Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I N O. X I I J U N E 1 , 2 0 2 0 10 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E Main Street Skowhegan; New England Arab American Organization, Portland; Our Katahdin; Piscataquis Regional Food Center, Dover-Foxcroft; Sunrise County Economic Council, Machias; Tear Cap Workshops, Hiram; and UpStart Maine Inc., Orono. Traffic from Canada off by 50% e number of people coming to Maine by car at 11 international land ports of entry fell 42% from February to March, according to the most recent records from the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics. e March total of 114,667 was just half the number of visitors in March 2019. COVID-19 was declared a pan- demic by the World Health Organization on March 11, and just 10 days later the U.S. and Canada mutually halted non- essential travel between the countries in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. While most com- mercial traffic and returning citizens are exempt from the restrictions, it's clear the pandemic is still having a significant effect along the western, northern and eastern edges of Maine. Every port of entry, from Jackman to Van Buren to Eastport, saw marked declines. N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N Penobscot Community Health Care in Bangor received grants totaling $10,000 from the United Way of Eastern Maine to be used for COVID-19 related reasons including personal protective equipment, phone cards/ phone plans and grocery gift cards for low-income individuals to take advan- tage of telehealth services through Hope House in Bangor and Seaport Community Health Center in Belfast. #GoRedMaine / / mainegoredluncheon.heart.org Mike Bourque: President and CEO of MEMIC Dr. Lucy Liaw: Research Scientist at Maine Medical Center Research Institute While heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year, we can change that because 80% of cardiac events may be prevented with education and lifestyle changes. Go Red for Women encourages both women and men to take action and change the odds! @AHAMaine L O C A L S P O N S O R S : Kimberly J. Twitchell: Maine Regional President, NBT Bank United, we can improve the heart health of all Mainers. 2020 Go Red for Women Luncheon Chair Congratulations to the 2020 Crystal Heart Honorees! Go Red for Women Luncheon / June 16 V I R T U A L Working with you, for you, to help you make the right decisions about one of your most important concerns - your money. WE THINK YOU SHOULD REALLY AND TRUST YOUR ACCOUNTANT Like READY FOR A FRESH AGGROACH TO ACCOUNTIN? Auburn / Madison / Norway LET'S CONNECT. Schedule a consultation : AustinPA.com Q: My management group meetings are a waste of time when they should be making a real contribution to our teamwork and the quality of our service. How can I make them meaningful? ACE advises: Unfortunately, too many senior managers seem to assume good meetings will happen naturally when good people get together. Or they think mediocre results are inevitable despite the cost to morale and productivity. They understand groups must share information and ideas, and think these awful sessions are the only way to do that. Wrong! Good meetings make solutions and initiatives both practical and creative. Groups benefit when members regularly spend constructive time together. How do you make meetings good? 1. Make sure there is legitimate reason to meet. Meeting every Tuesday for three hours because we've always done it is a lousy reason. Key people should meet often, but rarely just to socialize. Make it a rule, then, to always have a specific topic and agenda. If nothing has come up in the regular course of the work, study the workings of the group or recent events that reveal a need or opportunity. Or something from current business literature. 2. Improve meeting participation by spreading responsibility. Having people pre- pare and lead group sessions is a great way to build their skills and confidence. Everyone will participate fully because their turn will come. There are many ways to improve meetings. How about devoting a meeting to discussion of the communication practices in the group? It is important, of course, to take the results seriously, perhaps by delegating the ideas to the originators for implementation. Take all meetings seriously enough to make them meaningful. That will solve your problem. A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y J i m M i l l i k e n , C o n s u l t a n t The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a non-profit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. Jim Milliken, a recently retired consultant, can be reached at millikenproject@gmail.com N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

• Cover