By Wally Conway

In a previous life, I was a Navy pilot. It was a great life, and I worked with wonderful people who were doing brave, fantastic things around the world. In a complex and dangerous environment like an aircraft carrier, you need to have teams of people working as one, or bad things begin to happen in large quantities.

The people onboard aircraft carriers are divided into two groups: those that make the ship float and those that make the planes fly. Those that make the ship float are known as ship’s company, and those that make the planes fly are with the air wing. During one tour of duty, I was assigned to the air wing staff.  The air wing staff coordinated the activities of the ten aircraft squadrons deployed aboard the aircraft carrier. It was while working for our air wing commander, Captain Jerry Norris, that I learned what has become my most valued rule as an entrepreneur.

Jerry Norris on the day of his 1000th aircraft carrier landing.

Captain Norris was quite a character. He was a fighter pilot with all the fixings: tall, handsome, and enough confident charisma to handle any situation… in the air, on land, or at sea. But the truth was, none of the eight officers on the staff considered Captain Norris to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, including me.

It wasn’t that things were not going well for the air wing or Captain Norris. It just seemed strange that an individual so apparently simple and relaxed could lead so effectively. You must understand that Captain Norris was in charge of the operations of nearly 3,000 men and almost 100 of the most complex flying machines on the planet. But fly we did, and we did it well. Our air wing was often singled out for acts of excellence.

It was during a short visit to Cannes, France that Captain Norris was to give me my lesson. Like so many of life’s lessons, the lesson was unintended. If there is one thing that flying fellows enjoy more than flying, it’s the telling of tales while ashore. And it seems nothing gets the mind flowing like the flow of beer. Our cups runneth over, as did our mouths!

The topic of the evening turned to how smart each of us was compared to our fearless leader. We were even so bold as to assert that he was only fearless because he did not understand what was going on around him. When in fact, we did not understand what was going on around us!

The good captain had been sitting quietly within earshot, and had heard every one of our comments on his lack of intellect. And as the confident, charismatic commander approached our table, we were certain that if we were shown mercy, we would merely be court-martialed. We feared that if the captain chose not to be merciful, we would be shot right on sight!

Speaking had gotten us into this predicament, so silence seemed the best choice now.

Captain Norris spoke. He acknowledged our belief that as his staff, we had among the finest minds in the entire Navy, in our specific specialty. He complimented those things that each of us had done since beginning our assignment with his air wing. Captain Norris offered that he had hand selected each one of us from the entire fleet, having to call in favors, make threats, and impose demands, just to have each of us work with him. We were there because he believed us to be the best, and he wanted only the best.

Seems he held us in the same regard that we held ourselves.

Then, Captain Norris spoke to the issue of intellect, specifically our perception of his lack thereof. He said, “The mark of a true leader is not one who gives orders, or feigns knowledge, but rather, one who plants the needed seed in a fertile mind so gently, that the subordinate believes the idea emerged from within.”

Continued silence.

Captain Norris was in complete control of our actions and always had been. He chose each of us knowing with certainty that in our specific areas of expertise, we were well beyond him. And knowing that in his area–that of building teams of the best and brilliant and then allowing them to take ownership of ideas–he was the expert.

Captain Norris asked what we had learned. My response: “I should never hire anyone dumber than I am.”

“You’ve got it,” he said. “Must have just emerged from within.”

By Wally Conway

Wally Conway is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, retired Navy Pilot, licensed contractor, home inspector, energy auditor, media expert and entrepreneur who is the founder of HomePro Inspections. He can be reached at Wally@gohomepro.com

Like every business owner, when you start your own business, you are automatically enrolled in the School of Hard Knocks. And just like in any other school, you will learn a great deal about a wide variety of topics, you’ll get to hang out with some really cool people, and you’ll spend a lot of time, money, and resources paying the cost of tuition. Additionally, if any of your failures are public enough or spectacular enough, you may also lose your reputation and standing in the eyes of your target market.

Peer-to-peer advisory boards (also known as mastermind groups) are one of the best ways to lessen the cost of this tuition. Advisory boards are designed to give privately held companies many of the same advantages as a board of directors, without the governance components. Advisory boards are moderated by a professional facilitator, and typically meet once a month. A company owner presents information to the board about the different challenges and opportunities he/she confronts, and the board gives advice or feedback.

When business owners form boards on their own, they typically must pay the members a salary, equity, or some combination of both. And, they seldom have a professional facilitator. An advisory board allows the business owners to sit on both sides of the table: as CEO of their company, presenting to their board, and as a board member on each of the other companies’ boards. By forming shared boards, everyone gains the same benefits. They learn from each other and there is no cost other than the shared cost of the facilitator.

Additional benefits of joining a peer-to-peer advisory board include:

Better decision making for better results

It is well known that during the decision making process, the more diverse the talent base of the people involved in a decision, the better the results from that decision. Large corporations solve this problem with sizable, diverse senior management teams, and a board of directors made up of senior executives who have ownership interests in the company. Smaller companies, without these resources, must find other ways. By participating in a trustworthy, proven network of peer business owners, you can receive the diversity of input you need to make better decisions and obtain better results.

Improved clarity of direction and focus

As a business owner, you are constantly pushed and pulled in different directions. Customers, vendors, and staff are all trying to get their piece of your time. This can result in you getting buried in your business, instead of rising above and focusing on the strategic necessity of working on your business.

Membership in a peer advisory board ensures that a certain percentage of your time is dedicated to the strategic goals of the company. By sharing these strategic discussions with your board, you are forced to clarify your strategic direction. The board serves as a sounding board on which to test your strategy, before you start spending significant amounts of time, money, or other resources.

Increased accountability

Each month in a peer advisory board, you would discuss what you had planned to accomplish in that month, what you actually accomplished, and why there is a difference. This alone provides a level of accountability that otherwise is unlikely to exist.

For example, if you tell your board that over the next month you are going to update your business and marketing plan for the coming year, they are going to expect you to present the results of that exercise at the next meeting. Most of the members who were surveyed on this topic agree that it is easier to accomplish the task itself, than it is to admit to your board that you didn’t complete it.

Reduced isolation and increased confidence

Owning your own business can be a daunting challenge. You are frequently faced with opportunities and obstacles that can leave you uncertain and insecure. And yet, it’s difficult to find someone with whom you can confide. Your employees are looking to you for confidence, surety, and direction. They don’t want to see uncertainty and insecurity

The old adage “It’s lonely at the top” is never truer than in these times. However, you don’t have to go it alone. While peer advisory boards are definitely not a networking group, they do provide you with the opportunity to connect with your peers, in a professional setting, completing useful work. They give you a group who can share in your concerns and provide valuable feedback, without damaging your position as a leader.

Improved work/life balance

It’s easy to see that the best way to improve your life is to improve how your business is performing.  Entrepreneurs frequently get consumed by their business, and once buried, find it difficult to dig their way out on their own. Peer advisory boards help you cut through the challenges that are holding you back, and find a clear path to developing a more efficient and effective business. Improved business effectiveness results in your having more time available to enjoy your life.

At the end of the day, it comes down to results. Is your business producing the kind of results that you would like to see? Does the idea of having a support system of fellow executives who can help pull you out of the trees, so you can see the forest, appeal to you? Come join your fellow business owners in discovering a better way to solve these problems. Join a peer advisory board today.

Michael Jones is the Owner of CEO Focus of Jacksonville, which provides business coaching, professionally facilitated peer advisory boards, and other support services to the Northeast Florida business community. Previously, Mike worked as a consultant and a coach in many different industries in both the for-profit and non-profit communities. Mike has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Ohio State University and an MBA from the University of North Florida.  Northeast Florida business owners can learn more about Mike’s peer advisory groups by calling him at (904) 504-7770.

Building successful organizations one successful employee at time

By Shannon M. Gibbs

Litigation associate Michael Kendall joined Marks Gray, P.A., in early 2011 after his previous law firm joined with the Jacksonville-based law firm. Everything was different than his previous firm, including the fact that he recently began practicing in the area of workers’ compensation defense.

With his career sights on becoming partner, he needed an ally to guide him in the right direction, foster his career growth and provide truthful and constructive feedback to help him achieve his goals. Michael needed a mentor, stat.

Marks Gray, P.A.’s Practice Committee assigned Allison Hauser to be Michael Kendall’s mentor. Hauser is a shareholder at Marks Gray and has had a successful workers’ compensation and employment law practice throughout her tenure with the firm.

Where to start

A proper mentoring program can provide much value to an organization by cultivating employee’s career development, providing professional leadership skills and retaining employees by keeping the best and brightest and securing a competitive edge.

A solid mentor-mentee relationship is critical to developing and maintaining successful working relationships, inside and outside of the office. As Michael’s mentor, Allison has helped guide Michael through the trials and tribulations of merging into a new office with new procedures and new people.

Simultaneous with guiding Michael through in-house matters, Allison helps Michael with practice issues and in identifying and developing relationships with current and prospective clients.

The mentoring relationship between Allison and Michael has added significant value to the firm as it fosters career development that in turn increases the firm’s bottom line. A greater number of attorneys with effective client development skills help firms like Marks Gray retain a competitive edge in today’s market.

Choosing the right mentor

In order for a mentoring relationship to be successful, a mentee must first find the right mentor. Complimentary personality profiles can be a critical predictor of an effective mentoring relationship.[1] Commonalities such as gender, race, educational institutions and career paths can aid in the selection of a mentor but, most importantly, the mentor must feel completely comfortable with the relationship.

A mentor should be established within the organization, be well respected and have a similar career path as the protégé. Having support at a higher level can help ensure that a mentee can effectively plot a successful course through an organization. A mentor does not need to be in the same organization, but it is most helpful to have an internal advocate. [2]

Open communication and trust are essential. The mentor is someone who will help the mentee navigate the organization and provide useful advice. A mentor should be someone the mentee can trust and who the mentee can share the good, bad and ugly. Equally, a mentor’s advice should be brutally honest on learning the politics of the organization, excelling in the current business environment and how to best promote their professional development.

A mentor’s advice should be focused solely on the mentee’s best interest and career development. An effective mentor-mentee relationship is based on the benefits of the mentors experience and knowledge on the career development of the mentee. For example, a good mentor ensures that mentee’s work with enough people to facilitate their careers. They ensure a broad range of experience to promote development in the organization.

Allison was chosen to be Michael’s mentor because the two attorneys shared a client base in workers’ compensation. The pairing was obvious and after 18 months, the decision has proven to be wise. Allison has helped Michael develop skills and techniques for his practice that provides Allison with a level of trust enabling her to share her workload with Michael when the practice gets busy. Allison’s ability to share existing clients’ work with a trusted associate attorney allows her to continue to do quality, time and cost efficient work for her trusting clients.

Formal mentoring programs are more successful than informal

Having an advocate in management who values the success of mentor and mentee programs in an organization is vital for the program’s success. Buy-in from senior management will ensure that the program receives the recognition and attention from everyone throughout the company.

A mentor’s time is valuable so be respectful and use the time wisely. A mentee should take the lead on initiating agendas, facilitating all meetings; and provide follow-up action items for next meeting.

Once a mentor-mentee has spent some time cultivating a personal relationship, the team should establish specific guidelines for the program, when and how they will meet, and schedule official times on both their calendars and a location. Sometimes mixing formal locations with informal locations is preferred.

