TEC Midwest Blog

2012 TEC Senior Managers' Program

2012-01-24T16:05:00.001-06:00

The first session of the 2012 TEC Senior Managers' Program on Feb. 7th in Milwaukee, and on Feb. 8th in Appleton, features Boaz Rauchwerger presenting, "How to Have Confidence and Power in Front of Any Group".

Boaz Rauchwerger will teach attendees how to become confident and highly effective in front of any group - from small group meetings to presentations before large audiences. He will share the techniques he has successfully used for many years to turn business leaders into powerful presenters.

Participants will leave with specific steps and outlines they will be able to easily use to organize and deliver great presentations with confidence. Not only will they be able to present with confidence, but they will have a list of specific ideas that will add power and effectiveness to any of their messages - delivered before any audience.

For more information about the Resource Specialist, his topic, the fee, or to register, please contact:

Rita Rehlinger at:
rita@tecmidwest.com
262-821-3340

Management: Cash flow is king, Get a handle on your company’s finances

2012-01-16T14:56:00.001-06:00

By TEC President Harry S. Dennis, III, originally published in BizTimes.

My thanks this month to well known Vistage (TEC) speakers Ron Fleisher and John Zaepfel for their useful insights on the subject of cash flow.

It’s probably fair to say that monthly or weekly cash flow statements don’t exactly make for the most exciting nighttime reading for the typical small company CEO. But after the income statement and balance sheet, this report is perhaps the most important of all.

We’ve all heard that “cash is king.” Running out of cash with nowhere to go spells the end to a business, regardless of how small or large.

A cash flow report should very simply tell you how much cash you have coming in and how much you have going out. It covers three distinct areas:

1. Operating cash flow. This statement indicates the amount of cash being disbursed to vendors, employees, debt payments (including rent) and taxes, offset by the inflow of cash from customers and short- or long-term investments.

2. Investment cash flow. Business owners or managers make short- and long-term investments from time to time.

3. Financing cash flow. This is cash used to finance the business, including the cost of leases for equipment.

These three statements in aggregate determine a firm’s overall cash flow.

The benefits of tracking

The experts recommend tracking cash flow over time because it’s a key indicator of the health of your business. A chart comparing this year’s cash flow with last year’s, month by month, will quickly expose negative trends.

Tracking does something else for you. It automatically adjusts for seasonal and industry trends. If you spot any other unfavorable trends, that’s a signal to start tracking cash flow much more frequently, such as daily. Specifically:

As an anchor point, always review cash flow monthly.

Look at your checkbook daily. Note the receipts and note the disbursements.
Document the cash you have on hand and calculate how long it will last if receipts stop coming in, for any reason.
Determine your working capital needs (current assets minus current liabilities) for the balance of the year, at minimum.

Undercapitalized businesses are always struggling to support a healthy cash flow business operating environment.

The problems exacerbate when the company experiences a spurt in growth or an unexpected slowdown. A mandate for every CEO is to constantly search for ways to improve the capital strength of the business. Not doing this may be the kiss of death.

Ways to improve cash flow

Let’s review some of the things you can do to improve cash flow. In TEC, these ideas have produced good results over the years:

1. Ask your bank to set up a “sweep” account for you. This is a bank account that automatically transfers amounts that exceed (or fall short of) a certain level into a higher interest earning investment option at the close of each business day. Commonly, the excess cash is swept into money market funds. The “sweep,” per se, varies from one bank to the next, but it’s a good way to get your hands on your cash sooner than later.

2. Go nuts over your receivables. Give your best customers discounts for quick payment of 10 days or less. Consider credit card payments, but only if the total cost to the credit card company justifies it.

3. If you carry inventories, do a physical inventory on them at least twice a year--quarterly if you know you have high inventory carrying costs. There’s nothing worse for your cash flow than low inventory turns, especially in-process inventories. With today’s technology, there’s no excuse for outmoded products sitting on the shelf. GPS has ushered in a whole new dimension of control.

4. When cash flow is tight, negotiate with your vendors for discounts or extended terms. That’s a must. This isn’t an issue of nickel or diming them. It’s asking them to do for you what you do for your better customers.

5. Renegotiate. Long-term agreements, especially leases, are always subject to re-negotiation. Again, the objective is to increase your cash flow.

6. Use pay-for-performance. This is probably the most popular alternative that our TEC members have instituted in the last seven years. Perform first, get paid second. But set the bar so that the pay reward is worth shooting for. It can be tied to bonus incentives, profit sharing plans and even deferred compensation plans for senior execs.

Conserving cash seems like such a mundane chore, doesn’t it? Pure growth is so much more fun.

Spending with absolutely no concern for the consequences seems to be the providence of the U.S. government. The rest of us out here, who play by the rules, need to heed the rules of cash.

Until next month, please remember: cash remains king!

Management: Be ready for the nuances of 2012

2011-12-13T14:56:00.000-06:00

By TEC President Harry S. Dennis, III, originally published in BizTimes.

It’s hard to believe that 2012 is just around the corner. The best word I would use to describe 2011 is tumultuous. Everything bad that could happen economically happened.

For small and medium-sized businesses, 2011 can best be described as unpredictable.

But businesses have endured because, for the past decade, they’ve learned to think about surviving first, and then about the good times that might lie ahead.

So this month, let’s take a look at the nuances for business planning next year and the variances we’ll be facing.

In statistical jargon, error variances explain the strangest things: a missile that unexpectedly deviates off course, an aircraft that crashes because of an instrument deviation, an airbag that deploys without warning, and so on.

We have variances in our business planning, too. Here are tips on how to deal with them.

Sales projections

In the good old days, we were accustomed to talking about the 90/80/70 percent variance contingencies. The assumption was you began with a 100 percent optimistic sales plan.

If, after one quarter, it was obvious that you were overly optimistic, you would start working the 90 percent plan. You’d throttle back your cost-of-goods sold and net operating profit projections. Usually, plans for capital expenses would remain in place, but with “delay” written next to them.

If, after two quarters, it was clear that your projected revenues wouldn’t be greater than 80 percent of your plan, you’d cut back across the board on things such as capital expansion, hiring employees, new lease commitments and so on.

Once you determined that your company was unable to exceed a 70 percent annual revenue target, you might start laying off employees, possibly eliminating entire shifts if necessary. You needed to enforce extreme cash savings measures too.

The nuances or variances associated with 2012 almost guarantee that manufacturing and service firms will experience these roller coaster rides.

Why plan at all under these conditions, you ask? Because this is truly the new normal. As much as we despise it, it won’t end anytime soon. Being prepared is almost a myth, in fact.

Intra-business stability

On Dec. 23, 2010, Air Force Magazine reported, American troops in Kabul, Afghanistan, were in their usual high alert and conducting assault training exercises at city central.

The training was to create a sense of internal “business as usual” operational stability among the troops. Likewise, any business operating from a contingency plan can continue to train and retrain employees to meet the unexpected.

Any procedure that might fit under the rubric of standard operating procedure needs to be re-examined.

Business slowdowns present a great opportunity to take on projects that usually fall between the cracks during busy times. One of our favorite projects at TEC is work flow, especially computer-to-computer or network-to-network.

I’d place website upgrades into that category. Good websites are upgraded three to four times a year. When was the last time yours was upgraded?

Seizing global opportunities

For the past year, the stock market has been reminding us in knee-jerk fashion that the effects of global events, primarily those dealing with the economy and banks in European countries, are so severe that they may as well be happening to our next door neighbor.

But dismal global reports are offset by continuing super strides in countries like China, India and, most prominently, Brazil. The challenge to the United States is how to let smaller businesses claim a piece of these growing pies. This is one solution to abating the 90/80/70 percent revenue syndrome.

Something more than determination is really needed. When I hear a company say, “We’re just a regional business and don’t have the wherewithal to go elsewhere,” it reminds me of a former TEC company that made the move quite successfully.

At the time, they were in the phone booth and telephone enclosure business, serving Ma Bell for the most part. Due to the onslaught of cell technology, phone booths became dinosaurs almost overnight. With perseverance, the company opened up Third World markets in places such as India, Indonesia, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.

Net result? The business was saved. You might recognize the company’s name: Fortec.

Bring it on

It used to be that the only two things we could really count on were death and taxes. I think we can safely add a third one: the world of business nuance as seen in a string of unexpected variances.

Until next month, and a new calendar year, may these nuances work for you, not against you.

Human Resources: A sneak peak at tomorrow’s workforce

2011-12-09T12:00:00.002-06:00

By TEC President Harry S. Dennis, III, originally published in BizTimes.

Some of us will still be in management positions in 2021.

That means that, right now, there are 12-year-olds in grade school who may be junior employees at your company in what seems like a few short years.

Here’s a quick primer to remind us where we were and where we are now. My thanks to TEC resource, Dr. Gustavo Grodnitzky, for this review.

The Silent Generation

This group was born between 1925 and 1945. Many have left the workforce. But many also have re-entered in part time or other vocational areas, simply to make ends meet in this economy.

Several of our TEC chairs and staff, including yours truly, fall into this category. We’re also called “rationalists.” We are loyalists and principled in our commitment to one company or one occupation during our careers. We’re not known as extreme risk-takers. We accept the pluses and minuses that any job has to offer. We’re good company role models, as well.

The Baby Boomers

Born between 1946 and 1964, they’re called boomers because so many were babies created after GIs returned from World War II. Boomers are driven to excel. They want steady job progression and the wealth and materialistic rewards that come with it. These folks introduced the idea of the 60- and 80-hour work weeks. They equate effort and time invested with their expectations of financial and material return.

Generation X

Xers were born between 1965 and 1981. Unlike the Boomers, they want work/life balance. They’re more focused on the productivity and efficiency required to get the job done in 40 hours or less. This gives them the balance to pursue interests outside of work, such as families, hobbies, a healthy lifestyle, and so on.

Generation Y

Yers were born between 1982 and 2000. They’re also known as Millennials, reflecting the symbolic change to the 21st Century. Unlike Xers who are preoccupied with work/life balance, Yers have trouble making the distinction between this semantic dichotomy. Instead, they prefer a blended lifestyle. In other words, they hold very close what they think is important in their work life. They equally value what’s important in their personal life. Yers are complex and more difficult to understand and manage than Xers and Boomers. You can see the differences here:

Time. Grodnitzky talks about employers shifting from a traditional time-keeping methodology to a progressive one, which he describes as paid time off, or PTO. PTO replaces personal time, sick time and vacation time. Basically, it says to the Yer, “You are an adult. Use your time wisely and fairly so it doesn’t detract from your job responsibilities.”
Flexibility. The close cousin of time is flexibility. And the close cousin of flexibility is pay that is tied to performance results, not a time clock. Pay for performance is catching on at a number of TEC companies. But most will tell you that having the right metrics in place to measure performance is critical. This means that whether a Yer is working in the office, on the road, or at home, you should expect the same performance results.
Personal Growth. I have found that Yers have the highest quest for personal growth and knowledge among all the employee groups mentioned above. A savvy employer will give them opportunities to grow.
Relationships. A Yer’s relationship with supervisors is critical to how long they stay at your company. Boomer supervisors, in particular, need training on how to relate to the Y generation.
Cause. Yers are most effective when they can relate to and embrace causes. Your mission statement or vision or “why we do what we do” statements are places to begin. But the message must be meaningful, short, to the point and engaging. Otherwise, Yers won’t really care.

Generation Z and beyond

Next, we have Generation Z, sometimes defined as those born anywhere from the mid-1990s and early 2000s through to the present.

They’re raised on the Internet, adept at multi-tasking, able to sift through large amounts of information quickly and eager to share what they’ve found.

They, and the other generations before them, will make up the workplace a decade from now. Here’s what employees in our future workforce might look like:

They will be a weighted composite of boomers, Xers, and Yers, with the Yers weighted the highest.
Their speed of output will double from today’s standard.
Marriage and children will not be a significant goal for them.
Mobility coupled with job stimulation will be a high priority.
They will have an Internet business in addition to their primary vocation.
They will show fierce independence, but exceptional work pride, with multi-talent capabilities.

That’s the view, a decade from now. Until next month, what else do you see?

4th Quarter Productivity: Make the season work

2011-11-30T09:18:00.000-06:00

You and your team have been working hard all year. First quarter, second quarter, third quarter, and now rounding towards – a holiday party? Even if the holidays are your favorite time of year, it’s hard not to worry that productivity could be sidetracked by distractions during 4th quarter. So how can we get the numbers where we need them without turning into Scrooge?

Checking it twice: Start by assuring that your Human Resources department has sent out a list of your company holidays and time-off policy well ahead of time. You may want to suggest a deadline when all requests need to be in order to be considered for priority.

All is calm: Have your Project Management team conduct more resource planning check-ins and detailed time-off calendars to assure your planned work is covered. Since distractions and time-offs during this time of year are a given, build some extra time into each project. Be sure to include any of your holiday parties into the work schedule, too.

Shake the tree: Your Sales team should follow up with prospects one more time to see if any year-end sales can be added. A sales challenge with a respectable prize can be tied in with your holiday theme. Don’t forget that some clients may have annual budgets to use or lose. Propose concepts that bring some last minute value and lead to more work in the new year.

Setting a jovial tone during the holidays can motivate your team to face year-end challenges with determination. Accept that some decline in productivity is a reality at many companies this time of year. Showing your teams gratitude, tolerance, and flexibility in the face of holiday time-off requests can make the hours they are at work as productive as ever. And proving that you are there to hold down the fort no matter what is a great way to remind your team that we still have a job to do.

Text vs. Email vs. Call: Etiquette for Today's Technology Obsessed Culture

2011-11-22T13:17:00.000-06:00

Perhaps more than any time in history, the variety of communication tools at our disposal is greater than ever. As valuable as they have proven to be, when it comes to the electronic communication tools, all platforms are not created equal – nor were they meant to be treated as such. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind to keep the electronic channels of communication running smoothly.

First and foremost, when establishing a relationship with a potential client, find out which communication method they prefer. If you’re not in the habit already, ask them when you share business cards. With existing clients, it’s best to reply in whichever method they use, unless for security reasons, it does not meet your company policy.

Similarly, at hire, be sure to let your employees know how you prefer to receive messages. In management positions, it is easy to spend critical hours of your day reading and replying to emails. As with paper correspondence, if you do not have enough time in the day to monitor and reply to your electronic inbox, have an assistant field and filter your incoming messages for you.

Texting: A short message might mean a short business relationship

While useful at times, most of us know that texting is not a good way to conduct any serious conversations. Sure, it can be a great way to alert your team with a status update when you are offsite but for anything important, ask yourself if an email wouldn’t be better. If a client requests that you message them, it’s best to start the text by asking if they are available to IM at that moment. And mind the spellcheck – sometimes your smartphone can do some not-so-smart things with your intended words.

Email: If it’s good enough for the Queen

Queen Elizabeth was the first head of state to send an email way back in 1976. Since then, email has replaced the majority of business communication that goes on in almost every office. It’s reputation as a good way to conduct business has changed from a novelty to a necessity. When is the last time someone told you they didn’t have an email address? As a CEO, you should draft your emails to clients in the same way you would a typed letter, letterhead, signature and all. Or, if you wish to send an even more formal message, attach a PDF of your electronic letter. Email continues to be a great way to establish a time-stamped electronic papertrail, as well as a great data storage service.

Telephone: Still a valid way to ring up a few more sales

In some offices, the ring of a phone is nearly extinct, in favor of email. Yet there are scenarios where nothing can express your personality like a phone call or video-conference. Your tone can easily get lost in email, and often times, that is the only way your authenticity can truly come through. Not only is your tone more clear, the tone and reaction of your client is more apparent. If you are gifted in the art of conversation, you can learn a lot about your client’s comfort level just by listening. Of course, if the situation is delicate, nothing beats a face-to-face conversation.

Depending on the tech savvy-ness of your business, you probably have a sense of which messages are best suited for which technology. Company guidelines have probably morphed over the years, and often times a CEO will be the one who sets the standard.

Take note of how the business communications of your team are being delivered. Are your employees sending abrupt text message to an important lead? Is an eco-conscious client being sent paper invoices? Maybe it’s time to review your own practices and set some new ground rules. Year-end might be a good time to revisit your communication methods with your clients and coworkers.

