jan2014
DESCRIPTION
Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Monthly Newsletter - January issueTRANSCRIPT
Do You Have an Image Problem?
Annual Dinner & awards event
Cellcom on the Go
Meet the members
Business Day in MAdison
101 E. Wisconsin Avenue | Kaukauna, WI 54130 920.766.1616
www.heartofthevalleychamber.com
What’s Inside
January 2014
2 Heart Beat | January 2014
Emerging Leaders
Tuesday,
February 04, 2014 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Mark's East Side
Dining & Cocktails 1405 E. Wisconsin Avenue
Appleton, WI 54911
N.E.W. Emerging Leaders at noon at Mark’s East Side with a
presentation from Greg Linnemanstons from Weidert Group on how to Build Your
Business from LinkedIn.
No cost to attend.
Lunch available for purchase.
Mark your calendar for
these upcoming events!
To register, visit www.heartofthevalleychamber.com
Business Over
Breakfast
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
7:45 AM - 9:00 AM
Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. Kaukauna, WI 54130
Presented by Mark Geiger, Wellness Coordinator for
Network Health.
Have a favorite recipe of yours that tastes great but not the healthiest? Learn how you can make over your
favorite recipes to be lighter, healthier, but taste just as good.
Business after Hours /
Ribbon Cutting
Wednesday,
January 22, 2014, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Bergstrom of Kaukauna
2929 Lawe Street Kaukauna, WI 54130
Join us at Bergstrom of Kaukauna to
celebrate the opening of their new Fiat dealership. John and Tim Bergstrom will cut the ribbon at 6:45. Experience
Italy through great food and drinks.
www.heartofthevalleychamber.com
The Government Relations Roundtable Group invites you to join their monthly group meetings. Each month we may invite our Federal and State Legislators, our local elected and appointed leaders and our School Superintendents to engage in dialogue, keeping us informed of the latest issues. These meetings are designed to be a safe, respectful environment for both our business leaders and our legislators. Meet-ings are not open to the general public.
The next monthly meeting is Friday, January 10, 2014 from 8:00 to 9:00 AM, at the Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce. Village Administrator of Little Chute, James Fenlon has been invited in to speak. If you have an interest in joining the Government Relations Roundtable Group call the Chamber office for more information at 766-1616 or visit www.heartofthevalleychamber.com
These monthly meetings are sponsored by AT&T.
Government Relations Roundtable Group
3
Join us as we welcome Joe Knilans, Director of the Office of Business Development. The Office of Business Development was created in 2012 to work with business owners, trade associations, affiliated organizations and Chambers of Commerce throughout Wisconsin to ensure business has a seat at the table, advocate for business interests within government and present rule change recommendations to appropriate agency or the Legislature.
The Office of Business Development works closely with the Small Business Regulatory Review Board to reduce or remove burdens that laws and rules place on business in Wisconsin. They take your feedback to the appropriate state agency, Legislature of Small Business Regulatory Review Board to help make Wisconsin a better place to do business. Bring your regulatory concerns to this meeting and they can help determine the appropriate next steps in seeking government reform. They appreciate your common sense suggestions to reduce or remove unnecessary burdens that laws and rules place on businesses in Wisconsin.
Doors open at 11:45, program to begin at 12 noon. Member cost - $15 with lunch provided, $5 with no lunch
Non-member cost - $20 with lunch provided, $10 with no lunch
Reservations MUST be made by January 10, 2013. Due to space constraints walk-ins not allowed. Register at www.heartofthevalleychamber.com.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
5
Keynote Speaker
Mark Skogen is the third generation of Skogen grocers and carries on traditions that began with his grandfather in 1946. Mark joined the company working alongside his father, Dave, as they expanded the business across the state of Wisconsin. In 2006 Mark became president and CEO of Skogen’s Festival Foods. Mark’s vision and commitment to the principles of servant leadership has enabled the company to grow into one of the Upper Midwest’s most successful grocers.
