A company's prospects for growth are increasingly dependent upon global market expansion efforts and, therefore, on the company's ability to operate in unfamiliar cultures by using clear and careful communication. Such cross-cultural awareness is needed by all employees, not just top executives, as "cube dwellers" are interacting increasingly with their counterparts in other nations. Typically, training occurs over one-day or two-day seminars, or real-time "webinars," though experts also recommend companies incorporate international business classes into their training and development programs. Training can be customized to fit the organization's needs, whether through a single-nation focus or a broad communication techniques course. Successful intercultural communication includes getting rid of phrases like "cover all the bases," as colloquial language hinders communication. Effective communication also means recognizing that other cultures approach business differently. For example, American project managers worry about risk in terms of threat to quality, whereas Chinese project managers connect risk to cost. Partnership is another difficult concept, as many cultures attach importance to hierarchies, whereas American companies value egalitarianism.

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Students have different styles of learning: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic/tactile. Visual learners acquire the most knowledge by witnessing things, a demographic that comprises between 40 percent to 65 percent of students. The best way for an instructor to teach visual students is by creating a printed outline or PowerPoint slides, or a printed copy of the complete lesson. Auditory students are individuals who learn best through hearing information. Tactics for reaching this type of student include vocally explaining all examples, slides, drawing, pictures, and demonstrations, and verbally reviewing any information the students were intended to read on their own. Kinesthetic/tactile students make up between 10 percent and 30 percent of all students, and learn best though movement and touch. These students need to be allowed to voice their answers as interactive discussion, movement, or presentation, instead of simply writing them down, and permitted to find out about something by doing it instead of by simply hearing about it or watching somebody else do it. In order to reach all students, instructors should consider incorporating all three learning styles in their classrooms.

Forty percent of the workforce, or 78 million Americans, are members of the Baby Boomer generation, and about 70 percent of those workers plan to work well into their retirements. By 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics believed the workforce growth rate will drop from 12 percent annually to 4 percent, leaving many employers without enough talent. Companies interested in retaining their talented, aging workforce, will need to develop organizational flexibility. Companies can begin by showing they value their older employees, encouraging them to remain involved members of the company instead of shoving them aside for younger talent. Not only will this practice attract qualified older workers, it could help the company avoid accusations of ageism. Many older workers stay employed because their pension plan is not enough to sustain their lifestyle, but U.S. Internal Revenue Service regulations prevent pensions from being paid out until employment ends. Companies can help their older staff members overcome this obstacle and still reap the rewards of their experience and employ them as consultants.

According to new statistics, companies are beginning to feel the crunch created by the impending retirement of millions of baby boomers. Many businesses--particularly electric utilities, aerospace contractors, and oil companies--are giving healthy pay raises to older workers to lure them away from retirement. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics employees between the ages of 55 and 64 saw a 4 percent spike in their pay between 2002 and 2007, and those over 65 saw a 3 percent increase. On the other hand, employees from age 25 to age 34 saw a 4 percent drop in their pay over that same time period. Unfortunately, experts say pay incentives are only a short-term solution to a long-term problem. To retain the skills of older workers, experts encourage companies to use mentoring and advanced educational support programs. These efforts will ensure essential knowledge is passed onto the next generation of employees. Flexible scheduling could help keep older workers on the job as well, but more employers will have to tolerate the presence of duplicative positions as older workers pass their knowledge down to the younger generations.