Winning Hearts and Minds to implement Change successfully

Winning Hearts and Minds to
Implement Change Successfully
By Jeff Parks and Ellen Gray, Performance Breakthroughs, Inc.
Third in a four-part series.
Achieving organizational excellence is a
journey where change is constant. For
many leaders and managers, change is a
difficult challenge and requires winning
the hearts and minds of employees.
Employees are often jaded because of multiple failed
change efforts, but there are approaches that managers
can use to implement change successfully. Highperforming
organizations apply change management
techniques that avoid costs, mitigate risks and place a
priority on employees. One of the reasons for failure is
not addressing those who will be most affected, creating
a lack of trust in leadership or motives for change.
High-performing organizations understand they need
to be aware of their employees’ emotional readiness for
change. Organizations should assess change readiness
against the following criteria for excellence:
• Is there a clear vision for change Is the
change needed Is the “end state” clearly defined
How will success be measured Does the change
align with, and support the organization’s vision
and core values
• Is there an urgency for change Is the
change timely Are leaders open to innovation
and change Ask leaders “Why” and “Why
now” to analyze and describe the catalysts for
change.
• Do we have the capabilities to implement
the change Do we have leadership
and employee trust Do we have the skill sets and
communication vehicles available to implement
change
• Are there incentives for the change
Do all of our employees understand the need for
change Do employees see their “what’s in it for
me” potential Are behaviors and results related
to the change recognized and rewarded
• Do we have the resources for change
Are the necessary budget, physical resources and
staff available Is an action plan being developed
for the change
SIX CRITICAL ELEMENTS FOR SUCCESS IN MANAGING CHANGE
As leaders, your role is to successfully manage the criteria for excellence in your efforts. The following
chart depicts the criteria graphically. All six elements must be present for successful change.
Notice the negative result in the right column that follows when a change element is missing:
vision
vision
lacking
vision
vision
vision
vision
vision
+ urgency + capabilities + incentives + resources + =
+ urgency + capabilities + incentives + resources + =
urgency
lacking
+ + capabilities + incentives + resources + =
capabilities
lacking
+ urgency + + incentives + resources + =
+ urgency + capabilities + + resources + =
+ urgency + capabilities + incentives + + =
+ urgency + capabilities + incentives + resources + plan =
Once an organization assesses its change readiness,
appropriate models can be tailored and applied to
the situation. Employees will embrace change when
there is high trust in the organization, its leadership
and between departments.
Leaders and managers must earn the support for change.
Do this by communicating with absolute clarity:
• The need for the change. Why do we need
it What would happen if we don’t change
• The benefits of change to the organization,
customers and employees.
• The specifics of the change.
• The emotional impacts of change.
What will actually be different Is there anything
to lose
incentives
lacking
resources
lacking
action
plan
action
plan
action
plan
action
plan
action
plan
action
plan
action
lacking
SUCCESS
incentives
apathy
anxiety
restraint,
resistance
frustration
false
starts
Most importantly, people will want to know, “How
will this affect me” Help people find their personal
“what’s in it for me” to make them feel that changes
are being made with them in mind. Change will
only happen if your employees really believe that
the change is needed and will then advocate this
to peers. n
Jeff Parks is founder and president of Performance Breakthroughs,
Inc., a veteran-owned, Virginia-certified small business
that helps organizations teams and individuals achieve
excellence. Ellen Gray is a senior consultant at the firm. Contact
them via e-mail at jparks@performancebreakthroughs.
com or egray@performancebreakthroughs.com. For more
information, visit www.performancebreakthroughs.com.
Original source unknown. Adapted by PBI. Illustrated by Vicki Reeve.
Business Ventures Fourth Quarter 2011
Integrating New and Traditional Media for an Effective PR Campaign..................................................2
Considering a Contract Manager......................................................................................................................2
When Business Gets Personal: Your Personal Wealth and the Succession of Your Business ...........3
FYI................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Looking for a Business Event
or Class in Fairfax County
The FCEDA’s Small Business Datebook
lists upcoming classes, workshops, conferences
and other events of special
interest to small and minority-owned
businesses and entrepreneurs. Visit the
online calendar at www.fairfaxcountyeda.
org/small-business-datebook.
The views expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. Copyright © 2011 FCEDA.

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
Integrating New and Traditional Media
for an Effective PR Campaign
By Marion C. Myers, Myers Public Relations, LLC
Second in a three-part series.
For those of us who launched our marketing
careers before the advent of Web sites and
interactive social media tools, traditional
media (radio, television and print) were
the bread and butter of the trade. Today,
with the economic realities of traditional media and
the need to reach multi-generational audiences, an
integrated campaign with new media (social media,
blogs and Web sites) is essential.
Our Changing Media Industry – The
Demise of the Newspaper
Newspapers seem to be going the way of the dinosaurs.