Some items to address during the mentor-mentee meetings might be[3]:

•Establishing career goals, objectives and goal setting

•Discussing the mentee’s strengths and weaknesses and how to enhance their growth

•Discussing growth areas and plans to for working on them

•Agreeing upon how feedback will be given and received and who will be included on the feedback reports

•Providing mentee’s with assignments that cultivate development

•Working on 1-3 objectives that pertain to leadership or goal development

•Promoting networking opportunities and extracurricular activities

•Share articles, educational resources and provide tips on how to address specific issues relevant to the mentor’s career.

Similar to many employee development programs, the mentoring program should have benchmarks for lessons learned, reviewing and, possibly, realigning goals as well as a list of future objectives that will be accomplished.

Allison and Michael have quarterly mentor-mentee meetings. In addition to formal meetings, Allison operates an “open door policy” encouraging Michael to “brainstorm” difficult legal issues and innovative marketing/client development ideas. The mentoring program at Marks Gray also allows firm management to maintain an active role in the growth of the associate attorneys. The associate attorneys, as mentees, are encouraged to share ideas, concerns, and resources to better develop their own practice area and client base. Each month the attorneys at Marks Gray share lunch together at the firm to discuss relevant legal developments to work as a team, mentors and mentees together, to maintain the firm’s market share in a competitive legal arena.

Worth the Investment

As is the case with any relationship, successful relationships take effort. Both the mentor and the mentee must put great effort into the relationship. Time, management and communication are factors to consider when a mentor agrees to the program.

Communication is a predominant factor for success. It is imperative to provide feedback to the mentee on the status of their goals and the defined strategies needed to achieve them. It is also valuable to keep the organization informed of the progress of the program. Mentor reports on behalf of the mentee and their development will provide the organization or a specific committee with the information they need to maintain the program success or to reevaluate and refine the objectives based on the feedback provided by the mentor.

The return on the mentor-mentee investment at Marks Gray has proven to be well worth all effort. Allison’s delegation of work to Michael communicates to her clients that she has a team around her to help effectively handle an increased workload. This also allows Michael to develop strong relationships with Allison’s clients. The mentoring relationship has worked so well at Marks Gray that clients are sending new work to Michael based on the introductions and confidence Allison has made and shared.

Allison agrees, “Michael has done a super job following my recommendations and building on his already strong litigation and client development skills. He has assumed primary responsibility for handling several accounts. Further evidence of his success is that these clients now call him instead of me and send their files directly to him! That is successful mentoring.”

As mentioned previously, the development of a high-quality relationship between mentor’s and mentee’s can provide an organization more productive, happy and highly skilled employees, reduced absences and employee turnover and an increased attractiveness and competitive edge in recruitment. A mentor- mentee relationship can last years and, sometimes, over a lifetime, and is worth the investment.

[1] THE HANDBOOK OF MENTORING AT WORK (Belle R. Ragins & Kathy E. Kram eds. 2007)

2EXPECT TO WIN (Carla A. Harris, 2009)

How a flexible schedule can benefit your business this summer

By Nancy Andersen

More time to enjoy the good weather and spend with family: That’s what employees want now that summer’s here, according to a recent OfficeTeam survey. Forty-one percent of employees interviewed for the survey said they’d appreciate the opportunity to work a flexible schedule during the summer months, while 28 percent said they’d like to be able to leave early on Fridays.

Employers are getting the message: 75 percent of human resources managers interviewed for the same survey said their company offers flexible schedules in the summertime, and 63 percent indicated that workers are allowed to take off part of every Friday.

The benefits

Why? It’s relatively inexpensive a way to recognize workers, especially if the company isn’t in a position to provide bonuses or other monetary rewards. Moreover, alternate work schedules can be an effective tool for attracting and retaining talent.

There are other benefits, too. For one, workers who can come in early or late don’t have to commute during peak traffic times. That means they tend to be less stressed when they arrive to work and less likely to suffer from burnout and unplanned absences. In addition, employees who can schedule their work hours around family obligations or personal matters can better focus on work while they’re in the office because they’re not worrying about how and when they’ll get everything else done.

As long as they won’t interfere with productivity or negatively impact clients or customers, flexible summer schedules can make a difference for your employees and for your company. If you think alternate schedules make sense for your organization, now’s the time to consider implementing a program to put them in place.

Tips to follow

Here are some tips on how best to manage flexible scheduling at your company:

•Put communication at the top of the list. If some employees are allowed to work flexible schedules, and others aren’t, the ones who can’t take advantage of the program can grow resentful and might start to think that management is playing favorites. But flexible schedules may not work for every position; in some cases, there’s a business reason certain employees need to be in the office at set times.

Customer service representatives, for example, may need to be on hand during peak hours to handle customer inquiries. So before implementing flexible schedules, make sure everyone knows who’s eligible and why. If certain workers aren’t eligible, can you offer alternate perks?

•Try it out with a trial run. Test the waters with a pilot program before you roll out full-fledged flexible scheduling. Ask interested employees to participate in a short trial of the program so you can evaluate its impact. Check in often with workers on alternate schedules and others who might feel the effects of the scheduling changes. If issues arise, you may need to make adjustments to the program or even reconsider whether it’s right for your company.

•Plan ahead. Sometimes, urgent projects or emergency meetings come up when employees on flex schedules aren’t in the office. That doesn’t mean that these workers can’t be lend a hand remotely or sit in on the meeting via conference call, though.

In fact, all employees on flexible schedules should provide their team with alternate contact information, like a cell phone number, where they can be reached if something comes up outside their regular hours. Managers should also make sure that employees on alternate schedules understand that they may occasionally be asked to work during their off hours.

•But be ready, in case of an emergency. No matter how well you plan, there will be times when employees on flexible schedules simply aren’t available, even in an emergency. To be prepared for that possibility, cross-train workers on several jobs so they can step into a different role if necessary. Also share important project updates with others on staff so assignments can move forward if necessary.

•Lead by example. If their supervisor occasionally works alternate hours, employees will feel more comfortable taking advantage of flexible schedules. So show your support for these options by utilizing them yourself.

Giving workers the option to work alternate hours during the summer can boost to morale because it can help them achieve better work/life balance. If your company offers this option and manages it right, you can enjoy the increased productivity that happy workers deliver.

Nancy Andersen is a division director for Robert Half International in Jacksonville. OfficeTeam, a division of Robert Half International, is the nation’s leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has more than 315 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.officeteam.com.

Making sure employees’ first experiences are good ones

By Ryan Skubis

If your company is like most, your new-employee orientation consists of a tour of the office and a few sessions on company policies and procedures. Even then, you may be ahead of the game. In a recent Accountemps survey, 34% of HR managers interviewed said their companies don’t even have a formal new-employee orientation program.

But, as the saying goes, you never have a second chance to make a first impression, and investing just a bit more time and resources on orientation and onboarding can pay off in a big way.

Orientation opportunity

New-employee orientation provides an ideal opportunity to give workers the tools they need to perform their jobs well — and to instill in them your company’s values and goals.

In fact, a strong new-employee orientation can spell the difference between a smooth transition into a new position or a rocky start on the job. In the same Accountemps survey, 35% of HR managers who indicated their companies did have orientation programs said the greatest benefit was employees’ stronger understanding of company values, guidelines and expectations.

Another 20% felt a formal orientation helps employees make positive contributions more quickly, and 19% noted that employees who go through orientation feel a more rapid connection to the company.

Tips for a good start

Any one of these benefits alone would provide a good argument for building a robust employee orientation program. Want to make yours more effective? Start with these tips:

Provide a warm welcome. Start making it a positive experience from the very beginning. Alert security that a new employee will be arriving, and make sure someone from your team (ideally, you) meets him at the front door and escorts him to his desk.

Ensure that his work area is set up and that he has the tools he needs to get started, including access to the company intranet and databases, if necessary. If you aren’t able to meet him at the door, stop by as soon as possible to tell him how happy you are that he’s joined the team and to let him know what he’ll be doing for the next few days. Make sure he feels valued and motivated from the very start.

Review the lay of the land. Introduce the newcomer personally to all of her coworkers and key contacts from other departments, and explain any policies and procedures specific to the department. If you have one, ask an HR representative to go over compensation, benefits, and company policies with her.

A tour of the facilities, including rest rooms and break areas, as well as how to set up voicemail, are also important: She’ll feel more at ease and ready to jump right in to the job if she’s not worrying about the little things.

Go over the basics of the job. Sit down with your new employee on his first day and make sure he understands his main job duties and how his work will contribute to departmental and company priorities. This is the time to elaborate on elements you reviewed during the recruitment process.

Go over the job description point by point, and highlight performance goals. Paint a detailed picture of what he can expect in the first few months on the job.

Provide an overview of the company. A savvy job candidate approaches an interview armed with knowledge of the company. Now fill in the gaps by explaining more about company operations, including all products and services.

Provide a short history of the organization, and discuss how it fits into its industry. And talk a bit about the office culture. All of these things will give the new employee a sense of how she can best fit in and begin contributing immediately.

Keep it lively. When orientation consists of dull slide presentations and piles of paperwork, no one wins — the employee is bored and doesn’t learn the things she needs to know, and the employer wastes the opportunity to inform the worker about what’s important.

Try different techniques — videos, games, group discussions, guest speakers — to keep things interesting and useful. That way, the employee is more likely to stay engaged and absorb pertinent information. If you are holding an orientation for multiple employees, consider bringing someone in from senior management to speak about the company’s mission and values; it will lend more credibility and importance to the entire process.

Space it out. Avoid overwhelming new workers with too much information at once. Instead, consider using a broader onboarding approach by spreading orientation over a few weeks, or even months. Hold some informal discussions on the first few days, and then follow up with a more formal program.

Continue to check in frequently with your new employee, perhaps once a week, to see how things are going, answer any questions, and provide feedback on her work.

Provide a point person for the future. If you have more tenured staff who are willing to help out, consider assigning new employees mentors who can provide more detailed guidance and advice as the weeks go by. Not only will this give new workers an additional go-to person for questions and concerns, but it also might give them a friend and confidant who can help them feel like a real part of the team as they settle into their new jobs.

It’s normal for new employees to be a bit uneasy in the early days on the job. But you can help ease their anxieties with a well-thought-out orientation process. What’s more, you’ll benefit from it, too, as these workers are better able to hit the ground running.

Ryan Skubis is the district president for Accountemps in Jacksonville. Accountemps is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. Accountemps has more than 350 offices worldwide and offers online job search services at www.accountemps.com.

How you can use THE PLAYERS Championship to benefit your small business

Anyone who has been to THE PLAYERS Championship knows that the greatest tournament in golf is about more than the game itself. The annual tournament is a social mecca, a haven for new business development and the must-attend venue for executives of all levels.

THE PLAYERS is the place where businesses meet, new relationships are formed and deals are made. Each year, more than 350 corporate businesses invest in a range of hospitality and sponsorship programs at THE PLAYERS — all with a goal to build relationships and generate new business. But the question is often asked, “What is available for small business owners?”

What’s in it for me?

“There is no better event in Northeast Florida to meet influential business professionals and decision makers than at THE PLAYERS,” said Jared Rice, director of sales and marketing for THE PLAYERS. “But there is a misnomer out there that small businesses cannot get into these big hospitality tents.

