Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder honored Osceola County Corrections Officer Reeshemah Taylor with the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor in a White House ceremony. The medal, authorized by the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001, is the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer. A total of 78 medals have been presented since the first recipients were honored in 2003. Taylor is the first corrections officer to receive the award. During a June 22, 2009 incident, Taylor found herself in a face-to-face confrontation with an armed inmate dressed in a correction officer’s uniform. With a weapon pointed at her, Taylor grabbed the 9mm pistol, diverting it from her direction and delivering a knee spike to the inmate’s groin. The inmate dropped to the floor and the gun dropped several feet away. Taylor immobilized the inmate and with her free hand, summoned assistance with her radio. Also notably, the incident prompted numerous security enhancements by the Corrections Department, which also revamped policies and training procedures.

 

Hernando County Administrator Leonard Sossamon appointed four new assistant county administrators: George Zoettlein, assistant county administrator for Budget and Community Development; Russ Wetherington, assistant county administrator for General Services; Brian Malmberg, assistant county administrator for Operations; and Ronald Pianta, assistant county administrator for Planning and Development. Each was an existing Hernando government employee, with tenures ranging from two to 14 years; Zoettlein has the longest tenure, hired in June 1999. According to Sossamon, the new assistant county administrators will “work closely with me in the continuing process to develop a strategic plan for Hernando County.” Sossamon also plans to “continue to grow Hernando County and its economic prowess.”

 

The Hillsborough County Commission on the Status of Women has named three women to the 2013 class of the Hillsborough County Women’s Hall of Fame: Dottie Berger MacKinnon, Deanne Roberts and Juel Shannon Smith. The Hillsborough County Commission on the Status of Women created the Women’s Hall of Fame in 2011 to recognize “significant contributions to the betterment of life for residents of Hillsborough County.” MacKinnon has dedicated her life to children as a founder of Joshua House, Friends of Joshua House, Kids Charity of Tampa Bay and A Kid’s Place. She served as a Hillsborough County Commissioner from 1994 to 1998. Roberts, an advocate for creating business opportunities in Tampa Bay, is founder of the now-ChappellRoberts Public Relations firm. She is a former chair of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Emerge Tampa, Connect Tampa and Creative Tampa Bay. Smith has been a driving force at the University of South Florida as founding executive director of the USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy Program and the USF Institute of Black Life.

 

Lake County’s Growth Management Department is now accepting commercial and industrial permits electronically through the county’s website at lakecountyfl.gov. The county has 40 types of permits available online. The pre-application conference and online site plan process are also available electronically. Among the goals of the county’s Economic Action Plan are creating a business-friendly environment and simplifying the permitting process. A team of staff comprised from the county’s Growth Management, Information Technology, Communications and Health departments achieved the conversion of permitting to an online format, along with the development of informational tutorials. In April, the team is slated to complete an online impact fee calculator. Future projects for the team include creating online tutorials and allowing applications for preliminary plats and rezoning requests.

 

The Manatee County Commission has extended the contract of County Administrator Ed Hunzeker until 2018, almost four years beyond his expected retirement date. Hunzeker was hired as County Administrator in 2007. Since that time, County Government has been reduced by nearly 300 positions, and its operating budget has been cut by $142 million, or about 25 percent. Hunzeker reduced the size of government without broad service cuts to the community. Also during his tenure, according to county officials, Hunzeker transformed the Manatee County Building Department into a responsive and efficient arm of local government that has served as a model for others around the region. In addition, Hunzeker mapped out the board-approved local plan for job creation and retention. Manatee’s Economic Development Incentive package offers performance-based incentives to businesses that create or retain quality local jobs. More than 4,000 jobs may be created over the next five years as a direct result of that package.

 

 

The Florida Department of Transportation has awarded a $10,000 scholarship to Brevard Community College, as part of the A. Max Brewer Bridge project winning a national People’s Choice Award. Last November, that FDOT bridge project won the People’s Choice Award, a national contest sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. In turn, FDOT received a $10,000 prize to share with a charity of its choice, Brevard Community College. The scholarship will go to a student pursuing an engineering degree in the transportation sector who has completed course work at BCC and is transferring to a four-year school that offers a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Students must meet certain criteria, including taking courses at the college’s Titusville or Cocoa campuses. The A. Max Brewer Bridge—a $44.8 million fixed span bridge—replaced an aging and structurally deficient swing span over the Indian River.

 

Citrus County’s Orange Line Bus now services the entire county. Previously, the county had only point-to-point appointment/pickup bus service; the Orange Line is a fixed route system. The purpose is to “provide safe, courteous, clean and reliable transportation” for residents, offering “convenient transportation to shopping and recreation opportunities without the cost and bother of driving.” The buses operate Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to about 7 p.m., excluding major holidays. Times for door-to-door service are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., not to be confused with fixed times. The complete circuit takes about two hours, with the route designed to help residents in the Crystal River, Homosassa and Floral City areas, along with routes in Inverness and Beverly Hills. Officials also hope that students will utilize the line to get around the county.

 

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, in collaboration with the Heart of Florida United Way and Florida Prosperity Partnership, have launched Bank On Greater Orlando, a public-private partnership among the area’s regional financial institutions and community-based organizations. The initiative is aimed at increasing the financial stability of the “unbanked” and “underbanked.” The program connects residents with financial institutions that can provide assistance tailored to specific needs. Nearly one-third of Orlando residents are either unbanked (no checking or savings account) or underbanked (have an account but frequently use alternative financial services like check-cashing). The Bank On program has spread throughout the country and is based on a collaborative effort with local communities and their financial institutions, local governments, and community-based and nonprofit organizations, such as the Heart of Florida United Way. 

 

 

Pasco County Commissioners approved $100,000 for the county’s first business incubator, which will be located in the Dade City Business Center and managed by a team led by the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 20 percent of new businesses remain in operation after the first five years. By contrast, a U.S. Economic Development Administration-funded study concluded that 87 percent of all businesses graduating from an incubator stay in business after five years. Pasco EDC’s goal is to work with new entrepreneurs and scalable start-up companies in the incubator, helping to build their businesses from the ground up. Pasco EDC has promised $50,000 and has secured $50,000 for the new incubator from Dade City. It is partnering with Saint Leo University, the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce and the University of South Florida Small Business Development Center to provide technical assistance. Pasco EDC has been laying the groundwork for entrepreneurs over the past year through its Pasco Enterprise Network, a collaborative effort of business-help organizations. 

 

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport has unveiled a new logo, emphasizing the airport’s three-letter identifier PIE, and a new slogan, “Tampa Bay The Easy Way.” New monuments at the east and west entrances to the airport feature the new logo. The airport’s permanent three-letter identifier PIE was assigned to the airport based on its name in the 1950s, Pinellas International. The former logo first appeared in 1976. Merging PIE, St. Pete-Clearwater International and the Tampa Bay region is key to marketing the airport to travelers and airlines in the future, according to airport officials, who added that after renovating the terminal in 2010, it was time to continue the re-branding of the airport. Also, a new website design is in the works, and renovations to the terminal will continue with the addition of new Flight Information Displays and other improvements. 

 

Polk County residents have greater access to their county commissioners with the launch ofThe Commissioner’s Report on Polk Government Television. The 30-minute show features two commissioners each month who discuss various topics relevant to their work as a commissioner and current board action. Host Jim DeGennaro talks to the commissioners one-on-one to deliver an “inside look” at the workings of county government. The first program featured County Commissioners George Lindsey and Melony Bell. Through PGTV, residents can follow local and state government meetings, learn about county services, watch community performances, discover activities and engage in important issues. The programming is available online at polk-county.net/pgtv.

 

The Fort Myers office of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection now represents the Sarasota County district. The FDEP maintains district offices representing five regional areas throughout the state. In an effort to establish a more consistent workload and develop more uniform jurisdictional areas, FDEP revised its district boundaries. As a result, Sarasota representation, which previously had occurred at the FDEP office in Tampa, has moved to the South District. FDEP provides oversight of many county environmental programs. Among them are storage tank compliance, petroleum cleanup, air quality, environmental permitting for mangrove trimming and alteration, and dredging and fill activities. The South District is responsible for Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Highlands, Hendry, Glades, Lee, Monroe and Sarasota counties. 

 

Nominated by the Society of Women Engineers, the City of Sanford was the winner of the 2013 Engineers Week Outstanding Organization of the Year Award for Central Florida. Numerous reasons were cited. Utilities Department staffers, for example, have volunteered at industry events such as the Water Issues and Innovations Symposium, American Society of Civil Engineering Luncheon and Florida Water Resources Conference. Also, the Utilities Department developed a water-conservation program that included replacing old water meters with automatic-meter-read and leak-detection functions. Currently, Sanford is working on improving customers’ water quality by adding ozone and granular activated carbon to water treatment and using a unidirectional flushing program to move stagnant water throughout the system. Each year, more than 70 engineering, education and cultural societies plus more than 50 corporations and government agencies observe National Engineers Week, held on the third week of February.