Lessons Learned Part 1: CEO Case Study – Netflix’s Reed Hastings

2011-11-10T15:47:00.000-06:00

“I messed up,” began Netflix CEO Reed Hastings in a September 18th blog post and email to customers. Such a straightforward and personal acceptance of responsibility should have set the tone for an apology that would make it easy for customers to forgive and forget, so why did it only fuel a backlash against his company?

As you likely know by now, Hastings was not apologizing for raising prices and complicating things for his customers by separating DVD rental and streaming services. No, he apologized for the way the company mishandled the way they broke the news. “It is clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked respect and humility in the way we announced the separation of DVD and streaming, and the price changes,” the post continued. “That was certainly not our intent, and I offer my sincere apology.”

Hastings went on to announce even more changes, separating the services into two companies with two pay structures, demonstrating that he clearly hadn’t heard any of the original concerns. He even seemed to poke fun at the fact that they had raised prices instead of confronting it head on, creating an even wider chasm in appearing not to take concerns seriously.

But what could he have done differently? Public apologies are never easy, but could he have done better? Here are some things we can learn from Hastings’ ordeal, should we ever find ourselves in a similar unenviable position.

Be authentic – Hastings’ apology was hardly clear or unambiguous, making it much less effective. A direct response to customer concerns is the only way to make it clear you mean what you say, and the only way to avoid further apologies to clarify your statements.

Respond immediately – Netflix announced their plans to increase rates on July 12th, and Hastings’ half-hearted apology came September 18th. As the immediate onslaught of 5,000+ comments in response to his blog post will attest, his mea culpa could have come earlier. The lag time made it appear his hand was finally forced.

Be personal – Hastings could certainly have appeared more contrite if he had looked his customers in the eye in a press conference, and invited questions. Instead, he pushed out an unexpected and faceless email with carefully constructed language, and engaged in no immediate Q&A.

Be humble – Hastings titled his post, “An Explanation and Some Reflections”, which immediately strikes a defensive tone. “An Apology and Some Reconsiderations” may have gone further to win back the hearts of those he may have alienated. He declared many new changes to be “necessary”, which implies his audience feel as if they have no voice (and has since gone back on some of the company’s major plans, now demonstrating that they were never necessitated in the first place).

As is the case with any CEO, Hastings is free to run his company as he sees fit, and his customers and stakeholders will decide how he’s doing. But we can all learn some lessons when facing up to our mistakes, no matter how public or private. It will help us personally, and help the company maintain credibility long-term.

CEO Behavior Sets the Tone for the Entire Enterprise

2011-11-03T13:40:00.001-05:00

It’s tempting to dismiss clichés such as, “actions speak louder than words”, but in a leadership role, it’s vital to understand that your personal and corporate behavior will influence your entire organization.

Now, we’re not going to state the obvious about engaging in illegal or inappropriate activities that will put the company at risk. The behavior we want to focus on here is more subtle. We’re not telling you to change your lifestyle, just to remain aware that small things can make a big difference in the way you influence group behavior.

As a leader, you want and expect the respect of those around you. With that respect comes responsibility, as those who look to you for behavioral signals will – naturally – follow your lead.

Do you expect your employees to remain positive, excited to be at work? Then you must appear positive and excited by way of motivation.

What are your values as a company? The words that you want others to use when describing your company should also describe the way you conduct your daily business.

Are you actively involved in the daily business of all departments? Don’t micromanage, but remain available and communicate openly, transparently.

What do you want your company to have their sights set on? Make sure you are focusing on that same goal in your own work.

It’s the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The way you perform and the expectations you have of the group are vital to the culture of your organization. Make sure to meet or exceed the expectations you place on others’ performance.

Remember, people are watching. Yes, part of leadership is about making decisions for the company, but you can also help individuals make positive decisions by managing your own words and behavior for a positive outcome.

Actions DO speak louder than words, so show – don’t just tell.

Suffering from Shiny Object Syndrome: How Leaders Often Fall Victim to the Latest and Greatest, Not Best

2011-10-26T15:39:00.001-05:00

The rate at which technology and media platforms are evolving is increasing to the point where it’s a full time job just to keep up on trends and new offerings. With all the hype that comes with launch after launch of next-gen hardware and functionality, how do you filter out the noise and know what truly is the next big thing? More importantly, how do you know if it’s right for your business?

It’s called Shiny Object Syndrome. It takes your eye off the ball, and distracts you from what’s important. And we’re all guilty of it from time to time. We never lose that desire to be the first kid on the block with that cool new toy, so it’s tempting to give in to the hype and thrill of discovery. But what if something bigger and better comes along tomorrow? It’s vital to your success that you’re able to know what’s right for you.

How can you stay immune to Shiny Object Syndrome? Of course, there’s no vaccine, but these steps will help take a measured approach to jumping on the latest and greatest.

Take a deep breath. Don’t make any immediate decisions. The initial hype that comes with any launch is overwhelming, and that’s what the marketers are counting on. Complete some things on your to-do list. They might not be as exciting, but you’ll feel better about what you’re already doing once you see them through.

Seek advice. You’re not in this alone. Consult your board, or ask any of the tech savvy people you’ve hired for their expertise. They’ll keep you focused on your company’s business priorities, and will be able to tell you if you’re going to be derailed.

How much will it cost? There’s a learning curve that comes with any new technology or product. Do you have the manpower and monetary cushion to dedicate? Will it pay off in the end?

Keep it simple. If this is the right solution for your business, it won’t over-complicate things. If it’s not simple, you might find your workforce and your customers frustrated and overwhelmed.

It’s good to keep your eyes on the shifting landscape to look for new opportunities. And your company won’t get very far if you’re not willing to try new things and take the occasional risk. But stay focused. Newness wears off. And if something has staying power, it won’t matter that your company was the first to get there. It only matters that you are the company that makes the best use of the product or offering in a way that makes the most sense.

The dangers of nepotism: what to watch out for, and how to make it work

2011-10-19T16:11:00.002-05:00

In our culture, nepotism in the workplace is generally viewed negatively, often with good reason. Hiring a friend or relative is fraught with pitfalls that can affect many important aspects of your business. But can it ever work?

Tread lightly

Let’s begin by exploring some serious consequences that can arise when your company hires a new employee to work with a personal connection to someone in a position of influence.

• Morale: We live in a meritocracy where most of us expect hard work, loyalty, and talent to be rewarded. So it’s no surprise that there is resentment and a decline in productivity when it’s perceived someone got ahead without paying their dues.

• Unqualified leaders: Important positions may well be held by someone who isn’t ready to lead. This will ultimately become a barrier to success. It also affects your ability to attract top talent, retain your best people, and have a diversity of perspectives.

• Drama: Nepotism can be just plain messy. The difficulties that happen outside the office can make their way into workplace dynamics. And if someone is underperforming, firing them will become awkward, to say the least. At worst, this can lead to discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuits.

What to do?

Sometimes nepotism is unavoidable, and even a positive, as is the case in towns where specific skills are at a premium. Smaller, family-owned businesses demonstrate how shared knowledge among likeminded individuals can help a business thrive. But how can you minimize its negative impact?

• Observe: Monitor workplace dynamics, and make sure all personal relationships are disclosed for transparency’s sake. Some companies ask employees to fill out an annual conflict-of-interest report to disclose all personal relationships and how they may have benefited.

• Accountability: Encourage those with the personal relationship to hold each other accountable. If he or she fails, it reflects poorly on both parties. As a result, often the beneficiary will work harder than anyone to prove themselves.

• Be prepared: From a Human Resources standpoint, make sure your company has an official policy on nepotism. Ask your HR specialists to keep up on all state and federal laws relating to the matter, and have a detailed plan of action to any potential problems.

Do what’s best

Nepotism isn’t a black-and-white issue. Perhaps it’s not the best idea, but common sense can make sure you don’t need to forbid it outright. In the end, the best policy is hiring the most qualified person for the job.

Performance evaluations: How to get real insights into your performance as a boss.

2011-10-12T14:58:00.001-05:00

As leaders, we’ve all been asked to give honest feedback on others’ performance. Great leaders strive to inspire others to achieve their best. Performance evaluations are a time where you can provide valuable advice to help a team member improve. It is best to have regular meetings with your team to discuss these areas outside of the formal process, but nonetheless, feedback is always valuable.

However, when it comes to hearing feedback on your own performance, does your team have the same motivation to help you succeed or are they afraid of saying something negative because you’re their boss? How can you be sure you’re getting honest feedback? How can you take the reviews you are given and dive deeper into concrete advice?

Begin with a self-evaluation and objectively analyze your own achievements and mistakes. You are your hardest critic so identifying areas you know you want to improve can be a starting point when reading evaluations.

Strive to find peers to evaluate you. While it’s important to hear from those you manage, they might not always be honest for fear of losing their job. Look to your board of directors and managers of other departments. While your work with them might be less intensive, they understand the type of feedback required of someone at your level.

If there is no other executive peer to help you receive feedback, ask clients or other TEC members to weigh in on the professional qualities that they have seen in you. They may have advice on whom to go to within your organization for help.

What is the most important piece of feedback you’ve ever received? In your experience, does your personal feedback get more descriptive or more vague as you move up in leadership?

Independent Contractors vs. Full Time Employees: Things to consider

2011-10-05T12:59:00.000-05:00

Whether you are growing a small business or downsizing a large firm, the decision to hire an independent contractor over a full time employee can sometimes be a tough decision. Each case has its pluses and minuses, but you can help serve your immediate goals, as well as your long term ones, by weighing these considerations.

Loyalty

There's a lot to be said for the commitment you can get from a full time employee. By bringing someone on board full time, you're getting a dedicated player on your team only. Would you trust a freelancer with your secret recipe? Probably not, but you might hire one to do the cooking. Independent contractors rarely work for just one company, so there are always levels of confidentiality to be considered.

Flexibility

If you are looking for someone to fill a role within a limited timeframe, an independent contractor can be ideal. At the same time, a contractor may come with some constraints of their own, especially in regards to their hours and availability. What about flexibility in skill set? Since contractors are by name contracted to perform a specialized skill, they may not be able to jump in and multi-task in other departments as readily as your long term employees. But in many cases, that is not a deal-breaker.

Responsibility

Clearly, any new hire can be an expensive undertaking. The pros you can get from a permanent team member are often counterbalanced by the cons: the cost of benefits and overhead. In many ways, hiring a full time employee feels like a partnership, whereas your relationship with a contractor is more of a business agreement. You may feel more sense of responsibility towards an employee as a provider. In turn, they may feel more responsible for the success of your company. The importance you place on an employee’s sense of personal investment in your company may be key in helping you decide.

Whether you are looking for a way to cut costs or are merely in need of temporary resources, knowing when to hire an independent contractor over an employee can streamline your operations. Sometimes the line between the two can be gray, so be sure to know the difference in these classifications when you hire, as interest and tax penalties apply.

What are the questions you ask yourself when deciding between an independent contractors and a permanent employee?

Market research, the backbone of all business decisions

2011-09-28T08:37:00.000-05:00

Last week we discussed that with the shift in color on the leaves comes the time to address how to overcome resistance to change in your organization. Our most recent TEC Senior Managers’ Program lent insight into just that by understanding how to lead your employees through organizational changes.

How do organizations decide what changes are necessary in the first place? Just like with any decision we make in our daily lives, the process begins with gathering all relevant information, weighing the pros and cons and analyzing where opportunities and risks lie. Once that is complete, an educated decision can be made.

When making decisions on behalf of an organization, the variables and stakes are greater. So how do you begin to gather and stay current with all the pertinent information when it involves an entire organization or industry? Market research. Conducting regular, and specific, market research is vital to the growth and success of your business.

As stated in an article on The Business Plan website, without market research, it’s like packing for a trip without checking the weather conditions at your destination. The article also shares specific decisions that market research helps, including:

-    Whether or not to enter a market
-    Whether or not to launch a new product
-    Whether to continue with a service based on customer satisfaction
-    Compare the sales performance of your product to your competitors

For the full list, click here.

How have you used market research to make a critical business decision? Do you put more weight on some aspects of market research than others?

Turn with the leaves, Reflect on change this fall

2011-09-22T10:09:00.000-05:00

Photo:http://flic.kr/p/443iPE

Fall is a time where your senses are on overload -- the leaves begin to turn, the air becomes brisk, and the afternoon sun disappears more quickly. With your surroundings rapidly changing, your mind is forced to reflect on other revolving aspects of your life. Whether it’s how fast time has flown this summer or planning for company changes ahead, fall is a time to reflect on change.

However, oftentimes change overwhelms your employees. We learned from Dr. Jerry Jellison at the TEC Senior Managers’ Program how to effectively approach resistance to change, both at the individual and organizational level by using activation tools instead of persuasion. Tools to utilize include establishing open communication about change, tapping into your team’s creative skills to accelerate change, and establishing accountability to follow through on initiatives to complete change.

To begin the change implementation process and help your team overcome obstacles, reflect on a time when change was out of your control. Maybe it was moving somewhere new for school or work. Perhaps it was witnessing your company complete a merger or acquisition. Resistance to change is an emotional cliff. Taking time to think about what emotions are or will be present when change is on the horizon, will help you avoid the many ways leaders inadvertently create resistance to change. Taking a step back will also help build the trust of your team while you all go through a major transition.

How do you help your team overcome resistance to change? In your experience, what strategies work the best to facilitate seamless transitions?

Management: Disclosure

2011-09-21T09:13:00.000-05:00

By Harry Dennis for BizTimes Milwaukee

You’re the owner or senior manager of a small- to medium-sized privately-held business. One day, an employee asks you:

What are our annual revenues?
What are our gross profits?
What are our operating profits?
How much does the owner take out?

Oops. Are you ready for this? Do you have a company policy regarding financial disclosure?

This month, I’ll explain the pros and cons, and then leave the decision up to you. Among our TEC members, the pendulum swings from one end to the other on this issue. Here are some examples:

“We have been a ‘closed” company for 100 years. The family has never shared anything outside the family.”
“We have a gain-sharing program in place. Our employees know our operating expenses and profits, and we share with them at that level.”
“I share everything. Why shouldn’t I? Our employees know I took a great risk buying the assets of this company when it went belly-up with the prior owner.”
“We share selectively on a ‘who should know’ basis. Everyone gets some information. No one gets all the information.”

Advantages of sharing information
First and foremost, it’s an issue of trust. The more you disclose in terms of financial performance, then the less likely that employees will complain that they always end up on the short end of the stick when it comes to raises or benefits, or especially employee concessions.

Second, it’s an issue of simply being informed. Every employee survey I’ve ever seen done by TEC members over the last 38 years always gets the same answer to the question, “How well do you think your company keeps you informed about its performance?”

Employees thirst for knowledge about your company. I hate to be the purveyor of bad news. But your e-mails, tweets and newsletters, in whatever form, do not get the job done. Disclosure, in face-to-face meetings with employees, is the answer, if you truly want your employees to feel that they’re informed.

Third, there are counterproductive rumors whether you have 15 employees or 500. The less employees know about financial performance the last quarter, the more they will fill in the blanks. Rumor always emphasizes the negative, not the positive.

Don’t kid yourself. Rumors affect morale and productivity. It’s like a bad infection. And it isn’t good for business. Disclosure squelches rumors and replaces them with facts, whether the news is good or bad.

The disadvantages
First, opening Pandora’s Box may confuse employees. Disclosure companies invest valuable time helping employees understand what the numbers mean – not just lines on computer graphs. There’s no point about talking gross profit results for the past 30 days if an employee has no clue about what gross profit means.

If you don’t handle the education process correctly, it leads to comments like, “They’re just trying to pull the wool over our eyes.”

Second, the issue is complicated if your company has a union. Your contract might address issues such as disclosure. The union might even have the right to approve or disapprove of financial disclosures not covered in the contract.

Third, in some companies, the performance results are totally due to the result of outside influences, none of which can be affected by employee performance. This is especially true in pure commodity firms, because performance results are determined solely by market influence.

Finally, there’s the subtle issue of owner compensation, in whatever form it might take. My personal preference is to keep this out of the financial disclosure discussion, because each business owner has a different set of ownership circumstances.

In TEC, I know I’m speaking for many of our CEOs who would say that they would never extract more financial reward from their companies than justified.

I believe strongly that while the pendulum still swings from one end of the other regarding financial disclosure, very few of our TEC members favor complete non-disclosure.

Until next month, I hope you’re doing the right thing for yourself, your people and your business.

Technology to make your work life easier

2011-09-14T15:25:00.002-05:00

With today’s technology and the rapid increase of smart phone usage, there are many new tools available to help organize your work life. However, learning more about each of these new technologies that are available to us, and choosing the right one, can be an overwhelming (adventure).

