Milwaukee Biz Blog

What does “care” make each of us think of? Health care? Care for infants or the elderly? One definition of the word is “painstaking or watchful attention.” If we want our businesses to thrive, it is critical to give this sort of attention to our employees.

For too long, corporate America has demonstrated too little care for employees, throwing it aside in favor of realizing efficiencies.  As an example, outsourcing overseas often dumbs down support services to the extent that employees left on American soil feel its corporate leaders only care about slashing costs. The U.S.-based employees are left to bear the brunt of problems generated by ill-fitted overseas service.  They clean up the problems, or worse, have no time to deal with them. When management doesn’t support them, they conclude no one cares. And when this happens, employee morale suffers and people shut down.  Trust starts to erode.

At the end of the day, if bosses don’t truly try to understand employees’ challenges or give them the latitude to fix problems, employees feel unappreciated and become less productive.

Small business owners have a huge advantage over large companies when it comes to showing employees their appreciation and providing support. And it doesn’t need to be an Employee of the Month program or other formal initiative.

Appreciation is embedded in bosses’ actions and words. It’s the way we genuinely thank a janitor for their hard work cleaning up after a staff party, the way we respond quickly when someone needs data to move their project forward, or the way we spend a few extra minutes to talk to a front-line person whose mother is ill.

When we take good care of individuals, it’s genuine, heart-felt, and personal. Our grandmother’s idea of showing appreciation wasn’t through a formal Grandchild Appreciation Day; she did this through baking cookies with us and listening intently as we stumbled through knock-knock jokes.

You can’t institutionalize caring. It’s done at a one-to-one level.

Caring is a behavior and skill set we all possess. Some of us have practiced it more than others over the years at work. Some bosses leave their personal, emotional side at the door.  This is a big mistake. Not only does it deprive a person of truly living in the moment, but it also deprives them of forming meaningful relationships. 

The next time we interact with an employee, we can engage them. We can find out what the person did over the weekend, ask their opinion on a new idea, or ask what we could do to make their work easier. If we connect with them, they’ll start to understand that we care.

There is an entire science behind caring.  In general, we relate to others when we not only see their emotions, but also experience those emotions ourselves. Our brains allow us to simulate what the other person is experiencing, so that we derive the same emotion.

The idea here isn’t to get involved in an employee’s life or accompany them in all their emotional ups and downs. The point is to let the employees know that we understand them, that we see them for who they are.  In the end, we all have a basic human need to be understood.

Other positive characteristics of a relationship can also emerge once a sense of caring is in place.  Caring leads to trust, trust leads to a sense of safety and loyalty, and these lead to a greater sense of ownership in the success of the business.

This joint sense of ownership is a critical element missing from today’s business world. Many employees worry about job security. A sense of vulnerability permeates today’s workforce and limits employees’ ability or desire to fully engage.

As owners and bosses, we understand this lack of security. While we can’t predict the future, we can honestly address employees’ anxiety head on. We can share sales projections, budget constraints, and prepare our employees for change. If we care, we can also get their input on possible alternative routes to navigate through tough times. Their perspective is valuable and they will appreciate the chance to demonstrate that they care. This care thing crops up everywhere once we start noticing it.

Painstaking or watchful attention is at the heart of every important endeavor we pursue. Golfers who try to improve their game can attest to this truth.  Homeowners who restore bungalows to highlight their best features practice this level of attention. The parts of our lives that flourish are the ones that we focus on the most.

It’s important to become aware of how we choose to partition our limited energy at work.

This art of caring is vital to the development of our employees and our relationships with them. When we take the extra time each day to demonstrate our genuine care, we strengthen our business, create a safer environment for our employees, and feel better about ourselves as decent human beings.

Julie O’Keeffe of Wauwatosa is a speaker, coach, author and owner of Next Step Goals LLC.

As a manager, I apply three core principles to the art of interviewing and hiring good people: (1) You can’t teach “smart;” (2) You can’t fix “stupid;” and (3) Personality counts for as much as technical skills and experience.

Few things in my professional life are more exhilarating or rewarding than making the right hire and watching a young journalist soar to new heights. I’m certain employers and managers in other fields have felt that same sense of accomplishment and pride with their people.