Festival Foods employs more than 4,700 associates who serve guests in 18 supermarkets throughout Wisconsin. They also operates The Marq, a banquet & catering facility with two locations in the Greater Green Bay area, two eateries inside the Lambeau Field atrium, and a restaurant in Suamico, WI. Mark will share with us how every business decision they make is based on their “Boomerang Theory”—empowering their associates to make decisions and take actions that will “Bring the Customer Back.”
$40.00 per person or for a reserved table of 10, see our Partner Opportunities on next page
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
5:00pm to 6:30pm - Cocktail Reception 6:30pm Dinner
Awards and Keynote Address to follow dinner
The Marq 3177 French Rd. De Pere, WI 54115
The Annual Awards Event recognizes the achievements of the past year, and celebrates our future goals as we work to make the
Heart of the Valley Area the best place to live, work and play! We invite you, your employees, friends and family to celebrate the
accomplishments of our business community as we recognize Chamber members for their achievements.
______ tickets @ $40.00 a piece = $ __________ Check Included __ Please Invoice __ Pay by credit card online
Company _____________________________ Contact Name _______________________________
Address _______________________________ City _________________ State ______ Zip _________
Phone number __________________________________ Mail this registration to:
Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce, 101 E. Wisconsin Ave., Kaukauna, WI 54130. For more information on the event or partnership opportunities, call 920.766.1616 or visit
www.heartofthevalleychamber.com
6 Heart Beat | January 2014
Food & Wine Pairing Dinner Menu
First Course: Mixed greens salad, Served with Raspberry Vinaigrette Paired with: SKS Sapphire Riesling Second Course: Chargrilled Breast of Chicken dredged in a mixture of ground pecan, parmesan and panko bread crumbs topped with sauce supreme and served with parsley baby red potatoes and fresh vegetables Paired with: Ruby Cabernet Third Course: Chocolate Velvet Layer Cake with creamy, fudge frosting Paired with: Silk Sweet
Logo on Chamber’s Website with link to sponsor site
Identified in Chamber e-news & printed publications
Identified on all printed materials promoting event
Identified in newspaper articles, press releases & stories
Logo on signage at the event, indicating Platinum Partner
Full page, full color ad in the Heartbeat Publication
Reserved table for 10, including drinks
Category exclusivity from tier 2 and 3 partnership levels
Opportunity to be featured “Member of the Month”
Provide promotional item to attendees
Logo on all table top decorations
First right of refusal for the 2013 Annual Awards Event
Logo on Chamber’s Website with link to sponsor site
Identified in Chamber e-news & printed publications
Identified on all printed materials promoting event
Identified in all newspaper articles, press releases &
stories
Logo on signage at the event, indicating Premier Partner
Full page, full color ad in the Heartbeat Publication
Reserved table for 10, including drinks
Category exclusivity from tier 2 and 3 partnership levels
Opportunity to be featured “Member of the Month”
Provide promotional item for hospitality bags
Logo on all table top decorations
First right of refusal for the 2015 Annual Awards Event
$2,000
Reserved Table for 10
Listed as Cocktail Reception Partner in event program
Logo on table tents throughout reception area
Full color, 1/2 page ad in the Heartbeat Publication
Opportunity to be featured “Member of the Month”
Opportunity to greet guests and provide promotional item
to attendees
First right of refusal for the 2015 Annual Awards Event
Reserved Table for 10
Full color, 1/4 page ad in HeartBeat Publication
Logo in event program
$1,000
2 tickets to dinner
Full color, 1/4 page ad in HeartBeat Publication
Business name in event program
$600
$125
7
$2,000
Reserved Table for 10
Listed as Dessert Partner in event program
Logo on table menu card
Full color, 1/2 page ad in the Heartbeat Publication
Opportunity to be featured “Member of the Month”
First right of refusal for the 2015 Annual Awards Event
Reserved Table for 10
Listed as Wine Partner in event program
Logo on table menu cards
Full color, 1/2 page ad in the Heartbeat Publication
Opportunity to be featured “Member of the Month”
First right of refusal for the 2015 Annual Awards Event
$1,000
$1,000
Becoming a partner for this annual prestigious event is a great way to promote your business. Partners receive
benefits designed to complement their marketing objectives and provide return on investment.