 

Volusia County has expanded its online permit, development and contractor information services. With the latest phase of Connect Live Permits, registered contractors can apply online for licenses, demolition permits and certain types of residential permits at ConnectLivePermits.org. Other registered users can submit certain application types online. Contractors, permit applicants and other persons actively involved in development can register on Connect Live Permits to schedule inspections, make payments and check the status of applications online. Connect Live Permits, launched in September 2012, also allows residents to submit complaints about potential code violations and research permits, developments, complaints and contractor licenses from their computers. The county will continue to expand Connect Live Permits to include additional application types in the future.

The Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, celebrating its Centennial in 2013, has a rich history of “community building” and being the leading “change agent” for the region. Its vision today is, most likely, much the same as when it was established in 1913 as the Orlando Board of Trade. Its structure today, though, is much different. In 2007, feeling the shift in the “marketplace,” the executive board of the Board of Governors recognized it was time to move in a new direction … move toward a new form of governance—a “New Civic Architecture.”

 

In a historic vote of confidence, the leadership of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce unanimously agreed to become a “strategic line of business” of America’s Newest Regional Partnership, the Central Florida Partnership, with a primary focus on regional entrepreneurship. Likewise, other former Chamber programs were elevated as primary lines of business, including myregion.org (regional research and resolves), Leadership Orlando (regional leadership) and BusinessForce (regional public policy advocacy), each with its own specialty.

 

The Central Florida Partnership was created and designed to anticipate the complexities of global competition, allowing us to meet our growing challenges by moving “Ideas to Results.” It is a place where regional leaders convene, set priorities, address the region’s toughest problems and identify our greatest opportunities. Much as the founders of our Chamber had envisioned.

 

Now identified to serve business, civic and community leaders in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia counties, the Central Florida Partnership is a business-led initiative encompassing collaboration, cooperation and coordination—solving the problems that matter most to the millions of people who live, work, learn and play in  Central Florida.

During this 100th anniversary, we are reminded of the moral of one of Aesop’s fables: You are known by the company you keep. As we celebrate this historic achievement, we look around to see others that have met this significant milestone and, in some cases, how we’ve come to know them.

 

Other companies and entities that have celebrated their Centennial include the following :

 

• AAA
• Boy Scouts of America
• Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches
• Chevrolet – Chevy Runs Deep
• Dale Carnegie – 100 Years of Transformation
• Fenway Park – Where Everyone Knows Your Name
• Girl Scouts of America
• IBM – Making the World Work Better
• LL Bean – Exploring the Outdoors
• National Cherry Blossom Festival
• Oreo Cookies – Celebrate the Kid Inside
• Ringling Museum
• Seminole County, Florida
• Southern Fruit Distributors and Pineloch Management Corp. 
• Steelcase – 100 Dreams, 100 Minds, 100 Years
• Tour de France
• Universal Studios
• U. S. Chamber of Commerce
• Whirlpool – Pride, Passion & Performance

 

The opportunities in Central Florida are limitless, and the recognition and reputation that has been gained during the last century by the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce is extraordinary. Under the new mantle of leadership at the Central Florida Partnership, and now known as Orlando Inc., the Chamber looks forward to continued success for another 100 years.

 

It was with much pride and enthusiasm that a message was received on June 10, 2009, shortly after this organizational transformation, from Thomas J. Donohue, president and chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, that the Accrediting Committee had, once again, awarded a “Five Star” designation—the highest level of achievement possible by the U.S. Chamber—which recognizes less than 1 percent of the country’s 6,936 chambers of commerce at this stellar level.

The celebration during the rest of the year will be more than a remembrance of the Chamber’s past accomplishments; it will also celebrate a new vision to inspire leadership for the future. It will be a purpose-driven celebration, delivering meaningful results while enhancing public awareness and perceptions of the Chamber’s role in advancing our community and our region.

 

File this review of the IRIScan Book 2 portable scanner under “technology does it again.” 

Measuring about 12 inches long, and narrow like a long stick of butter, the IRIScan Book 2 slides over a book or sheet of paper and magically picks up the image on that item. (Don’t try that with butter.) Unlike the multifunction printer with which you usually scan, it doesn’t need to be connected to a computer while you’re scanning. So you can take it anywhere your material is. And because it is not a flatbed, you can easily scan books, even if they don’t sit flat.

 

The designers made a terrific decision when they decided to scan directly onto a microSD flash memory card, the type you find in your smart phone. That gives it plenty of storage for documents and unties the scanner from the computer. Yet, I found I could scan while connected to my laptop via USB cable. That’s when the microSD card looks to the computer like just another disk drive, allowing you to copy your scans onto any disk on your computer, regardless of using a PC or Mac. 

