Featured - Workplace Development, Inc.

Engaging Employee Owners at Delta Managed Solutions

Cathy Ivancic2018-05-14T14:11:13+00:00May 14, 2018|Articles, Communicating ESOP Benefits, Featured, New ESOPs, Skills for ESOP ownership, Skills for ESOP Ownership|

How do you speed up the transition to engaged employee owners taking on more responsibilities in a founder-managed ESOP company? This was a question that Kelly McDole, founding CEO of Delta Managed Solutions (DMS) in Sacramento, needed to answer quickly in 2015. “I didn’t have the freedom to go slowly at this because of my health,” says McDole. “I was sick, and at the time it looked like I was getting sicker. I had to face the possibility that I may not be able to come into work in six months or a year.” Click here to view the full article.

On-Demand ESOP Education Connects The Dots At PenLink

Cathy Ivancic2017-12-12T14:19:16+00:00December 12, 2017|Building Business Literacy, Communicating ESOP Benefits, Featured|

Want a practical way to communicate your ESOP’s powerful benefits without having meetings or training in person? A custom on-demand education program-- like PenLink’s Certified Employee Shareholder Series – can be just what you need. “We used to talk about our ESOP one time a year at our annual meeting and that just wasn’t enough,” explains Melissa Price, Director of Human Resources at PenLink. Click here to read the full article.

Changing up ESOP annual meetings at D-C Elevator

Cathy Ivancic2017-05-02T21:16:02+00:00May 2, 2017|Articles, Communicating ESOP Benefits, ESOP Committee Development, Featured|

“We’ve changed it up quite a bit over the years,” says Renny Ross, HR Manager at D-C Elevator Company, Inc. “When we started doing them, ten years ago, we really needed to cover the nuts and bolts and the basics. We wanted people to understand how paying down debt mattered for our success.” These days the company’s ESOP communication needs are different but Ross says that the in-person annual meetings are still an extremely important part of connecting with ESOP participants. Click here to read the full article.

Communicate the Deeper Meaning of a New ESOP

Cathy Ivancic2016-11-07T17:56:03+00:00November 7, 2016|Articles, Communicating ESOP Benefits, Featured, New ESOPs|

A collective gasp filled the room when employees heard Bernie and Pam Veldman announce last January that — after careful consideration — Dienen Inc. was being sold to new owners. The room was bursting with mixed emotions: fear of the future, sadness, confusion, and shock. Employees of this South Bend, Indiana, company fell silent for a few moments, then mustered a smattering of uncomfortable applause. Click here to read the full article

Seeing the Power of a Dollar

Cathy Ivancic2016-11-07T17:53:34+00:00November 7, 2016|Communicating ESOP Benefits, Featured, New ESOPs|

Employees see things differently when they understand the line of sight between job level actions and company results. Actions at a job level that save a few dollars, improve efficiency, collect invoices a bit faster, or attract future customers are powerful building blocks in growing ESOP rewards. Shared ownership through an ESOP can only be engaging if employees can see and understand their own connection. This article outlines steps ESOP-owned companies can take to make those connections. Click here to read the full article.

Winners Quit

Cathy Ivancic2016-07-27T12:39:33+00:00July 27, 2016|Featured|

NFL Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi, countless parents and untold rubber-chicken-circuit motivational speakers have lectured us that “quitters never win and winners never quit.” Quite the contrary. As Dave Fitz-Gerald, Janet Edmunson and I shared during the “Putting Yourself Out There” panel at the ESOP Association’s 39th Annual Washington, DC, conference: Winners quit all the time. Click here to read the full article.

Got Game for ESOP Month?

Cathy Ivancic2015-07-12T21:28:42+00:00July 12, 2015|Featured|

Is it time to start thinking about how to bring some new energy to your company for ESOP month? Are you looking for a new way to convey your critically important ownership message? In October ESOP-owned businesses across the United States celebrate Employee Ownership Month. Click here to read the full article.

Smart ESOP participants need to understand their role

Cathy Ivancic2015-07-12T21:24:25+00:00July 12, 2015|Featured|

"The reactions we were seeing made no sense at all,” declared the V.P of Operations at an ESOP-owned service firm. “Employees were receiving contributions of more than 30% of their pay, stock value was going up, and yet we heard employees complaining bitterly about ESOP ownership.” Ownership confusion and unfounded suspicions were distracting and damaging performance. Click here to read the full article.

Unlock the hidden treasure of your mature ESOP

Cathy Ivancic2015-04-03T00:05:51+00:00April 3, 2015|Featured|

“Employee ownership is so much a part of our culture, it is routine. But when things are routine we don’t always appreciate them,” says Bill Chambers an internal trustee for the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) at Anvil Corporation in Bellingham, WA. The ESOP can be a hidden treasure in mature ESOPs like Anvil. The company's ESOP has enjoyed a strong history of growth in account balances since its establishment in 1996. However, this track record of success won’t eliminate the never-ending challenge of effectively communicating the plan. Click here to read the full article.

Communicating Your ESOP in Difficult Times

Cathy Ivancic2014-06-04T23:09:00+00:00June 4, 2014|Articles, Building Business Literacy, Communicating ESOP Benefits, Featured|

Public markets are taking a wild ride and employee owners are curious how the COVID-19 crisis might impact ESOP value. Of course, company leaders don't really know exactly what's on the other side of the next hill. Believe it or not, this "rollercoaster of uncertainty" creates an opportunity to focus employee owners on their business. If you are committed to building a workplace where employees think and act like owners, you know that apathy can rule. Click here to read the full article.