Contact the Chamber for more information on the partner levels or if you would like us to design a
partnership just for you.
Call Bobbie at 920-766-1616 or email [email protected]
or reserve your partner level at www.heartofthevalleychamber.com
SOLD Presenting Partner
Premiere Partner
Platinum Partner
Cocktail Reception Partner
Dessert Partner
Wine Partner
Table Sponsor
Chamber Champion
8 Heart Beat | January 2014
Mathen & Springborn Family Dental is conveniently located on Main Street in Appleton. They strive to give each patient individualized care by taking the time to listen to all of their
concerns. Every guest who visits their office will be given the same kind of regard and courtesy that they would give their family and ourselves. Dr. James Springborn and Dr. Jane
Mathen as well as their staff work very hard to keep all appointments on time, because we know how
valuable your time is to you. http://www.jandjdental.com/
They are open 7 days a week 11 am - close with full menu until 11 pm or later! Head to Tanners for the live
entertainment, ride the Packer shuttle bus or hang out poolside in the summer!
http://www.tannersgrillandbar.com/
Sunfire Digital is a vibrant group of professionals with a passion for marketing. A broad range of skills and talents brought them together and their extensive experience in
digital is their backbone of the solutions they offer. http://sunfiredigital.com/
Travel is a wonderful way to reconnect with family & friends. Contact Heart of the Valley Travel to plan your
next vacation. http://www.heartofthevalleytravel.com/
What sets Building Services Group apart? They are a family run business that treats employees like family. They provide clear, immediate communications with
our clients. They insist on Top Quality workforce supervision, including on-site inspections and client visits. They require detailed and thorough training of
responsibilities for all personnel including management.
http://www.bsgcleaning.com
They specialize in Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago
Cubs, Wisconsin Badgers Football, Wisconsin Badgers Basketball, Concerts, WWE,
and many more events. If you don't see what you need, please call or email them.
http://www.schmittystickets.com/
Around Town
Mr. C's Motorcycles, based in Appleton, Wisconsin, buys and sells motorcycle
engines, parts, and components, specializing in vintage bikes. A wide
selection of parts for Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha and other bikes are for
sale on their eBay store. http://www.mrccycle.com/
9
Want your business featured here? Email [email protected]
Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Gift Certificates
make the perfect gift for every one. From golf to gas, groceries to lumber, gift
certificates can be redeemed at over 100 area business.
Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin is one of 166 regional
Goodwill organizations throughout North America and across the world. A member of Goodwill Industries
International, it has been serving north central Wisconsin communities since 1971.
http://www.goodwillncw.org
Community Child Care Center provides a safe and secure learning environment for children ages six weeks to twelve years while fostering their emotional, social, physical and intellectual
development through play and hands-on activities. .
www.communitychildcare.org/
From strategy formulation, graphic design, media placement, to
website development, Autumn Hill Creative employs a targeted
innovative approach to marketing that will grow your business. http://autumnhillcreative.com/
William Russell Kelly founded the company in Detroit on October 7, 1946, operating as the Russell
Kelly Office Service. He is widely credited with pioneering the modern temporary help industry. The company was renamed Kelly Girl Service in 1957,
and it became Kelly Services® in 1966 to reflect the growing services of the company.
http://www.kellyservices.com
Clothes Mentor, the home of brand name clothing, apparel, accessories, shoes and more, for less! Clothes Mentor is a Resale
Clothing Store Franchise, where they buy and sell gently used, brand name clothing for cash!