Whether you’re a prolific mobile user or if you’re just looking for the right tool to help you organize your workflow process, we’ve organized a listing of a few of the most popular applications for busy business professionals.

Photo: http://flic.kr/p/7ykQ19

Important Information Storage

One headache often encountered at work is having too many documents in too many different places. Whether you have files stored on your desktop, notes scribbled on napkins, or a briefcase overflowing with papers – quickly finding what you need can be challenging. Tools like Evernote and Dropbox store your important documents (files, photos, to-do lists, etc.), make them searchable and best of all, easily accessible wherever you are – and from any mobile device or computer.

Mobile Communications

For the traveling business professional, email isn’t always the ideal form of communication. For example, when trying to coordinate with your team in real-time, such as meeting up with a group at a conference, you might find value in a group text application. GroupMe helps you work more efficiently than sifting through otherwise lengthy threads of emails. If you’re out of the office a lot, it’s important to maintain that face-to-face contact with your team and clients around the globe. Skype offers features like group video calling, group screen sharing and file sharing, so that business can resume as usual when you’re not physically present.

Contact Lists and Relationship Management

Today, your professional contacts aren’t just on a business card in a Rolodex on your desk. They are in your email lists, your social networks and your mobile phone – all of which cross paths with your personal contacts. Losing track of an important email or a text message at work is unacceptable. Tools like Gist and Xobni help you categorize your contacts and keep your messages from all platforms in one place. Available in beta for Android mobile devices, the hot app is Meshin, an information communications application that makes you even more productive by unifying your email, texts, phone calls, and social messages into a single, intuitive interface.

What do you struggle with organizationally? What tools are you currently using the most to help keep your work life in order?

TEC presents Senior Managers' Program with Dr. Jerry Jellison

2011-09-13T10:19:00.000-05:00

TEC is thrilled to host Dr. Jerry Jellison at the 4th session of the 2011 TEC Senior Managers’ Program. Using the J Curve model of change that he developed, Jellison will present “Overcoming Resistance to Change” and explain how senior managers and leaders can accelerate the change process. By understanding people’s thoughts and feelings at each of the five stages of the J Curve, it is possible to help people over the emotional cliff that produces resistance.

In this session, TEC members and guests will discover techniques to:

•    Understand the human dynamics of change at the 5 stages of the J Curve
•    Build the trust of your team to go through a major implementation
•    Create realistic and positive expectations for the change process
•    Establish a common language for discussing change
•    Avoid the limits of persuasion and start using activation influence tools
•    And many more tools to build enthusiasm for continual change

Sessions will be held the following dates and locations:

September 13, 2011 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
September 14, 2011 in Appleton, Wisconsin
October 19, 2011 in Grand Rapids, Michigan

To learn more about this event and how to register, please contact:

Rita Rehlinger at:
rita@tecmidwest.com
262-821-3340

Keeping that back to school feeling in the workplace

2011-09-07T15:24:00.001-05:00

It’s that time of year again – back to school time. A time when everything changes, the leaves, your schedule, your routine, and a sense of excitement and enthusiasm generates for what lies ahead.

How can we maintain that feeling and incorporate into our daily work life?

Make time for learning. We can get so wrapped up in our work that we sometimes put our professional development and growth second. One way to be proactive is to make a commitment to seek out and read industry news and leadership books. Another way is through professional groups. TEC members are held accountable, by mentors and group members, to continually share knowledge that promotes individual growth and benefits the group as a whole.

Analyze academically. Often times we rely on our experience and working knowledge as the supporting elements for leadership decisions. Alter your thinking to an academic approach to ignite healthy debate and idea share: Propose a thesis, supply supporting evidence, defend against questioning from others.

Start a classroom. Talk to your human resources team for opportunity to literally study. Find out what is available to you and your team such as lunch and learns, webinars, conferences and conventions.

How do you promote active learning in your organization? What is the most difficult aspect in maintaining professional growth and development?

Celebrating your greatest assets this Labor Day, Your team

2011-08-31T09:58:00.000-05:00

Photo: http://flic.kr/p/5dfN2X

As members and leaders of TEC, we understand the value our people and relationships, whether it’s between a TEC member and a Chair or a CEO and his/her employees, play in our personal and business success. Through our mentoring program and one-on-one sessions, we give leaders the tools they need to inspire others because with passionate employees, organizations thrive.

As Labor Day approaches, it is important to celebrate your largest asset – your employees. While sometimes thought of as the last hurrah of the summer, there are ways to make this Labor Day mean more for you and your team.

Reflect. When the kids return to school this year many will be asked to write the tradition “What I did this summer” paper. Why not make this a writing assignment for your company newsletter? Vacation stories and family photos are great reminders of what we all work so hard for all year long.

Reward. As you reflect back on your summer, Labor Day is a great time to assess the year-to-date in general. Words of encouragement to your team members this month can set the tone for your whole fourth quarter. Who has made great strides so far this year? Be sure to let them know. Anything from a small gift to a bonus day is a nice gesture to those who may have had to put extra hours in during the summer months to cover employees out on vacation.

Regroup. September can be the perfect time to set year-end goals and finish the year strong. Creating a fourth-quarter challenge, small or large, is great way to build momentum heading into fall. Invite your team to a discovery session to set any last year-end strategies, goals and objectives to encourage full participation and an “all-in” mentality.

How do you celebrate your employees? What do you do to fire up your team for fall?

Leveraging an Inspirational Speaker for Personal Growth

2011-08-24T10:25:00.000-05:00

One of the ways TEC promotes the growth of its members is with high-caliber inspirational speakers. From regular TEC group meetings to the annual Inspirational Leadership event, TEC provides ample opportunities to network and learn from inspiring leaders from across the nation.

Following these events, TEC members return to their organizations with new insights, ideas and passions. However, sometimes it is difficult to translate everything you’ve learned to your employees and the post-event excitement can fizzle out in a matter of days without implementing or sharing any initial ideas.

Below are a few ways to help you get the most out of inspirational speaking events.

Invite a friend. Whether it’s another member of your organization or a mentor, hearing from an inspirational speaker with someone who is familiar with you and your company will allow you to share ideas and receive personalized feedback. Schedule a check-in with your guest in the weeks following the presentation to digest the information and help hold yourself accountable to implementing any initial ideas.

Write it down. Taking notes during a presentation is valuable to trigger your thoughts later. Revisit your notes shortly after the event and organize your thoughts while they’re still fresh in your mind. Share your notes and insights with your team in an informal meeting or written summary to evaluate which points resonate with them to encourage team participation and adoption of new changes.

In your experience, what strategies have succeeded to get the most out of a keynote speaker? How do you maintain your passion and excitement following an event?

People sell products, not the other way around

2011-08-17T09:39:00.001-05:00

Photo: http://flic.kr/p/4qAhiw

Whether you’re a small business owner or the CEO of a large corporation, you understand the key to outselling the competition and satisfying your customer is with a high quality product. Especially in today’s economy, consumers and companies are tightening their wallets yet still expect the same level of quality and customer service. While the product is what they buy, a strong relationship and personal connection with people is what keeps them from shopping around.

As leaders, you must recognize this and provide your employees with the tools necessary to build bonds with and maintain your customers.

Create community and trust. When employees identify themselves with your company, they make great brand ambassadors that share a glimpse of your company’s culture and values with each person they meet. To foster this positive perception, work to hire employees who have both the needed professional experience and possess values similar to that of your company.

Share information across all disciplines. Each one of your employees is the face of your organization, not just the sales team, and each has the opportunity and capability to go the extra mile to build external relationships. You never know whom your employees will meet in their daily life and your next referral could come from anyone, in any department. Equip everyone in your organization with the tools they need to accurately describe and “sell” your services by providing company updates to all employees via regular meetings or an internal newsletter.

How have you added to your employee’s tool kit so they can better represent your organization? What is the most challenging aspect of creating employee brand ambassadors?

Coaching 101: How to build a successful team

2011-08-10T09:56:00.000-05:00

Photo: http://flic.kr/p/69xpq3

As members of TEC, leaders are exposed to best practices in business, utilize work and personal experience to mentor others and gain valuable insights in order to inspire others. TEC members and Chairs invest their time developing these skills so their organizations and groups can succeed.

But what really makes a team successful? Newseek Magazine states very simply that winning teams win because they have the best players and a coach who knows how to make the sum greater than the parts. Seems easy enough. Using this simple sports analogy, and considering a few of the points shared in the article, below are three important aspects to build a winning team.

Pick your roster. While its high-scoring talent may categorize a successful team, if the individual’s personality doesn’t mesh well with the team, it’s a recipe for disaster. As a leader, you must recognize that no matter how much experience you have mentoring others or how much personal time you invest in an individual’s development, you can’t change behavior and personality. Evaluate each team member and choose those that align best with your company’s values and culture over those with the most experience.

Share your playbook. On a sports team, each member knows exactly what their position is and what they’re responsible for. It is important to let your team members know where they stand and what they need to work on to ensure the team succeeds. Also, make sure your game plan is transparent. By knowing and understanding the competition, your vision for the future, or your weakness in the marketplace, your team members will have a greater sense of how their individual efforts impact the larger picture.

Foster trust. On the court, if a team doesn’t trust each other, players are hesitant, afraid to make mistakes and don’t perform to their full potential. It’s the same in the workplace. Trust between a team creates an environment of idea sharing, risk taking and innovation because team members feel confident their ideas are supported. The first step in creating trust within a team begins with an honest leader. By being sincere in your communications, your team will learn to communicate honestly with each other. Continue to build up trust by celebrating successes often and acknowledge what and who worked well to promote continued success.

What is the first thing you consider when building your team? In your experience, what coaching techniques have helped, or hindered, your team’s achievements?

Handling Changes to Command with Grace, Part 2: Leaving with poise

2011-08-03T10:46:00.001-05:00

Photo: http://flic.kr/p/8tt4za

In last week's blog post we discussed how to prepare for higher positions within your organization and how it affects those around you. The same can be said when leaving a position of leadership.

There are many factors to think about when deciding to leave a company. Whether it’s for relocation, a greater opportunity or a better fit, quitting your job is about what’s best for you and your career. However, others are obviously affected.

Before you make the big announcement, there are necessary steps to take to ensure your transition out is seamless for those around you.

Stay positive. As a leader, you are looked up to in your organization. A positive attitude is just as important before your announcement as afterward. If your behavior is obviously different in the weeks and months leading up to your leave, your team will notice. Following the news, your colleagues will want to know details about the decision. It is best to keep it brief and speak positively of the opportunity.

Lead the transition. Be proactive in finding a replacement whether it’s working with your internal team or assisting with the hiring process. Share as much information, documents, tips and tricks as you can with your team so that they can efficiently carry out the work instead of overwhelming them after you leave.

Maintain relationships. Strong business relationships are critical to a strong leader. While it can be difficult to see the long term in an uncomfortable or difficult parting situation, avoid portraying any negative emotions or feedback. After you leave, those you worked keep in touch with closely with and managed. You can still be a mentor to others and may even offer a better perspective when not directly affiliated with the same company.

Leaving any position is difficult to do and when in a position of leadership, your actions are monitored more carefully. What is a mistake you’ve seen leaders do when leaving? In your experience, what is the most important thing to keep in mind?

Handling Changes to Command with Grace, Part 1: Promoting within

2011-07-28T14:53:00.001-05:00

In a recent article about Proctor & Gamble’s “Build from Within” program, it describes that succession planning is built into the company’s culture by methodically tracking and measuring the development of its leaders. Not a small feat for a company of more than 125,000 employees.

No matter how large or small the organization, succession planning is a key element in the success of a future CEO. While your company’s executive board plans for its next leader, you should prepare yourself for the top at the same time. Below are a few tips to help an inside leader take the wheel with grace.

Prepare for the Role
As an inside hire, you already have access as to what works at your company and how to best fit into the CEO role. Be proactive in gaining the experience necessary to prove you’re the best fit. Utilize the support of your mentors and seek opportunities, such as projects that broaden your scope of duties, so that when the time comes to fill a vacancy, your skill set will come to mind. Putting a transition plan down on paper ahead of time will help you check off new responsibilities you want to add to your resume.

Define the Boundaries
When you accept a promotion to CEO, some of your old team members may continue to come to you with old duties. Be sure to set clear boundaries between where your old responsibilities end and your new ones begin. Use guided direction (or just hit the “forward” button) to re-route any communications that are misappropriated to your desk. Be mindful now that your words carry more authority and take extra precautions in your communications immediately after your promotion. Remember, your responsibilities have changed but your relationships are still valuable.

Set Limits
With any new position of leadership, there may be things you would like to tweak to improve a process or idea. Take it slow and think strategically about the best way to make improvements over the long term. Similarly, with a new set of expectations being placed upon you, it may be hard as a CEO to feel as if you can ever truly leave your work at the office. Even though this is often the reality, there are daily things you can do, like structure your calendar to incorporate downtime, to ease into your new position.

What challenges have you faced entering a new position of leadership? What is your advice to future leaders preparing to continue your company’s success?

Human Resourses: Hero for hire

2011-07-22T11:29:00.000-05:00

By Harry Dennis for BizTimes Milwaukee

This month I’d like to take on a significant subject: the advantage of hiring veterans.

I don’t have the actual number of vets employed within the salaried and hourly ranks in Wisconsin. But including Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, I think it’s reasonable to assume the number is well into the thousands.

I’m a Vietnam vet, having served as an Air Force combat pilot there for 18 consecutive months. My life was forever changed by the experience, and I’m sure this is true for any vet who has served our country, regardless of which conflict they were participating in.

Here’s what you can expect if you hire a vet or someone who is serving in the National Guard or military reserves.

Team orientation
Your vet employees are highly trained to be team players, especially team players who, while on duty, lived under constant stress and periodic distress. As such, they rely on strong and decisive leadership, especially leadership that demands results and consistent performance from employees, without a hint of favoritism.

Many vets will tell you that they respected their military leadership, but didn’t necessarily like them. To them, the definition of respect translates to perceived trust and competence in the leader.

The issue of liking has been studied by the leadership experts for 50 years. They generally conclude that being liked isn’t the same as being an effective leader.

The typical vet is accustomed to an indisputable bond with fellow team members. In a conflict, their life is dependent upon the success of this bond. Each team player is expected to perform flawlessly. “I’ve got your backside” or “I’ve got you covered” more or less says it all.

In business, we know that team play is the best play, but we also know that our players are not all capable of playing equally. Hence, they need constant training, coaching and personal development to reach this goal.

The vets I have talked to, especially those in the management ranks, find this to be one of their greatest frustrations and a huge source of personal impatience. Their frustration and impatience turns to dislike and distrust, and they avoid employees who they think aren’t pulling their share of the load. This is where a strong leader can intervene to right the ship.

Personal characteristics
Vets, as a whole, are very proud – proud of their contributions, proud of the branch of the military in which they served, and proud of their country. They support our Constitution and never hesitate to say, “one nation under God.”

They’re taught to be physically and mentally strong, and to follow the rules. There are few mavericks among the vets I’ve known over the years. As an employee, they’re loyal and tenacious, and incredibly consistent.

They’re accustomed to doing much with so little. They are survival-oriented, and prize the tools they are given to accomplish objectives.

Training
While in the military, vets are heavily involved in training and personal improvement programs, even in combat environments. Maintaining proficiency and personal skill levels is a primary requirement of anyone serving in our military.

So you can expect the vets you employ to be positively responsive to the training and development opportunities you provide them. And they will use it to the benefit of your company. TEC members who are vets make it clear to us that if they can’t get usable take-home value from TEC, they won’t stick around.

Accountability for results
In the military service, we have it ingrained in us that we’re accountable for the results that we or our team achieves. Each branch has its own way of doing it, and that is commonly known as “efficiency ratings.”

In business, we call it a performance evaluation or job review. To your vet, this is nothing new. It’s considered part of the job. It’s the measure of accountability for them. So you can expect them to be responsive and appreciate the feedback.

Most significantly, vets respond positively to recognition for their accomplishments. Not surprisingly, personal recognition is just as important as team recognition.

A final thought
If you haven’t yet hired a vet, I sincerely hope you’ll consider it when a job opening occurs. You won’t be sorry. I promise.

Until next month, thanks to our vets – for all they have given us, and for all we can expect from them in the future.