 

The IRIScan Book 2 is powered by two AA batteries. Once you drop them into the scanner, you’re ready to hold down the scan button for a few seconds to turn it on. Then, for each scan, just momentarily press the scan button again, which turns on a green light to indicate you’re scanning. Press it again to stop. The IRIScan also gives you two choices: whether to scan in black and white or color, and whether to scan at 300 dpi (dots per inch) or 600 dpi. Each of these is controlled with a single button click on the top edge of the scanner. It’s quite simple to use and gives good scanned output in PDF format. Just make sure you use a steady hand while scanning.

 

While the hardware on the IRIScan is excellent, the accompanying software, ReadIRIS 12, is merely handy. It will help you do optical character recognition (OCR) of your scanned documents and convert them into Word or Excel format from PDF. It also works on PDFs that didn’t come from the scanner as well as other types of image files. And it can save documents in PDF format after you have converted the text, as well.

 

To use ReadIRIS, open a PDF or image file with it. This will load it onto your screen. It then shows an outline wherever it determines the text is on the document. If you’re confident with the selections made automatically, simply click “Recognize + Save” then give it a name and save it. If not, you can remove the automatic text selection then reselect manually.

 

I found the recognition to be in the 90 percent-plus correct range when I clicked “Recognize + Save” for a typed document that shows right side up on the ReadIRIS screen. If scanned upside down or it’s handwritten text, the recognition is very low. 

 

The resulting Word document is actually a bunch of text boxes, sometimes in mixed fonts, combined with graphics. Not a bad result, but likely not the way you would have created it from scratch. So you’re likely to need to do some editing and proofing if you plan to use the resulting document professionally. Also notably, ReadIRIS can be set up to recognize words in many languages and has an OCR Wizard to walk you through the recognition process.

 Steve had a successful manufacturing business. He’d put in a lot of time and money to get the business where it was, but was looking to step back and slow down. His right hand man, John, seemed to be the right person to run the business. John, though, wanted a piece of the action.

To accomplish this, Steve transferred some of his stock to John, giving John a 20 percent interest in the business.

 

Unfortunately, this had a different effect. John decided that, as an owner, he no longer had to put in the long hours he once did. John also thought the business was now his personal slush fund, taking trips, having dinners and doing other things on the business tab. Without Steve and John, there was no one at the helm and the added expenses hit profits hard.

 

The business faltered, and Steve had to come back into the business to right the ship. When he learned what John was doing (or, rather, not doing) he wanted John out. Unfortunately, John wouldn’t sell his shares back to Steve at anything near a reasonable price. Steve had two bad choices: pay John’s ransom for the shares (he wanted a lot more than 20 percent of the business value for the shares) or let John have 20 percent of the net income and cash from selling the business. Plus, as the business grew and became more valuable, John would get 20 percent of Steve’s effort. 

Steve paid the ransom to get rid of John right away.

 

What should have been done? The only reason to add a partner is to grow the value of your business. And you’ll have to grow it by more than the percentage you’ll give up to the new co-owner so you come out ahead. With that in mind, there are a few issues that must be addressed when you admit an employee as a co-owner.

 

First, what will the partner pay for the interest in the business? A going concern business has value. (A going concern business has enough assets to function for the foreseeable future without the threat of liquidation.) To be fair for all parties, that value should be determined by an appraisal of the business. Yes, an appraisal is not inexpensive. But it is much less expensive than selling a part of your business for less than fair market value. Would you sell your home without knowing its market value?

 

Next, there are tax issues that have to be considered from the outset. If you merely transfer that value to an employee, the IRS will treat it as compensation. In other words, it will be as if you gave the employee a cash bonus in the amount of the fair market value of the shares, and then your employee handed it over in exchange for the stock.

 

That means that income taxes, Medicare and, possibly, FICA will have to be paid. If your business is worth very little, this won’t be a problem. But most going concern businesses have significant value. And the tax problem can be huge.

Let’s say that Steve’s business was worth $500,000. Steve’s transfer of 20 percent of that business means the business effectively paid John a $100,000 bonus (ignoring things like minority ownership discounts). John could have to pay $28,000 out of his pocket just to satisfy the income taxes! And the company would have to withhold and pay its share of FICA, if applicable.

 

Of course, if John paid $100,000 to the company for his shares, there is no tax problem. Had John paid that amount, he would truly have had “skin in the game” and, perhaps, treated the business differently.

 

 

What if John didn’t have the money and Steve wanted to add John as a partner without causing any tax problems? There are two primary ways to accomplish this: the restricted stock grant or stock option plan.

 

Using a restricted stock grant, John would be issued all of his shares from the company at the time of the grant. But those shares would be lost (the company literally cancels the shares) if John didn’t meet certain conditions, with less shares cancelled as time progressed. Usually the condition is continued employment. So, if John were terminated two years into a four-year employment condition, half the shares would be cancelled.

