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V O L . X X I V N O. V I M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 8 8 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E families." Habitat is building a similar, 13-lot subdivision on town-owned land in Scarborough. e organization previously built an eight-unit complex in Freeport. N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N Bayside Bowl in Portland announced it will host the 2018 OceanView at Falmouth PBA League Elias Cup April 16–22. The city of Portland awarded a $36,000 grant to the Committee to Restore the Abyssinian Meeting House to assist in the project that aims to preserve and revitalize this part of Maine's history and the cultural heri- tage of African Americans in Maine. S&B Financial Services, located at Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution, launched an enhanced website which will allow the firm to advance its mis- sion of providing clients with custom- ized, comprehensive services and offer an interactive experience for its clients' investments needs. United Way of York County in Kennebunk said that Tom's of Maine donated $10,000 to support basic need services throughout York County includ- ing food assistance, fuel assistance for seniors and senior heating needs. Congdon's Doughnuts Family Restau- rant & Bakery in Wells announced an expansion and improvement of Congdon's After Dark, a daily food truck park. The park will open on weekends beginning in May before opening on a nightly basis in mid-June, hosting as many as 10 food trucks each evening. Atlantic Federal Credit Union in Brunswick announced a $100,000 do- nation to the All Saints Parish "Founded on Faith, Building the Future!" capital campaign. The goal of the campaign is to construct a new multipurpose building on the St. John's campus in Brunswick. Q: How do we actually get employees and stakeholders to honestly engage in our organization's goals? ACE advises: Businesses and organizations are always seeking to increase rev- enue, serve customers better, or advance their mission. Having employees and team members who are engaged is critical to make those objectives a reality. To help employees buy in, organizations need to be genuinely honest and transparent with their people. Here are four topics that every employee should be able to address: 1. What does my business or organization want to do? This is not the dusty and obscure mission statement that no one understands. This is the legitimate, real work of what your business does. Make it clear and make it known. 2. Why do we want to do this? This is not the "make the world a better place" answer; be honest and upfront about real motives. What's the real motivation to do what you do? Profits? Increase organizational profile? Market share increase? Positively impact the community? Be honest. 3. How do we do that? Don't have a mere list of activities; invest in a strategic plan. Have a clear plan with actionable items, clear outcomes, and regular checkpoints with honest assessments. 4. What can I do? Be clear on how the individual employee's role impacts the real work of the business. Everyone needs to feel connected to the core of what your organization does to really engage. Show them their role in specific terms. Healthy businesses and organizations are self-aware, honest and genuinely transparent with the people most needed to impact the bottom line. A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y J . S h e l d o n M a c L e o d , o r g a n i z a t i o n a l a n d p o s t - s e c o n d a r y c o n s u l t a n t 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. J. Sheldon MacLeod can be reached at sheldon.macleod@icloud.com. Serving Maine and New England Since 1974. 207-725-4304 P O U L I N C O N S T R U C T I O N M E . C O M C O N V E N I E N C E S T O R E S R E S TA U R A N T C O M M E R C I A L / P U B L I C R E TA I L

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