Friending your co-workers and employees on Facebook

2011-07-20T09:51:00.000-05:00

We all know that social networking on Facebook can bring new business to your door, but how can it positively impact what happens behind company doors? While it depends on the rules and regulations at your company, many employers encourage social networking as a means of building team morale and sharing ideas.

To friend or not to friend?
The decision to invite a coworker to be your Facebook friend depends in large part on your existing work relationship. Most advise against having members of management initiate the online connections, primarily to avoid any implied pressure coming from above. Also, since the information shared on Facebook is often highly personal, an employee could feel that their religious or political views are up for scrutiny if a member of the management requests access. This may even lead to feelings that they are being discriminated against down the road, if health issues or other personal challenges are made known. It might be best to make mention that you are a Facebook user but then let your employees choose to do the inviting.

Set the tone.
As when addressing any large group, employers need to be very conscious of their written voice when posting to Facebook. Expect that anyone from your grandmother, to your college buddies, to a potential client could be reading your posts, and sometimes joking or sarcasm can be lost in translation (we've all heard the horror stories). Keep your message crystal clear to avoid any miscommunication. If you hesitate even for a moment about posting something, you have your answer.

Fine tune your settings.
Since your personal and business worlds can collide on Facebook, make sure you and your employees are familiar with privacy settings. Now that nearly everyone is armed with a camera and a comment, the opportunity for a social gaffe reaches far beyond an awkward joke at the holiday party. While some blurring of the lines can be a good thing, by customizing your share settings, you can maintain a better separation between your business and personal life.

Share well with others.
When in doubt, it may be best to stick to the old stand-by "friendly but not familiar" when it comes to online information you share with employees. Also, employers should be mindful of posting anything that may come off as extravagant or self-absorbed. Even though your golf trip was hard earned, posting photos from the green while others are on a tight deadline or budget is ill advised.

With all of these considerations, is it really a good thing to foster an online relationship with your employees? Many say "absolutely!” If your company has a social media policy, Facebook is a good window into how well your employees adhere to company standards. It's also a great way to find commonalities between you and your staff. Use Facebook as an opportunity to solidify your position as a leader, with posts that enlighten your employees and inspire your clients. The more generous you are with truly useful information the more others will continue to rely on your authority.

Are you Facebook friends with your coworkers and employees? Tell us what kind of impact it has had on your work relationships.

Bringing your company to the cloud

2011-07-13T11:04:00.001-05:00

http://flic.kr/p/5Gr9Cm

The word "cloud" originated from the Old English word "clud," because of the way a cloud can sometimes resemble a pile of rocks. Perhaps this is how some feel about the term cloud computing. But does moving your business computing to the cloud involve more than merely stockpiling your data in one spot on the internet?

Utilizing the cloud is less about weighing you down and more about having data such as files, presentations, calendars and contacts float along with you, from your laptop to your smartphone to your iPad.

Some compare the evolution of cloud computing to other public utilities. In the same way we no longer need to store our own water or fuel for the winter, we no longer need to use our computers as an electronic storage device. Instead, we can save our data online in a centralized place, ready to use when and how we need it.

While you may not be using the cloud at your organization yet, chances are that you use it in your personal life. If you use an online service to pay your bills, store your contacts, or share your photos, you are already a cloud dweller. It's the same concept, only as it applies to the often complex aggregation of your business data.

So, what aspects of the cloud may be most valuable to the corporate world?

Collaboration
Anyone from potential clients to key members of your team can view up to the minute reports on the cloud. With custom settings and permissions, they can edit reports and share critical data as changes occur. No cross platform worries; as long as they have an internet ready device, your user can access what you need them to. With your whole team in the loop, resourcing, sales and management tasks are streamlined.

Cost
Cloud computing can cut down on overhead, most obviously IT spending - eliminating the need for many hardware and software purchases, as well as other operational expenses. But the true value may show itself primarily in the efficiency and agility it can bring your teams.

Security
Even if your computer meets an untimely death, your data still lives on. In essence, it is like having one enormous super-computer at your beck and call. You do want to be sure, however, that you have a compliance structure in place so your business data is protected from any outside eyes.

When migrating data to the cloud, it is best to start slowly and in phases, before fully rolling out to your company. There are quite a few cloud computing systems to choose from that can impact your business in a variety of ways. It may not be a matter of which one is the best overall but which one is best for your specific needs. What cloud computing system options are most important to your company? Storage capacity? Or is the ability to sync more critical?

If you are already using the cloud at your organization, which systems have been working for you?

The elevator pitch, not always your best foot forward

2011-07-10T14:38:00.003-05:00

Business leaders preach that the perfect elevator pitch is one of the most effective ways to build new relationships and reach new clients. A lot of time and training is spent crafting, molding and evolving an elevator pitch in order to deliver a concise description of your company in a way that relates to and interests others. However, many leaders focus on the wrong aspects, which only delays the connection and comes across as a sales pitch.

Start a conversation. Instead of just jumping into your pitch when asked the question, “So what do you do?” begin asking questions to give context and generate interest. A great introduction would include questions like “Have you read the latest New York Times article on green technologies? This is something we’re really passionate about.” After you place context around your industry and share a little about your organization, ask similar questions to form a naturally flowing conversation instead of a sales pitch.

Don’t recite your resume. It is very common to begin listing bullet points of what you do throughout a typical day, what accounts you’re responsible for, how many people you manage, your past experience, etc. Many people think that this is the way to get others who share the same responsibilities and experiences to quickly form a connection with you. While this might lead you into flowing conversations about work life, it only delays the discovery time to determine if you would collaborate well together.

Focus on company values. Business owners tend to first describe what their company does, what products it makes, how it differs from its competitors, etc. However, we learned from Simon Sinek at Inspirational Leadership 2011 that many leaders fail to articulate why they do what they do. Sinek states that great, inspiring leaders communicate from the inside out in order to connect with others at the foundational level of what they believe and why their organization exists.

What information do you share when first meeting other business leaders? How has your strategy for making meaningful connections evolved?

TEC hosts Member Guest Day featuring keynote Patti Wood

2011-07-07T11:40:00.001-05:00

We are excited for our TEC group 35 in Madison, Wisconsin to host a Member Guest Day at their next meeting on July 14, 2011. The event will feature renowned body language expert and author Patti Wood.

Wood is the author of seven books including Success Signals – Understanding Body Language, Easy Speaking – Dynamic Delivery, and The Conflict Cure. She also appears regularly on PBS, BBC, CNN, Us Weekly, and USA Today, to name a few.

Wood will present Body Language: Secrets for Establishing Credibility and Detecting Deception to guide TEC members and guests how to get the best read and increase trust in your key business relationships. Attendees will also practice voice and movement tools to improve their own individual credibility and deception detection ability.

For more information about this event, please contact Michele at Michele@tecmidwest.com.

How to maintain appropriate office humor

2011-06-29T10:55:00.000-05:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotbenjamin/2765083201/

In a previous blog post, we discussed that appropriate office humor relieves stress, enhances creativity and creates happier employees. However, the term appropriate is different to everyone. What seems innocent and funny to one person may be extremely offensive to another. While fostering a jovial environment is important to fostering a “team that plays together stays together” attitude, as a leader it is your responsibility to ensure that the culture doesn’t evolve into an acceptance of offensive comments.

Here are ways to create a light-hearted, yet appropriate, working environment for your team.

Set the tone. It is important that there are guidelines in place so that employees understand what is expected of their work behavior. Check with your human resources department to see where these documents are located and share them with your employees. Guidelines should list examples of appropriate and inappropriate comments and the policies your company has in place to address any issues.

Respond appropriately. Pay attention to team dynamics and take note of non-verbal cues to signify that an employee is uncomfortable in a situation. Monitor jokes and conversation and gently step in if the topic is veering toward sensitive issues. Remind your team that your door is always open to discuss any concerns and encourage them to contact your human resources department.

Inspire others. Let your actions be a positive example to your team and never engage in sensitive subject conversations. Rather than stepping out when your team begins joking around, join them and be a positive example of appropriate conversation.

What is the most challenging aspect of ensuring that office humor doesn’t cross the line?

Management: Ready for anything

2011-06-27T10:29:00.000-05:00

By Harry Dennis for BizTimes Milwaukee

Something happened to me recently on the job that was totally unexpected and very disappointing.

Each one of us in business will eventually face what I call a, “reversal of the expected.” This month, I’d like to share some experiences I’ve seen in TEC over the years involving the unexpected. But with good thinking and action, you can often salvage a bad situation.

An old pilot adage remains true today, whether you’re flying a Piper Cub or a Boeing 747. It says that when the unexpected occurs, maintain the aircraft control at all costs, analyze the situation and take the appropriate action.

That applies to business, too.

When the unexpected occurs, look at the bigger picture, analyze the event in terms of its impact on the bigger picture and react in a positive way to keep the ship on course.

A “reversal of the expected” has three important qualifications:

Usually, the business relationship was built on a foundation of trust.
The players have had no reason to doubt one another in the past.
A mutual set of seemingly agreed upon expectations existed before the unexpected event.

The two unexpected events that occur most frequently are in sales transactions: a broken relationship with a key customer; and failure to consummate a business sale.

What to do when you lose a customer

Your customer might unexpectedly terminate a contract, or contract with one of your competitors based on a marginal price decision.

What’s your first step? Look at the bigger picture surrounding the event. A long-term contract that’s lost, as TEC members have explained, can always be reinstated based upon new terms. It might take a year or more, but a proactive approach can and will work.

If you lost a customer based upon a marginal price decision, that usually means that the new vendor will compromise somewhere.

Once again, stand back. Ask yourself, what’s the value proposition that won the customer in the first place? Then do what you need to do to put that value proposition back in place. It may take some time, but it will be well worth the effort.

What to do when the sale stalls

You’re down to the final hour. You and your attorneys are meeting with the seller and the seller’s attorneys to sign on the dotted line. At the last minute, the seller gets cold feet and backs away.

You’ve invested considerable time and money to make this happen, and you’ve diligently complied with all seller requests to provide minimum business disruptions among employees, vendors and customers.

Again, it’s important that you step back and consider the big-picture possibilities:

The seller did get cold feet, and that’s the issue you must address.
Another buyer emerged at the last minute, most likely a competitor, and offered a better deal.
Family members never supported the sale to begin with and have intervened with a compelling argument.
The seller’s advisors have reassessed the terms and conditions, and risk factors. They’ve concluded that the sale isn’t in the seller’s best interests.

If the decision by the seller appears to be based on emotion, be patient. Reopen discussion and listen carefully to their concerns. Let some time go by. But you might also look for help from a third-party seller associate who can convince the seller that your offer is fair and in their best interest.

If the decision by the seller appears to be based on finances, your alternatives are to consider a higher down payment, offer shorter terms, offer a higher interest rate, offer more secure paper, or suggest a consulting contract that covers other key benefits – or any combination of those.

Know who the influential players are in the overall decision. Know where they are coming from. And then readjust your approach accordingly. In most business sale transactions, things seldom are what they appear to be.

Until next month, make sure you’re prepared for the unexpected.

From stagnation to creation! Innovation to increase business success.

2011-06-22T09:14:00.000-05:00

Recently, Fast Company released The 100 Most Creative People in Business 2011. At the top of the list are visionary leaders who have demonstrated great innovation and creativity in their organizations and career. While the list’s front-runners are from organizations where creativity and innovation are part of the job description, their approach can be used as a model for opportunities for your organization no matter the industry.

But how does one win the title of most creative in business? How do you keep your vision for your future fresh in your mind each day? What do you do when you need creative inspiration? Here are a few things you can do in your day-to-day routine to help keep the creative juices flowing.

Read a book. Reading keeps your mind stimulated and active in thought. Whether the book is fiction or business related, you are exercising your brain in a different way by concentrating on only one thing.

Take a vacation. Vacations, especially ones in nature, feel like a stop in time. This break in your routine allows you to relax so that you are refreshed and excited about an idea, instead of overwhelmed.

Volunteer in the community. Volunteering allows you to meet new people and see things from a different perspective in addition to benefitting your community. Taking time out of your normal routine to hear a stranger's story can be very rewarding and stimulating to the mind.

Call an old friend. Sometimes talking out an idea with someone you trust and care about can be the push you need to move forward with a project. Call a friend or family member to chat, even if it's not related to your idea.

What do you do when you need inspiration? We'd love to hear about your experiences. Share with us your story of someone or something that inspired you!

Leaders in sticky situations: Walking the line

2011-06-08T09:40:00.000-05:00

As a leader, it is natural for strong personal relationships to form between you and your team members. When you demonstrate that you are someone people can look up to and reach out to for help and guidance in your organization, you build an environment of trust. With this trust, others feel comfortable sharing aspects of their personal lives with you.

When the boundary between personal and professional relationship gets blurred, it can be very difficult to balance it back out. It is important for you to understand when you need to act as the leader of your organization instead of a fellow water cooler pal.

Sticky situations for leaders:

Maternity Leave. Your employee confides in you that she is either trying to get pregnant or just found out the happy news. While feelings of joy might be the first natural reaction, the CEO in you should be thinking about replacement schedules and workflow.

Social media gets too personal. Facebook could easily be the most slippery slope for organizational leaders. Being friends with your employees can be a great way to build a positive organization culture, but seeing pictures and status updates that don’t positively reflect who they appear to be at work can be disarming. Reminding employees about your company’s social media policy will ensure that all content remains PG.

Performance feedback. As you learn more personal information about your employees that lives outside work, you also become well aware that they have a family to support and rely on your feedback for raises and other performance-based incentives. However, this information can potentially make it more difficult for you to give them a negative performance review even when you know their job performance is subpar. Keeping the social and professional elements of each employee separate in your mind during the review process will help you and your employee get what is deserved.

In each of these situations, it is best to involve your human resources department as soon as possible. Be transparent with your employees about your responsibilities as a leader. After you find yourself in a sticky situation, tell your employee that you need to involve others in the situation but that your main priority is to work through it.

In your experience, what has helped you the most in these types of sticky situations? How do you maintain employee relationships while keeping your organization’s best interests in mind?

Human resources: 'Campground morale'

2011-06-06T10:18:00.000-05:00

By Harry Dennis for BizTimesMilwaukee

As we head into another short but welcome Wisconsin summer, I’d like to share with you some innovative summer work practices that TEC members have followed over the years to have happier, more productive employees.

Most of these should be familiar. What I call “campground morale” can keep your employees focused during the summer, when staying focused is difficult.

What does it mean? Think back to when you visited a campground, either with your parents, or when you went away to summer camp. The paradox of a camp is that it always has rules and assigned responsibilities, but it’s fun.

If you were the type of child who wouldn’t keep your room clean or help around the house, you might have discovered that something about doing your chores at camp was different.
So let’s take a look at developing “campground morale” at work.

Flex time
This isn’t a new concept, but the way it’s applied, especially in small companies, can be.
At TEC, our 10 employees rotate Fridays off. Workloads shift, if needed, to accommodate the absent employee. And, yes, it is a paid day off. Almost everyone keeps their cell phones nearby and responds to email.

The flex hour component works a little differently. Assuming a 40-hour week and a one-shift operation, employees start their workday up to an hour earlier, and end the day up to an hour earlier.
Why offer this option?

It’s especially helpful for single moms whose kids are involved in after-school programs. You also have what I call the “early starter” employees whose productivity is at its peak during the first four hours of work.

If you conduct an anonymous survey, you might be surprised to learn that some employees will report that after several cups of coffee and a couple hours of getting organized for the day, they finally kick into high gear.

Working offsite
There’s nothing new about working at home, especially for employees with disabilities, or caregivers who would otherwise find working in a normal work environment impossible.

Working at home, however, requires a disciplined employee and a trusting employer. The actual working environment in the home, and the technology there, need to be as similar as possible to the workplace. Supervisors at work need to be especially sensitive to the different requirements of largely electronic supervision.

Most employers want to know if they can be certain that this can really lead to productive work for a solid eight hours. The truth is, employees who work at home, on average, will get their eight hours of productive work done in five or six hours. Again the keyword here is trust.

Break time
Here are some campground ideas.

Organize employee breaks so that natural employee teams can do outdoor “walk-arounds” together. Consider adding five minutes to at least one of the break times. It gives a little extra time for a team to assemble. For the extra five minutes, the team leader should discuss a particular issue the company is facing, and ask for the team’s input.