Unfortunately, for many employers, that feat is becoming more difficult, according to ManpowerGroup’s new report, “Hire and Retain the Best with Success Mapping: New Models for Unlocking Human Potential.”
Despite high unemployment rates, employers globally face steep challenges in finding the right talent. According to ManpowerGroup’s 2011 Talent Shortage Survey, one in three respondents report difficulty filling vacant roles, while 28 percent of employers report a lack of experience in candidates as a key barrier to filling vacancies.

“So while employers worldwide are trying to hire, they simply can’t find the right candidates. And they’ve become increasingly better at making do with existing workers. Organizations which streamlined their workforce during the downturn learned to maximize the potential of employees, by layering job descriptions across fewer roles. With a doing-more-with-less mentality, employers are more likely to budget for only the right talent, offering a specific mix of skills and competencies. What this means is that hiring today is contingent on finding the perfect fit,” the ManpowerGroup report concluded.

Milwaukee-based ManpowerGroup is calling this new era the “Human Age,” a time when individual human traits are the most valuable corporate assets, because in the aftermath of the “Information Age,” every company has access to the information it needs.

“Individuals’ strengths and potential, which define talentism, have become the world of work’s new capitalism,” the report stated. “Employers cite collaborative teaming as the No. 1 competency missing in today’s new hires and candidates. Interpersonal skills and enthusiasm/motivation levels follow.”

This new era also is posing an unprecedented challenge to the American educational system. The value of the traditional four-year college degree, heaping tens of thousands of dollars on debt upon the student, while often falling short of developing the skills that employers need, is being questioned across the board.

Employers need to rethink their hiring processes.

“Flexible skills and a learning mindset, which enable individuals to adapt to diversified, cross-department roles, are more important than ever, as slimmer businesses fight to remain competitive and sustainable. Hard skills are equally as important, yet rapidly evolving technology means many core technical skills quickly become obsolete. In short, employers seek flexible individuals with strong hard skills and workplace competencies (traditionally known as “soft skills”), yet continue to use outdated methods to attract and retain this talent,” the ManpowerGroup report stated.

In the end, businesses must work with governmental institutions and the educational system to develop the talent they will need, the report concluded.

“The world has entered a new era; employers demand more from their employees and yet are reluctant to hire those who are unlikely to add value to their organization,” the report stated. “Only by identifying what success looks like — and committing to helping employees advance their businesses will today’s employers truly unlock human potential and bolster competitiveness in the Human Age.”

Steve Jagler is executive editor of BizTimes Milwaukee.

I wrote the following article because I spent a year searching for a job in Milwaukee without any luck.  I was torn between leaving the city I love, my family and friends to pursue my career. I choose to move away and pursue my career.

This was a very difficult decision. I am hoping regional leaders can begin to understand what is needed to bring metro Milwaukee up to speed.

Wisconsin you’re a winner. With the Packers, Brewers and Badgers how can you not feel like a champ? However, outside the stadiums we are not giving a 110 percent. And metro Milwaukee has a particular responsibility to succeed as the economic engine and primary cultural center of Wisconsin.  

When comparing metro Milwaukee’s high-tech prowess to 60 leading U.S. metropolitan areas, the TechAmerica Foundation has shown Metro Milwaukee to be performing like the Packers of the 1980s — hard times indeed. 

High-tech employment comprises scientists, engineers and technicians — all well-paying professions that help indicate a metro’s overall performance. TechAmerica, using Bureau of Labor Statistics, has found metro Milwaukee lagging near the bottom of key indicators:
· 36th in high-tech employment.
· 42nd in high-tech job growth.
· 44th in high-tech employment concentration
· 41st in high-tech average wage.

High-tech employment is already lagging and worse, we lost high-tech jobs at a faster rate compared to many other metros between 2007 and 2009. Ironically, we have excellent regional educational institutions and resources that prepare the next generation of high-tech employees. But we need to establish a two-handshake system for our students, one with a dean and one with a boss.

There are plenty of open jobs in Metro Milwaukee. However, the right skills are necessary to fill these evermore technically specific jobs. Therein lies a problem, we have people, job openings, educational resources, workforce development programs, hardworking civic leaders and transportation programs, yet we are not performing well.

Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. We need to change our approach — this may be particularly difficult given stubbornness is a Wisconsin tradition. A single workforce development agency for southeastern Wisconsin, strengthening the relationships between regional educators and business operators, may be one approach to effectively use limited resources to better match people with jobs.