 

Now, John would still have to pay income tax. However, his “income” would be less than the fair market value of the shares because he could lose them. And John would have a couple of options on how to treat that income.

 

With a stock option, John would be granted the right to buy one share of the company’s stock from the company for each option granted, at today’s fair market value (or just a bit higher, depending on John’s position with the company). Assuming all elements of the plan are prepared correctly, the tax code allows the grant of the options without the grant being income to John.

 

Stock options typically vest (they’re able to be exercised) over four or five years of employment, with no options vesting until one full year has been completed. If John doesn’t perform adequately in the first year, he wouldn’t have had the ability to purchase any stock. And John can hold the options for up to 10 years. He can exercise the options just before the company sells in a “cashless” exercise to get the benefit from the company’s sale without having to invest any cash.

 

Both options should be accompanied by an appropriate written employment agreement.

Finally, how do you keep the business if John leaves or you want him to leave? What happens if John is fired after a year or two or three, and he’s exercised options or the forfeiture provisions of a restricted stock grant have gone away? This is when the shareholders agreement is required. With a shareholders agreement, the company and the other shareholders can restrict John’s ability to sell the shares and require that he resell them to the company. Furthermore, a shareholders agreement can be structured to prevent John from causing problems by voting his shares or exercising certain rights he has as a shareholder. For example, if Steve wants to sell the company through a stock sale to get the tax benefits, John could refuse to sell his shares. Without a shareholders agreement, there is nothing Steve could do.

Other similar situations exist.

 

By considering all of the issues involved in admitting an employee as a co-owner and preparing appropriate written documentation, the company can grow and become more profitable without the downside risk.

 

OK.   We’ve all heard that exercise is beneficial to your health. Quickly, let’s review. Like any muscle, your heart needs regular exercise to maintain its strength. Thus, the more you exercise, the stronger your heart becomes, even to the point of reducing several heart-disease risk factors. In short, aerobic exercise conditions the heart and lungs by increasing the oxygen available to the body and by enabling the heart to use oxygen more efficiently. Got that? 

 

For sure, exercise alone cannot prevent or cure heart disease, but it helps. And you can gain control of body fat, tone muscles, improve sleep, lesson stress and generally feel better. For starters.

So, the question is: If exercise is that beneficial, why don’t more people do it?

 

Myth No. 1 is that exercise requires too much work. Not exactly. Exercise, in fact, doesn’t have to be strenuous or require lots of time to be effective. Moderate-level activities also may help ward off heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer.

Another leading myth is that exercise requires equipment and/or a gym membership. Hardly. Walking is one of the simplest and most available aerobic exercises. You can vary the intensity to match your fitness level. And, other than walking shoes, it doesn’t require any special equipment. You can walk almost anywhere: outdoors or indoors (malls, indoor tracks or a treadmill). 

Walking, alone, can lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol); raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol); lower blood pressure; reduce risk of, or manage, type 2 diabetes; manage weight; improve your mood; and build strength.

 

Tip: Walking is a good choice for starting an exercise program.

The key is to choose an activity, or activities, that get your body moving and raise your heart rate for an extended period of time. Aside from walking, there’s dancing, cycling and swimming—as well as using machines like a treadmill and elliptical. Oh, and there’s gardening and household chores, too.

 

Here’s the point: Do something.

 

If you’ve been inactive for a long time or if you have a chronic health condition, just remember to start with small steps and get your doctor’s go-ahead before beginning. Maybe walk five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening. The next day, add a few minutes to each walking session. Gradually pick up the pace and, ideally, extend to at least 30 minutes a day.

 

After six to 10 weeks of aerobic workouts (30 nonstop minutes, minimum three times weekly), your heart muscle will strengthen, pumping more oxygen-rich blood with each beat. More oxygen leads to more health benefits. But, remember, if you’re put off by 30 nonstop minutes of exercise, any increase in physical activity can bring benefits.

 

 

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10 REASONS WHY AEROBIC ACTIVITY CAN HELP YOU

Every business and professional practice needs a plan for the protection of its confidential information. Today’s employees can easily become tomorrow’s competitors. Vendors or other third parties may have no scruples about using your confidential information competitively. 

How can you protect your confidences affordably?  

 

The first thing to consider is whether your company has trade secrets to protect. A trade secret may consist of any formula, pattern, device or compilation of information that has value to the business and which gives the business a competitive advantage because it is not generally known. It may be a formula for a chemical compound, for example. Or it may be a customer (or patient) list or a business plan for targeting a specific market or the physical plant where proprietary equipment is used or proprietary source code. The test is whether the business derives independent economic value from the information because the information is not generally known to, and not readily accessible by, others—if the information is, in fact, protected by steps that are reasonable under the circumstances. 

