Chair's Focus: Exciting Decisions for a Bright Future

by Debra Dommen,
Vice President,
Government and Community Relations,
Treasury Wine Estates

2012 Board Chair, Napa Chamber of Commerce

This year has already been a busy one!  Over the past few months of transition, the Chamber’s extraordinary staff and team of volunteers have paved the way to achieve greatness in 2012. We are happy to start our year with a new President & CEO, Chris Messina. 

While we are poised to do great things, the path that got us here was both challenging and exciting. I’d like to take this opportunity to walk you through our journey.

Last fall, a great team of volunteers agreed to form the “Search Committee” for our new President/CEO. The core team consisted of Board members Ryan Gregory, Cherie Knox, Pamela Gleeson, Kathy D’Angelo Holmes and I. In addition, we brought on past Chair Connie Anderson. We met over twelve times and put in countless volunteer hours, so first I’d like to extend a big thank you to this “A Team.” 

Our process began by reviewing the current job description, our policies and discussing what qualities we wanted our new leader to possess. Many descriptors were used: figure head, agent of change, possessing that “wow” factor, mentor, leader, seasoned CEO, etc.  After placing ads and combing through over 200 resumes, we narrowed our list down to fifteen candidates. 

The next step is what we referred to as “speed dating.” You know, when you first meet someone, not sure if you want to commit to dinner, but coffee seems appropriate? So we met, either by phone, Skype or in person, with fifteen candidates for thirty minutes each.  We had a strict agenda, getting through our questions while giving them an opportunity to reveal more about themselves and ask us questions as well. 
After discussing the interviews and going through our notes, we went from fifteen to five.  At this point we decided to broaden our team to keep the Board informed and involved. We added Board members Paul Hicks, Jaime Penaherrera and Past Chair Jeff Gerlomes to our team. They were great assets, and quite frankly, validated our process and decisions.

The next step, final interviews. We spent over an hour each with five top-rate candidates.  While all were fabulous, and could have come in and hit the ground running, Chris clearly rose to the top. 

We could not contain our excitement and put the process on fast track in order to introduce Chris to our members and the community at our Annual Dinner. If you could not make it, I encourage you to reach out to Chris and introduce yourself. He’s excited to jump in and meet as many members as possible.

One of the questions we kept asking ourselves during this process was “do we want an experienced Chamber CEO or someone who will come in with a fresh perspective to really bring value to our members?” We think we got both, a seasoned Chamber President/CEO that knows we can no longer conduct business as usual. I look forward to this year’s journey into success with Chris and all of you.

 

 

 

CEO's Focus: New Changes at the Napa Chamber

by Randy Martinsen,
President/CEO, Accelerated Marketing Group
Interim CEO, Napa Chamber of Commerce

The Board of Directors of the Napa Chamber of Commerce welcomes Chris Messina, CDP, as its new Chief Executive Officer. Chris will begin working at the Chamber effective February 21, 2012.

Chris comes to the Napa Chamber bringing experience and expertise as a business owner, as well as six years of Non-Profit leadership including his present position as the President/CEO of the Foster City Chamber of Commerce, the former manager for the Advocacy Division of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce and three years as the Executive Director of Santa Rosa Main Street, a non-profit that worked directly with the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Santa Rosa. He is a graduate of the three year educational series of the Western Association of Chamber Executives (WACE), the Certified Downtown Professional program (CDP), and will receive his Accredited Chamber Executive (ACE) certification in February, 2012. He is earning his Institute for Organizational Management (IOM) certification, and most recently he was chosen as one of twenty Chamber officials to attend a business trade mission to China.

The Board is confident that his proven track record of creating and maintaining professional partnerships, his fundraising and promotional expertise, and his commitment to community involvement are going to be positive contributions to the retention and expansion of the Napa Chamber of Commerce’s membership base and community partners.
 
I thought my last article in these newsletters was December of 2010 as my position as Chairman of the Board was winding down. I am honored that the Board felt confidence in my ability to fill in as Interim CEO giving them time to create a Search Committee for the new CEO.
Given that this is my last article as an officer of the Chamber I want to express my gratitude for the many opportunities I have been given in my eight years of service on the Board and as Interim CEO.