Here’s another idea for break time. As CEO, how about designating one day in June, July and August as a company break time? Pick the last hour of work, and just take a walk. Leave a skeleton crew behind and rotate them. Go out and have some fun. Play a game. Offer an award to the winner.

For example, “What’s the best thing we can do for our customers this month?” Have everyone write down an idea on a slip of paper. Put the ideas into a hat and draw one at random. The winner receives a restaurant gift certificate.

Campground lunches
Many TEC members have outdoor grills for employees to use during the summer. Employees work out the details such as who will be the chef, and who will collect money for the burgers.

Choose one day a week. The best way to organize this is by using company teams. With planning and preparation, lunch can be served and eaten during a typical company lunch period of about 30 minutes.

A company picnic
A longtime favorite of TEC members is the annual summer company picnic. It’s held offsite at a nearby park, with activities and entertainment for the entire family. Employees are given a half-day off. The company pays a skeleton volunteer crew overtime to handle basic company operations.

The one major change we’ve seen over the years is that most companies don’t serve alcohol. When they do, the company provides transportation for the employees. The company gives each adult two tickets for beer or wine. But the preferred choice is no alcohol.

Before you panic…
I know what you’re thinking. Time off. Paid time off. Summer hours. Picnics. Is there any time left to run your business and still make a profit?

Yes and yes. What you will gain in employee productivity and loyalty will show up on your bottom line.

Until next month, I hope you and your company will have fun, productive “campground” experiences this summer.

The imporance of maintaining amicable relationships

2011-06-01T10:25:00.000-05:00

The old saying “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” not only applies to your social circle but to your professional network as well. With the business community getting more connected by the minute, you just never know who you might find yourself working with in the future. Therefore, it is extremely important to maintain positive relationships with those within your organization and outside as well.

Teamwork. On a daily basis, we work with many different types of people and personalities. As we all know, sometimes personalities clash and tension arises. Finding ways to work through the issues not only allows you and your team to work more efficiently, it is also a learning opportunity that will help you grow as a professional. At TEC, we are successful because our members come from different backgrounds and industries to share and learn from each other’s personal and business experiences.

“Coopetition.” You don’t always have to keep your competitors in the dark for fear they’ll steal your ideas or worse, customers. Collaborating with your competition actually has the potential for several positive business opportunities. A recent Harvard Business Review article (link to article) says the goal of “coopetition” is to find a way to partner with a competitor where both parties can benefit without jeopardizing their customers or bottom line. Whether it’s creating markets, cost sharing or cross endorsement, a partnership with a competitor can give your company an advantage.

It’s a small world after all. The professional relationships that you build can benefit you and your company at times when you least expect it. However, the relationships that go sour can hurt you just as fast. You never know when you’re going to run into an old colleague again, need help from a former boss or lose an employee to a competitor. It is these potential situations that make it a necessity to not burn any bridges.

Have you had a successful partnership experience with a competitor? Or a dueling team member? What strategies did you use to ensure that the relationship would end positively?

Ready for your close-up? Tips to succeed at your next media interview

2011-05-25T11:29:00.000-05:00

As the leader of your organization and expert in your field, you have the opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise with the general public via the media. It is normal to feel nervous; however, think of a media interview as an opportunity to strut your stuff and better position your organization.

Whether it’s for a newspaper article or television segment, these tips will help you succeed in any media interview.

Prepare your talking points. Know the topics you want to cover beforehand. Work with the reporter to see if you can get the questions before the interview. This will help you strategize the best way to incorporate key sound bites. Also, bring a factsheet with you to help you remember important information and specific details such as how many employees work in your organization or last year’s sales numbers.  

Be charismatic. As a leader, you’re probably already a natural at public speaking, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Media interviews should be treated like a relaxed and friendly conversation. The best way to respond to interview questions is to avoid jargon, be succinct and brief, and of course, smile.

Practice makes perfect. Just because you know what you want to say doesn’t mean it’s going to come out as intended. One of the biggest fears of media interviews is being misquoted; therefore, it is important to practice, practice, practice. Rehearse your talking points with your team to hear how they sound out loud because, while they make sense to you, it might not to the audience. You should also videotape the rehearsal so you can hear yourself and watch your body language.

What’s the most stressful element of giving media interviews? Which tip above has helped you the most in the past? Or what would you add?

Ole Carlson to present at TEC Senior Managers' Program

2011-05-19T17:12:00.004-05:00

TEC is excited to announce that award-winning career coach and business expert Ole Carlson will speak at the upcoming TEC Senior Managers’ Program (SMP) sessions in Wisconsin and Michigan. SMP is a management development program that provides high-level educational workshops, led by nationally recognized business experts, for corporate officers, managers, staff specialists and managers-in-training.

Carlson will present ASPIRE:3 Powerful Strategies for Creating More of What You Want, Now. After this presentation, you will come away with a clear understanding of how to create what you want in your life instead of settling with what you have. You will learn how to utilize and put to work the natural powers and abilities of human beings seeking to reach their full potential.

Carlson will speak at the following SMP sessions:

May 24^th – Milwaukee, WI

May 25^th – Appleton, WI

June 15^th – Grand Rapids, MI

You do not need to be a TEC member to attend. For registration information, contact Rita Rehlinger at rita@tecmidwest.com or 262-821-3340.

Visit http://www.influencemany.com/ to learn more about Carlson and his accomplishments.

Be a conflict coach, not a referee

2011-05-11T17:15:00.007-05:00

When conflict arises between two co-workers, or even a manager and someone below them, oftentimes the gut reaction is to get involved. As leaders, we sometimes run the risk of inserting ourselves into situations that would be better resolved if we didn’t play the leader card. It’s true that sometimes the situation does require a manager or leader to step in, especially when HR also needs to be called. However, providing your staff with the tools and encouragement they need to work everyday conflicts out on their own can better serve your company in the long run. The real challenge becomes knowing the difference between each type of conflict.

When it becomes apparent that there is a conflict between team members, as leaders we have a choice. Will we be coaches or referees?

A coach will work with their team before a conflict even begins to help them develop conflict resolution skills. A coach will look at the conflict and see a teaching opportunity. It is important to strive not to solve your employees’ conflict, but to provide each team member with an appropriate amount of knowledge (how did you deal with a similar situation successfully?) and compassion (empathy goes a long way!). By encouraging your employees to overcome obstacles on their own, they will be more efficient in solving problems in the future, the relationships between employees will strengthen, and overall your team will be more successful.

A referee, on the other hand, jumps in at the first sign of trouble for fear of the outcome if not in their control. This style of conflict management shortchanges your employees because they aren’t given an opportunity to grow and learn from the situation. Keep in mind, conflicts that necessitate a referee style of conflict management should be acted upon thoughtfully in accordance with your HR policies.

How do you currently handle conflict management? Are you a referee? A coach? Somewhere in the middle? How do you decide when to jump into a conflict? What specific situations have you encountered where it was best that you remain out of the picture?

Leadership lessons from world events

2011-05-04T09:48:00.002-05:00

Osama bin Laden’s death prompted reactions from political leaders around the world. In times of crisis, shock or celebration, people turn to leaders for emotional support. Therefore, it is important for leaders to understand what is expected of them from their followers and organization in order to appropriately respond.

Share the facts. After hearing any news, people begin researching and reading to learn the latest details. However, researching online can lead to unreliable sources and misunderstood information. It is the job of a leader to inform the audience of the true details.

Express your emotion. People look to leaders to assess the gravity of the situation and provide emotional support. This doesn’t mean that you have to be emotionless for fear people will interpret you incorrectly. If it is a sad issue, show grief. If it is a celebration, show happiness. Share with your audience how you feel and they will appreciate your openness.

Encourage community discussion. Schedule a discussion that allows people to share their reactions and thoughts on the situation in a pre-determined amount of time. In this brief session, answer questions, offer advice and guidance, and provide insight on how it will affect each individual’s role in the organization.

Deliver next steps. Finally, it is important to share how you are handling the situation moving forward so your followers feel comfortable. If there are no next steps at the time, offer answers to any questions and hold yourself to a date when you will announce an update.

How do you provide support to your followers during world events? How does your approach differ from announcing news regarding your organization?

Banking: The Ten Commandments of working with your banker

2011-05-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

By Harry Dennis for BizTimes Milwaukee

Sometimes an idea for a monthly column is like accidentally finding a gold nugget under your pillow.

That’s how I feel this month. First, I want to thank Atlanta Vistage member Lee Katz, CEO of The Turnaround Authority, for his insight on what he terms the “CEO’s 10 Cs of Corporate Borrowing.”

To present his 10 Cs, I called five Wisconsin bank CEOs, all TEC members, for their input on this subject. I’m indebted to Bob Atwell of Nicolet National Bank in Green Bay, Greg Dombrowski of Johnson Bank in Madison, Mark Furlong of M&I Bank in Milwaukee, Peter Prickett of First National Bank of Fox Valley in Neenah and Dave Werner of Park Bank in Milwaukee.

View the full article to read the Ten Commandments.

TEC Inspirational Leadership with Simon Sinek a success

2011-04-27T14:27:00.000-05:00

On April 14, 2011, TEC hosted its 7th annual Inspirational Leadership event at the Milwaukee Mariott West in Waukesha, WI. More than 300 TEC Chairs, members and business leaders gathered to celebrate leadership and learn how to inspire others.

Simon Sinek, renowned leadership expert and author of "Start With Why" presented on the Golden Circle, his model that relates to the way in which people interact with each other and with organizations. Sinek challenged the audience to discover WHY their organizations exist as a strategy to better connect with other people who hold the same beliefs in order to succeed.

Thank you to Simon, our sponsors, our TEC Chairs, members and guests for joining us! Enjoy our recap video of Inspirational Leadership 2011.

TEC Inspirational Leadership with Simon Sinek from TEC Midwest on Vimeo.

To see photos from the event, visit our Facebook album.

TEC presents Simon Sinek at Inspirational Leadership 2011

2011-04-13T08:45:00.000-05:00

Join TEC and BizTimes Media at the Inspirational Leadership 2011 event on April 14, 2011. We are excited to announce Simon Sinek, trained ethnographer and author, as the featured speaker.

Table seating is sold out for this event, however, you can participate via our live video feed. Contact Michele Bernstein at 262-821-3340 or by email at tec@tecmidwest.com for more information.

TEC membership experience constantly evolves

2011-04-13T08:37:00.000-05:00

TEC emerged when its founder brought together a group of business leaders to discuss the future of his organization. He found himself at a roadblock and created a roundtable practice that is the basis of TEC today.

However, the type of roadblocks that our members face is constantly changing and we strive to support our members and change as well.

Engaging speakers: We invite speakers that are of extremely high caliber to TEC meetings and tailor the topic to meet the constantly-changing needs of each particular TEC group.

Special interest meetings: Several times a year, we offer meetings to TEC members and executives from their companies to discuss a specific business topics with local experts and business professionals.

Educational programs: We developed a TEC Associate program to meet the needs of professionals that work with TEC CEOs to spread TEC news into the business community. This two-way dialogue ensures that our members stay up-to-date on the latest in management thinking.

How do you stay current on business issues in your organization? Do you have any recommendations for TEC on ways to improve our membership experience?

Preventing mental stagnation

2011-04-12T12:04:00.000-05:00

It is common when working on any project to lose track of your direction and find yourself with a mental block. During these roadblocks, it can seem very difficult to get back to where you were or where you need to be.

Everyone deals with mental stagnation differently. In your experience, what have you found to be the most successful tactic?

How humor is good for business

2011-04-06T09:42:00.000-05:00

Although your business is serious, the benefits of incorporating and encouraging appropriate workplace humor can positively affect your bottom line. Here's how:

Relieves Stress. Laughter is a great remedy to reduce tension in stressful situations. When the ice is broken, people communicate better and resolve issues more effectively.

Enhances Creativity. Humor is associated with intelligence and creativity. Allowing the humor to come out at work will allow creativity to follow.

Creates Happier Employees. Humor resonates a positive emotion in people which directly correlates with workplace performance. It also bonds people together and strengthens team relationships. All of these elements lead to greater employee retention.

What are your thoughts on humor in the workplace? Do you encourage it? What could you do to increase humor in your office culture?

How do you incorporate humor into the workplace?

2011-04-05T08:50:00.000-05:00

Laughter can create a productive and healthy work environment. Joking around in the office actually strengthens relationships between employees which has a positive effect on retention.

April Fools' Day was last Friday and we're curious as to how your office "celebrated." What type of office humor do you appreciate in the workplace?

How do you incorporate humor into the workplace?Market Research

Human Resources: Tips for successful internships

2011-04-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

By Harry Dennis for BizTimes Milwaukee

Small companies can provide great opportunities
Summer is right around the corner, so it’s not too early to begin planning for interns. Over the years, we’ve had several interns at TEC. Because of our small size, we’ve assigned them to specific projects. In retrospect, we failed because we didn’t expose them to the big picture.

Internship programs should be aimed primarily at educating and developing the intern. If you’re using interns only to replace skilled employees who have been hired or laid off, or for “make work” temporary jobs, you probably won’t succeed.

The basic idea is to give students a chance to practice their business skills, explore career options and, perhaps, land a job after graduation with your own company.

My thanks this month to the resources within the Vistage Library at Vistage.com for leading me to the subject of creating an effective internship program for your business.

Here are 10 ways to make it a success:

Write a job description. This will give prospective interns a chance to opt out if they don’t like what they see. It also lets them know what their responsibilities, objectives or job goals will be. It insures that their work will not duplicate the work of other employees. And it lets other employees know what you expect of your interns.
Set a start and end date. This will help interns sort through their own schedules, especially if they’re taking classes while they’re working for you. You will also want to schedule a final evaluation. That’s when you issue a report card and rate the intern.
Create an intern manual. You can pirate some of it from your employee handbook. But it will have far more meaning if it’s uniquely tailored to the intern. The basic idea is to bring interns up to date on those things that really count in your company. For example: dress codes, the prevailing culture, computer/social media policies, work hours, disciplinary policies and so on.
Adopt a recruitment and interview protocol. Recruitment sources should include your own website, Internet job boards (Craigslist, Monster.com, and internships.com). Many high schools, most universities and vocational schools have internship-designated coordinators.
Reserve office space. Make sure this isn’t an afterthought. Unless they’re in a factory non-supervisory position, they should have their own work station or cubicle, their own computer, password access, and any other security devices you require of your employees.
Have an intern orientation. At minimum, this should take a day, more than likely two days. Interns should meet and have private discussions with each employee with whom they’ll be working. Schedule these discussions in advance. Your employees should talk to the intern about things like how they, as employees, contribute to company goals and what the company culture is from their perspective.
Know how much to pay. Check with your attorney about pay issues. If the intern is receiving course credit for the internship, pay might be inappropriate. National surveys show that undergraduate interns are paid an average $15 to $17 an hour, and graduate students earn up to $24 an hour. The National Association of Colleges and Employers has more information at its website at NACEWeb.org.
Assign a supervisor. One employee should be assigned to supervise and mentor the intern during the entire internship. Who you select shouldn’t do this as a no-pay add-on responsibility. The supervisor shouldn’t be in the type of position that requires a lot of time away from the company. Choose someone with good mentoring and teaching skills.
Involve the intern. Good interns don’t want jobless tasks or assignments. They want to be a part of an employee team that has a mission to support or develop a key company long-term goal. Putting them in charge of an area of your company that you feel is important will increase their self-esteem and perceived value to you. Involving them in pertinent department meetings is a case in point.
Set expectations. You’ll have hits and misses with your interns. After all, they are junior employees. So don’t assign them to tasks critical to your company’s success. They will probably make mistakes. When they do, correct them firmly but gently.

One last important point: When the internship has concluded, offer a written recommendation that can be used during a job search. You may even want to encourage the intern to apply at your company after graduation.

By the way, don’t assume your company is too small to take advantage of an internship. Smaller companies have a more intimate cultural environment and a much better opportunity to be hands on with the intern.

I hope you will give a prospective intern out there a chance to grow with your company.

TEC presents Inspirational Leadership 2011 featuring Simon Sinek

2011-03-30T11:36:00.000-05:00

Join TEC and BizTimes Media at the Inspirational Leadership 2011 event on April 14, 2011. We are excited to announce Simon Sinek, trained ethnographer and author, as the featured speaker.

Table seating is sold out for this event, however, you can participate via our live video feed. Contact Michele Bernstein at 262-821-3340 or by email at tec@tecmidwest.com for more information.