We can better connect people and jobs but reliable and reasonable methods of travel are a precursor for success. Regional transportation means more than automobiles. It means external and internal movements, freight, ships, air, rail, cars, trucks, buses, bikes and people power. Our transport system is a complex integrated web of many modes and all must be top performers on a national and increasingly global scale to attract and retain business and industries.

Connecting people, educators, trainers and employers through regional personal and transportation networks may not be enough. Perhaps, in our Midwestern neck of the woods, the world may seem less capricious. Yet the winner and losers of the 21st century are being decided right now.

Connecting to Chicagoland is metro Milwaukee’s competitive advantage in the global economy. Globally, Milwaukee must become an assumed element of the Chicagoland market. Metro Milwaukee can roll out the red carpet for global investment by linking to Chicago via high-speed rail. Visit Chicago but stay in Milwaukee should be our 21st century ethos.

And why not, we have more fun up here, we have better food and da Bears still suck. So, what’s keeping metro Milwaukee from its rightful place in the winner’s circle?

Jason Biernat is a fifth-generation Milwaukeean, proud Wisconsinite, Marquette University Engineering graduate in 2008 and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Urban Planning Graduate in 2010. Not finding any employment opportunities in Milwaukee, he now lives and works in Baltimore, Md.

Editor’s note: The following is the text of the address delivered by Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers at the BizTimes Get Smarter Conference on Oct. 20. To view a Wisconsin Eye video of the conference, click here.

Thank you, Steve Jagler, BizTimes executive editor, for that kind introduction and for inviting me to participate in today’s conference. In fact, I commend you and Dan Meyer, BizTimes publisher, and all the sponsors for hosting and supporting this event. The focus of this conference is right on: smart schools do lead to smart students, who become smart employees that result in smart companies headed by smart leaders.
Milwaukee is a focus of my work. After I was elected state superintendent, I established an office in Milwaukee, providing me a home base here for my work. I have joined the new Milwaukee Succeeds effort to improve the educational outcomes for all children in the city, regardless of whether they attend traditional public, charter, or private schools.
Through my federal and state authority, we are working aggressively to improve student achievement in our lowest performing and largest school district: the Milwaukee Public Schools. We have required MPS to adopt a uniform curriculum, implement data-driven student intervention systems, and implement turnaround strategies in nearly a dozen low performing schools.
I have enjoyed working with Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Greg Thornton. His solid leadership is producing results for students.
Reading and math scores are improving, particularly in the elementary and middle grades, and MPS has reduced the number of suspensions by over 26,000, an astonishing 36 percent! Dr. Thornton understands that kids can’t learn if they are not in school, and I commend his hard work.
As state superintendent, I have the privilege of being able to visit schools and communities across Wisconsin. Overall, I am tremendously proud of the accomplishments of our public schools and proud of how diligently our educators are working to help students thrive and achieve, making Wisconsin a better place to live and work for everyone.
Wisconsin’s public schools continue to lead the nation in graduation rates and college entrance exam scores, and we are best in the Midwest for students taking and passing rigorous college-level courses.
However, our great successes too easily mask the deep and long-standing challenges we face. Our graduation and achievement gaps are far too large, especially for students of color and low-income students here in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin. This is a challenge for our schools, our business and our economy; our future success depends on addressing this challenge head on.
Too many Wisconsin students drop out of school — one of every 10 students fails to obtain their high school diploma. The drop-out rate is much higher for our African-American, Hispanic, and Asian students, and for students with disabilities.
Dropouts are a statewide problem, but they aren’t a problem in every district. In fact, 50 percent of the state’s high school dropouts are right here in Milwaukee. Sixty percent can be found in just 10 school districts, and 80 percent are found in 50 school districts. Like any good business, we need to be laser-focused on this challenge and strategically deploy resources to address it.

Because the reality is that high school dropouts earn less, rely more on social services, and are four times more likely to be unemployed than college graduates. Our least skilled, least educated workers are bearing the brunt of this difficult economy, and we must remember that our future prosperity is tied up in their success.
Our high school graduates must have reading, writing, and computation skills that support the teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking that employers want. Not every student wants a college degree — some have different goals and aspirations— and our schools need to capture student interest and respond to varied learning styles so all students are successful. We need the support and involvement of Wisconsin’s business community to help our educators and schools prepare students for the future.
The bottom line is this: Our system works for most kids, but not all kids. Our mission must be to prepare them ALL to succeed in college or career. Wisconsin needs all children on the pathway to prosperity.
Despite enormous challenges, we are doing everything we can to build this pathway to prosperity, to ensure Every Child is a Graduate ready for college or a career. To that end, we are focusing on four simple, but powerful questions:
• What and how should kids learn?
• How do we know if they learned it?
• What do we do if they don’t? and
• How do we pay for it?