They are one of the nation's top clothing franchises, and are looking to expand! Find low
prices on designer tops, pants, shoes, accessories and more, stop in to one of many
locations nationwide. http://www.clothesmentor.com/
Miron hired Andrea Krause as a conceptual estimating coordinator. Roddy Haynes has been promoted to vice president, district manager, with Associate Bank in Appleton where he manages 10 retail branches in the Fox Valley area. Rick Hawk was hired by Associated as senior vice president, enterprise architect. Also at Associated, Sal Bertuglia has been hired as vice president, sourcing manager and Pradeep Kurup was named vice president, Testing Center of Excellence manger. Virtualtech Wesite Design and Promotion, Inc. in Appleton hired Matt Chiolino as its lead website designer. Culver’s of Darboy is a divisional champion in the nationwide Culver’s Crew Challenge contest where Culver’s restaurants compete in the areas of quality, service, cleanliness, hospitality and community outreach. Culver’s of Darboy is one of four restaurants out of nearly 500 to advance. The grand champion will be announced at Culver’s annual convention in February, 2014. Keller, Planners, Architects and Builders, a design/build general contractor with offices in the Fox Cities, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau will remodel Sun Chemical Corporation under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Dave Stubbs, and Architect, Jim Stojke. Keller, Planners, Architects and Builders, a design/build general contractor with offices in the Fox Cities, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau will build a 12,500 square foot office and warehouse for Aerial Work Platforms under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Tyler Rovinski and Architect, Rob Lindstrom. Stellar Blue Web Design, LLC, a custom digital marketing firm for web and mobile solutions, announced today the company will begin operating under a new name and will be known as Stellar Blue Technologies immediately. At the same time, the company unveiled a new redesigned website, www.stellarbluetechnologies.com. Baker Tilly hosted a neighborhood-wide food drive November 21 through December 6. The goal was to fill the Festival Foods BIG CART, which can hold close to 500 bags of food, totaling approximately 7,500 pounds. Baker Tilly, with the support of its employees and neighboring businesses, raised an equivalent of 7,365 pounds of food through grocery and cash donations, generating one of the largest food drives the Salvation Army – Fox Cities has seen this year.
Modern Woodmen of America members in Neenah, WI recently helped raise money for Neenah Animal Shelter by participating in the annual Furry Flurry. The event, held on October 12, 2013, raised $13,605 This includes $2,500 matched by Modern Woodmen’s home office through the organization’s Matching Fund Program. The money will be used for Veterinary costs and animal health needs. Local volunteer Lawrence Vignali, Hometown Hero, was recognized for countless hours of service to the community on December 2, 2013 by local Modern Woodmen of America members. Schenck would like to thank the following employees for their years of service to our firm: FOX CITIES OFFICE
15 Years Jeff Ward, Internal Technology Manager 5 Years Brenda Jacklin, I/E Services Clerk
GREEN BAY OFFICE 10 Years Mike Stratman, CPA, Manager Gannett Wisconsin Media’s (GWM) 4th annual “Stock the Shelves” Do It! Community Challenge established a new cam-paign record in 2013, exceeding its $659,000 goal by $33,383 — a total of $692,383. This Christmas season, Unison Credit Union partnered with its members to collect “warm fuzzy” donations for the children of Harbor House.
10 Heart Beat | January 2014
Any change or update within your business such as a promotion, new addition, award won, etc. can be included in
this section. News must be submitted by the 15th of the month for the following month’s publication. Send to:
GOOD NEWS Is Worth Repeating
11
Jeff Schmid Owner Classic Gears and Machining http://classicgears.com/
Give us a brief description/history of your business…. Classic Gears & Machining started in 1998 when my wife and I purchased the sprocket division of G & S machine from his father. Since then we have doubled in size both in our facility and workforce. Q: How did you get started in your field? I started in the Industrial field right out of high school and have enjoyed it ever since. Q: Who is the one person that helped to make you who you are today? My father, he was the owner of G & S Machine were I worked for him and then purchased the Sprocket Division. Q: What do you like most about working in the Heart of the Valley area? That it is centrally located in this area and many of our customers are close by.
Q: What is the worst job you’ve ever had? Hard Chrome plating which involved working with a lot of chemicals. Q: OK, now the good stuff. What do you like to do for fun? Hunting, Moto Cross and Skiing. Q: What’s your favorite movie and why? Pretty Woman. Julia Roberts is HOT! Q: Is your desk messy or organized? It is an organized mess. Q: Green Bay Packers or another team? Of course, Green Bay Packers. Q: Where was your best vacation and why? All of them are great. Anytime you can spend with family it is the best vacation. Q: What are the Top 3 items on your bucket list? Financial stability, moose hunting in Canada and getting my kids out of school.
