I love fall. The crisp, cool air reminds me of walking to basketball practice in sweatpants and a hoodie, and I get excited! At the time I was just having fun, but looking back I realize how much I learned from sports that can be translated into life and into business. Coaching is one of those things.

With the recent tragic events at the Navy Yard in Washington DC, many organizational leadership teams have begun the unnerving conversations on ways to keep their most valuable assets safe in the workplace. Unfortunately, those talks are no longer about how to prevent slip and fall accidents, or even fire safety. In coming to terms with the world in which we live, a reality has to be faced, and those conversations are now strongly focused on saving lives in the event of a gun toting disgruntled employee or a complete stranger’s ambush.

As HR consultants, clients often approach us seeking guidance on how to manage an employee who is under performing in their current role. By the time a manager has decided to approach HR with the situation they are often frustrated with the poor performance and are seeking HR intervention. Poor performance is an inevitable part of every organization and it is imperative that supervisors and HR work together to determine the best course of action for each situation.

It was such a pleasure to be interviewed by Ingar Grev, a well-respected growth coach and contributing writer for the Washington Business Journal. Ingar was interested to hear about what has worked for me as an entrepreneur, contributing to the success of Helios, and what advice and counsel would I give my colleagues—basic lessons learned as a CEO. You can watch the full interview below.

Interviewing is a very important process in a company and defines the culture of the people who work there. In order to find the best, you need to interview for attitude and not accolades. Hiring managers need to look beyond the surface and grab their shovels to really dig deep. Did you know that 46% of new hires failed within the first 18 months? And that 89% of the time, these new hires failed because of attitude?

It’s budget time! Since labor is usually the highest expense an organization has, it is crucial to take the time to determine your pay budget. If planned properly, pay increases can be a tool to help engage, motivate, and retain top talent. Below are a few things to take into consideration when setting your pay budget: