Growing snow management return on investment...

How do I invest in education and relationships professionally, while not sacrificing too much time away from my home and family?
-Brian K. Birch, CAE, Chief Operating Officer, SIMA

Over the past 9 years, I have traveled and spoken with hundreds of snow professionals in my role with SIMA. I've learned so much from these folks, and have been truly humbled by the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our industry.

One thing that I have heard consistently over the years is that the world is changing rapidly, and adapting to such change is a major challenge. In our industry that seems to be the case - liability is up, costs are up, and competition is too. Even the most efficient snow professionals are challenged in this environment. Even more so, a recent survey we conducted indicated that the single biggest personal challenge snow pros face is balancing work vs. home. So the basic question comes to mind; How do I invest in education and relationships professionally, while not sacrificing too much time away from home?

These central questions helped to frame SIMA's planning of the annual Snow Strategies Forum for 2013. 

Our dream is to build a high-quality, time-sensitive event targeted at snow professionals AND facilities/property managers. We are actively attempting to create a safe, collaborative place where these two groups can learn together and talk more effectively, in the space of about 48 hours.

There are numerous snow-specific events this year available through a number of private companies and groups, and SIMA is excited that snow professionals have so many options to choose from this year. I honestly feel that we have created the most well-balanced snow-specific event of the year. I truly think that the Snow Strategies Forum: Growing Snow Management ROI, will offer the best return on investment, both in money and time, for these reasons:

Leadership matters
We have created an environment at the forum that rewards and recognizes leadership in the snow industry. We'll be honoring the 2013 CEO of the Year at the forum this year, and we'll also be working with attendees to brainstorm and influence the next Impact of Snow campaign, building on the wildly successful awareness campaign we conducted this past year. These networking events will encourage leaders in the industry, and hopefully leaders in the facilities management world, to continuously improve and grow.

Diversity matters
The challenge of identifying two audiences for the forum forced us to be more thoughtful about the educational component. I think you'll find this year's forum to be the most diverse in its educational lineup and array of speakers, including speakers from the US Chamber of Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and more. Our goal is to provide new insight and opinions to attendees; we feel the best way to adapt in a changing world is to understand new trends and information. Topics range from conflict resolution, to leading with values, to deicing and its impact on concrete, to best practices in snow management service, to building quality RFP's to manage snow removal costs, to the potential impact of climate change on winter weather in North America.

Location matters
The choice of Washington, DC this year was not only made due to the vast array of things a person can do there, although that is important. Its a symbolic decision tied to SIMA's growth as the only national non-profit trade association for the industry. For two years SIMA has been discussing and internally organizing itself to advocate more powerfully for our members and the industry, and holding our forum in DC is a commitment to our long-term goals in advocacy. But don't forget, DC is a great place to bring a family and make lasting memories tied to the history of the US and its place in the world.

We are actively working to create a space for leaders in the snow industry to meet and network together, along with a group of facilities professionals we hope will engage in this endeavor. Either way, please take a  little time to think about investing in the Snow Strategies Forum this year.

Special thanks to Ventrac and Meyer Products for sponsoring this year's forum, visit www.sima.org/forum for more information on the 2013 Snow Strategies Forum.

Why Volunteer?

I have been volunteering with SIMA for nearly 10 years, and have said countless times that I have received more from them than I could ever give back.

By Mike Mason, CSP

Anyone who has been involved with an organization that relies on volunteers to do most of the heavy lifting knows that 10% of the people do 90% of the work. I am on the board of our local baseball and softball league. We have over 900 kids in the program, and there are about 25 people who do probably 95% of the work needed. I am also involved in our local chamber of commerce as well as other local associations and I can say with certainty that the 90-10 rule holds true there as well. 

What’s so great about SIMA is that the ratio is much different. I can’t tell you what percentage of the membership actively volunteers, but I can say for sure that it is closer to 20% than 10%. I have been volunteering with SIMA for nearly 10 years, and have said countless times that I have received more from them than I could ever give back.

Volunteering has given me many opportunities to network with a lot of great people across North America. Through these networking opportunities I have forged many great friendships, affording me the opportunity to grow and gain perspectives that I haven’t been able to locally. Don’t get me wrong, the local chamber as well as some local associations have contributed to the growth of our company as well as my personal growth, but not in the same way that SIMA has.    

Being able to share struggles as well as victories with other members has allowed me to deepen a lot of these friendships and contribute to my personal growth. Coupled with this has been the growth and betterment of our organization. We have been able to add service lines, improve efficiency, better train our staff, and improve the administrative functions because of these relationships. 

So, as we put the plows away and wrap up another winter season, I hope that you will consider getting more involved with SIMA in 2013. The friendships and knowledge you will gain could quite possibly be what makes the 2013-14 winter season your best yet. 

SIMA’s annual call for volunteers is open now through May 15^th. Visit www.sima.org/volunteerinterest to fill out a short form if you are interested in joining a committee for the 2013-14 season. Visit here to find out more about the committees – Outreach, Editorial, Symposium, and Education. Thank you to all of our current volunteers, and we look forward to working with our members in the next year!

Mike Mason, CSP is the Chair of the SIMA Board of Directors, and the Vice President and COO of The Lawn Pro in Louisville, KY.

Leadership and sacrificing in sports

Sacrificing personal achievements to lift others to the finish for the greater good...isn’t that what leadership is all about? 

By Cheryl Higley
Sports...your success is usually measured by wins and losses and your stats page. We live in a hyper-competitive society, where some will do whatever it takes to win and those who don’t are quickly cast aside. 

When I was asked to write about leadership for the third-annual Snow Business CEO of the Year award, I immediately jumped on the sports topic. I had hoped to write about the leadership coach Tom Crean showed in guiding my beloved IU Hoosiers to a national basketball title, but we know how that turned out. 

So as I pondered what sports success and leadership means, I remembered:

• In 2008, Western Oregon University senior softball player Sara Tucholsky hit her first ever home run during a playoff game against Central Washington University. She missed first base and as she ran back to tag it tore a ligament in her knee. She crawled back to first base but could not get up. If her teammates helped her, she would be out. Instead two members of the opposing team picked up Tucholsky and carried her around the bases. Her three-run homer counted and eliminated Central Washington from the tournament.
• In 2012, Ohio high school track star Meghan Vogel had already won a state championship in the 1,600 meters. Running in the 3,200 meters she didn’t have enough left in the tank and decided to run at an easy pace just to finish. From the back of the pack, she watched as a runner fell and got up, only to fall two more times. Vogel sped up, lifted the runner and supported her weight and essentially dragged her to the finish line, making sure she crossed first.

These athletes showed there is more to life than winning. Sacrificing personal achievements to lift others to the finish for the greater good...isn’t that what leadership is all about? 

These athletes set an excellent example of how to show leadership. Those who emulate them, I believe, will be more successful and respected than those who climb their way to the top with little regard for those they stomp on in their journey to win at any cost. Just ask fired Rutgers coach Mike Rice. 

SIMA’s CEO of the Year award was created to recognize leaders with many of these leadership traits, and how they reflect on the values and culture of professional snow and ice management companies. If you work with or know of someone who would be a great candidate to receive the CEO of the Year Award in 2013, please nominate them at www.sima.org/ceo.

Cheryl Higley is Editor of Snow Business magazeine. 

Leadership Lessons from Abraham Lincoln

“I get knocked down…But I get up again…You're never going to keep me down.” 
- Abraham Lincoln

By Mark Adamson, Vice President, Douglas Dynamics, LLC
Alright, maybe I’m stretching credit for that quote a bit. You probably better know the above words from Tubthumping, a song by a band called Chumbawamba. But then again, we don’t know that Honest Abe didn’t say it, as his life certainly emulated the spirit behind the words. But before we talk about Mr. Lincoln’s perseverance, let’s talk about modern day heroes in our industry who make a living out of overcoming obstacles.

Once again, Fisher, Western, and Blizzard Snowplows has the pleasure of sponsoring the CEO of the Year Award. As a member of SIMA for over a decade, we have enjoyed long-term friendships with some of the most amazing business professionals. While it does take perseverance to take Mother Nature head on in the most extreme conditions, that is just the business we choose; a CEO also has to be concerned with the business of running a business. It comes with its own obstacles like a struggling economy, increasing fuel and health care costs, shrinking workforce talent, and competition...all unrelated to the weather.  

So, needless to say, a few failures along the way are expected. We never look forward to them, but in hindsight, we CAN cherish them. Not only do they test our mettle and separate the quitters from the achievers, they also teach us valuable lessons. Thomas Edison, an American Inventor who, singly or jointly, held a world record 1,093 patents, was allegedly quoted as saying “I never failed, I've found 10,000 ways that don't work.”