12 Heart Beat | January 2014
Meet The Members
13
Give us a brief description/history of your business…. I work for Baker Tilly as their Senior Marketing Associate. Baker Tilly is a full service accounting firm in the Fox Valley, with four offices in Wisconsin along with eight others around the US. I have been with the firm for five years now and really enjoy professional services marketing. Q: How did you get started in your field? My degree is in advertising; however I had a marketing internship my senior year of college. While interviewing for jobs, a prospect noticed the marketing internship and happen to have an opening in their marketing department, the rest is history. Q: Who is the one person that helped to make you who you are today? Hand’s down…my dad! He’s passionate, driven, and does everything with such integrity. I have so much respect for him and everything that he has accomplished in his life, both personally and professionally. Q: What do you like most about working in the Heart of the Valley area? I moved here eight years ago; I am originally from Green Bay. This area is so welcoming, it’s almost like I lived here my whole life. We are blessed with so many inspirational business leaders, who all serve as great role models for us young professionals.
Q: OK, now the good stuff. What do you like to do for fun? Shop! What girl doesn’t! Q: Is your desk messy or organized? Messy! I work in a fast-paced environment; there is never time to clean! Q: Green Bay Packers or another team? Go Pack Go! Q: Where was your best vacation and why? I would have to say my honeymoon in Negril, Jamaica. It was my first trip aboard; the beach is unbelievable! Q: What are the Top 3 items on your bucket list? Well, my bucket list consists of one thing…visit every destination in the Beach Boys song “Kokomo”. I have a long ways to go, but I am still young!
Angela Horn Senior Marketing Associate Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP http://www.bakertilly.com
* If you are a Chamber member and would like to be featured, email Jamie! It’s free! *
14 Heart Beat | January 2014
Modern Woodmen of America is a member-owned fraternal financial ser-vices organization. We secure futures with financial guidance and products. We touch lives with fraternalism. Since 1883, Modern Woodmen has brought people together, supported families and strengthened communities nationwide. Visit http://www.modern-woodmen.org for more information.
Established in 1896, Horicon Bank expanded into the Fox Valley in 1998 by opening a branch in Appleton. Horicon Bank currently serves ten communities from thirteen locations across five counties in Wisconsin. A full-service community bank, Horicon Bank’s vision is to “enjoy working together to make lives better and more secure.” A small business itself, Horicon Bank is committed to the local small businesses of its communities. Just as Business Banker, Jeff Van Ekeren, and Branch Manager, Maria Genke, are committed to the Bank’s virtues by being capable, honest and energetic bankers in their work in the Fox Valley. They are located at 100 E.Midway Road in Appleton. For more information, you can call 920.954.6565 or visit www.horiconbank.com.
Elizabeth Griese, Maria Genke, Jeff Van Ekeren, Nicole Northway, Katie Mickelson
When it comes to credibility-building, the three most powerful words in the English language are: "I don't know."
Many salespeople and most managers think that they'll lose credibility if they admit ignorance, especially about something about which they "ought" to know. However, the exact opposite is the case.
Admitting ignorance makes everything else you say more credible. Admitting ignorance marks you as a
person who's not afraid to speak the truth, even when that truth might reflect poorly on you.
Needless to say, the "I don't know" should be fol-lowed by a plan to dis-cover the information that's required, if the issue is truly important. And you WILL be judged on whether you deliver on that promise.
But here's the thing: people dislike a know-it-all. They can often sense, at a gut level, when they're being BSed. Even if they're taken in, when they find out (as usually happens) that they've been BSed, they never trust the
3 Words That Create Instant Credibility
15
Here's the problem with social media: It's turned everyone into his (or her) own personal PR agent.
Think about a businessperson you know, preferably someone with a reasonably high profile. Find his photo on the company website, or the photos he uses for promo-tional purposes. Most of those photos look pretty good, right? (Except the ones where the person's face appears to have been cropped out of a photo taken at a party.)
Now go to his or her Facebook or Twitter profile. Or do a quick image search.
Do the photos you find look like the same person?