 

There are limits, of course, to what is protected by trade secret law. A manufactured item, for example, loses its protection (absent a patent) once it is sold or shown publicly. Likewise information disclosed in publications or possessed in the general knowledge of the trade or profession is ineligible for protection. An abstract idea may only receive protection, no matter how valuable, if it is novel.

 

If you do have a trade secret, you must take reasonable measures to protect it. An important element in such protection is a strong confidentiality agreement, one that may be recycled as the company takes on new employees or customers. It is also important that the company have in place internal security measures to prevent against inadvertent disclosure or intentional disclosure to third parties. This may be as simple as having multilayered password protection on your computer network and reasonable control over employee emails relating to the protectable information.

It is important to remember, however, that your company may protect confidential information even if that information does not strictly qualify as a trade secret. This may include valuable know-how and other confidential information that your business seeks to protect from misappropriation by former employees, consultants or independent contractors. The best way to protect such information is to require that every employee and independent contractor your company hires, even those who are not under a non-compete agreement, sign a confidentiality agreement. A confidentiality agreement will typically recite that the employee (or contractor) acknowledges that he or she has confidential information as a result of the relationship and agrees that the company is entitled to protect that confidential information in specified ways. 

 

Merely obtaining a promise of secrecy from an employee (or contractor) may not be enough to protect the information, however. So a wise business will, in addition, provide specific notice in writing of important information that the company regards as confidential, and will demonstrate vigilance in protecting that information from any inadvertent disclosure or misappropriation. Ideally, if you have a protectable interest at risk, you should supplement such a confidentiality agreement with a covenant not to compete against the business for a reasonable period of time. 

When you must disclose confidential information to other parties, you should do so only by nondisclosure agreements—for which there are many useful forms on the Internet—reciting that the recipient of the information agrees to maintain it in confidence. Ideally, you should also make it clear in writing to the recipient that you are imparting specific categories of information that your business regards as confidential and proprietary. 

 

Confidentiality should be created at the time of the disclosure to a third party, rather than afterward, when everyone has raced to the courthouse. As in the case of trade secrets, the difficulty in protecting confidential information is in drawing the line between the protectable and the unprotectable. The only standard in this area is that if the information is easy to ascertain on the Internet or in other literature, or is known throughout the industry, it is not protectable. The more difficult it is to capture the information through reverse engineering or other means, the greater the likelihood the court will consider it confidential. Despite the lack of certainty in this area, what you can, and should do, is to clearly specify in your employment agreements and nondisclosure agreements the information you regard as confidential and protectable. This will not only deter misappropriation but increase your chances of protection if you have to go to court.

OK. You know you’ve got unhappy customers, so you’ve decided it’s time to do a complete service overhaul.

 

You’ve spent hours with your C-level executives, crafting a strategic plan and making sure your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed. The idea is to roll out the new plan in one area of your company—for example, your call center—and get things under control there before you move on to the next department. Over time, as you get your strategy perfected and everyone buys in, you’ll surely reap the benefits.

 

Makes sense, right? Sorry, but that’s no way to start a revolution.

 

When you’re transforming a company culture to be more service-focused and effective, you have to move more boldly and get the message out to everyone more quickly. You don’t have time to let culture change drip down to the masses or bubble up from the bottom in one or two departments. You must cascade your transformational effort in a much wider and deeper effort from the beginning.

 

Creating a superior service culture throughout an organization is like getting a new rocket into orbit. You need a massive and focused effort at the beginning to overcome the gravity of old attitudes and behaviors. And soon after your first new service successes, you need another enormous booster to keep momentum going and get into a sustainable orbit. The effort is well worth the results. When people at all levels and departments throughout an organization step up together—at the same time—to deliver better service, full engagement occurs and the culture “tips” into a new and better direction.

 

Of course, there will be obstacles along the way. It’s how you deal with those obstacles that counts. Companies sometimes receive pushback from employees and even high-level leaders. Without the right framework for building an uplifting service culture, a company’s transformation will slow to a halt and nothing much will change. Good customers will leave, and high-performing employees will often head for the door.

The remedies? Here are a few lessons learned the hard way—to uplift service on the right track.

 

Don’t start only with customer-facing teams. Starting your service transformation with customer-facing team members might seem like the obvious move. But if your objective is to build an uplifting service culture, this approach can be very problematic. Because your people in “customer-facing” roles interact with customers daily, they already understand that service is important. They know that upset customers complain. They know happy customers are easier to serve. What they don’t know is how to fix the behind-the-scenes issues that often affect the customers’ perceptions.