“We want local businesses to have the opportunity to network with C-level executives from around the world and have created customized packages just for that purpose. We have thoughtfully designed tickets and venues that allow businesses of every size and type to attend the tournament and network with local, national and international executives who attend the tournament not only to watch the game, but to make deals and meet new contacts,” continues Rice.

Vince McCormack, president of locally based Perdue Office Interiors, is one small business owner who understands the value of networking at THE PLAYERS. For the past 20 years, McCormack has taken advantage of the opportunities afforded to small businesses by purchasing packages ranging from private chalets to The Benefactor packages.

This year, McCormack has already purchased a customized package for The Benefactor tent that includes 16 tickets per day, Monday through Sunday, for his sales team to utilize for business development and client entertainment.

“We often entertain clients at local events, such as the Jaguars’ games and the Gator Bowl, but THE PLAYERS is unique in that it is an international event right here in our backyard that draws business professionals from around the world,” said McCormack. “The tournament has always been a great value for our company — customers appreciate it and we are able to develop new relationships and enhance existing ones.”

Like McCormack, Andy Baggs is another local business owner that understands the value of business development at THE PLAYERS. Every year, The Baggs Craft Dixon Powell Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney purchases corporate hospitality packages to network with other business owners and generate business leads at the tournament.

“THE PLAYERS is the place to be for that one week in May and it is a great opportunity to network; odds are when you are out there you will run into people you know and be introduced to new business professionals,” said Baggs, first vice president, wealth advisor and investment management consultant with the financial group. Baggs is also a fourth-year vice chairman with THE PLAYERS.

For this year’s tournament, Baggs and his group purchased The Benefactor package, which includes 30 tickets per day to the venue, and divvied up the tickets amongst their team and other advisory groups. Baggs said this is the best way for small businesses like his to have access to corporate hospitality tents without spending outside their budgets. The tickets are used to entertain clients throughout the week, or in some cases, Baggs and his team will give the tickets to clients to use at their convenience.

“We get more mileage from The Benefactor package because we are able to take a small group of clients to the tournament each day and this fits well within our business model,” Baggs said. “I think THE PLAYERS has done a tremendous job of creating customized packages for small business owners who may have different needs and uses for the tournament than a Fortune 500 company.”

Be a part of the action

The key for small businesses to take advantage of the networking opportunities at THE PLAYERS is to find a plan that works for them. Here is a list of options for small businesses to attend the tournament and network at Northeast Florida’s largest business and sporting event:

•Decide which package or ticket is the best fit for your company. Small business owners and executives can purchase weekly and individual tickets to hospitality venues and make a plan to take one or two clients to the tournament each day.

•Work with THE PLAYERS sales and marketing team to discuss a custom package that fits your budget and entertainment style.

•Determine which clients, prospects or former clients you would like to invite to the tournament. Call and invite them to attend on a particular day or send an invitation.

•Make a list of other businesses and executives you want to meet at the tournament. Make it a priority to network at venues such as The Turn, The Benefactor, The Courtyard and The Clubhouse to meet new business contacts.

•Partner up with another small business to purchase a private tent or customized package to entertain your clients, prospects and employees. There are several private venues and packages that can be shared by companies that pool their funds together and divvy up the tickets.

Giving back

There is no doubt that THE PLAYERS is an economic engine for Northeast Florida and its small businesses. The tournament brings an economic impact of more than $150 million to the First Coast, which is the equivalent to having the Super Bowl in Northeast Florida every year.

Small businesses in Northeast Florida have the opportunity to take advantage of the tournament and create lasting relationships that will ultimately affect their bottom line. By investing their time and resources, small businesses can be a part of the action and increase their recognition, relationships and revenue by utilizing the networking opportunities available at THE PLAYERS.

2012 Fan Course Map of THE PLAYERS 

THE PLAYERS Championship 2012 – What You Need to Know

When: May 7-13, 2012

Where: TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach

Tickets: Children 18 and younger are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Tickets can be purchased at Publix or online at www.pgatour.com/theplayers.

Corporate Hospitality: Corporate hospitality packages are still available. Visit www.pgatour.com/theplayers and click on 2012 Tickets or Hospitality.

 Parking: All parking is onsite at THE PLAYERS Championship. General parking Monday through Wednesday is free. Parking passes Thursday through Sunday must be purchased prior to arriving at the tournament. Passes are $20 and can be purchased online at www.pgatour.com/theplayers, at Publix or at Will Call the day of the tournament.

Cell Phones: Cell phones are allowed at the tournament and THE PLAYERS will have upgraded towers for additional coverage and service.

 THE PLAYERS by the Numbers

$150 million: Estimated economic impact to Northeast Florida

350: Corporate businesses that invest in a range of hospitality and sponsorship programs at THE PLAYERS.

135,000: Approximate number of fans, business executives and media who attend THE PLAYERS each year

$50 million: THE PLAYERS goal over the next 10 years for local youth-related charities

$46 million: Generated for Northeast Florida charities since 1977

$5.9 million: Raised for local charities in 2011

20,000: Military tickets distributed for 2011 tournament

2,000: Volunteers who make THE PLAYERS possible every year

865: Media staff members representing 192 outlets and 12 countries covering THE PLAYERS

700 million: Households worldwide that receive THE PLAYERS telecast each year

38.4 million: Viewers who tuned into Golf Channel and NBC to watch the 2011 telecast

What it means for you and your company

By Mike deVaux

If you are like most employers, you are wondering where the health reform roller coaster is going to take you and your company’s medical insurance plan next. You would also not be alone.

The question of, “What actions do I need to take as an employer to comply with health reform” is frequently asked, but the unfortunate reality is it is not very easy to answer. With 26 states in a lawsuit against the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), better known as health reform, that is to be heard by the Supreme Court this spring, the future of health reform remains uncertain.

If the Supreme Court rules the mandate unconstitutional, it doesn’t necessarily mean the entire health reform will be reversed. A change in the presidency and the Senate in 2012 also don’t guarantee complete repeal, with many of the reform measures already incorporated into our medical insurance plans remaining.

Regardless of which side of the debate you are on, the issue for many companies remains how to best deal with the changes that have already occurred and the changes to come. Most of the early aspects of the health reform were not favorable to lowering the cost of the coverage.

Components such as no policy maximum, dependent coverage to age 26, 100% coverage for preventative care and no pre-existing conditions for under age 19 dependents are all good features to have in a policy. The bottom line, however, is they add to the cost of the claims incurred by the carriers, which means health reform isn’t going to lower the cost of coverage for employers.

What’s next for health reform?

In 2012, the big item implemented was the requirement for employers to report the cost of employer sponsored health coverage—which only applies to employers who produce more than 250 W2s per year. (For information on this requirement, reference IRS Notice 2012-9.) In 2013, all employers will be required to report cost of health coverage on W2s.

The next big event in health reform will be the implementation of the exchanges. Without getting into too much detail, the exchange concept was created to provide a marketplace to make insurance more affordable and easier to purchase for small employers and individuals.

By 2014, every state is required to provide an exchange to allow the comparison of cost and different types of benefits for employers and individuals to purchase insurance. If your state chooses not to implement an exchange, then you will have access to a multi-state exchange.

Like many aspects of health reform, the exact rules and regulations haven’t been finalized. With state budgets being tight, not many states are proactively spending the money to develop exchanges and the likelihood of the exchanges being ready for a roll out in 2014 is highly questionable.

One thing is for certain: If the exchanges do come about, the only way to claim the Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit for your employees that qualify will be through insurance purchased through the exchanges.

What to do as an employer?

You can’t control what is going to happen with health reform. One thing you can do is not worry about it until the next aspect of health reform is implemented, more than likely sometime after the Supreme Court ruling and the elections of 2012.

If your company is on a fully insured plan, your insurance company will help you keep your plan in compliance.

As far as saving money goes, health reform is not going to bend the medical insurance cost curve for you and costs will continue to go up as they have in the past. The national medical trend rate (i.e., medical inflation rate) is 10% to 11% and will most likely continue to be a starting point for your renewal rates.

Prior claims and demographic changes will be factored around the medical trend factor to determine your renewal rates.

How to control costs

Now that you know health reform isn’t going to lower the cost of health insurance, what can you do to control costs?

To contain and reduce costs, you need to change the way you look at health insurance. There are some businesses that have had low claims years but still received double digit renewals, but why?  There was components of their health plans they were paying too much for.

Bottom line: your company is most likely overpaying for first-dollar insurance company benefits that most of your employees never use.

Statistics show that:

•88% of your employees will spend less than $500 per year on health care;

•93% of your employees will spend less than $1,000 per year on health care; and

•Tower Perrins studies show that 80% of your claims will come from 20% of your enrolled.

To cut unnecessary cost, remove overpriced components of your health plan that very few employees actually use. You can also stop pre-paying insurance companies to administer benefits that are not cost-effective.

If providing first-dollar coverage is essential to your business and employees, then incorporate a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) and a high-deductible strategy to have the money available for employee use, but only send to the providers when services are utilized. If services are not utilized then the money stays with the company and not the insurance company.

Finding a solution

Health insurance is never going to be free and health reform certainly didn’t provide a solution to make it less expensive. The health insurance market will continue to be a very fluid environment.

The only solution to managing medical insurance costs is a proactive approach on the part of the employer working with their broker to build a cost-effective and comprehensive medical insurance program that provides protection for your employees and their families at the best possible cost.

Mike deVaux is a Registered Health Underwriter and Managing Partner of Keystone Benefit Group, an employee benefits consulting firm in Jacksonville. Keystone Benefit Group serves clients throughout the U.S. helping them develop, implement and manage employee benefit solutions. He can be reached at mdevaux@kbgllc.com, 904-464-0888 or by visiting www.YourInsuranceKeystone.com.

How “gameification” can accelerate learning in business training

By Daniel Burrus

Anyone who has been around children and young adults for a while knows they are attracted to video games. And while older adults may think they are being lazy or using their time idly when they’re connected to their Wii or Xbox using a Kinect, in reality they are paving the way for business training and education.

How? It’s part of a future trend first identified in the 1980s that is now being called “gameification.” Today, that growing trend is reaching a tipping point. In fact, many of the greatest technological advances in business have come from the world of children and games.

Paving the way

To see the migration of how a concept goes from children and games to adults and business, just look at the evolution of social media. At first, young people were the predominant ones on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Adults simply didn’t see the value of social media—after all, who really cared what you had for lunch or what outfit someone wore to the dance.

As adults eventually took more and more interest in social media, many companies made formal policies forbidding employees from using Twitter and Facebook at work. But now that the business world has seen the relevancy of social media and how it can be a brand management, marketing, and collaboration tool, they’re embracing it, some even going so far as creating their own internal versions of Twitter and Facebook.

Granted, video games and social media are different technologies, but the concept migration pattern is still the same. And with game controllers like the Wii and Xbox Kinect giving people new ways of interacting with technology, the business world is currently on the threshold of being game-ified.

Thanks to Microsoft releasing  a software development kit for the Kinect that allows programmers to create new applications, university students started taking this gaming concept and writing software that allows users to control business software using only hand motions—no keyboard or mouse. An early example would be if you want to go to the next page, you do a sweep of your hand across the screen without touching anything. You can sweep to the left, sweep to the right, scroll up, scroll down, and many other things.

