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SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Sharing creative ideas at work can be risky. What if a suggestion appears foolish? What if it upsets a comfortable routine? What if it fails? When in doubt, many employees keep their mouths shut.

MBA students at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business have an opportunity to develop their communication skills through the new Smith Executive Communication Program.

“I wanted to take advantage of this program to build on my soft skills,” MBA candidate Andres Villegas said. “I now feel more confident about speaking in front of big groups.”

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Words of wisdom for new managers: First win over your team, then roll out your changes. But do it all with a keen understanding of the leader who came before you.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Why do job seekers, scrolling through employment postings, favor some employers over others?

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Organizations need strong leaders who can build high-quality relationships with their subordinates. But the same leaders create a liability when they exit because loyal employees will often follow them out the door. The result can be “turnover contagion.”

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — It might be the biggest but least-talked-about drag on the U.S. economy and, paradoxically, it might be why your equity portfolio looks so good, with perky stock prices, cushy buybacks and better-looking dividends. It’s called short-termism, or quarterly capitalism.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — If you want to meet new people, leave your “wingman” at home and go out alone. People will think you are more open-minded, curious and interested in the world and be more likely to strike up a conversation with you.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Information systems professor Louiqa Raschid learned valuable lessons from her involvement in developing the Sahana Open Source system for natural disaster recovery management that was used effectively for such events as Superstorm Sandy.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — There’s no question that internet advertising is increasingly vital for business survival. The question is: Where do you start? And how can you be sure that your advertising dollars are reaching the right audience?

Four students in the QUEST Honors Program at the University of Maryland won the $4,000 grand prize in the annual Deloitte Consulting Undergraduate National Case Study Competition on March 11, 2017.