As a marketing consultant, I am proud that the Strategic Marketing Plan I helped to create in 2001 is still part of the marketing efforts of the Chamber today. Although I will not be involved with the day-to-day operation of the Chamber after Chris takes the helm, I will be involved as a Chamber Ambassador and a volunteer with Membership Services, Legislative Action Committee and “Wake Up Your Business Wednesday” events. 

I believe in the Napa Chamber of Commerce and what it does for all businesses in the Napa Valley. It is much more than just a marketing benefit to my business. It is an advocate on policy issues; it helps me understand propositions and candidates when voting time comes. It believes in and gives back to the community with the same passion I have for giving back. It believes in education and supports our education systems in Napa to make it possible for new entrepreneurs and developers to thrive. It is interested in making Napa a destination for visitors, and is an advocate for healthcare like no other Chamber in which I have been a member.

I have confidence in the process this Chamber follows and its dedication to our community. I look forward to working with Chris, and the future Board of Directors.

Lastly, I want to express gratitude for all the Board Members I have met and worked with over my eight years in these capacities of service. I thank the staff - who work so hard for our Chamber and the true passion they have to make the Chamber succeed in its vision. I look forward to many more years of association with the Chamber and with all of you – its members! THANK YOU 

 

 

 

GAINING TRACTION

Katherine Zimmer
VP Marketing & Communication

Effective Workplace Communication - More a Necessity Than Ever

Columnist's note: This week's column is written by Express Employment Professionals.

Stop for a second and think about the different ways you communicate every day at work – phone calls, emails, meetings and more. With all the ways to contact people, it seems like communication in the workplace shouldn’t be a problem. 

But according to a recent Hiring Trends survey conducted by Express Employment Professionals, leaders and employees agree: effective communication is an issue in today’s workplace. Survey results showed that both leaders and employees nationwide believe effective communication is the most lacked trait among their leadership team. The survey also revealed that effective communication was the most important quality a good leader can possess. It’s important to start 2012 off the right way to help grow your business, and one of the best approaches to that is by becoming a better communicator.

Meetings are one of the most common forms of communication in the office. A Microsoft survey showed that employees spend more than five hours a week in meetings. But unfortunately, 71 percent of respondents also said the meetings were un-productive. Despite this information, an abundance of meetings continue to persist, often being seen as an unnecessary evil part of the job in which most employees are disengaged.

To help combat some of the challenges that come with too many meetings like disengagement and ineffectiveness, consider declaring a weekly “No Meeting Day” to make sure your employees’ time isn’t taken away by yet another meeting.

Another time-consuming form of communication is the barrage of emails workers receive every day. According to a study by market research firm Radicati Group, Inc., a business person received on average 75 emails per day and sent 37 per day in 2011. It’s important to understand how much time emails add to your employee’s workday. So when sending out emails, make sure the information is clear, concise, and relevant to the recipient.

Meetings and emails are typically the two most used forms of workplace communication, but we also spend a lot of time communicating with non-verbal signals. When you’re speaking with co-workers and team members, be aware of your arm positioning, avoiding crossed arms as it sends a defensive message. A simple smile can also go a long way in starting the day off right, so remember that the next time you come into the office with your mind already racing through the day’s to-do list.

Effective communication affects every aspect of the workplace, both positively and negatively. Communicating effectively can impact productivity and morale. In a 2011 Express Hiring Trends Survey, business leaders reported a 42 percent drop in morale. More efficient meetings, fewer and emails, and a feeling of reassurance from company leaders can go a long way to a more engaged and happy workforce, which will lead to more growth and success in 2012.

For information about Express Employment Professionals contact Sandi Weimer at sandi.weimer@expresspros.com or call 707-224-9252. Learn more at www.expresspros.com.

Reprinted with permission from the Napa Valley Register.

 

 

 

 

GAINING TRACTION

Katherine Zimmer
VP Marketing & Communication

What Motivates You?

I think this is a great topic to start out the New Year on the right foot… or at least a more enlightened foot. Lucky for me, I am highly motivated by this topic right now because of an upcoming deadline I have to prepare a presentation for a speaking commitment I made several months ago. (Is the desire to stop procrastinating on your resolutions list or are you still chalking that one up to capacity overload?)

