Page 34 - BizVoice May/June 2013

34 BizVoice/Indiana Chamber – May/June 2013
How do you define victory – and how do you achieve it?
It takes a special mix of coaching, teamwork and talent to create successful
sports teams – the ones that stand out from the crowd. Those same characteristics
play a major role in nurturing a winning workplace culture.
Exceptional leaders, like great coaches, cultivate camaraderie and inspire
their teams. They recognize outstanding performances. They identify strengths
and address opportunities for improvement.
In the business world and on the playing field, efforts from all of the team’s “players” determine
the final outcome. Celebrating successes – and rebounding from setbacks – is all part of the
game. No matter the company’s size or industry, they share one goal: victory.
We gathered a panel of honorees from the 2013 Best Places to Work in Indiana program to
discuss what it takes to triumphantly build a strong workplace culture and earn a spot on the list:
Covering all the bases
Confronting obstacles on the road to success can strengthen a team’s resolve. And when players
dust themselves off and improve their collective performance, future triumphs are even sweeter.
Constructive criticism – or employee feedback – is only helpful when it’s truly taken to
heart. Panelists credit that philosophy with helping them make the 2013 Best Places list.
Dennen describes Oak Street Funding as “a bank for insurance agents.” Formed in 2003, it
employs 60 people. Staff size has doubled since 2011, following an acquisition the year before
by a private equity group.
“We had so much going on as you can imagine growing like that,” he observes. “You know,
it (the Best Places to Work recognition) does mean more. It means that the people we have doing
the hiring and the managers that we have in place are doing the right things. It’s more a
validation of the overall business plan and the strategy we put forth with the private equity firm
– it’s nice to see.”
Hendricks Regional Health, a past Best Places honoree, operates three primary outpatient
facilities (in Danville, Avon and Plainfield) as well as a unique wellness model with the YMCA in
Avon. It has approximately 1,600 employees.
“We never wanted to come off the list, but having done so, it certainly brought issues to our
attention that we needed to address,” Speer comments.
“(Ranking in the 2013 competition) showed us as an organization that our employees are
engaged and paying attention, and that as we responded to the clear messages we got from those
(Best Places) surveys, the employees said, ‘You know what? This is a great place to work.’ ”
Hanapin Marketing specializes in search engine marketing, paid search programs and
working with search engines as well as social media entities to provide advertising for clients of
all sizes. The organization employs 22 people. Martin estimates that number will double or even
triple over the next two to three years.
He points out that the company’s small size provided an opportunity to touch base with
employees following the (previous) Best Places application process and gain additional input.
“We were able to ask them, ‘Why didn’t we score higher on this?’ or ‘Why did we score so
high on this versus something else?’ ”
Participants:
Rick Dennen, president and CEO, Oak Street Funding, Carmel
Chris Martin, talent and culture leader, Hanapin Marketing, Bloomington
Kevin Speer, president and CEO, Hendricks Regional Health, Danville
Elaine Spitz, HR manager, NIPSCO (NiSource subsidiary), Merrillville
ChamberRoundtable
By Symone C. Skrzycki
Hitting a Home Run
Winning Strategies Pay Off