The core of gameification

The heart of the gameification trend is using interactive gaming as a tool to transform training and education. Based on 25 years of research, there are five core elements that when applied together can dramatically accelerate learning. When you model your company’s training to include these five elements, your employees will learn more in less time and have better results. The five core elements are:

Self-diagnostic. In the world of gaming, as you accomplish new feats and your character gets better, the game gives you greater challenges. When you power down, it remembers where you left off. When you return, you don’t have to start over from ground zero.

In the case of business training, if you learn something, there’s no need for a trainer to re-teach it to you. A better idea is for business training to have a self-diagnostic component. The interactive, competitive, and immersed module can know your skill or knowledge level and progress accordingly. It can know where you left off and give you next steps from that point when you log back in. This is the best way to allow for individual training and learning.

Interactivity. For centuries, education and training have been, for the most part, passive experiences. Someone stands in front of a group and talks and the people being educated or trained sit and listen—taking a few notes here and there. As technology evolved, the trainer or teacher showed a movie or two to keep people involved, but in the end, the people learning just sat and watched.

Regardless of someone’s inherent learning style, learning is much more effective when you’re interacting with the material, not passively sitting there. When you learn by gaming, you’re interacting with the information and concepts. You’re moving things around, you’re manipulating items, and you’re actually doing things. It’s no longer passive training. Now you are much more engaged and immersed.

Immersion. In the recent past to the present, video games use interspatial 3-D, where you go into worlds. So instead of images popping out at you, you go inside to them. This sort of technology gives an immersed effect, which engages people more.

To apply this to business, if you’re training salespeople on a particular manufacturing tool they need to sell, why not have them see the tool in 3-D and actually get to virtually manipulate the tool rather than have them read spec sheets about it? The former will give them more insight to the tool, which will make selling it easier.

Competition. Humans are naturally competitive beings—we want to sell more, be more productive, innovate faster, and be smarter than the next person. When you’re sitting in class learning, there’s little competitive value. You’re all there for the entire timeframe whether you’ve learned the materials in one hour or three. No one advances until the class is over.

When you’re competing, however, as in a game, there’s an adrenaline rush that keeps you engaged and focused on the task at hand. In an effort to “win,” people master concepts faster so they can be first.

Focus. When you’re playing a game, you’re forced to focus. You have to do A in order for B to occur. If you don’t do A, then you won’t get far in the game. Focus is the result of interactivity, competition, immersion, and self-diagnosis. When you can focus, you can learn virtually anything…fast.

Accelerate learning

Using all five core elements is a key to accelerating learning. With more and more to learn, it will be increasingly important to gameify both business and education to create better results faster.

Those companies that adopt early will be the long-term winners. So here’s your homework assignment: Get together with a child and play one of their games. While you’re playing, think Wii or Kinect for business. Think of the five core elements and how you could reinvent learning with tools like these.

Since businesses spend large sums of money on training and education, any tool that can accelerate or enhance learning will save both time and dollars.

Daniel Burrus is considered one of the world’s leading technology forecasters and business strategists, and is the founder and CEO of Burrus Research, a research and consulting firm that monitors global advancements in technology-driven trends to help clients better understand how technological, social and business forces are converging to create enormous, untapped opportunities. He is the author of six books, including “Flash Foresight: How To See the Invisible and Do the Impossible” (www.flashforesight.com) and “Technotrends.” He can reached through www.burrus.com.

5 ways to achieve greater success from your employees

By Jolly Backer

Employee performance is an issue that concerns every entrepreneur. While a high employee-turnover rate can be costly to a business, so is having employees who don’t work up to their potential, or who have lackluster job performance. Just about every business across the country can benefit from taking measures to improve employee performance.

By improving employee performance, businesses will have a much easier time meeting the goals they have set, as well as reducing employee turnover and improving employee satisfaction rates.

Here are five ways to improve employee performance:

1. Change the environment. Often, employee performance is in line with the environment of the company. Making sure the workplace environment is positive, goal-oriented, and supportive will help to motivate employees. Start by looking at what needs to be improved in your workplace environment.

2. Improve communication. Whether the boss isn’t listening to employees enough or isn’t providing feedback, there may be room for improvement in communication. Those who communicate well with their employees will automatically motivate them to do more.

3. Provide training. Not having enough training costs companies a lot of money. The money that is invested in proper training and tools to do the job will be well worth the investment. When you invest in employees, they are better able to do their job, and will invest more deeply in meeting the company’s goals.

4. Get healthy. Obesity and health issues cost employers an estimated $73 billion or more per year in increased healthcare costs and lost productivity. Helping employees get, and stay, healthy will also help improve productivity. One way to do that is to ensure there is access to healthy snack and food options in the workplace.

5. Share goals. Employees will have a difficult time helping their employer reach business goals if they don’t know what they are. All businesses should have goals for growth or service, and should share them with their employees, which will likely motivate them to help the company reach its goals.

Taking steps to help improve employee performance will pay off. In an effort to help employees get healthy, many workplaces are replacing old, unhealthy vending machines with new ones offering healthier options. Doing this provides more nutritious food options, which will give workers a healthy energy boost while at work, while also helping them reach fitness goals, which will improve overall work performance.

Jolly Backer is chief executive officer of Fresh Healthy Vending, a company that is revolutionizing vending machines by filling dual-climate-controlled machines with healthy, natural food options, such as 100-percent juices, fresh vegetables, fruits, smoothies, and yogurts. She can be reached through www.freshvending.com.

How green cleaning practices can positively affect your bottom line

By Robert Owens

Your business is only as strong as your most valuable assets—your employees. In a competitive landscape, protecting their health and enhancing their productivity by incorporating green cleaning practices can positively affect your bottom line.

From workplaces across the country, stories abound. Employees are falling ill with respiratory problems, chronic headaches and other health issues—creating increased absenteeism and high health insurance, which all adversely affect the bottom line and leaves company executives wondering why so many workers are missing so many days.

What most of them don’t know is that the answer may lie in the actual buildings in which their businesses operate.

Why suffer?

According to the American Institute of Architects, 30% of U.S. workers suffer from health problems caused by volatile organic compounds from carpeting and furniture, inadequate air circulation, poor lighting and mold build-up.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates workers take up to $3 billion worth of sick days annually to recover from the ailments and numerous other health conditions that stem from unhealthy work environments.

A recent Consumer Federation of America study shows that about $100 billion annually in healthcare costs and lost earnings can be attributed to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and the reduced productivity it causes.

Although this poses a serious health and productivity threat to the American workforce, the good news is that more and more companies are realizing the importance of a healthy work environment.

A manifestation of increased environmental awareness, green cleaning is good for your employees—and for your bottom line.

Green cleaning benefits

Green cleaning uses a combination of products, practices and equipment to clean effectively while protecting the environment and the people who work there. Recent studies suggest that its effects are substantial.

According to the Indoor Environment Department at the Lawrence Berkley National Design Laboratory in California, improved air quality that is achieved through sustainable design, building and cleaning strategies can lower SBS symptoms by 20% to 50%, while cold and influenza are reduced by 9% to 20%, and allergies and asthma drop by 8% to 25%.

Understanding the importance of a healthy workplace and striving to improve the health and productivity of your employees through the use of technology and green-certified cleaning products will help you achieve a better bottom line in more ways than one. A few things to implement include:

•Spray cleaners. Instead of taking the mop-and-bucket approach to cleaning, use spray cleaners with microfiber floor polishers that are either reusable or disposable from the standpoint that they don’t introduce dirty water to the floor.

•HEPA filtered vacuums. Use vacuum cleaners that come equipped with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters that trap small particles that would be left behind by conventional vacuum cleaners or worse, lifted and spread into the air.

•Recycled paper products. You can also use recycled bathroom paper products—tissue paper and paper towels—because they are biodegradable.

Long-term benefits

By maintaining healthier, happier employees and a more sustainable workplace, green cleaning provides long-term health and cost benefits that clearly make the switch from traditional cleaning advantageous. If you have not incorporated these products and techniques into your business, now is the time to start.

Robert Owens, co-founder and president of O,R&L, has more than 22 years of experience in the real estate management and construction industries. Under his leadership, O,R&L Facility Services has become an industry leader in facility management, property management and janitorial services for properties and companies. He can be reached at O,R&L’s Florida headquarters at Bowens@or-l.com or through www.or-l.com.

7 steps to a drama-free (and more productive) office

By Kaley Klemp and Jim Warner

If you work with other people (and who doesn’t?) reflect on the last week and notice howmuch time you wasted in drama: The energy-draining behaviors or exchanges that keep you from what you really want to be doing.

Think about all the infighting, water-cooler talk, meaningless meetings, turf wars, pouting, rants, and other behaviors that blocked positive, productive interactions in your organization.

Now, think about how many creative projects you could have completed, or how much time you could have spent having fun with friends and family if you had that time and energy back.

By following these seven steps, you can shift yourself (and your team) away from drama to more enjoyable and productive tasks!

Step 1: Get out of your own drama

One of the most difficult challenges for aspiring leaders is to “own their stuff”—to acknowledge their own responsibility for relationship shortcomings. So, before you can guide others, you must take inventory of both your interaction strengths (i.e., where you uplift relationships) and the ways you sabotage relationships.

The strength inventory is usually easy. The sabotage inventory is more difficult. It requires the vulnerability and courage to seek others’ candid observations and advice about your behavior. To find out your own drama tendencies, you can use self-reflection, ask your colleagues, or take a drama-assessment (http://www.dramafreeoffice.com/self-assessment-survey/).

You can only help others when you are curious yourself. Take a deep breath, get re-centered and get out of your own way.

Step 2: Diagnose the type of drama in the other person

Once you are committed to authenticity and curiosity yourself, you can determine what kind of drama the other person is displaying. There are four primary drama roles that emerge most frequently in office settings: the complainer, the controller, the cynic and the caretaker.

You’ll need to use different strategies for different personality types—there is no “one size fits all” antidote for drama. Notice the kind of person you’re dealing with. Will they respond more to direct confrontation and setting boundaries (better for controllers and cynics), or to appreciation and encouragement (better for caretakers and complainers)?

Know who you’re dealing with and tailor your approach to maximize your chance for shifting their behavior.

Step 3: Assess the risk of confronting the other person

Before meeting with drama-prone colleagues, you must identify and evaluate the potential downsides of a confrontation. Without objectively assessing these risks, you might be tempted to either accept a dysfunctional relationship you could have salvaged or make a misstep you could have avoided.

So, before launching into a direct conversation with a team member, consider the possible side effects (e.g., nothing happens, it gets worse, they abruptly leave) and whether you’re willing to face them.

Step 4: Develop rapport with the drama-prone person

It’s important to establish rapport with the other person so he or she is best prepared to receive your message. Try opening with a blend of connection, appreciation, ground rules, and expectations.

Your goal is to get the person’s full attention and to set him or her up to be receptive to your ideas. People prefer to collaborate with those they know and like, so this step is powerful in setting the tone for the rest of the conversation.

Step 5: Have a direct conversation

While an entire article could be written about direct conversations, when confronting a person about their drama, stay dispassionate and state “the facts” clearly and concisely. Also present the meaning you derived from the facts (i.e., your perceptions), and any emotions you experience—usually some combination of fear, anger, guilt or embarrassment.