These questions are the cornerstones for reforming our education system, and we have aggressively tackled each one.

First, with regard to — What and how should kids learn?:
• We adopted the Common Core State Standards—rigorous, internationally benchmarked English language arts and mathematics standards that are now shared across 46 states and territories, and we are working to bring these new standards into the classroom.
• We are putting a new emphasis on early reading. Wisconsin used to be a national leader in elementary reading performance, but the reality is too many of our children aren’t reading on grade level, and other states are closing early reading achievement gaps faster than we are. To address this, we are working to strengthen our early learning standards, exploring statewide early literacy screening, and retooling educator preparation and ongoing professional development to promote early reading success.
• We are also engaging in next generation learning projects that use technology to customize the student experience. Technology-driven instruction personalizes and supports student learning beyond the classroom walls, creating the possibility of individual learning plans for each student in the not too distant future. Southeastern Wisconsin school districts, through the leadership of CESA 1, are leading the way with this.
• Finally, we must continue to bridge the divide between high school, college, and career by expanding opportunities for every student to earn college credit or secure industry certifications while in high school. Industry certifications and expanded career and technical education opportunities will increase the employability of our graduates and reinforce the value of a high school diploma.
Second, with regard to — How do we know if kids learned?:
• We are developing next generation assessments tied to our new standards. Soon, these online adaptive exams will provide students, parents, and teachers the timely feedback they need to improve learning.
• We are also upgrading our data systems to provide a wealth of information regarding student progress. For the first time, we are matching student progress from K-12 into higher education. And, we are exploring ways to capture critical early learning data as well.

The third question — What do we do if students are not learning? — focuses on supporting improvement through accountability.
• With stakeholders across Wisconsin, we are leading the way in advancing educator effectiveness and school accountability.
• Together with a team of education leaders, we are crafting a fair and robust educator evaluation system. The reforms we are building are being developed with teachers and education leaders— not imposed upon them. Bringing our world-class educators to the table to advance meaningful reforms not only values their role as professionals, but results in a better product for students.
• On school and district accountability, we have long known that the system imposed by No Child Left Behind is broken. Congress is five years overdue in reauthorizing this broken law, and, without changes, every school in the country could soon be labeled as “failing.” My fellow state education chiefs and I have pushed Congress and the U.S. Department of Education, and, as a result, Secretary Duncan has agreed to give states waivers in exchange for comprehensive, state-led reform.
• As a result, Wisconsin is leading a nationwide movement to build state accountability systems that will replace NCLB. Our new system will include growth and attainment and will focus on graduating all students ready for college or careers. It will identify and support struggling schools as well as reward and replicate the practices of our highest performers. And, perhaps most importantly, our system will focus on outcomes for all children; and thus will include all publicly funded schools — traditional public schools, charter schools, and private choice schools.
• We know with Wisconsin voices at the table, we can create something better than what Washington has imposed. More importantly, this is a remarkable opportunity to have a statewide conversation about what we value about our schools and then build an accountability system that mirrors those values.
And, of course, the final question — How should we pay for schools?:
• Last year, we advanced the first comprehensive school finance reform plan in decades, our Fair Funding for Our Future plan. The plan laid the groundwork to prioritize existing resources and created a pathway for significant and necessary re-investment in our public schools. I urge our leaders to take this up now.
The path to prosperity is paved by having smart schools. We must move beyond the harsh rhetoric of the past few months and begin the slow process of rebuilding. Recently, Bill Penzey of Penzey’s Spices said that to be “pro-business is to be pro-education.” I not only appreciate his comments, and his donation of gift boxes to 10,000 educators in Milwaukee, I think we can all agree that to be pro-business, you have to be pro-education.
We cannot afford to let conflicts among adults rob our children of the educational opportunities they need to succeed. I am committed to finding common ground and working together to improve education for Wisconsin’s children wherever possible. Our kids deserve no less from us.
To keep Wisconsin’s economy moving forward, it will take a sincere investment in our public schools.
Middle class opportunities are fading in the face of a struggling economy, declining wages, growing income and wealth inequality, and disinvestment in education. These challenges are threatening the foundations of our economy and democracy.