Philosophies on leadership best practices

2011-03-29T11:26:00.000-05:00

At TEC, our members come together to share personal and organizational success stories and struggles to help create best practices for other leaders. This confidential environment allows TEC members to solve real business problems. However, the types of issues and solutions our members discuss today will change in the future.

How would you best describe the future of leadership best practices? What have you found to be the most consistent philosophy in your organization?

How to avoid working in silos

2011-03-23T14:35:00.000-05:00

The larger your organization, the more common it is to find your business falling into silos of separate functional groups. When this happens, effective communication is lost because each department loses sight of how all groups fit together to form the big picture.

Here are three tips to avoid working in silos:

Keep communication open. Holding company-wide meetings to share organizational information happening across all groups helps employees understand their role in the organization and who to go to in another department when they need something.

Lead by example. Bring together your leadership team in regular meetings. This allows a more detailed update of information and team leaders can discover ways to bring together different departments. Also, invite other team leaders to sit in on your team meetings.

Reward collaboration. Make innovation a part of your company's culture and reward groups working together. Add this recognition to your company-wide meeting agenda.

How does your organization promote collaboration?

How does your company avoid working in silos? [POLL]

2011-03-22T12:19:00.000-05:00

TEC brings together leaders from a variety of industries and organizational structures and sizes. We pride ourselves on collaboration and bringing together different points of view to solve business problems. The same rules apply within an organization. Often times departments fall into silos and lose touch with other minds in the organization.

Utilizing competition in team building activities

2011-03-16T09:26:00.000-05:00

Productivity and teamwork go hand-in-hand when building a successful business. Team building exercises are a great way to promote teamwork, build relationships and teach a team how to overcome challenges together.

Often times, these types of activities are a game or competition. Friendly competition ignites passion, emphasizes cooperation and helps develop natural team roles. When a team is focused on the end result of the game, hidden talents emerge in the excitement and people assume roles they never had the opportunity to before.

Contrarily, some team members get so caught up in the competition that they forget why they are doing the activity in the first place. Team-building activities are not worthwhile if your employees only remember the game they played or who won.

Share with us and other leaders the best and worst team building activity you've tried. How do you ensure that your team benefits from your activity? In what ways can you connect the activity to daily work life?

Encouraging NCAA pools as a team bonding strategy

2011-03-15T08:48:00.000-05:00

March Madness is here! One way to bring employees together and talking is with a company-wide NCAA pool.

Will you be joining the madness? If so, who's in your final four?

Employee wellness programs positively impact your bottom line

2011-03-09T09:33:00.001-06:00

With health insurance costs rising for employers, ways to increase savings are top of mind for today's business leaders. Healthy employees cost less, have greater productivity and higher morale. Business leaders are now realizing how wellness programs and health-management plans affect the bottom line.

To create an active culture in any organization, consider these health and wellness solutions:

Health screenings to measure high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, etc.
Health savings accounts
On-site Nurse
Speakers
All-staff meetings to include a company wellness update
Mental wellness support services (depression, stress, grief, etc.)
On-site health facilities, fitness classes and stretch breaks
Health fairs - experts on health, safety, financial, etc.
Leverage partnerships with local companies
Healthy food options for meetings and lunches
Promote active competitions and clubs
Provide flu shots

To learn more about wellness plan implementation and ROI measurements, BizTimes Milwaukee is presenting The Wellness Summit on April 15, 2011. The event will provide a hands-on, practical and educational opportunity for company leaders to hear from expert panelists from corporations implementing programs as well as industry experts on short-term and long-term business solutions.

Do you have advice for other business leaders looking to reduce insurance costs?

Management: Fulfillment satisfaction

2011-03-08T14:18:00.000-06:00

Changes in corporate infrastructure must begin at the top

My wife and I had the chance recently to see fulfillment at its absolute worst, and the people involved trying to perform at their absolute best.

We bought three major replacement appliances – a microwave, an electric oven and a dishwasher – all in stock, from the same local mass merchandiser.

They were to be delivered about 10 days later, to allow for an ongoing kitchen re-tiling project. The day before they were supposed to arrive, we were told that due to redundant scheduling, delivery would be postponed for another five days.

I pointed out that this was totally unacceptable because the old appliances had been removed and we had a house full of guests arriving within the next few days.

Calls were made to four different fulfillment providers in three other states to remedy the delivery problem. The delivery date changed by only a day, and the appliances arrived on time. Now the fun begins.

What went wrong

The delivery fulfillment people were responsible for hard-wiring the power cord on the oven but forgot to install it. They weren’t responsible for installing the dishwasher or microwave.
It took another day to find an electrical contractor to connect the oven.
The people who were supposed to install the dishwasher and microwave were no-shows and claimed they called us but no one answered. There were no calls from them on our caller I.D.
A day later, an installer showed up from a neighboring state, only to point out that the microwave unit was severely damaged, presumably dropped en route, and unusable. We had to make another trip to the store to select a comparable microwave because the model we originally ordered was out of stock at that store and at all other stores in the Milwaukee area.
The installer from the adjoining state returned later in the day, on his way home, to install the microwave. But it, too, had to be returned because it was a poor match with the other appliances.

The fulfillment puzzle

There are lessons to be learned here for any business that considers fulfillment important for customer satisfaction.

Starting in sales, data processing terminals must be equipped with sufficient information to accurately determine the complete fulfillment process at the time the products are sold.
It’s inefficient to use the services of different fulfillment vendors, located in different states, who don’t communicate with each other except by phone.
Don’t try to solve fulfillment problems by committee. Someone should have the title of Fulfillment Manager and manage a fulfillment team remotely.
Independent contractors should be required to meet fulfillment expectations without exception. Any schedule changes should only be approved by the Fulfillment Manager.

It starts at the top

We all know that any changes in corporate infrastructure have to begin at the top.

Have you seen the TV show “Undercover Boss”? Most of the participating CEOs are dumbfounded and shocked when they find out how the work of their organizations actually gets done. So what makes for effective infrastructure?

Clean lines of communications between corporate and all operating entities. When a fulfillment problem develops, for example, don’t tell someone who’s trying to solve the problem that “Jack is out sick today, and he was handling that one.”
Every action begets another action. Almost every sophisticated data terminal transfer system has a real-time archive capability. There’s no excuse for not documenting all transactions relevant to an infrastructure problem.
Communication between two different companies is paramount. Working with a partner company that’s located near you is preferred because you can actually reach out and touch someone. But if that isn’t possible, then use technology like GotoMeeting, Skype or any other program that allows videoconferencing or webinars.
Finally, reduce errors and waste by having procedures that are followed consistently, and have a process for measuring how well they’re followed.

The people

I have to admit that the store employees were very concerned about my problem and tried to help, but they had poor tools to work with. Their computer and data networks were simply too slow, or unable to connect with the delivery people.

Fulfillment companies seem to have no real vested interest in the retailer. They see themselves in the middle and don’t have managers to help them solve problems. I doubt the motivation is there either.

I’ll bet many of you have had problems similar to mine. Here’s the important message, particularly in this new economy: If you were the customer, would you want to shop at that store again?

Until next month, put fulfillment satisfaction on your management agenda.

Which wellness area would benefit your team the most?

2011-03-08T10:13:00.000-06:00

A great leader is a well-rounded individual and influences others to be the same. Utilizing and offering wellness programs for your team is a good way to accomplish a healthy work-life balance as well as to open the door for dialogue and team bonding.

Which area of wellness would your team benefit the most from? What is your company currently offering that you would recommend to other leaders? What types of activities would you like to see more of?

C-level executives of the future

2011-03-02T10:46:00.000-06:00

One feature of TEC that is highly valued by our members is the monthly one-on-one mentorship with our Chairs. The unique bond and trusting relationship developed between a TEC Chair, who has a wealth of experience dealing with a variety of business or personal challenges on an executive level, and a member, who might be facing those same challenges for the first time, allows them to talk openly about issues and find solutions together.

According to the Harvard Business Review article titled "The New Path to the C-Suite", C-level executives today have more in common with their executive peers than with the employees in the department they run. Based on research by the executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, consistent findings for the future requirements of C-level jobs reveal that leadership skills matter more than technical and functional expertise.

What type of mentorship programs does your company offer to aspiring C-level executives? What skill set does your organization target or emphasize in professional development programs? Do you know a leader who would benefit from TEC's one-to-one business coaching?

The TEC feature members value the most

2011-03-01T12:01:00.000-06:00

TEC is about peers helping peers tackle serious and significant business obstacles. In a TEC Chair Talk, we asked a few of our chairs what they like most about being involved with TEC. Favorites include learning experience gained from speakers and successful business leaders to making a difference in the business world.

TEC Chair Talk: What do you like about being involved with TEC? from TEC Midwest on Vimeo.

To represent TEC's mission, we'd like to open the question up to our peers for discussion. Tell us, what is the aspect of TEC that you value the most?

Milwaukee Biz Blog: The silent minority supports Walker

2011-02-28T11:19:00.000-06:00

By Dennis Ellmaurer for BizTimes Milwaukee

I work with CEOs for a living. Truth be told, most CEOs are politically conservative. They are, for the most part, right of center. They grumble about paying taxes. They complain about regulations that make it difficult to grow their businesses and make money. They believe in free markets. They don’t like unions.

I wondered why we have heard so little from the business community regarding the budget solution offered by Gov. Scott Walker. I wondered why the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce would chastise the governor for being “adversarial.” And, I wondered, why the Milwaukee Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce would waffle on Walker’s collective bargaining position.

The conundrum for the CEO is that his or her stakeholders are pretty much 50/50…Democrat and Republican, conservative and liberal, left and right. Customers are probably about 50/50. Vendors are probably 50/50. Employees might lean to the left. Shareholders are might lean to the right.

But no CEO wants to offend anyone, on either side…particularly those paying the bills.

So they end up saying nothing…the silent minority, if you will. You will note a fair number of CEOs give money in equal amounts to politicians running for office on both sides of the aisle. A strategic apolitical statement.

Some of those who have stepped up with some kind of support for Gov. Walker’s budget plan have found their companies on a blacklist published by someone on the other side urging a boycott of their businesses.

Some on the blacklist are receiving phone calls and e-mails from angry customers and professional agitators. One CEO’s business got on the blacklist because a relative made a contribution to Scott Walker in 2006. The relative has nothing to do with the business.

So the CEOs keep their collective mouths shut. They know it is wrong. They know they have a right to free speech just like anyone else. But they also know that to do otherwise could jeopardize their business. And they know their primary responsibility is the health and safety of the organization.

If you wonder where most of Wisconsin’s business leaders are on Gov. Walker’s budget plan, it might be difficult to pin them down. They have become the silent minority.

Dennis Ellmaurer is a principal of Globe National Corp., a Milwaukee firm working exclusively with sellers of small businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. Ellmaurer also is a chairman of The Executive Committee (TEC), facilitating three CEO groups in southeastern Wisconsin. He can be reached atdennis@globenational.com.

Management: When employees buy in

2011-02-24T09:35:00.000-06:00

Position your people for growth as economy rebounds
By Harry Dennis for BizTimes Milwaukee

Writer Paul Diamond of Vistage, a TEC affiliate, recently interviewed Brian Beaulieu, president of the Institute of Trend Research, about the economic outlook for the next couple years.

Bottom line: This year will be busy and 2012 busier for most small-to-medium-size firms. That means there will be more pressure to help existing employees be more productive, and there will be new employment challenges for many companies.

This month, I want to focus on employee-centered strategies that will complement, if not fuel, projected economic upswings. Most of them are old tried and tested bread winners, often put aside or ignored when times have been as trying as they have been for the past three years.

Employee personal growth and development

This is the time to help employees evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses as they relate to company needs. The obvious objective is to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses.

Too many companies make the mistake of adopting a one-size-fits-all strategy. Sending a group of employees to a seminar on improving time management, for example, seems like a good idea on the surface. But if only two or three employees really have a time management problem, that’s a waste of time and money.

It’s better to do an audit of individual employee needs, and then group employees based upon their common needs. Today, online tools can provide solutions for almost any personal growth and development problem.

Trainers say employees learn best when they can learn from their peers because the stories they share with one another are based on comparable experiences.

Issues like how to motivate employees or effective supervisory practices are as important as they were 30 years ago. But today, the ability to incorporate rapidly changing communication and messaging technology into these age-old issues is paramount.

Social networking business skills even apply on the factory floor. Email literacy and competency is a must for almost every employee who uses email as a principle communication tool with customers and vendors.

Investing in an employee’s personal growth and development needs is a powerful retention tool and gives your company a competitive advantage.

When employees buy in

Life is so much easier when employees buy in to your company’s agenda. For starters, it puts everyone on the same page. Simon Sinek, who TEC is bringing to its annual “Inspirational Leadership” event in April 2011, has written a fascinating book, Start With Why.

He believes that too many companies focus on the “how” and “what” of their businesses, and not the “why.” For example, we offer TEC membership so we can improve the leadership effectiveness of chief executives. That’s our “why.” Professionals who work with us make this a part of their personal mantra. If they didn’t, we couldn’t succeed.

Buying in on the “why” gets everyone on the same page. That’s the short of it. Embracing the “why” goes a long way toward solving employee motivation and retention issues.

The “why” of the United States Marines is their motto that hasn’t changed since 1883: “Semper Fidelis,” Latin for “Always Faithful.”

Employee non-financial incentives

Do we still need to be reminded that the best incentive for employees to perform at their highest level is the simple act of recognition?

Recognition comes in many forms, informal and formal. Each is powerful in its own way. So is team or group recognition which, in fact, is more prevalent today than individual recognition.

Other synonyms for recognition are praise and positive reinforcement. The most important point to remember about recognition is that it has far more impact when it’s given as soon as an employee does something right, rather than later.

Praising an employee at an awards dinner six months later isn’t nearly as effective. If you want someone to excel again, give immediate feedback.

Employee financial incentives

Even though experts predict the economy will continue to improve for the next few years, pressure on employees to continue to do more with less won’t abate anytime soon.

It’s a good time to review discretionary and nondiscretionary employment incentives for both exempt and non-exempt personnel, not precluded by union agreements.

These incentives don’t necessarily have to be financial payouts in currency or other paper collateral.

There’s nothing wrong with additional paid sick leave that can be converted to cash if it isn’t used by the end of the year. Also consider personal days off, summer flex-time and things like work-at-home arrangements.

Health care incentives include aid for employees who enroll in programs to lose weight, stop smoking and participate in group exercises. Most health carriers accept employee discounts.

These are only small examples because, in lieu of the health care reform act, companies are coming up with creative incentive options to keep annual costs under control.

The new “now” is upon us, and it doesn’t look all that bad for the next couple of years.

Until next month, I hope you take your most important asset – your employees – and help make them, and you, the best you can possibly be.

Most innovative companies in 2011

2011-02-23T09:02:00.001-06:00

This month Fast Company released The World's Most Innovative Companies of 2011 list.

This prestigious list is composed of global organizations whose CEOs have fought for their company to remain ahead of the competition in today's constantly-changing world.

But how does a company get named one of the world's most innovative? What does innovation exactly mean? Many people think of technology, and many of the top 10 spots on this list involve technology, but innovation means something different to every organization.

No matter how large or well-known your company is, as leaders we need to dedicate ourselves to innovation. What are you doing on a local level to achieve the most innovative company in your neighborhood? Do you have any programs in place that encourage employees to be innovative?

What does innovation mean to your company? [POLL]

2011-02-22T09:11:00.000-06:00

At TEC, we value peer advice and input on issues important to our respective companies, industries and current business trends. A hot topic today to many business leaders is innovation and how to implement ways to stay ahead of the competition. However, innovation means something different in every company and situation.

We'd love to hear from you and gain insight into what innovation means to you and your company.

TEC's Inspirational Leadership event presents unique sponsorship opportunity

2011-02-16T08:45:00.007-06:00

We are very excited to announce that business expert and author Simon Sinek will present at TEC’s seventh annual 2011 Inspirational Leadership event on April 14th.

Sinek’s book, Start With Why, offers an unconventional perspective that explains WHY some people and organizations are more innovative, more profitable, command greater loyalties from customers and employees alike and, most importantly, are able to repeat their success over and over.

Drawing on a wide range of real-life stories pertinent to large companies, small businesses, non-profits or government, Sinek weaves a clear vision of how to lead and inspire.

Sinek’s presentation will explore the following:

Why does your organization exist?

