Opinion: Best practices best learned from peers

Many of us at Springfield Business Journal would like to take full credit for a successful event, a new published business resource or some other innovative masterpiece, but the truth is many of our very best ideas are borrowed. They’ve been tried with great success in other markets by publications much like SBJ.

Our company has had the great fortune of collegial association through the Alliance of Area Business Publications which is made up of independently owned business-to-business publishers from around the United States and as far away as Australia. This group comes together at least twice a year to share best practices, to recognize the best of the best through editorial and design awards, and even to collaborate on large projects that may benefit multiple markets.

AABP member publication Des Moines Business Record recently hosted our team for a two-day visit inside its operations. Along with Mar’Ellen Felin, vice president of sales and creative services, and Melissa Young, project manager for Hightide Communications LLC, we each met with our staff counterparts and shared openly about everything from bookkeeping and operations to very industry specific events and publications. We plan to reciprocate by hosting our friends from Des Moines here in Springfield in the spring.

This kind of candid sharing, give and take, is what helped my mother build this business years ago, and it continues to be the lifeblood that keeps us going.

I have become convinced over the years the most valuable professional development investment is the time spent collaborating with peers.

Though, wouldn’t it be amazing if that type of supportive network could be built right here? Yes, I know there is risk involved with showing your cards to someone nearby. I’ll be the first to admit my desire to maintain a healthy distance from eager competitors. But what if we didn’t have to give away the recipe to the secret sauce in order to benefit from each other’s experience and wisdom? What if we could raise the bar on professionalism by sharing best practices in management, employee retention, benefits, strategic planning, business ethics, etc.?

On Oct. 8, we gave it a try. In partnership with Ramada Plaza Hotel & Oasis Convention Center, SBJ hosted the first of a series of SWAP Meets designed around sharing wisdom and practices. Area professionals came together over lunch to share their treasures, and like any great swap meet there was variety galore.

Here’s how it worked. Six professionals were seated at each table and briefly got to know one another over lunch. Soon after, a bell rang signifying it was time to swap more than polite conversation. Each participant took exactly 8 minutes to describe, to the small group they were seated with, some aspect of their business that might be replicated with success in another setting. The bell would ring five more times as the focus shifted from one participant to the next. Now, it is in SBJ’s court to distribute all ideas in the room to all participants in a written format. The cost of entry is a $30 lunch ticket, but the payout can be huge.

I left this first SWAP Meet energized and with a number of ideas I’m excited about. Representatives of some of the most admired companies in Springfield brought their own tried and true ideas and practices to the table. Arvest Bank shared a new take on the organizational chart. Penmac Staffing Services described an employee wellness program built around earned incentives and a Fitbit. Miller Commerce presented a matrix for evaluating potential projects. A former manufacturer candidly shared her poker tournament-inspired strategy for cross training in the midst of a companywide downsizing. Among other ideas, I also received two book recommendations and instructions for downloading and using a cellphone application to aid in personal and professional list making and prioritization.

The power and potential for this kind of exchange is exponential. The multiplier is rooted in the number of people willing to come to the table. So, let me be the first to invite you to the next SWAP meet scheduled 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Ramada-Oasis. Come for lunch, but leave full of actionable ideas to make your business better. Prepare to be inspired.

SBJ Publisher Jennifer Jackson can be reached at jjackson@sbj.net.