In addition to remembering to turn their clocks back an hour, business leaders will have one additional task on their calendars this fall: Establishing a concealed weapon policy for their workplace.

What about you? Are you going to allow your employees, customers and vendors carry concealed weapons in your office, shop or plant?

You best make up your mind soon. The new law allowing qualified Wisconsin residents to carry concealed weapons will go into effect Nov. 1.

In a recent poll of readers at BizTimes.com, 74 percent of respondents said they would not allow employees and customers to carry concealed weapons.

However, having that belief and taking action to prohibit them are two different things.

Doing nothing has the default effect of allowing people to carry concealed weapons.

If business owners choose to prohibit concealed weapons, they must post a conspicuous notice (at least 5 inches by 7 inches) near the entrances to the building, stating that carrying concealed weapons is prohibited. They also will need to expressly inform their employees in writing that weapons are prohibited.

No matter what you decide, your decision will have ramifications.

I recently asked attorney Jennifer Walther of Mawicke & Goisman, S.C., Milwaukee, to outline the key factors business owners need to be aware of as this law goes into effect. Walther suggests considering the following:

1. A license is required.
Except for military or law enforcement personnel, an individual is only authorized to carry concealed weapons if he obtains a “CCW license” by completing an application through the Department of Justice (DOJ).
2. The right to self-defense has not changed.
A CCW license does not give anyone new or additional rights to exercise self-defense or defense of others. Under existing law, a person can defend himself or a third person by using as much force as necessary to prevent or stop an attack, but cannot intentionally cause death or great bodily harm unless necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to him or the third person.
3. Local limits on gun use remain.
There are still laws in effect applicable to CCW licensees, such as city, village or town ordinances restricting the discharge of a firearm. Current law also prohibits discharging a firearm near certain parks, from a vehicle, from or across a highway, into a building or from an aircraft.
4. Now designated driver and designated carrier.
It is illegal for anyone to go armed with a firearm while under the influence of an intoxicant, such as alcohol or illegal drugs. A CCW licensee can carry a concealed weapon in a tavern only if they are not consuming alcohol on the premises.
5. Guns can be kept in cars at work.
An employer can prohibit employees from carrying concealed weapons on the job (whether on or off the employer’s premises), but may not prohibit the employee with a CCW license from carrying or storing a weapon or ammunition in the employee’s own vehicle, even if the vehicle is used in the course of employment or is parked on the employer’s property..
6. The immunity factor.
Business owners can prohibit people from carrying a concealed weapon on their premises. This prohibition can be applied separately from or together with the prohibition applicable to employees. Businesses that impose restrictions on weapons will forfeit the state’s legal shield of immunity from the consequences of that decision. A business that does not prohibit an individual from carrying a concealed weapon on premises is immune from any liability arising from that decision.

Steve Jagler is executive editor of BizTimes Milwaukee.

Editor’s note: The following letter was sent to members of the Milwaukee City Council, Mayor Tom Barrett, Treasurer Whittow and Comptroller Wally Morics by the Milwaukee Legislative Caucus, including Sen. Chris Larson, Rep. Sandra Pasch, Sen. Tim Carpenter, Sen.. Lena Taylor, Sen. Spencer Coggs, Rep. Jon Richards, Rep. Christine Sinicki, Rep. Tamara Grigsby, Rep. Barbara Toles, Rep. David Cullen, Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa and Rep. Fred Kessler.

Dear Common Council Members, Mayor Barrett, Treasurer Whittow, and Comptroller Morics:

As members of the Milwaukee Legislative Caucus, we are writing to request that you adopt and implement the Milwaukee Public School Board’s proposal to break out the tax levy associated with the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) from the tax levy for Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) on all annual tax documents sent to taxpayers.

Inclusion of this information would amount to a simple act of truth in advertising and transparency in government. Milwaukee’s taxpayers deserve to know exactly how much of their money is going to fund private and religious schools through the MPCP.

As you know, in 2010, state law compelled MPS to levy over $50 million in taxes to subsidize the private and religious schools that make up the voucher program, over which MPS has no authority or control. This amounts to 17 percent of the total MPS tax levy going to non-MPS schools.