Not quite... and the disconnect is often more than a little jarring. The George Clooney you see in the profile photo turns out to look more like, say, me. (Now that's a jarring disconnect.)
Of course you should try to look good in your photos. The research is clear: People want to do business with attrac-tive people.
But don't try to look too good, because people also want to do business with real people. Plus, someday you may meet your customers; even if you won't, while they're checking out your business your potential clients will probably do a quick search on you, too.
Either way, potential customers will eventually find out you're not quite as handsome, quite as trim, quite as young, and definitely not quite the focused-yet-sensitive-artist-with-a-knowing-but-whimsical-smile as your photos make you seem.
Instead:
Use personal photos that flatter but don't mislead.
Pick photos that look natural. Think about how you will look when you first meet a customer and try to match that look. Avoid disconnects between photos and real life (or website photos and Facebook photos) as much as possi-ble. Look good but look real.
Otherwise, when customers meet you they will naturally wonder what else you're hiding or misrepresenting.
Never use stock photos.
Stock photos look cheesy. And they don't fool anyone.
The worst photos of the real you are better than any stock photos.
Don't misrepresent your facilities, either.
Ever seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Ever walked the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
In photos many landmarks look a lot different simply be-cause the surrounding areas are usually cropped out. While you're at it, check out any other business-related photos. Certainly show your facilities to their best advan-tage, but don't over-do it.
And always remember you're not a celebrity.
Actors, musicians, and performers earn their livings based at least partly on how they look.
In most cases, you don't. You make your living based on what you do, not how you look.
Keep that fact in mind where your photos are concerned and you can't go wrong.
Be honest: Do you look the same in
your professional and social media
photos? If not, you have a branding
problem.
16 Heart Beat | January 2014
Effective January 1, 2014, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (including vans, pickups, and panel trucks) will be: 56.0 cents per mile for business miles driven (currently, 56.5 cents per mile); 23.5 cents per mile for medical or moving purposes (currently, 24 cents per mile); and 14 cents per mile driven in service to a charitable organization (same rate as 2013). An employer that requires employees to supply their own autos may reimburse them at a rate that doesn't exceed 56 cents per mile for employment-connected business mileage during 2014, and the reimbursement will be treated as a tax-free accountable plan reimbursement. The employee must substantiate the time, place, business purpose, and mileage of each trip. Additionally, an employee's personal use of lower-priced company autos during 2014 may be valued at 56 cents
per mile if certain conditions are met. The standard mileage rates for business, medical, and moving purposes are based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The charitable mileage rate is set by law.
An employer may also reimburse employee automobile expenses with a mileage allowance, using a flat rate or stated schedule that combines periodic fixed and variable rate payments - a FAVR allowance. The FAVR allowance must be based on the cost of a stan-dard automobile selected by the employer. The cost of
that standard automobile may not exceed 95% of the automobile's retail price, plus state and local taxes; nor may the cost exceed $28,200 in 2014 (up from $28,100 in 2013). For trucks or vans, the 2014 standard vehicle cost used to compute the FAVR allowance cannot exceed $30,400 (also up from $29,900 in 2013).
Standard Mileage Rates Changing for 2014
Police said a man who demanded a job application at gunpoint last week didn’t get an interview. He got arrested. Tevin Kievelle Monroe, 31, was charged with brandishing a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct in the incident at the McDonald’s on St. Paul’s Boulevard, across from Scope, police said. All the charges are misdemeanors. It all began when Monroe walked into the restaurant last Wednesday and asked the manager for an application, police said. After the manager explained twice that the application process is handled online, Monroe
lifted his shirt to reveal a gun tucked in his \waistband. The manager then asked him to have a seat while she retrieved a paper application. Monroe was sitting at a table when officers arrested him without incident. He was processed into the city jail.
17
Our newsletter is sent via email at the beginning of each month to over 1300 present and future Chamber members as well as a general public interest group. It is also posted to our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
pages. All ads are full color and can be linked to your company’s website at no additional charge. Black and white ads are acceptable.
Don’t miss out on your opportunity to be seen! Get an edge on your competition!
