Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 7 and environmental industries to take advantage of a wide vari- ety of mapping, surveying, engi- neering and land services," the companies said in the release. Kappa Mapping, whose founder and President Claire Kiedrowski was honored by Mainebiz as a "Woman to Watch" in 2013, will continue to operate from its Bangor offi ce, but now will be able to off er mapping services from all the Cornerstone loca- tions throughout the United States. "Cornerstone is a great fi t for Kappa," Kiedrowski said in the news release. "Our team looks for- ward to diversifying our mapping services and expanding our geo- graphic reach by taking advantage of their national reputation in the energy industry." e combined companies will have a workforce of 95 employees in nine states. In addition to Worcester, Cornerstone has offi ces in Plymouth, Mass.; Plantsville, Conn.; Hailey, Idaho; South Portland; Groveton, N.H.; Manchester, N.H.; Millstone Township, N.J.; Houston, Texas; Odessa, Texas; Vancouver, Wash.; and Morgantown, W.Va. Founded in 2012, Cornerstone provides engineering, survey and real estate services to the energy infrastruc- ture industry. Kappa, founded in 2003, provides a wide range of aerial photography, photogram- metry and digital mapping services for clients that include architects, engineers, surveyors, develop- ers, airport planners, utility fi rms, municipalities and government agencies. "We have known Kappa for many years and have always appreciated their high-quality services," said Steve Sawyer, vice president of Cornerstone. "We are delighted to have them be part of the Cornerstone family." 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 Pioneer Broadband completed the construction of its privately funded Fiber To The Home Internet project to serve 2,700 homes in Houlton. The U.S. Department of Transporta- tion awarded $600,000 to the Maine Department of Transportation to sup- port the project design activities for a diverging diamond interchange on I-95 in Bangor. Q: Why do team building efforts, like social gatherings and special recogni- tion events, rarely seem to translate into real improved team effectiveness? ACE advises: Although it is useful for colleagues to get to know one another in informal ways, team building is most effective when it assists the team with their actual work. The best way to do this is to have the team, as a group, discuss and make decisions about the following elements that contribute to effective teams. This applies to both natural work teams and project teams. It is helpful if this work session is led by a facilitator, which can be the immediate manager or an outside person. Mission/purpose: Why does this team exist? Who are we, what do we do, why do we do it and for whom? Goals: Deliverables, outcomes, milestones, measures of success. What the team needs to accomplish, and when. Roles: Who does what? Individual job descriptions, responsibilities and author- ity. Team leadership. Practices: How do we function as a team? For example: organizing work, meetings and meeting conduct, communication, resolving differences, getting resources, making decisions, addressing problems, engaging customers (internal and external). How we periodically assess our effectiveness? Relationships: How do we mutually support one another? What do we need from each other? How do we give feedback to one another? Spending deliberate time addressing these factors can go a long way in jump-starting a new team or re-invigorating an existing team. A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y J o h n S h o r b , T h e D e l p h i G r o u p I n c . 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. If you have a question for an ACE expert, contact Jim Milliken at jim@millikenproject.com.

• Cover