New legislation at the state level has expanded the voucher program in Milwaukee to allow private schools outside Milwaukee to participate, while removing all enrollment caps on the program. While the original intent of the voucher program was to provide educational alternatives to low-income students who could not afford private school tuition, the new state laws raise the income limits on participants allowing middle-class families to use the publically funded voucher for private schools. Due to these policy changes in the state’s 2011-2013 biennial budgets, the cost of the MPCP will rise significantly and likely exceed the state’s official 2012 estimate of $53.4 million.

In truth, Milwaukee taxpayers are being billed not only for the largest school district in the state, but also for the sixth largest, which is what the MPCP has grown to be with more than 21,000 students.
It is conceivable that over the next few years, if the program were displayed under the “Levy by Unit of Government” section of the tax bill, the levy for the MPCP could exceed that of Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and it already exceeds the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) by nearly $10 million.

At a time when our public schools statewide are forced to make do with at least $800 million less in state aid over the next two years, spending on programs, like the MPCP, which levies public dollars for private schools will likely see a net increase of nearly $17 million.

Our city’s taxpayers deserve to know which programs are being funded with their tax dollars. This is matter of public accountability, transparency and good government. Again, we respectfully request that you break out and display the tax levy associated with the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program separately from the tax levy for Milwaukee Public Schools on all annual tax documents sent to tax payers.

Thank you for your consideration.

BizTimes is taking the editorial stance that a smarter Milwaukee will be a better Milwaukee, and a better Milwaukee will be best-positioned to compete in a global economy in the 21st century.

Though that premise may seem obvious, the path to a smarter and better Milwaukee is fraught with obstacles, challenges, distractions and strained financial resources.

We’ll begin this mission with the cover story in the latest issue of BizTimes Milwaukee magazine. The story features interviews with the new leaders of Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Father Scott Pilarz brings a New Jersey flair to his job as the president at Marquette, and Mike Lovell brings a western Pennsylvania moxie to his position as chancellor at UWM. Both are determined to help build the human pipeline that will be needed to drive Milwaukee forward.

And forward we must go, as the BizTimes Get Smarter Conference will provide business owners, top-level managers and human resource leaders with insights on how education and workforce development can be the catalysts for economic growth in the region and throughout the state.

The conference will take place on Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee, beginning with a breakfast at 7:30 a.m.

After breakfast, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers will provide opening remarks about the state of education in Wisconsin.

The conference will then feature a panel discussion about southeastern Wisconsin’s educational infrastructure and the need to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs. Panelists will include:

• Melanie Holmes, vice president of World of Work Solutions at Manpower Group and chair of the Milwaukee Area Technical College District Board.
• Paul Sweeney, founding partner at PS Capital Partners LLC in Milwaukee and chairman of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s Education Committee.
• Robert Rauh, principal of Milwaukee College Prep School.
• Renee Herzing, president of Herzing University.
• Gregory Thornton, Ph.D., superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools.

Each of the panelists will bring a different vantage point to the forum, which may be the first holistic discussion of its kind about connecting dots between the region’s educational resources and the workforce of the future.

Continuing in the “Get Smarter” vein, after the panel discussion, the conference will present several concurrent educational workshops for business executives. The leaders of the workshops will include:

• Scott Jansen, talent dividend director at the Greater Milwaukee Committee. Jansen and the GMC are exploring ways to transform Milwaukee into a “City of Internships.” Jansen will lead a workshop to help employers establish internships to develop young talent.
• Christine McMahon, principal at McMahon & Associates, a sales training and coaching firm. McMahon also is a columnist for BizTimes Milwaukee magazine. McMahon will lead a workshop about “leadership plasticity,” or the ability to be flexible, adaptable and resilient during times of rapid change.
• Susan Marshall, a consultant and founder of Executive Advisor LLC in Oconomowoc. She also is the author of "How to Grow a Backbone." Marshall will lead a workshop to share insights about building confidence and competence for young executives.
• Aleta Norris is a co-founding partner of Impact Consulting Group and Living As A Leader, a leadership training, coaching and consulting firm. Norris will lead a workshop to help companies to develop tomorrow’s workforce.

BizTimes readers are welcome to join us at the Get Smarter Conference. To register, visit www.biztimes.com/smart.

A small Milwaukee company played a big role in the crisis communications following the 9/11 terrorist attacks 10 years ago.

FEI Behavioral Health, 11700 W. Lake Park Drive in Milwaukee, was founded in 1979 to handle crisis communications and employee assistance programs for other companies. Most of FEI’s 35 employees have at least a master’s level degree in a behavioral health field, said Vivian Marinelli, senior director of crisis management services.