This next part is a little tougher. Share with the person how you contributed to the situation (why it may be your fault, too). Then, end with a specific request. Usually these conversations end with an agreement about what will happen next to make sure the drama ends.

While this may sound simple, each component outlined above is worth practicing and mastering so that the entire conversation flows smoothly. For instance, it’s very easy to mix facts and derived meaning.

People often say, “The facts are, you are being difficult.” When, in fact, the level of cooperation or difficulty of an individual is derived meaning or perception. One person may consider challenging an idea as difficult behavior and another might appreciate it as a commitment to improvement.

Step 6: Get their commitment

The last step of the direct conversation in Step 5 is your specific requests or expectations of the person. A commitment to realize these expectations without excuses, sarcasm, self-pity, or martyrdom is often difficult to obtain from drama-prone people. They’ll dance around the expectation or rephrase them in vague terms.

These deflection or evasion tactics are a self-protection mechanism that helps the dramatic person avoid both change and accountability. Don’t get hooked. Reiterate both your specific expectations and your need for the drama-prone person’s commitment to meet them. If he or she continues to resist or deflect, be prepared to calmly lay out an ultimatum, including specific rewards for meeting objectives and consequences for missing objectives.

Step 7: Validate and anchor their commitment and new behavior

Praise the person for his or her positive behaviors during your meeting, and honor the commitments he or she made. Follow up with a short note or email confirming and affirming the person’s commitments. Ideally, ask them to create a summary of your meeting that includes their specific agreements. People live up to what they write down.

Once you’ve done these seven steps, you have done the hard work. Now you can redirect your energy toward the collaborative, meaningful projects that you enjoy doing, and work in an office free from drama.

Kaley Klemp and Jim Warner are the authors of “The Drama-Free Office: A Guide to Healthy Collaboration with Your Team, Coworkers, and Boss.” You can get a free sample of the book on Facebook, www.facebook.com/KaleyKlemp, follow them on twitter, @KaleyKlemp and read more about them at www.DramaFreeOffice.com.

Four ways to create motivation and buy-in

By John Chappelear

“Motivation and buy-in” are like everything else in life, always cycling up or cycling down; there is no static position. Energy and effort must be applied continually and consistently to create and maintain a high-performing organization with the momentum needed for motivation and buy-in.

The cornerstone to successful motivation and buy-in is trust. The level of trust that exists within your organization will determine how hard and how long you will have to work to get your organization fully motivated and completely committed.

Four simple ideas

By utilizing these four simple ideas every day, you will be more able to generate the results you want.

#1. Trust. To build trust, you should begin with a more honest, open and inclusive communication style and be more trusting of others. Trust is the pipeline through which all good business practices flow, and it instills a sense of confidence without the presence of worry or suspicion.

Without trust, people move at whatever speed they can move at without getting into any trouble, which is not the speed you want for your organization. If people feel their input is unwanted or their mistakes will be met with criticism or possibly dismissal, then mood and morale will be bad, turnover and absenteeism will be high, motivation will be low, and buy-in will be nonexistent. The cycle is heading down.

Trust is maintained by the consistent achievement of personal and organizational goals. With trust, workers move away from a self-protection, begin to take risks, look for new ways to improve workflow, and exceed expectations.

When goals are achieved and exceeded, your trust and confidence in the whole process is strengthened. The cycle is heading up.

#2. Transparency. Transparency is allowing people at all levels to have a clear understanding of your organization’s overall goals and objectives, as well as the importance of their personal and departmental roles in the success of your organization.

When times are tough, making sure you have transparency in your management becomes even more critical to the success of your business. When employees understand the issues that you face on a regular basis, they are more invested (buy-in) in the solutions.

And when organizations encourage frequent two-way communication at all levels, they generate a level of positive energy (motivation) making it easier to find new ideas and/or solutions. Change is much easier to implement with open communication, support and trust. Very quickly employees do more than buy into change, they own it.

As you willingly open up your thinking and decision-making processes, your organization becomes more transparent and “same side of the table thinking” begins. The entire staff knows what is expected of them individually and collectively, and will be much more supportive of any necessary changes to ensure the success of your organization.

With transparency, employees are more motivated and feel an increased sense of self-value and self-worth that is directly related to their efforts. It also becomes much more likely that their wages will increase because profits will increase, and levels of absenteeism and turnover will decrease. And that’s a good start.

#3. Treat everyone the same, but differently. Consciously or unconsciously people connect with some people better than others. And while it’s human nature, making that kind of mistake can ruin morale, interfere with productivity and occasionally create some discrimination issues.

The most effective way to communicate and reward people is to base it on individual need and personality style. The rewards for comparable work must be of the same value, but not necessarily the same. For example: One person may need public acknowledgement of their successes in order to be motivated while another may be embarrassed by that method and instead require some one-on-one time for personal recognition.

A good manager or management team needs to know their people. They need to understand what motivates the individual and respond accordingly. It may seem like a lot of extra work, but the dividends are worth the effort.

#4. Change the people or change the people. Good management is focused on making sure everyone in the organization has the necessary training and support to maximize their ROI. Once it becomes obvious an employee is not living up to his or her potential, however, a good manager will make the necessary change.

Do everything possible to change or improve the people, but if that isn’t possible, then change or replace the people. Change takes time and how long it will take depends on the shape your organization is in when you begin this process.

Remember, the way to achieve motivation and buy-in is through trust and the key to building trust is your willingness to assimilate all four ideas; trust, transparency, treat everyone the same but differently, and change the people or change the people. Make the commitment and don’t give up. You and your organization are worth the work.

John Chappelear is an author, speaker, executive coach, and trainer. John’s programs build positive, powerful, and balanced individuals, and more productive, creative, and profitable organizations. He is internationally recognized as a life balance, leadership and communication expert. He can be reached at john@johnchappelear.com or through www.changingthefocus.com.

The truth about the cost of greening your business

By Helen Rake

Have you ever watched the television show, “The Biggest Loser”? At first, most contestantsalmost give up because they fear change and doubt their physical abilities; many have become complacent in their ways and think it’s easier to just accept the situation.

Although their fear almost gets the best of them, Bob and Jillian, the coaches, push them to their physical limits and challenge them to change their complacent and destructive mindset so they don’t backslide after all the hard work. Once they start to see the results of following a comprehensive weight-loss program they realize that they have the strength of mind and body to accomplish almost anything.

By the end of the season, the change in their bodies and their self-confidence is incredible. The finale leaves you feeling inspired and hopeful that real change can be achieved if people just stick with a simple program.

Bringing it to business

For local small business owners, adopting sustainable business practices, going green, is a little like “The Biggest Loser” for them. Daunting at first, but with measured changes in behavior and mindset, it becomes not only easier to be green over time, but the rewards, such as savings, energy efficiencies, and community goodwill, start to compound. The pride in their accomplishments as they begin to see the results encourages them to continue on the quest.

When talking to small business owners about making sustainable practices part of their business plan, one objection crops up almost every time, “It’s just too expensive.” They usually justify this by pointing out that many of the examples used are from large fortune 500 companies with unlimited resources to conduct extensive rebranding, and they don’t think they can take the steps needed to be considered socially responsible by eco-aware consumers.

And with the economic crisis still wreaking havoc on many small companies, that seems to be a logical argument—unless you consider that many green strategies not only result in cost savings, but actually cost nothing to implement in the first place.

Knocking misconceptions

This popular misconception mainly exists because business owners feel they must do it all at once or they won’t be taken seriously for their measured efforts by the eco-elite, and you can’t blame them. There is a lot of rhetoric in the media and among various green organizations criticizing “greenwashers.”

That term is mostly used to mean “fakers,” and really, you are only a “faker” if you aren’t making an honest effort to be more responsible, or you lie about what you are doing or the extent to which you are doing it.

It’s true that if you decide to tackle greening in large chunks, say making your building more energy efficient through various updates or upgrades, the upfront costs can be significant. For example: It can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 to upgrade or replace insulation in a 2,500 square-foot building and sealing the duct work can cost another $1,350.

The payback, however, comes in lowered energy costs, but it could take as many as 14 years to recoup the cost of such a project. To some this may be a small price to pay for the ability to claim a “greener” space, but many small businesses are barely making ends meet right now and spending thousands on such upgrades could be completely out of reach.

What you can do

So what do you do if you want to green your business, but don’t have the money to take on major projects?

In some circles, the following information may not be popular—there are critics that say unless you make a concerted effort to be completely responsible and employ only green practices you are not truly “green”—but I think doing something, even if it is small, is a lot better than doing nothing.

And starting small is OK—at least it’s starting. Like losing weight, it is usually best to undertake greening your business in small bites over time because according to most physicians lasting weight loss is best achieved by measured changes over time.

Simple actions

Start with simple actions that cost nothing, such as:

1. Turn up the thermostat when you leave. By simply turning up the thermostat five degrees before leaving your office at the end of each day, you can save 5% on energy bills each year. At some point, it may be feasible to spend a few dollars on a programmable thermostat, but until then turn it up when you leave.

2. Print on both sides of the paper. This can cut your paper consumption by as much as 50% at no additional cost. Not only does this save paper, it saves ink and creates less wear and tear on your printer resulting in significant savings over time.

3. Scan and email instead of faxing. This is another great way to save paper, ink, and fax machine wear.

4. Recycle. Many communities provide for recycling at little or no cost. This can include paper, plastic, and aluminum. Here in Jacksonville, you can not only recycle, but you can help put under privileged citizens to work by using Shred It First Coast.

5. Get an energy audit. Locally, JEA and FPL both offer energy audits at no cost to you. These can be invaluable when you want to learn how to save even more on energy costs and many of their suggestions involve little or no cost solutions. They may even help fund some of the changes through their small business incentives programs. To find out more about these programs, go to JEA.com to the Conservation Center and search for “small business.”

For pennies on the dollar you can also:

6. Caulk your windows. It may cost a couple hundred dollars on a 2,500 square-foot building, but it can save around $250 a year, an almost immediate payback.

7. Replace light bulbs. The same goes for replacing existing bulbs with compact fluorescents. This can cost $136 dollars, but save you $200 each year.

8. Decorate with plants. Decorate indoor work spaces with inexpensive hardy plants. They improve air quality and create a more inviting décor.

9. Use power strips. Use a power management strip on all of your electronics. This reduces energy emitted from electronics while they are not in use but still on. Some electronics cannot be simply cut off so this may be a good option for them. You can buy one for less than $100.

Improvements as reinvestments

It’s a good idea to look at these improvements as reinvestments into your business. That way you can measure your return on investment (ROI) as a profit/loss sheet item and feel better about the initial outlay. Like the contestants on “The Biggest Loser” that see their efforts translate into falling numbers on the scale, as you see the savings start to add up because of your efforts you will be more likely to continue down the road to sustainability.

Remember, long-term success in weight loss has more to do with your mindset than almost anything else so it is important to think about sustainable business practices as a permanent part of your business plan.

Lose the fear

Is cost really the issue, or is it more the fear of change? The fact is, most of us take our environment for granted. We have become complacent thinking that being eco-friendly is best left to extremists and tree huggers. This type of thinking does more to harm your business than help it grow.