When you provide new service education, greater encouragement and more recognition for customer-facing teams like sales, installation, repair or customer service, those people will be inspired to serve better. Yet, at some point, they will start to wonder how they can give customers better service if their own colleagues don’t give them better service.

 

As a result, when launching an uplifting service program, it would be much better to include or begin with internal service providers: production and design, hardware and software, warehousing and logistics, facilities, finance, legal, IT and HR. When these internal service providers make things easier, faster, more responsive or more flexible for your customer-facing employees, they’ll be surprised, delighted and better able to serve your external customers. Let those on the inside inspire those who are serving on the outside with better service first. It’s a proven win-win situation.

 

Launch at all levels. Starting from the top with an uplifting service initiative makes sense. When high-level leaders speak up and role model with commitment, it’s easier for everyone else to follow and take the lead at their own levels. However, a top-down approach on its own can leave your leaders in an uncomfortable position. When those at the top make the earliest efforts, they must wait for the cascade to see practical results. But a cascade doesn’t happen overnight, and this lack of quick and observable impact can cause some leaders to get impatient and question whether the outcomes will happen at all.

 

At the same time, though, you must beware of launching from the bottom up without support from the top—the classic mistake of stand-alone frontline service training programs. It won’t take long before a motivated frontline service provider bumps into a supervisor or manager who doesn’t share the understanding or the passion.

 

Don’t forget the middle. Companies often decide to launch from the top down and from the bottom up at the same time. But doing so puts a great deal of responsibility on the people in the middle. In the top-down cascade, middle managers and supervisors must translate the messages in action, connect company objectives to frontline concerns, and make uplifting language appear practical and useful. In the bottom-up bubbling of new ideas and action steps, the middle plays three culture-building roles: praising team members who do a great job, raising good suggestions for higher-level review and spotlighting roadblocks that require leadership action for removal.

 

In both instances, you’re asking a lot of your managers and supervisors. But starting in the middle won’t work, either. When leaders aren’t prepared to lead, and frontline employees aren’t prepared for action, asking middle managers to start the journey alone is a formula for pure frustration. A top-down cascade brings commitment, alignment and support. A bottom-up program stimulates new ideas and new actions. An activated middle connects, enables and empowers. It’s best to prepare well and start with attention to all three.

 

Arm your leaders with helpful service hints. Most people who reach high leadership positions are experts in their industry. But rarely are they experts in building or leading a service culture. That means if you are one of the passionate and committed service heroes inside your organization, you may need to help your leaders lead. That means creating opportunities for them to walk the walk, talk the talk and model uplifting service.

 

 

Go for easy wins first. The principles of uplifting service are so empowering, and the practices so effective, that some leaders push their teams to solve the most difficult and complex service problems right away. That’s a mistake to avoid. Warming up a machine before you go full throttle is good practice. Warming up your service team with a series of “early wins” is good practice, too.

 

When planning a sequence of service problems to tackle, take a gradual approach. Build momentum with early wins on easy issues. Let your team taste the pleasure of uplifting service success. Highlight achievements and celebrate the compliments you earn. Restrain the urge to work on your toughest problems first—their day to be conquered will come.

 

Stay FOCUSED. Keep your aim on the right bull’s-eye. There was a client who launched a vigorous service improvement program to create greater value for external customers. Hundreds of classes were conducted for thousands of service champions around the world. But something unusual happened as the program rolled out. Rather than focus on identified external business targets, such as reclaiming market share, rebuilding a slipping reputation, bouncing back in recovery situations, the course leaders’ primary focus became earning high internal course evaluations. Scoring 9 out of 10 for leading a wonderful class became a cause for celebration. That’s a great score, but a very different bull’s-eye. Eventually, this lack of alignment with the program’s original goals became painfully apparent. The focus had drifted away from the early goals, and the entire program needed to refocus. 

 

Watch out for stuck-in-the-mud team members. Some hardnosed managers will challenge a new program by sending their most cynical and problematic employees. Their view is, “If a new program can work on these tough nuts, then perhaps it has some merit.” But the opposite approach will work much better. What you want in the early days of your journey is good feelings, good results and good gossip. That comes more easily from participants who want to participate and are eager to succeed.

There is an old saying that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” This is also true when building an uplifting service culture, except for those who are stuck in the mud. Practicing generous action raises everyone to a higher level, except those who will not budge. For deeply cynical, resentful or unwilling employees, there are two successful options. First, they may come to see the light and climb on board for an unfamiliar but uplifting ride. And second, they may feel so out of place as everyone else moves ahead that they no longer feel welcome and leave. For the success of your organization, either outcome is welcome.