“They’re all mental health professionals, so they already know how to work with people in crisis,” Marinelli said.

Just six months before the Sept. 11 attacks, FEI had landed a contract with the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime. The company would be responsible for handling the agency’s crisis communications in the case of terrorist activities and mass casualty events.

In addition, FEI had an existing contract with Marriott International, which had a hotel at the base of the Twin Towers that was destroyed.

When they heard the news that two planes had hit the World Trade Center in New York that morning, FEI employees reacted just like everyone else, Marinelli said.

“Shock, trying to figure out what was happening and then realizing we had to go into action,” she said.
On the same day, FEI was activated for two clients in response to the event.

From Sept. 11 to Dec. 31, 2001, FEI fielded more than 89,000 phone calls and more than 105,000 website inquiries from victims, friends and family members affected by 9/11. Call center employees counseled and provided referrals to callers so they could receive additional assistance.

FEI’s existing staff could not handle such a huge event all on their own, so the company temporarily added about 60 call center and support staff in-house, Marinelli said. The firm also worked with a local utility’s call center to get the help of another 83 call center specialists, who assisted with getting information and passing it on to counselors.

While it scaled back to its usual staff size in October 2001, FEI continued to offer 24-hour counseling service through the end of 2002.

“Even in the next year, we continued to take a lot of calls because people were still dealing with the aftermath,” Marinelli said.

Even today, the 9/11 line remains open and the company takes about four calls per month from victims, friends and family members who are still dealing with the physical and psychological impact of the events, she said.

“Obviously we were pushed to our limit,” Marinelli said. “We had been tested to a degree, but not to anything that we saw with 9/11.”

Since proving it could handle such an arduous crisis communications task, FEI has received three more government contracts and contracts with several other hotels, corporations and airlines.

Employees also learned about handling communications on a massive scale, and the company is stronger because of it, she said.

Molly Newman is a reporter at BizTimes Media LLC.

It is hard to believe that we are in the final weeks of summer.  By now, many of us have already registered our kids for school. I think some parents will be surprised to learn that, contrary to the claims made by those who fought our successful efforts to eliminate a massive $3 billion budget deficit, our reforms are working and school districts are benefiting because of them.

School districts from every part of the state are coming forward indicating the tools we gave them to offset the necessary cuts are giving them the flexibility to plan for a bright future.  Modest concessions from teachers on their health insurance and pensions are allowing the districts to maintain or expand services, maintain or lower class sizes and avoid layoffs. 

A recent investigative report from WITI-TV in Milwaukee says it all: "Budget Repair Law Leaves Most School Districts in Good Financial Shape." In an e-update at the end of June, I wrote that “The sky is not falling.” More than a month later, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel published an editorial that used that very headline.

The examples can be found statewide:

* Lower property taxes - School districts across the state are indicating that their tax levies will hold steady and many, such as the Beaver Dam School District, announced lower property tax levies and mill rates.  In Beaver Dam, administrators tell me the school portion of homeowners’ property tax bills will be going down a whopping 10 percent.
* Lower class sizes - Opponents of Act 10 warned of higher class sizes.  We are seeing just the opposite.  Many school districts, like Kaukauna, are able to hire additional teachers and greatly reduce class sizes.
* Lower health care costs - Dozens of school districts across the state are saving millions of dollars because the teachers’ union insurance monopoly, WEA Trust, has been broken.  Examples include Appleton’s $3.1 million in savings, Baraboo saving $660,000, and Edgerton getting $500,000 back.
* Avoiding layoffs - We said all along that without the changes to collective bargaining, layoffs would be inevitable.  For the most part, those layoffs have been avoided such as in Hustisford.  West Allis called off 200 layoffs and instead gave teachers a raise.
* Merit pay - Using the flexibility Act 10 now provides, school districts like the Menomonee Falls School District were able to institute merit pay.  Raises will go to the best teachers rather than those with the most seniority.

Of course there is one glaring exception. Before it became clear that Act 10 would become law, unions representing teachers said they would accept concessions on benefits. Actions speak louder than words. Because the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association is refusing to open up its contract with the district (as the state budget allows it to do) and make those modest concessions, MPS faces layoffs.