Affordable Advertising Opportunities
Your ad
HERE
Prices:
1 Month 3 Months 6 Months 12 Months
1/4 Page: $100 $250 $475 $800
1/2 Page: $150 $400 $775 $1200
Full Page: $200 $525 $900 $1500
Back Cover: $300 $750 $1200 $2500
-Valley Home Builders Ad-
Jan & Feb
As a business owner, you always have more work to do. That whole finding "balance" idea? Well, it isn't all that practical - or possible.
Ed Batista, an executive coach and instructor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, is a self-proclaimed workaholic, so he knows the innate struggles. "The concept of life/work balance isn't that helpful for us," Batista writes in the Harvard Business Review. "[As workaholics,] we need to protect ourselves primarily from our own internal drive."
One way of protecting yourself from burning out is to substitute "boundaries" for "balance," he says. "While balance requires an unsteady equilibrium among the various demands on our time and energy, boundaries offer a sustainable means of keeping things in their proper place," he writes.
Below, read three boundaries Batista says will help workaholics stay sane and healthy.
Establish temporal boundaries.
The idea here is to reserve certain times exclusively for family, friends, exercise, and other non-work activities. Batista says the difference between these boundaries and balance is that the amount of undisturbed time set aside for non-work related activities may vary, but it has to
remain completely undisrupted by work. "What matters is that we create and maintain a functional boundary around that time," he writes.
Maintain physical boundaries.
You need to create physical boundaries between you and your work. "Physical boundaries ensure that we get out of our offices and workplaces at regular intervals and create actual distance between us and our work," he writes, explaining this includes not looking at email, your laptop, smartphone, or papers when you're in certain spaces. "Again, the question is not about balancing the two worlds, but establishing boundaries to create the needed separation."
Create cognitive boundaries.
Learning to control where your attention wanders is what Batista calls a "cognitive boundary." "Cognitive boundaries help us resist the temptation to think about work and focus our attention on the people or activity at hand," he writes. "Recognizing when our attention is being held hostage by work and turning it elsewhere requires persistent, dedicated effort, but it yields substantial rewards, in part because our focused attention is one of our greatest resources." Batista recommends practicing meditation, which is the ability to control and direct your attention.
Help for Workaholics: 3 Things You Must Do Today
First things first: Forget the whole idea of
work/life balance. It's not practical.
Instead, you need to start thinking in terms of
boundaries.
18 Heart Beat | January 2014
19
In today’s mobile working environment, it’s uncommon that everyone working on a particular project is in the same building. Mobility does not have to mean extra challenges and working with your team does not have to stop when you leave your desk. There are a number of web-based collaboration apps that let you stay organized whether you’re at your desk, on your smartphone or us-ing your tablet.
Trello (http://trello.com) is a free service that allows you create boards for specific projects. You can then add checklists, attach files, images or documents, insert deadlines, invite team members and assign tasks. Revisions made by others appear instantaneously on your screen and you can visit the activity log to see the latest changes. In addition to the free option, there is also a business class that provides additional features for an annual fee.
Collaborate (http://www.collaborate.com) is a unified document sharing, task management and team communication site that is optimized for mobile use. One major highlight of the service is its integration with popular cloud services like DropBox™, Evernote™ and Google Drive™. Plans start at 1-5 users with different file size and
storage options.
Quip (https://quip.com) focuses specifically on document collaboration. You can share documents or entire folders so multiple people can edit and discuss in a single workspace. Messages and comments are combined into a chat-like thread with the document, helping to cut down on emails and make teamwork more efficient. Quip is free, but has some business functionality that can be purchased on a per user basis.
These are just a few examples of tools that let you collaborate on the go. If you already use a program to manage projects or documents with your team, do some research and see if there’s a mobile app available to optimize productivity when you’re working away from your desk.
Cellcom on the Go
101 E
. Wis
co
nsin
Ave
nu
e | K
au
ka
un
a, W
I 54
13
0
920.7
66.1
61
6
ww
w.h
earto
fthe
va
lley
ch
am
ber.c
om
ww
w.n
etwork
health
.com
jan, fe
b, m
arc
h