Why do customers really buy from one company or another?

Why people are loyal to particular leaders, but others are not?

Therefore, we are pleased to extend an invitation to new event sponsors! As our only annual, open-sponsored event, we have created several new sponsorship levels to accommodate a variety of businesses. Our newest sponsorship packages include a bronze level, a breakfast sponsor and a book sponsor. The breakfast and book sponsorship packages can be shared among two or three organizations.

We look forward to welcoming new, friendly faces involved in this spectacular event.

For information on sponsorships, email Michele Bernstein, micheleb@tecmidwest.com.

[POLL] How do you make your significant other feel included?

2011-02-15T08:22:00.000-06:00

We all try to achieve a healthy work-life balance, but that doesn't always mean we should separate the two. It is beneficial to include your significant other in company-related topics so they understand your company's culture and can support you better in times of need.

What actions are important to make your significant other feel included in your company's culture? Are some more difficult than others?

How do you make your significant other feel included in your company's culture?customer surveys

Knowing when to ask for help

2011-02-09T09:04:00.001-06:00

As business leaders, others constantly look up to you for advice and guidance. The expectation is that you’ll know what to do and the pressure to deliver a timely and helpful answer is high. But what happens when you need to ask for help? Who do you turn to?

The first thing to do is stay in control. Take ownership and responsibility for the situation so that you maintain your employees’ confidence.

Ask the right questions. Sometimes finding the answer is dependent on what questions you ask. Create a list of well thought out questions before approaching others.

Be open to suggestions. Invite other team members to contribute in solving the problem. However, don’t hand-off the situation to someone else. Make sure you are collaborating and working together to find a conclusion.

Reach out to your network. Sometimes help is just a call away so think of a peer removed from the situation, either internal or outside of your organization. Ask for their perspective and they might be able to see the answer more clearly from an outside view.

Participate in regular training. Asking for help doesn’t always have to happen when a problem arises. Identifying professional areas that need improvement and seeking out training or additional resources is another form of reaching out.

Who do you consult when struggling with a business decision?

2011-02-08T08:30:00.000-06:00

TEC brings together senior-level executives in a confidential environment. In order to help each other succeed, TEC members listen and give feedback to their peers seeking business advice.

Who do you turn to when struggling with a business decision?

When I'm struggling with a business decision, I consult:online survey

Do you have a crisis management plan?

2011-02-03T08:42:00.000-06:00

No matter how small or large your business is, the importance of having a crisis management plan is tremendous.

Here are a few things to think about in order to plan for a crisis:

Who: Select your crisis management team. This group is responsible for creating, communicating, maintaining and executing your crisis communication plan.

What: Create your crisis management documents including:

Statements from the CEO
E-mail drafts
Press releases
Contact lists (stake holders, employees, media)
Non-traditional lists (social media groups and lists of key influencers)

When: React as soon as possible. To ensure a speedy reaction time, schedule ongoing meetings with your crisis management team to update the plan, contact lists and communities. Outline the timeline of events and appropriate steps so all employees are well-versed in the process.

Where: Save your plan in a secure place where all employees can access it from any location. It is important that everyone knows where to direct outside questions.

Why: A poor crisis response can send your business crashing down. However, a successful crisis plan execution can potentially create a better position for your organization afterward.

How have you handled a crisis in your organization? Did you have a plan?

[POLL] The importance of a crisis communication plan.

2011-02-02T11:53:00.000-06:00

When a business crisis arises, it is important to lead your organization through a quick and effective response. To accomplish this task, and overcome a potentially disastrous situation, you need to develop a crisis communication plan beforehand. The goal of developing a plan is to get the conversation started about what might happen and how you can effectively manage a situation.

What is one of your main motivations to create a crisis communication plan? Why is it important to you and your organization?

Crisis communication plans are important because:Market Research

The value of investing in personal stock

2011-01-26T08:12:00.000-06:00

As business leaders, we are responsible for wearing multiple hats including both our professional and personal roles. More often than not, the smallest hat is our own. Investing in your organization and personal relationships takes resources away from investing in yourself.

Here are some ways you can accomplish your leadership development goals:

Maintain a work-life balance. A well-rounded leader with the ability to relate to different perspectives is very valuable. An active personal life outside of the office can enhance those qualities. So enjoy recreational activities or sports, plan events with family and friends and take vacations.

Participate in professional development opportunities. In order to maintain a variety of skills and remain at the front of your industry, it is necessary to enroll in various education and training programs. Opportunities can range from lunch-long workshops to semester courses. Staying current with trends and platforms is important and a good place to start is taking classes in the ever-changing and fast-paced field of technology.

Make a personal plan. Schedule time regularly to set goals for yourself and time to reflect. Taking time to focus on yourself will allow you to see the big picture and help you become the best leader you can be. Strategize about the future and make a realistic plan to accomplish your professional and personal goals.

While leading your organization to success and juggling your personal life, how do you achieve your personal development goals? Do you have any tips to share?

Which personal assets do you value the most?

2011-01-25T15:14:00.000-06:00

Professional development can take many forms ranging from workshops and seminars to semester-long courses. While pursuing growth opportunities not only benefits yourself and your career, it also encourages other team members around you and makes your organization more successful.

The first step to find the right program for you is to identify areas of improvement. When evaluating your own strengths and weaknesses, what qualities are most important to you?

Which personal asset(s) do you value the most?customer surveys

Milwaukee business leaders gather at 2011 Economic Trends Breakfast

2011-01-24T16:52:00.000-06:00

Thank you to everyone who attended the Northern Trust Economic Trends Breakfast on Friday, January 21, 2011. We are thrilled with the number of attendees that joined us, along with BizTimes Media, to gain economic insight shared by industry experts and economists.

Watch the highlight video below to catch a glimpse of the panelists in action. To see presentation slides, visit the BizTimes Media Economic Trends event page.

What is your reaction to the topics discussed? If you attended the event, what are your key takeaways from the presentations and workshops?

The importance of participating in the business community

2011-01-19T08:37:00.000-06:00

On Friday, January 21, politicians, economists and business leaders will meet at the 10^th annual Northern Trust Economic Trends Breakfast for an exciting discussion about the future state of the economy. This year’s expert panelists will provide insight ranging from predictions for American manufacturers to emerging employment trends to social media strategies for businesses.

Events that bring business leaders together are great opportunities to get involved in the business community and support TEC’s mission to increase the effectiveness and enhance the lives of CEOs. TEC began as a round table to give and receive feedback on business decisions between leaders across a variety of industries. This peer collaboration enhances leadership development and facilitates relationships that may not have formed under normal circumstances. Listening to other perspectives and sharing points-of-view allows CEOs to think outside of the box and promotes innovation.

For those attending the Economic Trends Breakfast, what are you most looking forward to discussing?

Which economic trends will most affect your 2011 fiscal year? [POLL]

2011-01-18T08:32:00.001-06:00

To kick off the new year, TEC and BizTimes Media are hosting the 10th annual Northern Trust Economic Trends Breakfast on Friday, January 21 to engage local business leaders in important, and exciting, conversations about the future state of the economy.

Participating in conversations with other leaders about future trends, especially one with such high importance as the economy, connects CEOs across various industries to build a leadership network. Begin the conversation by taking our poll about which economic trends will affect you the most.

Which economic trends do you anticipate most affecting your 2011 fiscal year?customer surveys

How CEO's Make the Most of Networking Events

2011-01-13T13:41:00.000-06:00

Many people may think that CEO’s already have a strong network of contacts and thus, no need to put as much effort into planning and attending networking events. While it’s true that business leaders have years of relationship building behind them, keeping contacts up-to-date and maintaining relationships is a constant task.

Here a few ways CEOs can efficiently use networking events to build meaningful relationships.

Plan first. Think about what is missing from your current network and whom would best fill that role. Research the event to ensure that the type of contact you are seeking will be invited. Next, research the guest list and set goals of whom you would like to meet.

Politely defer other inquiries. At networking events, CEO’s may find it hard to cross the room to make a new contact without getting interrupted. When approached, make it clear what it is you're looking for and invite the other person to contact you another time. In addition, suggest someone else from your network to help with their needs.

Follow up. Online social networking can help you easily facilitate your new relationship. Take time after the event to learn more about your new contact through LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and professional blogs. After sending a follow-up message, add comments to new posts to let them know you're genuinely interested in what they do and to spark new conversations.

How do you plan for networking events? How do you prepare before, during or after the event?

What do you place the greatest value on when deciding to attend a networking event? [POLL]

2011-01-11T09:26:00.000-06:00

Attending networking events is very beneficial to you and your organization. However, each event has a different focus and depending on your schedule, you may find yourself having to pick and choose.

When deciding on whether or not to attend a networking event, what is important to you?

What do you place the greatest value on when deciding to attend a networking event?Market Research

What is your New Year's resolution? [POLL]

2011-01-06T09:46:00.000-06:00

With a new year comes the chance to reflect on changes that we can make to ensure the next one is even better. Goals can be big or small, work or life related, but the important thing is that you stick to it.

Tell us, what do you hope to accomplish in 2011?

This year I made a New Year's resolution to:survey software

Business Person’s Strategy for New Year’s Resolution

2011-01-05T19:16:00.001-06:00

A commonly asked question this time of year is, “What’s your New Year’s resolution?” The responses vary from person to person and even mood to mood. For many people the response has something to do with their eating or exercise habits. For others it’s about increasing time with family. For those of us with work never very far from our minds, we would be benefit from thoughtful contemplation about making New Year’s resolutions.

As leaders, we are frequently offering guidance and direction, which leaves little time to reflect on areas that we personally could and should improve upon in the coming year.

Instead of repeating what many have already recommended as “must have resolutions,” we suggest the following for you to consider in 2011.

It’s easy to make resolutions. For many of you, by the time you read this blog you will have already forgotten or given up your 2011 resolutions. Don’t worry you are not alone with 80% of people who make resolutions quitting. As leaders though, the burden to keep a resolution can be even greater—we have many people who are looking up to us and following our example.

Think of making a New Year’s resolution like you would if you were starting a new business or making a significant business decision. What affect will the resolution have on my current schedule and availability? What costs—both emotionally and financially—will keeping this resolution have on my family and work team? What is the implementation and accountability plan? You get the idea.

If we seriously contemplate the costs and need for an implementation plan that a prospective New Year’s resolution involves, the legitimacy of each resolution comes into focus.

What do you think? Would thinking about each potential resolution as a business decision better enable you to make and keep realistic resolutions?

Happy Holidays from all of us at TEC

2010-12-22T14:40:00.000-06:00

We've enjoyed working with everyone and having the opportunity to meet many successful people in 2010. We wish all of you a happy holiday season and best wishes as we move forward into 2011.

May your family, business and personal achievements be some of the best ever. We look forward to seeing and connecting with all of you in the New Year.

Best wishes,
TEC

Strategic Planning: Look Ahead

2010-12-21T11:58:00.000-06:00

What to expect in 2011 and beyond.
By Harry Dennis for BizTimes Milwaukee

His name is Mark Parrott, and he’s a business and personal financial planner and gifted TEC/Vistage speaker from Long Island, N.Y.

He spoke to my own TEC group recently and left us with much food for thought about what to expect in 2011 and beyond. I’m going to paraphrase the highlights.

The bottom line: If we want to succeed, we can’t sit on the sidelines. Success won’t come to us. We have to go after it. Here are tips for understanding what “it” is.

The spending mix

One-third of our country’s consumptive wealth is generated by the government, but two-thirds is generated by consumer spending. Consumer spending maxes out at around age 49. After that, it declines rather precipitously.

The number of people reaching that age, and even age 65, will be growing for the next 10 years or so. The baby boom is history. The traditional sources of consumer spending, the largest spending segment in our economy, is declining, with no end in sight.

Higher taxes likely will continue to erode this spending base. By the way, which of these age groups – 30, 50, or 60 – spends the most produces the most, earns the most, and invests the most? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the answer is 50, with a mean around age 49.

The population mix

The U.S. birth rate, excluding births from illegal immigrants, has now fallen perilously close to where it will be difficult for the American population as we know it to grow as it has in the past to solve the economic needs of future generations. This has been true in Europe for some time, and Japan too.

It’s not just growth, however. Look at China and India. It’s the quality of that growth – the ability of future generations to be productive and, therefore, consumptive economically. For quality growth, also look at Brazil.

Why is this important to know? Namely, it means that our historically tried and tested consumptive base – the 49 year olds – won’t be around to help us out much 50 years from now. Again, a notable exception in the U.S. is the Hispanic population, which is growing, and which is contributing to our consumptive economic base.

Taxation

What do you think? Should we expect higher or lower top federal income tax rates in the future? What are the implications?

You might be surprised to know that since 1913, top income tax rates have ranged from about 10 to a high of 90 percent during World War II. Today, they’re at around 39 percent.

Unless the economy double dips into another recession, in all probability, tax rates will be increasing again. The impact? A dampening effect on consumption, the bellweather of our economy.

Similarly, the inheritance tax is likely to bounce back to at least 50 percent. This, too, will indirectly affect spending attitudes and behavior.

Add to this liquidity issues at the state level. In Wisconsin, our budget crisis has reached epidemic levels. Regardless of promised spending cuts in Madison, inevitable tax hikes are bound to occur.

Responding to the mega-trends

As business people, especially entrepreneurs, we can capitalize on the mega-trends that seem to be working against us. To do so, we must be willing to anticipate the changes that are coming and adjust our business game plans to our advantage.

I invite you to use your imagination and the knowledge of your business to charter a direction in 2011 that will benefit you and your investments.

Products/services for an aging population

Low-cost home health and alternative care products.
Vacation alternatives.
Low-cost entertainment venues.
Devices that help those with disabilities.
Home delivery services.
Low-cost long-term care.
Short-term investment alternatives.
Retirement planning or death planning services.

Products/services in “other” categories

B-to-B relationships in economically stable and net positive population growth countries.
Hispanic food products.
Low-cost housing materials and content products.
Language translation media.
Child care assistance.
Minority worker placement services.
Tax-advantaged/deferral investment programs.
Alternative energy/green products & services.

How many more can you name, given our mega-trend demographic and tax climate directions? The consumer will remain king, unless our country falls into anarchy or some other unacceptable non-democratic alternative. But that’s unlikely.

One of the characteristics that makes us unique in the United States is that we have a solid history of overcoming presumptive impossible challenges. Our ingenuity and creativity have never failed us.

In spite of these mega-trends, I see nothing imminent to alter our ability to overcome any challenge put before us. Until next month, let your imagination start working in your business today for tomorrow.

How are you able to keep up with your inbox? [POLL]

2010-12-17T16:12:00.000-06:00

Different weeks bring many surprises that can load up your inbox. We want to hear how executives typically like to respond to business emails.

Take our poll and let us know how you handle the overload of emails in the comments field below. What tips do you have for keeping up?

I try to respond to business emails within:survey software

Hedge your bets now for inflation ahead

2010-12-09T15:00:00.000-06:00

By Dennis Ellmaurer for BizTimes Media

Economist Brian Beaulieu spoke to a combined meeting of my three TEC groups recently. The title of his presentation was, "Recovery: 2011 and Beyond."

Beaulieu attracts a fair amount of attention within the TEC community, in light of his accurate prediction that a significant recession would befall us in 2008. He started telling TEC groups about the impending problem in 2003. He also advised our members what they should be doing about it in advance.

With certain caveats, Beaulieu's presentation was much more optimistic. 2011 will be a good year. 2012 and 2013, as well. 2014 could be another problem. But it was the "what to do about it" part that was the most interesting.

Beaulieu is predicting inflation. Long-term, steady and prolonged - 5 to 6 percent range inflation. Others are now becoming increasingly concerned about the prospects of inflation. Beaulieu has been talking about it for several years. OK. What to do about it?

Beaulieu advised our TEC members that now was the time to buy assets, productive assets and real property. He told members to borrow money at the current remarkably low (by historical standards) rates. He said to lock in as much long-term money as possible.

He told our TEC members "Borrow as much money as you can now. Borrow so much money that you can't sleep at night. Then, borrow more - enough so your spouse can't sleep either."

One of my members who heard Beaulieu a couple of years earlier had been keeping track of a $2 million property that was in foreclosure. The day after the Beaulieu session, my member's real estate broker called him to say the property was going up for auction at a sheriff's sale the following morning.

There were two bidders at the sheriff's auction. The other guy dropped out after the opening bid. Much to his surprise... and the amazement of his wife…my member bought the property at a totally ridiculous discount from the original asking price.

