Worcester Business Journal

18 Worcester Business Journal | March 6, 2017 | wbjournal.com 10 T H I NG S I know about... . . . M a n a g i n g m u l t i p l e l o c a t i o n s By Carla McCall McCall is co-managing partner at Westborough ac- counting firm AAFCPAs and chair of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs. You can reach her at cmccall@ aafcpa.com. K N O W H O W Volunteer your time as a mentor & community advocate I 've heard it said before if you light a lamp for someone, you also brighten your own path – which immediately makes me think of the successes borne from mentoring relationships or volunteering your time and talents. It seems that when you give of your- self without agenda or expectation, the value of those investments come back to you in a variety of ways, whether you are the one knocking on the door, or the one opening it. After many years in this marketplace, I have to agree that this principle is absolutely true here in Central Massachusetts. Part of that probably comes from the size of our business community – big enough to have opportunity for mean- ingful growth, small enough to access opportunities, and familiar enough to foster great networks in all areas of industry and stages of career success. We're naturally set-up with an envi- ronment conducive to keeping the tal- ent pipeline full of people at all levels of skill set and career achievement: Students and those just starting down their path; folks who are steadily work- ing their way through their journey; and those who are sitting at the top. All this, complimented by world-class leaders and veritable captains of indus- try – all just one or two contacts away. And this is why, in our smaller- than-some-but-mightier-than-many G one are the days of employees setting a goal to stay at their company for 30 years or more. The workforce is more agile, and it's common for top talent to put in just a few years before moving on. With more Millennials in the field, the culture is changing; employees are looking at other opportunities all the time. Here are some good ways to get good people to stick around longer. Tighten up your onboarding. According to Harry West in an article at Entrepreneur.com, 70 percent of workers say they are more likely to stay at a company if the initial appli- cation process went smoothly. Getting them up and running as soon as possible is key. "If typical worker tenures are getting shorter and short- er, it's not acceptable to require one to two years for people to get acclimated to their work environment anymore," West writes. Treat top talent as individuals. "Top- end talent doesn't want to be treated as a member of a class – even if it is an exalted class," writes Roger L. Martin at Harvard Business Review. If a top performer comes to ask you for time off, for example – even if it is within company policy for their pay grade – let them know you are giving it to them because you respect them and their work ethic, and if they feel they need it, you support it. "Each member of the top-end talent class spends their life striving to be unique. It is discordant with them at a very deep level if you treat them any other way," says Martin. Let them risk failure. The temptation is to protect top employees. But the opposite should be standard practice. "To keep your business strong and keep your top talent on the top, let employees take risks," writes Emily Weller at SmallBusiness.Chron.com, whether it's a promotion or more complex project. BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to the Worcester Business Journal 10 1: M a n a g i n g t o p t a l e n t 10) Meaningful, documented policies and procedures set the tone. With multiple offices, you need to have leadership-approved and cohesive principles clearly communicated. 9) Communication creates trust. We focus on direct and upfront communications. We host company-wide training on how to have candid conversations. A culture that empowers people to talk through issues leads to greater trust. 8) Space matters. When teams do come together, the physical space they share makes a difference. Create workspaces that promote collaboration. 7) The right technology makes a difference. Technology helps extend the room. We use video conferencing and chat via Skype and GoToMeeting, which allow us to feel face-to- face. 6) Crowd control on email. Too much email can be overwhelming. We set up policies about things as detailed as when to reply all (hint: rarely!) 5) Security should always be a priority. If you are even partially a mobile workforce, make sure your devices are secure. 4) The nontraditional workday is the norm. Whether due to terrible traffic, sharing time between offices or seasonal crunches, let employees be creative with how they get their work done. Leaders should consider how their teams function best without inviting more risk. 3) Employees need a clear chain of command. For flexible work arrangements, make clear how approvals are made to reduce feelings of inequity. 2) Routine reviews and retrospectives help optimize performance. Our collaborative teams meet regularly on process improvement: What went well and what could we do differently to improve? We encourage open, honest and constructive feedback. 1) It all flows to the same bottom line. Giving each office its own profit & loss can make managing expenses more complex. At AAFCPAs, we stick to one budget and try to capitalize on expense efficiencies. BY KATE MCEVOY-ZDONCZYK Special to the Worcester Business Journal W W marketplace, it benefits us all to keep our doors open for those seeking our counsel, and never be afraid to knock on the door of someone who might aid us in personal and career success. These opportunities don't have to rely on personal relationships. In am area rich with nonprofits, great events and projects, the prospect of learning a new skill set exists in abundance. • Want to learn event planning? Give your time to help a gala event, road race or neighborhood festival. • Want to hone your skills in public relations or marketing? Work with the animal shelter or food pantry to raise awareness of the good work they do and the needs they have to meet. • Not sure what you want to do, but have a passion for a role or industry? Reach out to those you admire, invite them for coffee, pick their brains and not only might you end up with a richer understanding, you may just have a key contact. The great statesman Tip O'Neill once said all politics is local. Here in Central Massachusetts, we are fortu- nate most business is local. That gives us an opportunity to take advantage. Simply put, the support we give to our community will come back to us by making ourselves – and our market- place – stronger and more vibrant. Kate McEvoy-Zdonczyk is vice president for business development at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, based out of its Worcester office. W

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