Not only will school districts have more flexibility to better educate their students, taxpayers in those communities also will also benefit. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, a loud critic of our reforms, predicted the budget repair bill would cause their structural deficit to “explode.” The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. His own budget office crunched the numbers and discovered the city will likely save $61 million over the next two years because of our reforms.

The flexibilities the municipalities now have even allowed the city of Horicon to give its employees a 3-percent raise to offset increased healthcare and pension costs.

As our kids head back to school, the fall session will begin in the legislature.  Our top priority hasn’t changed.  We will continue to reform government in ways that help the private sector grow our economy and create jobs.

If you have any questions regarding this or any other issue, please do not hesitate to contact me at P.O. Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708, call my office at (608) 266-2540 or e-mail me at Rep.Fitzgerald@legis.Wisconsin.gov.

Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) represents Wisconsin's 39th Assembly District.

Even after the federal debt ceiling is raised, one thing is certain about federal spending over the next decade: There will be less of it than expected. To be precise, federal spending will drop by about $2.4 trillion from current estimates. That means a full range of programs, from social services to defense to academic research, are likely to feel the pinch.

For major research universities such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison, that could present a troubling scenario.

Year after year, the UW-Madison is among the nation’s leaders in attracting “sponsored” research, meaning research sponsored by federal agencies, private foundations, industry and, in small amounts, state government. In fact, the UW-Madison has ranked among the nation’s top five academic R&D powerhouses for more than 20 years running – with more than $1 billion in sponsored research from all sources in fiscal 2009, according to the National Science Foundation.

Because the UW-Madison has excelled over time at attracting merit-based grants from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, it may become more vulnerable if federal research funding takes a hit. Perhaps the best research institutions will always do well under any circumstances, but it may also be a good time to start hedging some bets.

A recent report by the State Science and Technology Institute demonstrates why Wisconsin’s major research institutions – which also include the Medical College of Wisconsin and the UW-Milwaukee – should encourage more industry sponsored research.

According to SSTI, Wisconsin is below-average in attracting industry R&D dollars to its major research institutions. The state’s academic research institutions reported about $24.4 million in industry-sponsored R&D in fiscal 2009, which represented just 2 percent of total academic R&D spending in Wisconsin. There was about $1.23 billion in total academic R&D spending in Wisconsin in fiscal 2009, counting science, engineering and the humanities.

Wisconsin ranked 48th among the 50 states in its “share” of industry research spending as a percentage of the state’s total academic R&D. It ranked 28th in actual dollars spent. In both categories, Wisconsin fell behind neighbors such as Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and even Iowa.

What do those states have in their academic institutions that Wisconsin lacks? Nothing, when it comes to sheer expertise and range of scientific disciplines. However, Wisconsin may lack a great deal when it comes to making a persuasive case to industry.

Commission after commission at the UW-Madison has urged that industry research should be handled differently than federal R&D contracts, at least in terms of barriers to entry and overall paperwork. But a one-size-fits-all approach has persisted, discouraging businesses that believe they need to make too many stops to get their work done.

“Business goes to where doing business is easily facilitated,” said Carl Gulbrandsen, managing director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which is the intellectual property arm for the UW-Madison. “We haven’t always done a good job of that at Wisconsin.”

Other universities are figuring out better ways to enhance industry research, which only makes sense in an era when more companies are willing to contract for such services than keep them in-house.

The Ohio State University recently recruited a technology transfer director from the University of Utah to serve as vice president for commercialization. The University of Washington just recruited the University of Utah president as its new president – primarily because of his success at making connections with industry. 

At the University of Michigan, a decade-long push to improve industry R&D was featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education under the headline, “With federal support uncertain, university researchers look to industry.”

There are signs of change at the UW-Madison, where Chancellor Biddy Martin recently resigned and Interim Chancellor David Ward is filling that role until a national search for her replacement can begin. The No. 2 leader at UW-Madison, Provost Paul DeLuca, recently stressed the need for the campus to better capitalize on the potential for increasing its industry research contracts. In fact, DeLuca has asked that an Office of Industrial Contracting be established by the UW-Madison.

Also on line through the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery is the private Morgridge Institute for Research, which opened early this year. It offers industry options to conduct research near the campus, but in a private setting.  

Wisconsin’s major research institutions already conduct top-flight research, especially for federal agencies and private foundation that know and trust their work. It’s now time to persuade private industry to do its R&D shopping here, too.

Tom Still is president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.