 

When transforming an existing service culture, you have to get everyone involved in new, swift action to make the change really happen. 

The Regional Business Plan, which seeks to enable the growth of more than 150,000 jobs in the Tampa Bay region by 2020, focuses on four target clusters: Applied Medicine & Human Performance; Business, Financial & Data Services; High-Tech Electronics & Instruments; and Marine & Environmental Activities. These sectors were chosen because they represent high-growth employment opportunities. The Tampa Bay Partnership works closely with our economic development partners, cluster businesses and workforce alliances throughout the region in implementing the plan.

 

The Tampa Bay Partnership is pleased to announce that the Tampa Bay region added approximately 7,000 new jobs in the Applied Medicine & Human Performance sector between 2009 and 2011. During this time, the sector grew by nearly 3 percent, surpassing the overall growth rates of all jobs in Tampa Bay and the nation. The Applied Medicine & Human Performance industry comprises two-thirds of all of the plan’s target clusters employment. Overall, the four clusters (Applied Medicine & Human Performance; Business, Financial & Data Services; High-Tech Electronics & Instruments; and Marine & Environmental Activities) had positive year-over-year job growth while the overall job markets in Tampa Bay and the United States had negative growth or struggled to get into the positive range. The Applied Medicine & Human Performance sector entails the niche clusters of senior health and wellness, human performance, clinical trials, personalized medicine, health information technology, bioinformatics and medical instruments and devices. The University of South Florida’s Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) and USF Health’s partnership with The Villages Health System are two examples of innovative and collaborative activities within this target cluster. Also, Moffitt Cancer Center has become nationally known for its Total Cancer Care model, which combines elements of personalized medicine and access to clinical trials with traditional cancer care. M2Gen, a Moffitt and Merck for-profit spinout, provides a state-of-the-art facility, which is unmatched worldwide, providing bioinformatics, clinical trial matching and translational research. IMG Academies in Bradenton has produced some of the world’s top competitors and is redefining sports training for young athletes.

 

Tampa Bay has emerged as the preferred destination for corporate shared services operations (SSOs), with 10 percent of Fortune 50 and 9 percent of Fortune 100 companies’ SSOs located in the region. Two such companies are Coca-Cola Enterprises and Progressive Insurance. Also, the SSOs of several worldwide companies have found the Tampa Bay region to be a prime location to house their operations. In fact, a KPMG 2012 Competitive Alternatives study ranked Tampa Bay best among large U.S. markets for shared services centers. SSOs are the consolidation of business functions used by multiple parts of an organization, like accounting and information technology. Recently, the Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON) hosted its North American Conference in Florida’s Super Region. The Tampa Bay Partnership, along with its economic development partners, was in attendance and showcased the Tampa Bay region to a worldwide audience. SSOs comprise just one component of the Business, Financial & Data Services cluster of the Partnership’s Regional Business Plan. 

 

The Marine & Environmental Activities target sector focuses on developing commercial and business applications from the region’s already strong research/innovation capabilities in the marine sciences. One niche is aquaculture, which includes the cultivation and production of aquatic animals and plants in a controlled aquatic environment. It is expected to experience strong growth due to high U.S. demand for seafood and lower yields from wildlife fisheries. Currently, the United States imports the vast majority of its seafood. Changing regulations create an opportunity for more farm-raised American seafood. The Tampa Bay Partnership is seeking support for a progressive water policy that allows for easier transfer of water permits, which would enable aquaculture production in existing agricultural areas.  Additionally, the Partnership is seeking the support of the state to invest in a feasibility study of inland aquaculture.  The study would seek to demonstrate the commercial viability of inland aquaculture for the region and Florida to create jobs and increase Florida’s seafood exports to the nation and the world.

 

Tampa Bay is the 32nd-largest merchandise export region in the nation and has the incredible potential to drive jobs creation by increasing its export intensity, specifically within our High Tech Electronics & Instruments sector. Research shows that while Tampa Bay makes up 25 percent of Florida’s economy, the region only represents a little more than 15 percent of the state’s merchandise exports. The Tampa Bay Metropolitan Export Exchange is hoping to change that and, in turn, increase job growth in our High Tech Electronics & Instruments sector and the region as a whole. Tampa Bay was recently selected as one of eight metropolitan areas in the nation to participate in the Brookings Metropolitan Export Exchange, which will help to develop and execute strategies to increase the region’s exports. In March, a delegation of Tampa Bay leaders traveled to Washington, D.C., to take part in a Brookings Institution session and brief the region’s congressional offices on the importance of exports in fostering job growth and economic diversification.