s prediction of an unusually severe season. Lessons learned from the daily challenges associated with the […]

Strategic Partnering: With an Objective Facilitator, Everyone Wins!

By Sherry Robinson – President & CEO, ACTN Strategies LLC What is Strategic Partnering Strategic Partnering means working with contractors, corporations, federal and state government, among other entities, to establish a win-win relationship based on mutual trust and teamwork, while sharing both risks and rewards. However, as the scope and scale of a project grows, […]

Creating Job Security in Today’s Market

By Charity Kilbourn – Sr. Content Leader, ACTN Strategies LLC The way we think about job security has changed over the last 50 years. Job security used to mean landing a job with a company that you could potentially remain with until you reached retirement. However, in today’s rapidly changing job market, those positions are quickly disappearing. So, how can […]

Leadership in Times of Crisis

By Sherry Robinson – President & CEO, ACTN Strategies LLC With no warning, COVID-19 brought many businesses to a rapid halt. While unfortunate, now is not the time to sit back and wait for others to decide how your organization will return to normal. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has forced organizations to seriously evaluate the role of leadership in a […]

6 Ways to Increase the Value of Your Business Before You Sell

When it comes time to sell a business, most owners know they must receive a certain price in order to achieve their exit goals and fund the next stage of their life or career. But when it’s time to finally list their companies, many owners often discover that their businesses are worth less than they […]