Small, local community publications are
struggling to attract advertisers and while some were
consolidated, many were shuttered during the recent
economic downturn. Larger publications, such as
The Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun, are
hanging in there, but have retired the majority of
their senior editorial staff and eliminated entire news
departments.
Even under these conditions, print advertising still is
expensive and not responding to the lack of demand.
And, as the editorial “news hole” shrinks with the size
of the papers, there is less room to get your message
in print. One by-product of fewer journalists covering
a broad range of news and we often see press release
copy duplicated in print verbatim.
Reaching a Multi-generational
Demographic
The tools: Take into consideration a variety of audiences
when integrating marketing with traditional
and new media. While some people routinely gather
information through television newscasts, radio and
the daily newspaper, many others rely on their computers
and phones to get their news.
The message: It is also important to consider your
target audience’s age when developing your message.
These audiences include:
• The Silent Generation – age 65+
• Baby Boomers – age 45-64
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Considering a Contract Manager
By William J. Spriggs, Spriggs Consulting Services
• Generation X – age 30-44
• Generation Y or The Millennials – age 20-29
Take the time to think about the audience you are
trying to reach and understand that a “one-size-fitsall”
approach does not work, because every generation
communicates differently. A group such as the
Millennials might pick-up news from their phone or
e-mail, while the Silent Generation still prefers to
read the daily newspaper or watch local television
news. Integrating your message into some, if not all,
media outlets is the best way to convey information
properly and effectively and to reach the broadest
possible audience. n
Marion C. Myers is president of Myers Public Relations, LLC,
and is the former chairman of the Greater Reston Chamber
of Commerce. She can be reached at 703-476-9377 or
marion@myerspr.com.
FAIRFAX COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
8300 Boone Boulevard, Suite 450,
Tysons Corner, Virginia 22182 USA
Telephone: 703-790-0600 • Fax: 703-893-1269
info@fceda.org • www.fairfaxcountyeda.org
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA)
promotes Fairfax County as a world-class center of commerce
and trade and the technology hub of the east coast. The
FCEDA assists businesses interested in locating, relocating or
expanding their commercial office or industrial operations in
Fairfax County. Services are available on a confidential, no-cost
basis. As an independent authority created under state law,
the FCEDA operates under the direction of seven Commissioners
appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Its
activities are funded by Fairfax County.
COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Sharon Bulova, Chairman • Penelope A. Gross, Vice Chairman
John C. Cook • John W. Foust • Michael R. Frey
Pat Herrity • Catherine M. Hudgins • Gerald W. Hyland
Jeff C. McKay • Linda Q. Smyth
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD
Steven L. Davis, Chairman
Michael Lewis, Vice Chairman & Treasurer
Ronald C. Johnson, Secretary
Catherine Lange • Mark Lowham
Arthur E. (Bud) Morrissette IV • Sudhakar Shenoy
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SENIOR STAFF
Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer
Robin Fenner, Vice President, Management
Alan A. Fogg, Vice President, Communications
Catherine W. Riley, Vice President, Marketing
Barbara Cohen, Director, Administration
Rodney Lusk, Director, National Marketing
Jan Mul, Director, International Marketing
Ivy G. Richards, Director, Market Research and Real Estate
Karen Smaw, Director, Small and Minority Business Development
Cheryl Martelli, Executive Assistant
BUSINESS VENTURES PRODUCTION
Katie Cosgrove, Editor • Vicki L. Reeve, Graphic Designer
Small to medium-sized companies with government contracts and subcontracts are in the most highly
regulated industry in the world and profoundly different from the commercial world. Government contracting
firms, and those firms that win subcontracts, can benefit from a contract manager in numerous
ways. A contract manager:
• knows the statutes, regulations and case law thoroughly and in-depth;
• writes and speaks the English language clearly and concisely;
• reviews solicitation documents for clarity and legal sufficiency;
• assures proposals are well-written and meet solicitation and regulation requirements;
• manage discussions, clarifications and negotiations of proposals;
• handles debriefings and protests;
• monitors performance and assures compliance with all contract terms, conditions and regulation
requirements;
• handles all contract interpretation issues and questions about regulations;
• investigates, identifies, analyzes and solves all contractual performance issues;
• keeps a daily diary of contract performance and communications with the contracting officer;
• handles all requests for equitable adjustment, claims, terminations and disputes;
• handles all communications with the contracting officer;
• prepares, reviews and signs all contractual documents;
• reads all publications relating to acquisition news and keeps current on all statutes, regulations and
case law; and
• handles contract closeout.
Ask yourself if you are capable of doing the things on the list yourself, or if you have anyone else who is
performing those duties. If not, you might consider a contract manager. n
William J. Spriggs is principal of Spriggs Consulting Services. He can be reached at 540-439-9250 bill@spriggsconsultingservices.com.
