Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1495967
"Best Ideas & Key Philosophies" from 2019 Business Leaders of the Year Business Leader of the Year (Small business) SON VO, OWNER, Pho Sure and Kaizen Sushi Bar & Grill 1. Practice is key, take your time until you get it right 2. Make sure you have the passion for what you are doing every day 3. Discipline and dedication to your craft is essential to long term success 4. Don't settle for the minimum standard - if you're going to do it, do it well 5. It is important to have role models and mentors 6. Know your weaknesses 7. Don't be afraid to take risks 8. Remember where you came from to stay grounded and motivated 9. Pay it forward to the community that supports you 10. Have a strong moral compass Business Leader of the Year (Large business) JEFF ROBINSON, President & CEO, Behavioral Concepts Inc. 1. Leadership - I believe there are many aspects to leadership. Having a clear vision and articulating it to your staff is extremely important. Surrounding yourself with exceptional people who share the common purpose and will help implement the vision is critical to the success of the organization. Beyond that, I've always believed in the cliché, Lead by Example! No job is too menial…whether it's plunging a stuffed toilet or vacuuming the carpet, if it's a job that needs doing, being visible doing it sends a message to all staff. 2. Core Values - In our service system, it begins and ends with people. For the kids and their families we seek to provide them with best practice ABA skills training and behavior intervention. We have the privilege of making a difference in our client's lives. There's no greater mission in life than that! The same is true when it comes to our staff. Despite our significant growth, we try to maintain a small company "feel." I've always told our new staff training groups that my door is always open. Whether it's a sympathetic ear, graduate school or career advice I welcome and enjoy conversations with our staff about issues of importance to them. 3. Employee involvement - an engaged employee is a good employee. We have various committees and ad hoc focus groups designed to engage our staff in a variety of organizational activities. From philanthropy, staff parties, to challenging issues, we provide opportunities for our staff to participate. Seek input from staff… all staff. We use focus groups to get input and ideas for improvement. Most importantly, empower staff to do their jobs. Delegate authority so they can make decisions relative to areas of their responsibility. 4. Communication - It's important to communicate clearly and often. Nothing breeds problems faster than ambiguity and silence. Being visible and accessible is important. Sometimes it's just walking around our Centers, interacting with the kids and staff. 5. Work culture - One of my proudest moments as President of BCI was when we were nominated by our employees as one of the Best Places to Work in Worcester (2017). We were a finalist in two categories- work culture and company parties. Our signature event is our Annual "Thank you" Gala. For the past 3 years it's been held the week before the Super Bowl in the Putnam Club at Gillette Stadium. I wanted a special way to express my appreciation to our staff for all their efforts during the year. 6. Work/Life Balance - We tell our staff "Family First!" We have dealt all too often with serious medical issues of our staff and/or their families. Work is important, but successfully addressing their family needs ensures staff feel supported. 7. Community Involvement - As owner and President of BCI, I believed it was very important to give back to the community. We continue to support autism and non-autism related charitable activities. Outside of charitable giving, BCI has partnered with local colleges and universities for internship programs and on and off site graduate programs for our staff. Our partnership with Quinsigamond Community College addresses their work force development mission. We collaborated with the Early Childhood Program to offer an Autism Specialization Certificate. The six course sequence includes two courses taught at BCI, including the clinical supervision that qualifies the student to take the Registered Behavior Technician exam. 8. Mentoring - Professional development has been an important priority for me throughout my career. We have developed an on-site graduate program with Bay Path University in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). We also partnered with Assumption College to provide an on-campus supported graduate program in ABA. BCI pays 60% of the tuition in return for an agreement to work as a Behavior Analyst at BCI for 2 years post-graduation and licensure. 9. Stress Relief - The month of June is our official staff appreciation period. Once per week we provide an activity for staff to include: breakfast prepared by leadership staff, candy grams, massage therapists, ice cream sundae bar, and pot luck. We hold an Annual meeting for all staff at the end of August where the company gathers for breakfast, training, awards, year review and preview of the coming year. Following the morning meeting we convene for a company- wide barbeque, fun games, contests, and a few cold libations. 10. Saving Money - Quite honestly profit and savings were never of prime importance. My goal was to create an organization where our clients received the best practice clinical treatment by well compensated, happy staff. Business Leader of the Year (Nonprofit) KEN BATES, President & CEO Open Sky Community Services 1. Be a champion for the "underdog", for those left out or left behind; "They tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds". 2. Take care of your community; collaborate, partner and build together…it takes all of us! 3. Be ferocious in pursuit of your mission, the purpose of your organization…do what works AND whatever it takes. 4. Surround yourself with diversity; Invest in and listen to the people around you. 5. Innovation and growth propel us to make things better; Pivot from past to future, create forward, always ask, "What's next?" 6. Lead with humility not ego; when you are humble and vulnerable you open yourself up to continuous growth and learning. 7. Be authentic and transparent; this builds trust! 8. Take chances; don't avoid mistakes…learn from them and understand what it is that should be avoided. 9. Be curious and spend more time on questions than answers. 10. Smile and make it a great day! Innovator of the Year TINA M. SBREGA, President & CEO, GFA Federal Credit Union 1. Believe in yourself and your abilities – you can be whoever you want and achieve whatever you dream. Never let the fear of failure prevent you from taking action. Mistakes made give us permission to start over and rebuild. 2. Never forget the ones who helped you succeed – and be sure to pay it forward by encouraging and mentoring others. And remember that success is best when shared. 3. Work smart, not hard and don't put off what you want to accomplish today for tomorrow there will be more opportunities. 4. Obstacles we face are mere roadblocks, don't make them mountains and find ways around them. 5. Inspire others to take the initiative and dream big. 6. Hold yourself accountable and always be willing to do the work you ask of others. 7. Integrity is #1. 8. Being centered makes it hard to be knocked off balance regardless how fast you are running. 9. Be curious and never stop learning. We are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream. 10. Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out. Business Leader of the Year (Family) CURTIS AND HALLEY STILLMAN, Owners, Still Life Farm & Lost Towns Brewing 1. Under-promise and over-deliver! 2. Love what you do – it shines through into your business. 3. You don't know everything. Remember to seek advice from those with more experience. 4. Make time for family and friends. Those relationships are irreplaceable. You can always make more money. 5. Eliminate negative customers. Your time and effort are much better spent keeping your positive customers happy versus trying to please your negative customers. 6. Always communicate with employees and define clear expectations and goals. 7. Never ask an employee to do a job you have not done yourself or are unwilling to do yourself. 8. Find ways to help your