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18 Worcester Business Journal | December 9, 2019 | wbjournal.com To celebrate her non- profit's 40th anniversary, Arts Worcester Executive Director Juliet Feibel wrote four business advice columns in 2019. Her first one on entrepreneurial artists appeared March 18. Her June 24 column focused on running an arts nonprofit, and her Sept. 16 column examined Worcester's creative industry. What I learned building our galleries In 2017, ArtsWorcester was given an extraordinary opportunity in the Printers Building in Worces- ter: The design and build-out of a cutting-edge, museum-quality facility at the front and heart of a historic building. 10) Lean on the experience of others. Before you start, sit down with everyone who has done anything like your project, and ask them: What they would do again? What would they not? My museum friends all suggested something I'd never thought of: installing plywood behind the drywall, so we can hang anything at all, wherever we like. 9) Plan for capacity you can't imagine needing yet. Although new media art – multichannel video projections, for example – isn't seen much now in Central Mass., we built in data ports, projectors and wiring to produce exhibitions down the line. 8) Obstacles really are opportunities. Our floor plan had to encompass a building corridor to divide our space. While two separate galleries are a great benefit, how would we lead people through an uninviting hallway? The answer was an elegant corridor and seating area made of glass. 7) Talk with the neighbors. What do they know about your site? What is their vision of the building, the street, the district? While their input may not affect you, it will shape your expectations for what you'll experience. 6) Be patient. The work of one contractor usually depends on another, and historic renovations will complicate all attempts to synchronize their efforts. 5) Sometimes you can't be patient. The federal government had to approve the window design for this landmarked building. If that was to be done before historic tax credits expired, we had to nudge, follow up, and plead for help. 4) Pay your vendors on time. The goodwill gener- ated makes all the difference in your job site. 3) Insist on quality work. You will always resent the askew electrical outlet or the door scraping open. You will always be glad you made sure things were done right. 2) Embrace the history. The concrete pillars of the Printers Building were a technical marvel in their time, and their flared capitals are distinctive. We concealed some to maximize uninterrupted wall space, but we kept visible all those we could, even just as capitals peeking out along a ceiling. Our reception desk echoes their upward flare. 1) Build a generous contingency line into your budget. Even if construction goes so well you don't have to touch it, bank it away for maintenance. K N O W H O W e 10 commandments of entrepreneurs 10 1: M A N A G E R I A L T R A I N I N G G reat employees don't become great managers automatically, by osmosis. It takes strategy, fo- cused development and training. Shelly Wallace Johnson at Workology.com says managerial training should include lead- ership development – holding effective meetings – communication, along with conflict resolution; performance man- agement, such as building strong teams; and diversity, like examining workplace biases. Today's leaders want personalized training, says Forbes's Kevin Kruse, citing a 2018 survey of 25,000 executives. Personality assessments can reveal more about each managerial candidate. "Are you using that data to personalize your training programs? When training on delegation, do you explain to highly conscientious managers that they need to be careful not to micromanage? Does your training explain to managers low in conscientiousness that they need to delegate, not just dump?" he asks. Focus on content. e Society for Human Resources Management reminds companies managers need knowledge, skills and abilities in many areas. Abilities are innate, but knowledge and skills – such as leadership, supervision, communication and technology – can be taught. New managers "need to be familiar and comfortable with finance, marketing and operations regardless of their particular area of expertise. And they need to clearly understand the organization's culture, philosophies, policies and procedures," according to SHRM.org. Training should be long term – more than a one-time class – says Workology's Johnson, as students learn best via repetition. Just as the professional development is ongoing, feedback should be, as well, from managers receiving training and the employees of those managers. It's all a continuous cycle. "e better a manager is trained, the better job he or she will do, and the higher the bottom line will be," she says. 4 0 T H I NG S I know about . . . ... Arts & business BY ANUPAM KOUL Special to the Worcester Business Journal L iving the life of an entrepreneur is not for faint of heart. So arduous is this journey entrepreneurs spend most days trying to pull themselves out of the lows of valleys, and less straddling the high of a peak. My personal saga is no different. Here are the 10 commandments guiding me in my ongoing entrepreneurial journey. Work hard, play harder. Entrepreneurs need to seize initiative; they need to be ownership oriented as opposed to task oriented. is switch requires a mindset shi and persistent effort. e role demands toiling with stress, fatigue and burnout. Regular breaks should be intentional. Understanding what this journey entails and being mindful of the need to enjoy it is critical for surviving and then thriving. Breathe deep, think deeper. Nobody likes uncertainty even though it is all pervasive. Entrepreneurial trails are more beset with uncertainty. Anxiety and depression manifest as unwanted byproducts. Breathing helps reduce stress. Clear thinking sharpens focus. Doing so makes one feel in control. It heals the frayed nerves of an otherwise beat-up entrepreneur. Say less, do more. Words are cheap. Action speaks louder than words. is is more prophetic today with old ways of doing things already having broken new ground. Saying less, following through, and demonstrating a unison of word- in-deed is the hallmark of a dependable person. Worry little, care more. One cannot control outcome on anything in life. e thing to be controlled is one's effort. Worrying about outcome is an exercise in futility. Instead, focus on a passioned pursuit of one's work and execution of the same with careful diligence. Hunger to sow, sow not to hunger. Life is not about outcomes but about enjoying the journey. e quest for a desired outcome can easily drive an entrepreneur into despair. Adversity can detract from one's goal and dull the very meaning of this exercise. Immersing oneself into an act of sowing without obsessing over its outcome can help overcome disappointments. Think long, act short. An entrepreneur should focus on strategic goals with same zest as pursuit of the 8-ball in a game of pool. Individual actions should be accretive and pursued with fervor. Entrepreneurs need to act deliberately and fail fast. Inaction is not acceptable. Pocket one ball at a time. Keep friends close, family closer. Good company makes journeys more bearable. Friends are the elixir of life, and family the one constant in an otherwise ever-changing world. Exercise much, sleep more. Exercise helps alleviate stress, improve mood and regulate the body. Sleep rejuvenates both mind and soul. Needing to burn the candle on both ends is a misconception entrepreneurs commonly labor under. Count blessings, discount miseries. Each day for an entrepreneur can be a Groundhog Day. Trying to stay upbeat can be a chore, but a necessity for weathering storms. Eye positives, count blessings and look at setbacks as a temporary blip on the radar. Prolong peaks, minimize valleys. Understand both peaks and valleys are temporary eventually helps one stay grounded. Doing more of what landed one on a peak and trying to rid oneself of traits putting them in a valley helps entrepreneurs navigate an otherwise stomach-churning roller-coaster ride. Anupam Koul is founder and CEO of Marlborough engineering solutions provider Envisage, Inc. Reach him at 508-386-9648 and akoul@envisageinc.com. BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to the Worcester Business Journal W W W