Was Beaulieu right in his inflation forecast? Only time will tell. In the meantime, my member and his wife should have many sleepless nights in their new home. Good for them.

One hint: How much gold would you have to own to keep you awake at night?

Technology: Cyber Safety

2010-12-09T14:56:00.000-06:00

Be proactive to protect your company.
By Harry S. Dennis, III for BizTimes Media
Imagine that someone hacked into your customer database and stole sensitive information, including credit card numbers. The consequences would be enormous and could include legal costs, lost productivity and your reputation.

My thanks to Mike Foster, Vistage/TEC speaker from The Foster Institute, for his insights about IT security and his five strategies that can reduce the threat or vulnerability of your firm to a serious breach.

1. Work station currency

Unexpectedly, all of your work stations can simultaneously be attacked by the same virus, worm, malware or spyware. Everything shuts down.

It happened to us at TEC. Thankfully, our outside computer consultant was able to quickly respond and fix the problem.

Here are questions to ask your IT pro:

Are you current with Microsoft “important updates,” “software optional updates,” and “hardware optional updates?”

Do you use Windows Server Update services which automatically deploy updates to all your work stations? The patches can be deployed, one at a time, to make sure they don’t interfere with any applications you are running.

What about your personal computer? Go to MicroSoft.com and select “Security and updates.” Never respond to any unsolicited pop-up offering updates, since these may be malware.

Today’s hackers are also attacking applications, as well as operating systems. When was the last time you or your IT professional installed patches to your Adobe Acrobat Reader?

2. Anti-virus/anti-spyware

How about this situation? You go to your bank’s website and enter your username and password. Unknowingly, you have spyware on your system. Every keystroke is now in the hands of hackers.

To prevent this from happening, ask your IT pros if they’re using a centralized anti-virus/anti-spyware tool and updating it – get this – several times a day.

You should also scan each work station and your primary server daily because anti-spyware won’t always detect malicious spyware when it initially shows up. Some malware actually mutates to avoid detection. You might not catch it until after it penetrates your hard drive.

The most important tactic your IT team can use is to immunize work stations and make it harder for spyware to grab hold upon initial penetration. Symantec/Norton, MacAfee, Trend Micro, and Microsoft’s free security essentials all offer satisfactory protection. Let your IT pro make the call on this.

3. Firewall networks and work stations

Without getting into great detail, every work station needs its own firewall. This is because viruses and other spyware intruders can penetrate networks via a CD, USB memory stick, or laptop that an employee is using outside of work.

That’s why your network needs one or more hardware firewalls and each work station needs its own software firewall. Windows XP has a simple firewall, and Windows 7 has a better one if properly configured. The main point here is that to ignore the protection that firewalls offer is simply business-foolish and costly.

4. Password policies and procedures

Do you have an informal “sticky-note” password practice in your business? It’s easy to spot. Employees attach little sticky notes that serve as cheat sheets for log-ins and passwords onto monitors or cubicle corners.

Worse yet, is there a PW list that floats around the office, virtually accessible to anyone within reach? Or a list on your work stations that outlines PWs and their application or ownership?

It may seem harmless on the surface, but putting that information in the wrong hands can be catastrophic. Customers, vendors, disgruntled employees and contract cleaning workers can share the information with others who have no legitimate need to know.

The solution? Have mandatory restrictions on how passwords are used and insist that employees change passwords every 90 days. Your IT pro can build in these requirements and specify the desired length of passwords (at least eight characters recommended).

Yes, it makes the employee’s life more difficult, but it may save a crash or spyware intervention with far more costly consequences for the company and its users.

5. Lock your server room

This sounds like an afterthought, but the last thing you need is a hacker who breaks into your server and hacks into your system before you’re aware of what has happened.

These simple steps usually suffice: locking the door with limited access via a padded key system, using a wall air conditioner to keep the room cool, inside door hinges, and replacing suspended ceilings with impenetrable fireproof structures.

Better safe than sorry(and miserable)

We may as well expect tighter regulations that protect business stakeholder privacy. The failure to take adequate protective IT measures can result in severe business penalties, embarrassment and unforeseen financial liability.

The time to act is now, before it happens. Until next month, make sure you’re IT secure.

How to keep your employees motivated

2010-12-09T14:47:00.000-06:00

In order to run a successful business it requires a team of successful employees to work together to grow the company. Outside of looking at the success of the business, it’s also important to pay attention to the individual success of your employees. If not given proper recognition, the successful company could all of a sudden flop because enough attention wasn’t given to those needed to make the company grow.

Let’s take a look at some important goals your employees would like to see recognized:

Equity: To be respected and to be treated fairly in areas such as pay, benefits, and job security.
Achievement: To be proud of one’s job, accomplishments, and employer.
Camaraderie: To have good, productive relationships with fellow employees.

To ensure your employees are dedicated to the success of the company, it’s important to make sure management is achieving all of these goals for their staff.
How are you making your management staff accountable and giving them the proper training to do so? Here are some tips to follow and make sure all employees are aware of:

Inspire your employees with a reason for being there.

As employees, it’s important to know there is a purpose for working for a specific company. If they aren’t feeling as if there is any inspiring goals or incentives for being at the company, they will surely look elsewhere.

Give recognition.

Who doesn’t like to be credited for a worthy achievement? Make sure you take the time to give your employees the recognition they deserve and notify your team of their success.

Be a voice for your team.

Your team members count on you to ensure you have their success in mind. They need to know you’re being their voice to upper management to give them proper recognition. Take your team out to lunch to get to know how they feel about their position and career.

Allow opportunities for learning.

Nobody can ever learn enough. Give your team members opportunities to gain outside learning and personal development. You’ll be amazed at how appreciative your staff will be with receiving the opportunity to attend a specific conference.

How are you working with your management staff to ensure they are properly given feedback and additional opportunities? What has been the most successful for you to keep your employees motivated?

What is the main goal your company or department is looking to accomplish through employee performance reviews?

2010-12-07T16:09:00.000-06:00

The main goal behind performance reviews can vary from company to company and department to department. Some companies evaluate their employees to make promotion and termination decisions. While others are really seeking to provide employees with ongoing feedback to encourage and motivate desired performance. Employee performance reviews are also a great way to gain helpful insight into how each team member perceives their job and the company overall.

How do you evaluate your employees' individual job performance?online survey

Where do you find the most valuable information related to your industry and/or business?

2010-11-30T08:12:00.000-06:00

The online world provides an almost overwhelming amount of valuable information. Being well-read and up-to-date on the latest developments in your industry is key to maintaining your professional credibility as a company leader.

What resource do you seek most for the latest developments/innovations for your industry?online surveys

How does your company motivate employees to improve their job performance?

2010-11-25T07:47:00.000-06:00

Everyone needs to be encouraged now and again. Appreciation can be shown in a multitude of ways. Maybe your company uses contests to foster a bit of friendly competition? Or maybe your office culture relies more on formal requests for improvement? Many companies see team-building activities as the most effective change agent. While other companies allocate resources to providing employees with ongoing training and educational opportunities.

How does your company motivate employees to improve their job performance?

How do you motivate your team of staff?online survey

The Importance of Having a Business Mentor

2010-11-25T07:44:00.000-06:00

There are many advantages of having a mentor or a business coach. Working with someone that has more experience than you, or that offers an additional point-of-view, will help you to be more successful in life.

Most people underestimate the value of a mentor and sometimes feel as if it is showing you’re not successful as a business leader, or having the capability to work through challenges on your own. Having someone you trust as your sounding board when faced with a challenging business situation brings an added sense of confidence when making tough decisions because you are able to learn from their mistakes and successes.

At TEC, our business model revolves around a commitment to providing CEOs/top executives the opportunity to work together towards arriving at helpful, relevant and specific solutions with peers in groups and/or one-on-one with their knowledgeable Chair.

Here are some of the advantages we hear most often of finding a trustworthy person to be your life and business mentor:

Development of long-term relationships built on mutual trust and understanding from someone who has also “been there, done that.”
Strengthen your network of people who are genuinely interested in your professional and personal success.
Someone to give it to you straight in a world of “yes men and women.” Sometimes the truth hurts but sometimes that same truth can help prevent costly mistakes.
Expand your knowledge base to include valuable resources and opportunities outside your industry that you might not have found on your own.
Get (and stay!) motivated by someone else’s achievements to create greater success for your own company.

What would you add to this list? How has a mentor been helpful to you?

Where do you first seek guidance when making tough business decisions?

2010-11-18T10:27:00.000-06:00

Life is full of difficult choices. For CEOs and upper-level management, making important decisions that have significant consequences for their company's bottom line and their employees can be stressful.

Bouncing options and ideas off someone you respect can help relieve some of that stress. Who do you turn to for guidance when making tough business decisions?

When I have an important business decision to make, I first seek guidance from:online surveys

What aspect of TEC do you find most valuable?

2010-11-12T08:36:00.000-06:00

One of the best things an organization can do is allocate developmental resources to the aspects deemed most valuable by members. TEC seeks to provide a forum for discussions and problem-solving with fellow executives, TEC Chairs that are available when business situations arise, helpful educational resources and guest speakers presenting on topics most relevant to our members.

What aspect of TEC do you find most valuable?

What aspect of TEC do find most valuable?customer surveys

TEC 44 Group Meeting - Discussing Business Successes [VIDEO]

2010-11-10T13:26:00.000-06:00

The TEC 44 Group assembled in October for one of their nine yearly meetings.

Group Chair, Dennis Ellmaurer, discusses the agenda for a typical group meeting and how he works with his members. It is a great opportunity for members to discuss company successes, business challenges, and work together on solving issues.

Meet a few of the TEC members and their personal story of business success through TEC.

TEC 44 Group Meeting from TEC Midwest on Vimeo.

What past President do you most admire for their leadership qualities?

2010-11-04T16:37:00.000-05:00

We're sure, like us, many of you are relieved that this year's election cycle is complete and the time of campaign commercials has come and gone until the Presidential election cycle begins.

Presidents are often judged on their ability to lead our country through good and bad times as a metric of success. All of these past Presidents have been heralded as exceptional leaders.

Who deserves your vote for most admirable past President?

What past President do you most admire for their leadership qualities?online surveys

TEC Chair Talk: What TEC Means for You [VIDEO]

2010-11-03T14:05:00.000-05:00

At September's TEC Retreat, held at the Delafield hotel, Chairs from around the Midwest came together for team building activities and workshops with guest leadership speaker, James Newton.

We asked some of our TEC Chairs what they enjoy most about being involved with TEC. Here are their responses.

TEC Chair Talk: What do you like about being involved with TEC? from TEC Midwest on Vimeo.

About James Newton
Newton Learning Corp
James Newton is Newton Learning Corporation's founder and CEO. He is a nationally known consultant, facilitator and speaker. For over 20 years, he has assisted companies increase effectiveness and profitability by cultivating accountability, effective communication, trust, and respect. James has extraordinary insight and intuition, a playful articulate style, and a deep commitment to helping people achieve their highest aspirations.

Dan Meyer from BizTimes Media Discusses the Benefits of TEC

2010-10-28T16:45:00.000-05:00

Dan Meyer, President of BizTimes Media, talks about how important business and life decisions are when you have many responsibilities on a day-to-day basis.

Very quickly, issues can arise within the business and Meyer finds the most value out of the group meetings and with Dennis Ellmaurer, his TEC Chair, to assist with finding solutions to these problems.

One of the benefits of TEC is that members are continually joining TEC, bringing fresh insights about how each executive can successfully grow their business. It's important to each member that everyone succeeds as business leaders.

Dan Meyer from BizTimes discusses the benefits of TEC from TEC Midwest on Vimeo.BizTimes Media

What is the most valuable characteristic of a leader?

2010-10-27T14:19:00.000-05:00

Lists of most desired leadership traits are common, but understanding what your peers find to be most valuable in a leader is not. Being recognized as a good leader goes beyond the title on your business card.

Is being a team player just as important at the top? Does your commitment to integrity come across as visibly as you would like?

What is the most important characteristic of a leader?online surveys

November Leadership Speaker Events - TEC Informational Breakfasts

2010-10-25T14:28:00.001-05:00

TEC would like to invite you to our upcoming Breakfast and Speaker events in the Milwaukee area. By attending these events, you will have an opportunity to learn about the TEC concept, ask questions and hear some of TEC's top-rated leadership speakers. There is no cost or obligation to attend either of these events, so why not see what TEC has to offer?

Fully Alive Leadership
Guest Speaker: Jack Altschuler
TEC Chair: Alfred Lazaga
Date: Monday, November 3, 2010
Time: 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon
Location: Ramada Plaza Hotel - 1North Main Street, Fond du Lac, WI 54935

About Jack Altschuler
Jack Altschuler has always been clear about the imperative to live every moment fully. He has 25 years of hands-on executive experience as CEO of the commercial and industrial water treatment company he founded and ran until 1998. He committed his firm to being the top value provider through focused customer service, state-of-the-art technology and innovative customer retention programs - and it worked. He is the past president of The Association of Water Technologies, and led it as its membership quadrupled and it became the recognized leading technical organization in its industry. He sold his company in order to pursue his mission of service, which led him to TEC.

For more details on this event please visit the LinkedIn or Facebook event pages.
Please RSVP no later than Friday, October 29th.

Creative and Leading Accountable Teams
Guest Speaker: Eric Coryell
TEC Chair: George Satula
Date: Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Time: 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon
Location: Country Springs Hotel - 2810 Golf Road, Waukesha, WI 53187

About Eric Coryell
Prior to starting up his own firm in 2007, Eric was hired on as President to accelerate the growth of Diamond Cut, a start-up company in Mequon, WI; played various roles in helping HUI transform itself into a highly successful team-based custom metal fabricator, and was President of EWC, a manufacturer of medical interconnect systems headquartered in Pewaukee, WI. He now dedicates his time to helping organizations engage their employees through strategic alignment, leadership development, and the creation of functional and accountable teams.

For more details on this event please visit the LinkedIn or Facebook event page.
Please RSVP no later than Friday, November 5th.

Send RSVP's to: 800-236-9832 or Email Michele at tec@tecmidwest.com

Fully Alive Leadership with Jack Altschuler [VIDEO]

2010-10-22T16:31:00.000-05:00

On an ongoing basis, TEC chairmen and members have the opportunity to have various business and leadership speakers attend their group meetings. Not only are many of these individuals exceptional speakers, but they also give the opportunity for TEC executives to participate in interactive workshops to improve their leadership skills as business executives.

One of our most well-known and influential speakers is Jack Altschuler, with"Fully Alive Leadership." Jack has 25 years of hands-on executive experience as CEO of the commercial and industrial water treatment company he founded and ran until 1998. He committed his firm to being the top value provider through focused customer service, state-of-the-art technology and innovative customer retention programs - and it worked.

Jack Altschuler - Fully Alive Leadership Speaker from TEC Midwest on Vimeo.

Jack is the past president of The Association of Water Technologies, and led it as its members quadrupled and it became the recognized leading technical organization in its industry. He sold his company in order to pursue his mission of service, which led him to TEC.

A TEC chairman since 1999, he currently chairs two CEO groups and a Key executive group. Besides his TEC involvement, he maintains a private practice of executive coaching, facilitation, and strategic planning for executive teams.

If you haven't had the chance to hear Jack speak, this video will give you a little taste of how influential of a leader he is. He frequently visits TEC meetings, so be sure to visit our website for upcoming events.

How do you maintain work-life balance? [POLL]

2010-10-20T14:04:00.000-05:00

Many of us laugh at the notion of achieving work-life balance. Luckily, some of us have figured out how to make time for ourselves and run a successful business. Although, often times it can be tough to pull yourself away.

Do you have a strategy for forcing yourself to step away from work? Do you have a regularly scheduled vacation each year? How do you plan to make time for your family each week?

How do you maintain a work-life balance?customer surveys

CEO and Executive Leadership Coaching with TEC

2010-10-15T14:25:00.001-05:00

TEC Chair, Emeran Leonard gives an overview of the processes and structure of TEC.

TEC started in Milwaukee 53 years ago and now is present in 15 countries. It is the largest CEO organization in the World, bringing many people for you to professionally network with.

Watch the video to learn exactly how the TEC executive mentorship is structured and what valuable benefits you will gain from the monthly meetings.

Are you looking to excel as the leader of your company? What business areas do you feel would improve through a TEC membership?