Consumers want to buy products from evolved businesses. They want to feel good not only about the products they buy, but the services they use and the places they get them. Sustainability is now commonplace and expected. If you choose not to at least attempt to adopt more sustainable practices, you are missing the boat and may eventually be overtaken by the wave of businesses that will.

On “The Biggest Loser,” almost every contestant eventually realizes that they have put up roadblocks to their own success because they have let fear of change control them. They have to shed complacency to move forward into a better and more rewarding future.

As a small business owner, you may need to overcome psychological roadblocks that say that greening your business isn’t practical or possible because of the cost. The real cost is in losing a whole segment of new consumers that want to support honest, sustainability efforts locally.

Start small, start smart, but start now so you don’t get left behind.

Helen Rake

Helen Rake is president of the Northeast Florida Green Chamber. She can be reached at 904-493-7500 ext. 9, helen.rake@nefl.greencs.org, or through www.neflgreenchamber.org.

You are finally taking a vacation! Who will manage the staff and take care of the customers?

By Bob Douce

As a small business owner, you regularly pour your life and soul into your company working 60, 70, or 80 hours a week. A year or twodown the road, once things start running a little more smoothly, the idea of a few days off starts to creep into your consciousness (or is subliminally being beaten there by your spouse on a daily basis). Can you really separate yourself from the day-to-day operations?

Or maybe you are in a different situation. You really need to attend a conference, or maybe you’re presenting at your industry’s annual convention. This is a great honor, but you will be away from the office for four days. Who will you put in charge to be sure your customer needs are met, your employees have direction and guidance, and the building doesn’t burn down?

The issue

Too many owners are so vested in their company and working with too many hats to make a profit that they often do not have the time to work on their company process. The last thing thought about is who will run the operations when I am not around.

If you are still answering day-to-day operational questions or fielding most of the client calls yourself, you are probably in this situation. Taking a short vacation or attending an extended conference may seem impossible at this point in the life of the business. However, it is doable— and sometimes very necessary.

The solution

Planning ahead is the key to success in many things, including deciding who will take the reins, even if only for a few days. It starts with hiring the right people at the right time for your business.

Your interview process should look at not only the skill sets you need for the present day, but also what you will need six months to a year down the road. If you have already hired all the people you need, re-evaluate their skills and identify who may be the best prospect to cross train some of your responsibilities. Regular performance reviews are a great place to start when looking to identify your future leaders.

Once you have someone picked out, create a development or training plan for that person. Even if he or she came to your company with all the right skills, he or she doesn’t necessarily know your processes and procedures or understand your way of looking at the business—as an owner.

Evaluating and training your top managers for enhanced leadership responsibilities will increase their confidence and accountability. This leadership development will help set in motion your ability to rely upon their skills and management abilities while you are still in the office every day.

It’s also important to help these identified leaders understand the role they play in the company. If they know they may be being groomed for a temporary or permanent upper management role, they are much more likely to be fully engaged in the day-to-day operations.

They will also see the benefit of cross training on a variety of responsibilities. While they will not become masters of all the functional areas they learn, they will have a greater understanding of how each department or process is interconnected. With this knowledge, they will have the big picture view of what it takes to run the business.

The implementation

Everything is on track. You have identified your leader. You have begun work on the leadership develop plan and helped him or her gain more experiences in the company. But how do you actually let go and give it a try?

Start by turning over a project you would normally handle and give him or her full responsibility and authority to handle it. You have already trained him or her to do it, now let him or her go. You are still around and can step in if needed, but remember, you had to stub your toe a few times as you learned to walk, and he or she needs to do the same thing. The biggest difference is he or she has your experiences from which to learn.

Once he or she can handle projects on a regular basis, give him or her the keys to the shop for the day. If it makes you feel more comfortable, stick around, but work on your presentation for the conference or plan the excursions for your vacation.

Don’t get involved unless absolutely necessary. Don’t answer your phone, respond to your emails, or meet with employees. It may just be easier to head home for the day. Remember— your leader-in-training still has you to turn to if he or she feels like they are headed off the cliff.

Each step in the process gets a little easier, but it is important to evaluate his or her performance as you move along. Look at the good and the bad. Assessing the results will help improve his or her performance because you will reinforce the positive and correct the negative.

What was successful and went well? Don’t be afraid to tell him or her they may have handled it better than you. Praise the successes, no matter how insignificant they may seem. Even if it was a partial success, but a failure overall, identify what was right. Accenting the positives will normally result in repeat performances.

Next—what went wrong? If he or she had proper training, it shouldn’t have been a train wreck; however, everyone has been there a time or two. The good news is that you are still here and not sailing in the Caribbean. A wheel may have come off the track, but you prevented a full derailment. Talk about what happened and why and let him or her come up with the way to prevent it from happening again. If he or she is a true leader, he or she will be able to point out their own short comings and learn from their mistakes.

True succession planning

You have put in the effort to identify your future leaders, provided them guidance and training, and even let them take the wheel a few times. What you accomplished is what some large companies still have problems conducting on a regular basis—succession planning.

It’s important to be personally involved in the day-to-day operations of a startup company, but is equally important to train those you trust to do what you do. Not only have you developed a leader to run the operations while you spend a week on vacation or a few days at the conference, but you have freed yourself up to grow your business.

Everything doesn’t have to run through you anymore (read this as you have removed a potential bottleneck in your operations). You are now free to focus on business development and know that your company is in good hands.

Bob Douce is the vice president of sales and co-founder of Talent Development Inc. He can be reached at 904-262-4299, info@tdies.com, or through www.tdiemployeesolutions.com.

Controlling time means controlling time wasters

By Christy Crump

Everyone feels a need to better manage time. Just as you look at controllingexpenses to improve your budget and bottom line, it’s necessary to control outgo—or the things that waste your time—in order to manage time.

Let’s look at some environmental and personal time wasters, and how they relate to your professional life.

Environmental time wasters

1. Other people. To help control how others waste your time, make an effort to:

• Close your door at certain times of the day for uninterrupted work time—even if you have an “open door” policy.

•Discourage drop-in visitors by turning your desk away from the door. When you face the door, everyone who walks by can be a distraction. Out of sight; out of mind.

•Control your environment by standing up to talk to visitors. Don’t invite them to sit if you don’t want them to stay.

•When meeting with a colleague, go to his or her work area. This puts you in control of your time, and when you are finished, you can leave without seeming rude.

2. Phone calls. One way to aid with this time waster is to limit your phone call time. Try to:

•Screen calls when possible, so you can prepare before returning the call. If you are prepared, you can cut the call time by 50%.

•Review which calls need personal follow up, and delegate others.

•Provide short answers when possible. Give good customer service, but don’t give detailed information and answers if they are not asked for.

•Stand while on the phone. This not only burns calories, but causes you to end your call sooner than if you are seated in a comfortable chair.

3. E-mails. Studies show people’s heart rate increases when there are unread e-mails waiting, but you really should attempt to:

•Shut down e-mail during scheduled, uninterrupted work time. When you “switchtask” from your work to e-mail and back to your work, it can take up to 20 minutes to re-engage.

•Avoid copying multiple people on an e-mail when assigning work. When you send an e-mail to multiple people, one of two things will happen. Either each will assume that one of the others is doing it and no one does it, or all of them do it and waste time duplicating work.

If you must copy numerous people on an e-mail, spell out what you want each to do.

4. Meetings. To assist with this time waster, meetings should be well-planned, organized, and time-sensitive. You should also:

•Develop and follow an agenda with time limits on each agenda item, and assign a timekeeper to enforce time.

•Prioritize items according to importance, and eliminate unnecessary items.

•Avoid “off track” or prolonged discussions. Use the “parking lot” to handle extra or prolonged discussions.

Personal time wasters

Personal time wasters can be just as devastating to your calendar as environmental time wasters. The difference is you have complete control over personal time wasters. Are you exercising that control?

1. Social interaction. People with a high need for social interaction have problems when the need is not met by the job and environment. This becomes a time waster when you leave your work area to look for interaction.

When you do this, your work is not being completed in a timely manner, and you may be inflicting yourself on others who need and want to work uninterrupted.

2. Can’t say “No.” Those with a high need for acceptance tend to have problems saying “no.” This becomes a time waster when you take on too much, and rather than doing a few things well, you do a lot of things poorly. Learn to say “no.” It is better to under promise and over deliver than to over promise and under deliver.

3. Perfectionism. This becomes a time waster when you continuously work to perfect your product to the point you miss a deadline. I would never encourage someone to produce a substandard product, but at some point you have to let it go. If you’ve done the best job you can, it’s as perfect as it can get.

4. Risk avoidance. A person with a high need for risk avoidance looks for backup, clarification, and approval to the point the project and deadline are compromised. A good example of risk avoidance is when you want to invest in a particular stock.

You analyze the stock, watch it for a few weeks, research it, call a broker, and ask a friend their opinion. When you finally make a decision to invest, the stock has shot up so high, you can’t afford it. You avoided risk, but in doing so, you missed your opportunity.

5. Procrastination. Procrastination creeps in and takes over before you realize it. When you put off doing something that must be done to the point it becomes an emergency, you are procrastinating.

Good ways to overcome procrastination are to:

•Make time to get organized, and designate time to stay organized. Organized people tend to procrastinate less.

•Ask yourself, “What is the best use of my time right now?” And do it.

•Break down overwhelming tasks into small tasks. Henry Ford said, “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.”

•Eat your frog! Brian Tracy’s book, “Eat That Frog,” says to treat the one thing you procrastinate doing the worst as a frog. Commit to eat the frog every morning, so the rest of your day will seem great. Write your procrastination on a sticky note, and place it next to your computer. Every morning, eat that frog before doing anything else. The rest of the day will seem more pleasant. When you beat the procrastination written on the sticky, throw it away and start over with a new procrastination.

Go out and conquer your environmental and personal time wasters!

Christy Crump is president of Crump & Associates, a company that enhances human capital through a unique, proven approach to staff education and training that improves performance and increases efficiency and effectiveness. She can be reached at www.crumpandassociatesfl.com.

Discover your strengths and seize your opportunities by examining your weaknesses and identifying your threats

By Mark Bajalia

At some point in your career, most of you have probably done this on some level without really thinking about it. But a thoughtful approach to SWOT analysis can help you and your company discover new opportunities, as well as manage and eliminate threats that could potentially impede your progress and success.

A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning methodology used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing a company either generally or which may be applicable to a specific project or business venture.

Applied to a business generally, a SWOT analysis enables a company to develop a niche and match its resources and capabilities in the context of the competitive environment in which it operates. Applied to a specific project, a SWOT analysis allows a project manager or team to specify the objective of the project and identify the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieving that objective.

Begin with the end

A SWOT analysis begins with the end, so to speak. In other words, you must first determine what the desired end state or goal is for the company or the specific project. Once that is done, you must objectively analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats relevant to the end state or goal.

•Strengths. These are the internal characteristics of the business, project manager, or team that give it an advantage over others in the industry or those competing for the same project. When evaluating your strengths, you need to consider the resources and capabilities your company or team brings to the table and how that gives you a competitive advantage.