For more information, visit www.spriggsconsultingservices.com.
2 BUSINESS VENTURES • Copyright © 2011 FCEDA

ESTATE PLANNING
When Business Gets Personal
Your Personal Wealth and the Succession of Your Business
By Eric A. Wiegan, Sandy Spring Trust
It happens to every successful business—the
point when business assets become personal assets.
Every successful business owner knows that
you have to keep business assets separate from
personal assets to avoid piercing of the corporate
veil. Spending years building a dam to keep business
assets on the business side and personal assets on the
personal side is a worthwhile endeavor, but what do
you do when the business side builds up to the point
where the dam ruptures
Admittedly, this is a “good problem,” but without
proper planning, such an event can lead to a flood of
tough decisions. When you sell your business you can
quickly lose the high ground of tax breaks and asset
protection and be stuck underwater trying to make
the best decision between the only two options left:
bad or worst. Here is how to make sure you retain
the high ground.
Start Early
Affluent business owners are busy building and growing
their business and it is often difficult to find the
point where it becomes urgent to plan for cashing
out of your business and make all of your wealth
personal. This is the most important wealth transfer
of your life and you need to be talking about it years
in advance of an actual sale. It takes decades to build
your business and it will take time years to transfer
it correctly. If you don’t you are simply leaving your
money on the table.
In the context of sweat equity, many business owners
easily leave at least five or six years of hard work
on the table simply because they do not plan for the
personal windfall of the sale or succession of their
business early enough. Planning three years from a
potential sale seems like an awkward time to start
getting your personal wealth in order, as most feel
that they are counting their chickens before they
are hatched.
I spend much of my time with these same business
owners helping them understand that they are affluent
before they sell. Placing modesty a half step behind
your desire to be properly compensated for your time
is a very lucrative mindset.
When you have enough wealth,
the semantic values of words
will suddenly change on you.
For example, the definition of
the word “future” all of a sudden
doesn’t include you at all. Now
your wealth reaches beyond just
you and your wife and includes
your children, grandchildren
and great-grandchildren.
I implore you to take the time to learn about the firm
and the actual asset manager to find out the best fit
for your family:
• Realize that at this level of assets it is intelligent
to no longer invest, but to now manage wealth.
• Separate those advisors who are the true wealth
managers from those you are just looking to
invest on your behalf.
• Differentiate the advisors who simply want to
take your assets and outsource the work to managers
you will never meet from those who have
in-house portfolio managers who will work with
you face-to-face and look you in the eyes when
they report to you.
If you look you will also find those who work on commission
and those who are true fiduciaries and work
on salary. The trick is to take the time up front to get
to know what is best for you and your family.
Plan for your Legacy
When you have enough wealth, the semantic values of
words will suddenly change on you. For example, the
definition of the word “future” all of a sudden doesn’t
include you at all. Now your wealth reaches beyond
just you and your wife and includes your children,
grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Now you literally have the ability to take care of a
generation that might not even exist yet. And if you’re
smart you will give it to them (or someone else) and
not give it to the government. The bottom line of
estate planning is to retain control and disinherit the
federal government from your estate.
Giving up control and paying estate taxes are completely
voluntary. That is why some people choose to take
advantage of the legitimate methods to avoid taxes and
guarantee control. These strategies are not the kinds of
arrangements that can be made at the last second and
often need to be part of the structure of the sale of the
company. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.
Whether your wish is to keep everything in the family
or to sell to a third party, the value of your personal net
worth and legacy relies on the design, implementation
and crisp execution of your estate plan. It is important
to note that the rules that govern these strategies are not
set in stone. They are a constantly evolving litigious risk
over which all levels of government have influence. With
such a moving target planning is the best defense. Do
not assume that the static “estate plan” that you paid an
attorney is still relevant. These plans need to be living and
breathing and need to be reviewed at least annually.
As a business owner, you have an excellent ability to
plan for success and trust your foresight. You didn’t get
to where you are today by being a day late or a dollar
short. Recognize this transfer as inevitable and plan
for it. You can’t work forever and to be honest, the
maxim of “if you want it done and done right, then
you have to do it yourself,” is becoming too accurate
to be just a clever saying.
When the time comes you need to be prepared for the
deluge. So long as you start early, hire the right people,
and allow yourself to think long term then you will
be able to capitalize on the sale of your business and
not be the cautionary tale of the person who sold for
millions and has nothing. n
Eric A. Wiegan is vice president of Sandy Spring Trust.
He can be reached at 703-319-9000 x4144 or ewiegand@
sandyspringbank.com.
