Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com April 13, 2015 • Worcester Business Journal 19 We help businesses and organizations communicate with purpose, clarity ȱěǰȱȱ ȱ our business isn't enough. ȱ ȱ¢ȱǯ Boston Providence Washington, DC (866) 411-7321 www.ConoverGould.com ŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚů^ŝƟŶŐΘWĞƌŵŝƫŶŐů,ĞĂůƚŚĐĂƌĞůŽƌƉŽƌĂƚĞů'ŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚůEŽŶͲWƌŽĮƚ 3HRSOH3ODFHV 3URGXFW Photographic images for advertising, public relations, graphic and corporate communications groups . See the difference. 165 Holly Lane • Holliston, MA 01746 Phone/Fax: 508.429.3188 • www.ronbouleyphoto.com R O N B O U L E Y P H O T O G R A P H Y What funky job titles say about a company's culture tion at a bank, "you may not want to be a 'principal software analyst III' — that might not be what speaks to you." Creative a 'slippery slope'? But treading too deep into creative waters can backfire. So says Matthew Maguy, partner at James and Matthew, a Leominster-based public relations and branding agency that thinks outside the box in most ways, but not job titles. Maguy said he and his business part- ner, James Pond, tested out unorthodox titles early in the seven-year-old com- pany's history. The two figured the more creative they were, the more they'd stand out from the competition. But the titles just ended up confusing clients. Now, when clients ask how they can incorporate creative job titles into their companies, James and Matthew encour- ages pragmatism. "Our advice is, sometimes it makes sense, other times it doesn't," Maguy said. Some of what's driving companies to favor job titles outside the norm is that job duties have become generally broad- er, according to Maguy. For example, an agency art director might be in charge of writing copy as well as doing layouts. As a result, Maguy says he has seen a rise in the use of such titles as "jack of all trades," and "chief cook and bottle washer." Instances in which creative, and often playful, titles have worked are those in which it's clear to outsiders what the employee's job is, Maguy said. He thinks this is true of the Apple geniuses, as well as Best Buy's "Geek Squad," the electron- ics retailer's technicians. In short, if themed job titles fit your brand, they can work well, according to Maguy. "But it's a slippery slope," he says. Chris Tieri, president of smith&jones, a Sturbridge-based advertising and branding agency, is also a big proponent of clarity in job titles. Her firm walks the line between the traditional and the fun for its own roles. Tieri explained that members of her staff typically use stan- dard titles such as "account manager" or "creative director," but secondary titles with a little flair, such as "witty word- smith" or "content king" are included in their job descriptions. "So we like to certainly be colorful in descriptors and bios, but I think in the end the most important thing is clarity," Tieri said. Like Maguy, Tieri said her company was more committed to creative titles a few years ago, but she thinks the busi- ness world in general has pulled back from that trend and is reverting to time- tested titles once again. Outside of job titles, she's also noticed a more "button up" approach in the workplace, with companies adopting dress-up days rath- er than casual Fridays. A second look for the VP title? But Tieri said companies that foster a sense of traditionalism should not assume their job titles don't need a sec- ond look. Often times, job titles are too wordy, or just plain vague, Tieri said. A common offender? The ubiquitous "vice president" title, which can be mod- ified in numerous ways and doesn't always give people inside and outside a company a grasp of the jobholder's duties and seniority, according to Tieri. And after all, Tieri said, names in the workplace are important, because they tell clients what employees do, and also establish a sense of hierarchy within the business. "It tells the outside world what to expect, and it also tells the internal cul- ture what to expect," Tieri said. Q >> Continued from Page 1 Mark Durrenberger, president of solar installation firm New England Clean Energy in Hudson, said he sees utilities pushing the idea that solar programs are too expensive as a way to stop renew- ables from "cutting into" their business. He said the cost of solar panels seems to have plateaued at the moment, making a reduction in incentives premature. Durrenberger's business is not affect- ed by the net metering cap since it works mainly in the residential market. Incentives under the SREC program have declined over time, which was always part of the program's design, but he said he's pleased the major pieces of the state's incentive package are still in place. Durrenberger, who serves on the board of the Solar Energy Business Association of New England, said the one thing that worries him is whether the federal tax incentive for renewable energy will be renewed before it expires at the end of 2016. For now, though, he said, business is good. "Things really have continued to pick up," he said. "A lot of people recognize that being in charge of your own destiny when it comes to electricity is a pretty powerful thing, and the economics work pretty well." Q As sun goes up, costs are coming down >> Continued from Page 13

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