Ask questions such as: “What do we do better than anyone else?” “What resources do we have that others competing against us do not?” and “What makes us unique in our industry?” You need to consider your strengths from an internal perspective, but also from the perspective of your customers and competitors. You also need to be realistic and objective.

•Weaknesses. These are the internal characteristics of the business, project manager, or team that place you at a competitive disadvantage. In evaluating your weaknesses, you need to ask questions such as, “What do our competitors do better than us?” “Why would a customer utilize a competitor instead of us?” and “Do we lack technology or resources that our competitors possess?”

In examining your weaknesses, you need to do so from an internal perspective. Identify weak point or limitations in one or more resources or competencies that impedes effective performance. List as many identifiable weaknesses as possible and in doing so, you will be able to turn the weaknesses into strengths.

•Opportunities. These are the external environmental factors that create in roads to achieving success either for the company generally or with respect to the specific project undertaken. In order to determine what opportunities exist, you must analyze trends in your marketplace and anticipate needs.

Opportunities may come from an unfulfilled need, arrival of new technology, implementation of new regulations, or changes in competitive circumstances. You need to contemplate realistic concepts that may stimulate new areas of growth or point you in a new direction which may be a path of less resistance and allow for the completion of the project or achievement of the end result in a more efficient manner.

•Threats. These are the external elements that can cause trouble for the company or which serve as barriers to the end goal. Threats can be dictated by shifts in customer tastes, elimination of a specific need in the marketplace, new regulations that limit or eliminate opportunities, and changes in competitive circumstances. Identify as many realistic threats as possible and be prepared to deal with them.

What matters most

A SWOT analysis is a simple and useful framework for analyzing your organizations strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threats it faces. It helps you focus on the things that matter most and take the greatest possible advantage of the opportunities available.

The most important thing to remember when conducting a SWOT analysis is to be realistic, objective, and specific. In doing so, you will discover your strengths and seize your opportunities by examining your weaknesses and identifying your threats.

Mark Bajalia is a partner and a managing member in Brennan, Manna & Diamond’s Jacksonville office. He is an experienced commercial, business, and insurance litigator, having prosecuted and defended numerous cases in state and federal courts and in arbitration. He is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubble, has been recognized as one of Florida’s Legal Elite by Florida Trend Magazine, and has been selected as a Florida Super Lawyer in the field of business and insurance litigation. He can be contacted at 904-366-1500 or mbajalia@bmdpl.com.

How technology can help you improve efficiency, cut costs, and increase revenues    

By Robyn A. Friedman

Still using paper and pencil to keep track of your fleet? How about a telephone?

If you’re not using technology to manage your fleet operations, then Paul Norse has a message for you: You could be making more money.

“The technology now for fleets is amazing,” said Norse, vice president of Jacksonville-based Security Center USA, a security solutions provider. “We put money back in your pocket through cost savings and time savings. And we’ve got the return-on-investment calculations to prove it.”

Fleet technology solutions, such as vehicle tracking systems, are no secret to large organizations. But as prices come down, smaller businesses with fleets, such as plumbing and electrical contractors, pest control companies, and courier services, are now adopting this technology, which can help them operate more efficiently, reduce costs, improve safety, save time—and ultimately increase revenues.

“By using technology to track the location of vehicles, companies can monitor the efficiency of a particular route or determine at any given time if one driver is closer to a customer than another—both saving time and money, which is good for the business owner and the customer,” said Cathy Hagan, area director of the Small Business Development Center in Jacksonville.

Hagan said that companies with large fleets or those with a lot of contract drivers probably get more out of their investment in technology than do smaller firms. But companies with small fleets can start with a simple GPS system to help drivers find their destinations faster—and even that measure can help save time and money.

Tracking your fleet

Norse is a distributor of technology manufactured by C3 Location Systems called the “Great Communicator,” although there are similar systems available from distributors across the country.

Here’s how it works: A small “black box” is installed underneath the dashboard and hardwired to the power supply of the vehicle. The box acts as a transponder, providing vehicle status updates and reports via satellite and cellular signals. Anyone who has access to the Internet can log onto a secure website to pinpoint the location of the vehicle, see if the ignition is on or off, the speed of the vehicle, where it’s been—and much more.

The Great Communicator can locate, track, and recover vehicles; monitor vehicle diagnostics and let you know when the oil needs to be changed; and notify an administrator if the vehicle has been in an accident, is speeding, leaves a certain pre-defined geographic boundary, or is stolen. It’s kind of like an OnStar system on steroids.

What can it do for you?

Here’s what fleet technology can do for your business:

•Reduce costs. The ability to track vehicles allows you to create more efficient routes for drivers. It also enables dispatchers to send the closest driver to emergency calls or track when the vehicle is idling. That reduces fuel expenses.

“A lot of workers will sit in a parking lot at Publix and eat lunch while the air conditioning is running and the vehicle is idling,” said Norse. “With an idling alert, you can designate a particular time—if the vehicle is sitting still and running for five or 10 minutes, for example—and you’ll receive an e-mail and text alert.”

Norse said that his own company, which has a fleet of eight vehicles, has saved $600 to $800 a month in fuel costs since installing this technology. Using the system to help monitor vehicle diagnostics and ensure that vehicles get oil changes and other preventive maintenance on a regular basis can also help reduce overall operational costs.

•Save time. Technology can save time not only for a business operating a fleet, but also for its customers. That can help improve the competitive position of a company and increase customer loyalty. Harold Boyett knows this firsthand. Boyett, president of Jacksonville-based Blue Streak Couriers, spent 20 years working for UPS before purchasing the company.

“UPS went through a major technological transformation over that two-decade period, so I had the luxury of seeing firsthand how technology can be leveraged to improve efficiencies and to drive costs out of the equation,” he said.

Boyett uses Xcelerator Dispatch Software in his business, a Windows-based software solution designed for the courier, messenger, logistics, and warehousing industries. Drivers use handheld devices that do barcode scanning, capture customer signatures, and allow dispatchers to track them in real time.

It’s an integrated solution, allowing customers to request package pickup online, and streamlines the entire life cycle of a particular package, from pickup to delivery to paying the driver, invoicing the customer and receiving payment. It also allows customers to track their packages.

Boyett said that the software costs him “a couple of thousand dollars a month,” but saves him many times that in operational efficiencies—such as allowing him to operate with fewer order-entry employees.

•Increase revenues. Norse’s customers purchase his technology on a 36-month term for $50 per month per vehicle after putting $100 down and paying a one-time activation fee of $49. But most recoup that cost by cutting idle time, reducing overtime expenses, and eliminating downtime. That translates into more streamlined operations.

“Unfortunately, employees in the field aren’t heavily supervised, so you get a lot of downtime, playing around and time in between calls that we have been able to eliminate,” he said. “We can usually increase calls by a minimum of one or two per week. The revenue you’re generating from those calls is more money in your pocket.”

Larry Teague & Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, a customer of Norse’s, has shaved time off its routes since installing the technology in its nine Ford vans, said Melanie Darlington, the company’s office manager.

“We work on every side of town, even in St. Augustine, so when we get calls in during the day, we can distribute that work more efficiently,” she said. “That saves us time, money, and gas.” Darlington also verifies drivers’ timesheets using the technology, helping her manage payroll better.

Norse said that lately, his product has been purchased by not only business operations, but by consumers.

“Surprisingly enough, a lot of husbands want to make sure their wives are safe—or make sure their teen is abiding by speed limits,” he said. “But it’s really suited for fleet operators—painting companies, electrical companies, plumbing companies, you name it. If you have a fleet, you need it.”

Robyn A. Friedman is a contributing editor to Advantage. She can be reached at RAFWriter@att.net.

Why you should never have more business partners than you can fit in an elevator    

By John Minahan

Never have more partners than you can fit in an elevator. It’s a comment that seems like a joke, but is deadly serious when you’re starting a business. Too many partners will create conflicts you don’t need. Even the most bonded of partnerships will fray under the pressure of competing interests.

While it is important to have partners who each bring skills to the table, these choices must be made carefully and with an eye toward keeping the group a manageable size. Every partner you add increases the possibility of an interest that will stray from the good of the company.

What’s more, a big group of partners is simply difficult to manage. Good communication is key to a successful partnership, and when the partner group is too large, that communication becomes more complicated. There is always the risk that one partner will hear important news last and be aggrieved as a result or that some other critical piece of information will get to some partners but not all. A big group is added complexity. Keep the partners group compact and manageable.

Rules to follow

If you’ve run into problems, there are rules to follow to improve a partnership.

Rule 1: Schedule regular and open communication. A formal meeting once a month, either in person or at least by phone, is a must. Review the past month’s performance and talk to each other as owners, not as managers. Discuss matters in your common role as owners.

Rule 2: Clarify ownership versus executive. Owners own the company; owners don’t run the company. When you go into the corner office of a company and ask that individual what he or she does, nine times out of 10, you will hear, “I’m the owner.” That’s the wrong answer. The owner might be who you are, but it’s not what you do.

What you do is your job title: you are the CEO, the CFO, or the VP of sales. That’s the phrase that tells people what you do all day. You can’t be an owner all day. If you take “owner” as your title, then all day you will be operating in your mental state as an owner, and that might mean worrying about your investments, wondering whether you will make enough money to send your kids to college—all kinds of things that have no business being in the mind of a manager.

A manager must work at all times for the good of the company. Owners must recognize that if they are going to be involved in the day-to-day experience of the company, they can’t operate as owners. They must operate as their job titles dictate. Otherwise, they might steer the company away from its best path forward.

Not only are owners hobbled by their own conflicted interests, but also employees are undermined. When they have a question, instead of respecting the clear management hierarchy, employees might shop around from owner to owner while looking for the answer they like. Owners need to know their management roles and respect them.

If an employee comes to the owner/CEO with a payroll question, the CEO should respond, “That’s not for me. Take that to the CFO, and whatever the CFO says is your answer.”

Rule 3: Define roles and responsibilities. An offshoot of defining owners versus executives is defining roles and responsibilities. The most efficient way to run a company is to have employees assigned to specific tasks without overlap. This is true for partners and owners as well. The greater the definition of their roles, the less likely you are to have conflict. This is a key principle because when roles are allowed to overlap, it’s often a disaster.

Take this example from the U.S. military. It’s called the Buzz Saw. The military has a method of covering as much ground during an assault as possible, and it is called the Buzz Saw. Here’s how it works. If you have three professional snipers and their mission is to protect a certain area while under attack, how do they cover as much ground as possible?

The answer is strict division of territory. Each is given an area to cover that does not overlap with the other two snipers’. That way they can cover as much ground as possible without waste.

This seems like a very simple concept: each sniper has a separate area of responsibility, but there are downsides to it, to be sure. If one sniper fails to achieve the goal, the other two might necessary.

What happens if or when their division of territories overlaps? Because each sniper does not have a personal area of responsibility, the method of sharing risk will fail. Yes, certain areas are better covered, but each person is now stretched. Terms and phrases such as “bandwidth,” “stretched too thin,” and “scope of responsibility” all mean the same thing: You are stretching your resources.

Relate it to business owners

Now look at this in the context of three business owners. When owners do not have defined roles and they share duties, risks appear because now there is overlap. That can create conflict. Who is in charge of the areas where there is overlap? That confusion can lead to paralysis or two individuals working at cross-purposes, neither of which is good for a business.

