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wbjournal.com | April 21, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 19 By Katie Najjar Katie Najjar is the senior vice president, chief member experience officer at All One Credit Union in Leominster. 10) Live your values every day. At All One Credit Union, our company's culture is shaped by its values, and they are more than words on a wall. Make sure leader- ship sets the example, and employees see those values in action every day. 9) Hire for attitude, train for skill. You can always teach technical skills, but you can't teach work ethic or passion. Focus on bringing in people who align with your mis- sion, then give them the tools to succeed. 8) Be transparent. People want to know what's going on. Regularly share goals, up- dates, and even challenges so employees feel included and valued. 7) Create a safe space for ideas. Employ- ees should feel comfortable speaking up, whether it's offering a new idea, challenging norms, giving feedback, or admitting mis- takes without fear. The best solutions come from open conversations. 6) Encourage teamwork across depart- ments. Silos kill collaboration. Make it easy for different teams to work together so they understand how their roles connect and contribute to the bigger picture. 5) Celebrate wins (Big and Small). "Thank you," though simple, goes a very long way. Recognize hard work, whether it's through shoutouts in meetings, through incentives, or just a handwritten note. 4) Support career growth. People stay where they see a future. Provide mentor- ship, training, and opportunities for em- ployees to grow within your organization. If positions are limited, try allowing employ- ees to gain experience by being assigned different projects to elevate their skillset and allow them to have added exposure to leadership within the organization. 3) Make work enjoyable. A great culture includes moments of fun. Whether it's team outings, recognition events, friendly com- petitions, or celebrating milestones, small things make a big difference. 2) Trust your team. Micromanaging stifles motivation. Give employees the freedom to make decisions and take ownership of their work. If you give more autonomy to direct reports, it will foster an incredible amount of creativity and innovation. 1) Listen and take action. Employees know what's working and what's not. Regularly ask for feedback through surveys or one-on-one check-ins. Most importantly, act on what you learn. Invest in employee training for business growth BY SLOANE M. PERRON Special to WBJ T he road to a leadership position is paved with long hours, hard work, and continuous learning. Now that you've earned the title of manager, what comes next? Stepping into a leadership role for the first time is both exciting and challenging. You're no longer focused solely on your individ- ual success. Now you're responsible for guiding teams, overseeing projects, and driving results. Developing strong leadership habits early on will set the foundation for long-term success. Reframing to a teamwork mindset. Aer a lifetime of relying on yourself for results, it is hard to remember you are part of a team and have more resources at your disposal. Overconfidence, lack Stepping into a new leadership role with purpose Julia Becker Collins is the chief operating officer of Northborough-based Vision Advertising, a full-service marketing agency celebrating 25 years in business. BY JULIA BECKER COLLINS Special to WBJ E mployees are the backbone of every business. Without dedicated, hard-working staff, your business can quickly fall flat. Yet, there is a powerful and cost-effective strategy that oen gets overlooked: investing in your team. By prioritizing staff development, you will build a strong team of specialists. is will drive not only individual performance, but long-term growth increasing employee retention and client success. How to build a team set for success Looking back, one of the best decisions I've made as a business leader at Vision Advertising was looking beyond just hiring for hard skills. Yes, you can succeed hiring for a desired technical skill set, but are you getting a motivated team member who is eager to soak up all the information you have to offer? Maybe not. Ready to invest in your team? Of course, there will be risk when stepping away from the traditional hiring-for-hard-skills mindset, but I can promise you, it will be worth it. at's how I have built my team at Vision Advertising. By focusing on so skills like communication and problem-solving paired with those personable character traits you can't teach, I have formed a trustworthy group, which is always eager to learn and grow. Here are some of the key steps to take: • Have regular training sessions. Whether it's a long-standing program needing a refresh or a new platform altogether, training is essential. Identify specific areas where your staff may need support, provide continuous feedback, and customize training to meet those needs. Keeping your staff well-informed and confident in the tools they use not only boosts productivity but also empowers adaptability. • Assign workshops and webinars. Outside of internal training sessions, put together a list of professional development opportunities aligning with each of your current staff 's goals. is creates self-paced learning, along with additional growth avenues. Whether it's a podcast or Udemy course, I've found great success in providing outside resources. • Invite staff to attend conferences. Whether it's a young intern or a seasoned employee, bring them along to public events where they can create valuable connections and interact with others in the same industry alongside fostering personal growth. Gaining insight from thought leaders and staying up to date on emerging trends is key in staff development. What should my goals be? Don't get me wrong, if you're a marketing company and need an experienced web developer, this probably won't work for you. Some skills are only learned through first- hand experience and rigorous training. You can't expect a flexible team member to be good at everything. In fact, that's the opposite of what you want. Your goal is for each team member to be exceptional at what they do best, while relying on others to complement their skills and fill in the gaps. 10 THINGS I know about... ... Building a thriving team culture of trust, or simple inexperience could make a manager hesitant to delegate tasks. However, to succeed as a leader, you must refocus and function as an effective team with an understanding of each team member's strengths and weaknesses. "It starts with understand- ing that with this role comes a shi in perspective: from it's really about me to it's all about others," Harry Kraemer writes for Kellogg Insight. Understand the current processes in place. As a first-time manager, it might be tempting to change everything overnight. However, it is wiser to carefully look at the processes in place to see what does work and does not. Otherwise, a new manager's sudden changes can risk losing their team's respect from the start. "It takes months of observing, learning from employees, and understanding what's been tried already. From there, managers can identify gaps and design processes and systems to increase productivity and efficiency," Heidi Lynne Kurter advises in her Forbes article. Connect with a mentor. Yes, you are a manager, but that does not mean you are expected to have all the answers. As a new leader you are getting accustomed to the new role, building new relationships with team members, and navigating all the chaos of daily responsibilities. While gaining your own lived experience, Shayna Joubert from Northeastern University recommends finding a mentor and learning from their experiences as well. A mentor's guidance and support can be invaluable as you grow into a stronger, more confident leader. W W W