Hire the Right Team
As you plan the succession of your business, you will
need to start by hiring professionals who will serve
you and your family. By taking the time to hire the
proper professional tax planner, attorney and wealth
manager you will be able to judge the professional on
their merits and fire them if need be. But how do you
choose the right team
Chances are that those who are currently helping
you with these issues are all eager to handle your
new liquid wealth but there is value in working with
someone who handles this type of wealth on a daily
basis. When you reach the big leagues, you deserve
big league service and expertise.
SCORE COUNSELING AT THE FCEDA
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) provides business-counseling
services through an arrangement with SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business. SCORE
is a U.S. Small Business Administration initiative dedicated to entrepreneur education and the
formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. More than 11,200 volunteer
counselors provide individual mentoring and business workshops for aspiring entrepreneurs
and small business owners. A SCORE counselor is available every Wednesday at FCEDA headquarters
in Tysons Corner, Virginia, by appointment only. Sessions are one hour in length.
Follow-up appointments may be scheduled as needed. To schedule an appointment, contact
the FCEDA at 703-790-0600 or visit www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/score-counseling.
Copyright © 2011 FCEDA • BUSINESS VENTURES
3

FYI . . .
. . . The Fairfax County Economic Development
Authority released the 2012 schedule for the Entrepreneurship
101 – Starting a Business in Fairfax County
workshops: January 10, February 7, March 6, April 3, May
1 , June 5 , September 11, October 2 and November 6.
Workshops are generally held on the first Tuesday of
each month. There is no charge, but pre-registration is
required. For more information or to register visit www.
fairfaxcountyeda.org/stating-business-seminar.
. . . The Women’s Business Enterprise National
Council (WBENC) 2012 Summit & Salute to Women’s
Business Enterprises is scheduled for March
21-22, 2012, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel
in Baltimore, Md. The event brings together America’s
leading corporations, government agencies, women
business owners and strategic partner organizations
for a two-day program filled with important business
growth principles, informal business development opportunities,
and one-on-one networking sessions with
national corporate members. For more information,
visit www.wbenc.org.
. . . The Community Business Partnership
presents the Seventh Annual Veterans in
Business Conference scheduled for March 30,
2012, at the Mason Inn and Conference Center. The
event provides education, networking and business
opportunities for veteran and service-disabled veteran
small business owners looking to expand their
businesses through contracting and subcontracting
opportunities with the federal government. Due to
its proximity to Washington, D.C., and the long list of
prime contractors who call Fairfax County home, the
conference provides unique exposure to many of the
small business offices from the federal government
and corporations. For more information and to register,
visit www.veteransbusinessconference.com.
. . . The Virginia On-The-Job-Training Reemployment
Project (OJT) is an effective way for Fairfax
County and northern Virginia businesses to offset the
cost of hiring and training new employees. The Skill-
Source Group, Inc., will subsidize up to 90 percent of the
wages (determined by company size) per trainee for up
to three months while assisting businesses in designing
an OJT program customized to meet specific training
needs and work requirements. Companies also maybe
eligible for the Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit
of up to $3,200-$4,900 for the first year of employment
based on the trainee. For more information or
to sign-up for the OJT Program, contact Mouly Aloumouati
at 703-324-6533; TTY 711 or mouly.aloumouati@
fairfaxcounty.gov.
. . . The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority (Metro)’s Small Business and Local
Preference Program (SBLPP) enhances contracting
opportunities for small businesses in the District of
Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. The program targets
and gives preference to qualified small businesses in
the procurement of goods, services and equipment
when Metro awards contracts for non-federally funded
purchases of less than $150,000 (simplified acquisition
process). Metro’s policy ensures that all small and local
businesses have an opportunity to participate in the
procurement process. To participate in the SBLPP program
and receive preferred status, a company must: 1)
qualify as a small business as defined by the U.S. Small
Business Administration; 2) have a place of business
incorporated in the District of Columbia, Maryland or
Virginia; and 3) self-certify by completing a Declaration
of Certification affidavit. For more information,
contact Necola Y. Shaw, coordinator, small business and
local preference program, at 202-962-2475 or nshaw@
wmata.com. n
FCEDA PUBLICATIONS
Fairfax County Economic Development
Authority (FCEDA) publications
highlight Fairfax County as one of
the world’s best business locations.
These publications include the E-Bird,
a three-times-weekly digest of Fairfax
County companies in the news; the
Fairfax Leader, a quarterly newsletter
that highlights the work of the FCEDA
and offers help for small and minorityowned
businesses; and the Real Estate
Report, a semi-annual report on commercial
real estate in Fairfax County.
All publications are free and most
are available for download. Please
visit www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/publications
to subscribe or contact the
FCEDA office at 703-790-0600 or info@
fceda.org.
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
8300 Boone Boulevard, Suite 450
Tysons Corner, Virginia 22182 USA
Fourth Quarter 2011
Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage
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