What’s more, not only do you have overlap, you have gaps. You have the CEO and CFO worried about finance and the CFO and COO worried about accounting. So who is focusing on sales and delivery?

When individuals are stretched over multiple areas of responsibility, key elements fall through the cracks. On the battlefield, that can mean defeat. It’s the “shoot everything that moves” method of attack. It wastes time and resources. It is far less likely to succeed than the “shoot only in a defined area” method. This concept is just as applicable in the business world.

Too often, you are conditioned to see sharing as a good thing, a frame of mind in which you should all strive to be. That might be true in your personal lives, but it can have negative consequences in other settings. The battlefield is one. The business world is another.

John Minahan is an advisor to CEOs and executives, a certified public accountant, and author of The Business Mechanic: 9 Simple Ways To Improve Your Business. He is also cofounder and owner of a successful and multimillion-dollar media company, which was named one of the fastest growing private companies by Inc. Magazine. Minahan can be reached through www.BusinessMechanicBook.com.

By Andrew Stack    

Just the other day, there was an employee telling her colleague that she was leaving the office early so she could go home and “get some work done.”  

She continued to tell her workmate that the office had become a distraction and, for her, having the solitude of a quiet space in the spare bedroom was better than the office.

That in itself is incredibly profound in the sense that how and where you define your work environment is not so much about location or design as it is about your ability to produce.

That tired phrase of “thinking outside of the box” has taken on the figurative meaning of unorthodox or creative, but in this case, literally means thinking outside the box—the box being the four walls of your office and what you define as your workspace.

While you must still recognize the need for a formal place to gather so you can plan, organize, and collaborate on work projects, you can alter your perspective on your workplace to one of “just in time and just enough” versus having a reservoir of resources sitting idly on standby.

Increasingly, thoughtful business leaders are doing just that.

Office evolution

There was a time not so long ago that “the office” was not only a place for work, but was a symbol of status. You knew your company had arrived the day you signed that seven-year lease or completed the final touches on the executive boardroom.

In many cases, that time has come and gone. With the commercial real estate industry struggling with double-digit vacancy rates and warehouses upon warehouses of used office furniture, there should be a new exhibit at the Smithsonian on the evolution of the American office.

It could start circa 2006. On display, the curator shows a 400-square-foot executive office (with a 50-inch big screen TV); a 20-person boardroom table with a state-of-the-art, HD projector that works with every model of laptop, except of course, yours; a $30,000 copier/scanner/fax/printer/aggravator; and a wax figure of the post-modern administrative assistant.

The very next exhibit would show the “future office” and how it will evolve by fast forwarding to 2011. There, a business owner is seated in a nondescript, 12-foot by 12-foot office, firing up his iPad, plugging in his DA-Dongle, and opening MS Office 365.

He’s able to do this because of something called the Cloud. All of his applications, file folders, documents, and drivers reside nowhere near his computer, but in a bunkered SAS 70 data facility thousands of miles away, owned and operated by a third party.

What’s in it for you?

 All of this should not be too hard to imagine because in many cases, it’s true. Software as a service (SaaS) allows business users to tap the computing resources they need real time without the expensive hardware, maintenance, upgrades, and support that come with traditional enterprise systems.

With such a system, you can basically operate from anywhere. You can work from home, on the road, at a coffee shop, or share a workspace—perhaps even “share” a seat. For example: When a business owner sits down at a workspace to conduct his business, he may notice that the seat is warm. That is because just moments earlier, a sales representative that he neither knows nor ever will was conducting a product demonstration via ISDN videoconferencing in that very same chair.

This type of set-up allows you the freedom to work from wherever you are and when you need to without having to pay for equipment, services, a building, and overhead. You have the liberty to set aside a block of time, head to a workspace, conduct your business without distractions or other items getting in your way, and then leave when you are done, while still maintaining and running your small business.

Many workspaces come fully equipped and furnished with state-of-the-art technology, meeting and training facilities, and business support services. Because of these services, you may find a group of folks working at an open workstation area collaborating with people from a multitude of different companies, where they share best practices, leverage past experiences, and bring critical mass to the idea-generating process that is necessary in today’s chaotic marketplace.

Or, you may hear a woman listening to her voicemail on her laptop in the office coffee lounge. She’s able to do this not because her company bought her the latest iPhone, but because she was provided with unified messaging services via her office business center shared-services membership—a system that sells for tens of thousands of dollars is now available to her for a few dollars a month.

The future

The future may show your accountant reviewing the P/L statements for the last two years, looking a bit befuddled because on your 2009 statement, he sees rent expense, tenant insurance, office furniture and equipment, IT systems and support, and the full-time salary of an administrative assistant.

However, no such line items appear in your 2010 statement and the percentage change in net income is astounding. What radical change in standard operating procedure could produce such results?

Whether you need these services for one-time training and meeting events, once in a while for big presentations or videoconferencing, or more frequently as a place to “get stuff done,” your business needs can be met or enhanced at a workspace as many are a one-stop-shop for office services.

With a workspace or office business center, you can enjoy the state-of-the-art services they offer without the hassles of purchasing and maintaining the systems yourself.

Andrew Stack is the president of My Executive Center LLC. He can be reached through www.myexecutivecenter.com.

9 ways to attract and retain employees with benefits that don’t break the bank 

By Robyn A. Friedman    

Amy Ogden loves to volunteer. Over the years, she’s managed registration at a charity golf tournament, provided office assistance to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and presented a health and nutrition workshop to Girls Incorporated—and she’s done it all on company time.

Ogden, director of public relations at Clockwork Marketing Services Inc. in Ponte Vedra Beach, participates each year in “Volunteer Day,” sponsored by her employer. “This is always a special day for me,” she says. “Having my company’s support as I give back to the community is very meaningful.”

Paid time off is just one employee benefit offered by small businesses intent on keeping employees happy while containing costs. As the economy continues to struggle, businesses are looking for ways to reduce their overhead. Many cannot afford to give out raises or bonuses this year; others are cutting back on benefits.

But even with these cost-saving efforts, it’s essential for small businesses to continue to show employees that they care and appreciate their services. That’s one way to reduce costs associated with turnover, absenteeism, and sick time.

“Not giving out raises can have a real negative impact on employee morale and motivation,” says Dr. K. Habib Khan, acting dean of the School of Business at Stratford University in Falls Church, Va. “But if you take the time to show that you appreciate them during this rough economic time, they will be more likely to hang in there and remain dedicated and loyal employees.”

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), in 2010, organizations spent an average 19% of an employee’s annual salary on mandatory benefits, 18% on voluntary benefits, and 11% on pay for time-not-worked benefits. With these costs, it’s easy to see why employers would want to cut back on benefits as many struggle to survive.

Still, after a decline in the number of organizations offering employee benefits from 2008 to 2009, SHRM reports that employee benefits have remained relatively steady over the past 12 months, which is a promising sign.

Ways to reward

Many companies are trying to find ways to reward their employees without racking up additional bills. Here are nine ways to show your employees that you value them without breaking the bank:

•Paid time off. Even if it’s just one or two days per year, employees will appreciate it. “It’s important for each one of our employees to have a work/life balance,” says Jackie Artybridge, vice president of Clockwork Marketing Services. “It’s really stressful here, but we want everyone to be happy, and you need that balance.”

•Flexible scheduling. Some employees might prefer to work four 10-hour days per week and have three-day weekends. Others may enjoy working at home one day a week.

“We never, in the history of human resources, have had the opportunity we do now because of technology to have flexible scheduling,” says Robin Bullock, president of the Jacksonville chapter of SHRM. “There are a lot more of those types of benefits now because people can get very creative about what they offer.”

•Casual dress codes. Even if it’s just one day per week, such as “Casual Friday,” employees appreciate this benefit.

•Catered lunches. Nova Pressroom Products, a manufacturer of pressroom chemicals based in Jacksonville that has 15 employees, offers catered lunches once or twice a month.

“We’re a fairly new company, and we’re still in a growth mode, so we’re sort of skinny on benefits to begin with,” says Ron Rose, the company’s president. “We have medical insurance, but we do like to do things that help morale that aren’t terribly costly.”

•Discount medical and lifestyle benefits. Jacksonville Beach-based Practical Health Benefits sells a discount medical package that offers 15% to 50% discounts on dental care, 20% to 50%  off eyeglasses, pharmacy discounts, and a “Consult-a-Doctor” benefit—all for $15 per employee per month. He sells to both individuals and small and mid-sized businesses.

“We’ve seen an increase in our business,” says Steve McCann, the firm’s president. “This is a great complement for companies that have gone to higher deductible [health insurance] plans. For as little as $15 per month, you can expand your coverage and still save money.”

McCann also offers a $29.95 per month package that has 14 employee benefits, including roadside assistance, chiropractic care, and more.

•Wellness programs.  These can include gym memberships, massages, or educational programming designed to help employees make healthy choices. Wellness programs can also help reduce sick time and might lower health insurance premiums.

•Local discounts. Consider setting up trade relationships with other local businesses. For example, negotiate a deal with a local restaurant to offer a 20% discount on meals to your employees. That not only benefits your employees, but also helps the restaurant fill tables. You can work out similar deals with hotels, spas, or retail shops.

•Offer spot bonuses. Keep stashes of items on hand to occasionally give away to those going above and beyond the call of duty. These could be gift cards, concert or movie tickets, or free meal coupons.

•Celebrate milestones, both large and small. Instead of waiting for an employee’s 20th anniversary to celebrate, consider recognizing that individual at five years—and personalize the reward. If the employee likes skiing, for example, purchase lift tickets for them at their favorite ski resort—or concert tickets to a popular band.

One piece of advice to an employer seeking to come up with creative ways to compensate employees: You don’t have to spend a lot.

“Don’t overlook small benefits,” says SHRM’s Bullock. “There are benefits to a $10 gift certificate to the movies for an employee who loves movies.”

Watsie Petree, a dealer services manager for Nova Pressroom, enjoys the twice-monthly lunches catered by her employer. Her particular favorite is the barbecued pork, chicken, and ribs from a restaurant near the office.

“It makes you know that they care about you—and then you want to give back to them,” she says. “It’s good for moral when we all sit around the table and eat together and laugh. You could be eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

 Indeed, morale—as well as employee attraction and retention—are what it’s all about from the employer perspective.

“For a lot of small business owners, it’s really challenging to be able to pay for all the healthcare needs for your employees,” says Clockwork’s Artybridge. “But when employees know they’re valued, that makes a difference and causes an employee to want to serve and really do their best.”

Robyn A. Friedman is a contributing editor to Advantage. She can be reached at RAFWriter@att.net.

Employee benefits in a post-recession economy

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, even though employee benefits have remained relatively stable since 2009, benefits offerings have experienced a downward trend when compared with statistics from five years ago. Even noncash perks are being cut.

Here is the percentage of companies offering some creative or unusual benefits to their employees:

 Benefit                                                2006                                        2010

Dry cleaning services                          13%                                         7%

Pet health insurance                              5%                                         4%

Holiday parties                                    87%                                        79%

Milestone rewards                               76%                                        68%

Company picnic                                  66%                                         56%

Take Your Child to Work Day           38%                                        25%

Pets at work                                           4%                                           6%

(Source: Society for Human Resource Management, 2010 Employee Benefits Survey)