My speaking gig is for the annual conference of the Western Association of Chamber Executives (WACE) in early February and the topic is motivation from the perspective of author Daniel H. Pink’s latest book, Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Since I’m already a fan of Mr. Pink’s previous work, A Whole New Mind, I immediately considered this task to be something interesting that I’d jump right in to, but apparently I fell right into Chapter 2: “Seven Reasons Carrots and Sticks (Often) Don’t Work…”

This book provides tangible information for business management by explaining the natural evolution of motivation (physical science) through the behavioral reactions to mundane tasks, demanding requests, and creative fulfillment. Okay, so by now, I’ve totally lost you… boring, right!?

Wrong!

Pink’s writing style is a reading experience that is both inspiring and insightful. It compels you to read on with alert engagement, just because you want to. Which as it turns out, is the optimal scenario in his theory of “intrinsic motivation,” wherein the performance of the task is its own reward.

The three elements:
Autonomy: The pure joy of working a task with self-direction, creativity, learning and collaborating on your own terms. This is terrifying concept to the micromanager. Just imagine - happy employees working “in the zone” to grow your business vs. just phoning it in on a “cash for task” basis. This is also the foundational concept that motivates the entrepreneurial spirit… and where would be without that!

Mastery: When you are working in a state that provides you with the most satisfaction, often called “in the flow” or “in the zone,” then you are authentically working toward the mastery of the task. You care about the process as much as the outcome. As an artist, I often experience the phenomenon of losing track of time. All of our jobs should frequently give us access to the “zone.”

Purpose: Autonomy and mastery… let me introduce you to collaborative vision.
Pink says it best, “It’s in our nature to seek purpose. But that nature is now being revealed and expressed on a scale that is demographically unprecedented and, until recently, scarcely imaginable. The consequences could rejuvenate our businesses and remake our world.”

In summary… more engagement with less compliance doesn’t mean that everyone on your staff is an expert that can be left completely alone without accountability. To be an effective people-person manager, you still need to understand personality types and how they respond to motivational influences. A little astrology doesn’t hurt either!

But, it makes sense to me that if you combine the great parts of traditional management styles with Pink’s Drive concepts, our planet would be a much happier and more productive place. Read the book.

Reprinted with permission from the Napa Valley Register.

 

 

 

 

Does the law require that an employee sign the time record? What regulations govern modification of time records by a supervisor/manager? Does the employee have to sign any changes made on the time card?

Nothing in the law requires an employee to sign a time card or denies a supervisor the right to change a time card to accurately reflect the time worked. The time record requirements appear in both the Labor Code and Industrial Welfare Com­mission (IWC) orders, which state in part:

(A) Every employer shall keep accurate information with respect to each employee including the following:

(1) Full name, home address, occupation and Social Security number.

(2) Birthdate, if under 18 years, and designation as a minor.

(3) Time records showing when the employee begins and ends each work period. Meal periods, split shift intervals and total daily hours worked shall be recorded. Meal periods during which operations cease and authorized rest periods need not be recorded.

Employer Responsibility
The employer’s obligation to keep accurate time records usually is delegated to the employee, but ultimately it remains the employer’s responsibility.

Although not a requirement, it is a common practice for employers to ask employees to sign either just the time card or to sign a statement affirming that the time record is accurate.

The fact that the signature exists and appears to confirm the accuracy of the time record in and of itself does not automatically absolve the employer of any liability for unpaid time.

Errors in Records
Different scenarios come to mind. The employee may remember later that he/she worked an additional hour that was not reflected, or the employee may allege that he/she recorded the beginning time incorrectly, or forgot to sign in or out at all.

In other words, there are many reasons the record may be in error, even with an employee’s signature.

Further, Labor Code Section 206.5 bars an employer from requiring a signed statement acknowledging, as accurate, a knowingly false time record. Requiring an employee signature is an individual company decision to be made with your legal counsel’s advice.

Although nothing prevents modification to reflect the accurate hours worked and to correct any errors, the best practice is to include time-keeping policies in your handbook. Establish how discrepancies will be addressed and limit access to the official record.

Reprinted with permission from the California Chamber of Commerce.

Check out the Compliance Section of the Napa Chamber Store. The Chamber is where you can get the Required Labor Poster, HR Handbook for California and the California Labor Digest at the LOWEST price! Napa Chamber members are able to receive all of their required products at greatly reduced rates.
Contact Lynn Page at (707) 254-1145 or click here to visit our online Chamber Store.