But this blog is not about Thomas Edison. It is about the inspiration that Abraham Lincoln has provided me, and no doubt millions of others, long after his passing. I’m not sure when in my childhood I verbally affirmed Lincoln as my favorite president, but it was before I was 7 years old. That is the year we had to dress up as our favorite president for class (and no, you will not have the benefit of a photo). My young inspiration may be as simple as the proximity of our birthdays; I was born on February 13th between Valentine’s day and Lincoln's birthday. 

However, my true admiration and pursuit of learning about my hero didn’t really occur until my early teens when I was leafing through my parent’s old Reader's Digests and I discovered an article on the failures of Abraham Lincoln. I’m sure you have seen reprints of the same list, but when I saw it for the first time I was amazed at his fortitude. If you haven’t seen it before, consider this:

A common list of the failures of Abraham Lincoln (along with a few successes):

• 1831 - Lost his job
• 1832 - Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
• 1833 - Failed in business
• 1834 - Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success)
• 1835 - Sweetheart died 
• 1836 - Had nervous breakdown 
• 1838 - Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker 
• 1843 - Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress 
• 1846 - Elected to Congress (success)
• 1848 - Lost re-nomination
• 1849 - Rejected for land officer position 
• 1854 - Defeated in run for U.S. Senate 
• 1856 - Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
• 1858 - Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate 
• 1860 - Elected President (success)

Talk about testing your mettle…why this man did not just give in from what I call “mettle fatigue” should inspire us all. True leaders, many who would easily pass the test as CEO of the year, exist in SIMA. They have met adversity, got” knocked down”, but got “up again.” I will issue this fair warning; as I interact with many of you at future events, one of my favorite questions to ask a leader is “What is your greatest failure?” Not “biggest” failure, but “greatest” failure! It sounds like an oxymoron, but it is a question that is rarely asked, and yet defines most of us more than our successes do. The path to greatness has many bumps, do you cherish yours?

I hope to see you at the Snow Strategies Forum for the CEO of the Year Award, August 5-6, in the city where in Abraham Lincoln united and inspired a great nation...Washington DC!

SIMA’s CEO of the Year award was created to recognize leaders with many of these leadership traits, and how they reflect on the values and culture of professional snow and ice management companies. If you work with or know of someone who would be a great candidate to receive the CEO of the Year Award in 2013, please nominate them at www.sima.org/ceo.

Mark Adamson is the Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Douglas Dynamics, LLC (Fisher Engineering, Western Products, Blizzard Snowplows).

Small business help for Obamacare

Small business owners really need to be focused on what they need to do in terms of compliance in 2013 – they can’t wait until 2014 to decide how to react to the new regulations under the health care law. 
-Jennifer Pierotti, Manager, Health Care Policy, US Chamber of Commerce

The upcoming healthcare changes in the US have the potential to dramatically impact small businesses, including snow and landscaping professionals. SIMA interviewed Jennifer Pierotti of the US Chamber of Commerce, and asked her some key questions related to the impending implementation of Obamacare.

There were some recent announcements related to deadlines associated with health care exchanges for small businesses, what actually happened?

The SHOP Exchanges, or the Small Business Health Options Program Exchanges, are the new exchanges meant to provide greater choice for employers and employees of small businesses than currently seen in the small group market.  The Chamber is hopeful that the SHOP Exchanges will offer a way to access, compare, and provide employer-sponsored coverage to employees.

The Administration announced in April 2013 that it would delay the ability of employers to offer the “employee choice” option  in the SHOP Exchanges until 2015 for states with federally-facilitated or state partnership model exchanges.  Employers who purchase coverage through the SHOP Exchange will choose one health plan to offer its employees, which is similar to how many employers currently offer coverage to their employees.  State-based SHOP Exchanges, however, may offer the “employee choice” option starting in January 2014, and many states are planning on having employee choice right away.   

What is the most critical thing that a small business owner should be thinking about related to upcoming healthcare changes?

In January 2014, the employer mandate provision of the health reform law will take effect, and it will be the first time that a federal mandate requires certain employers to offer and in many cases subsidize prescribed health care coverage or potentially face a penalty.  Businesses with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees (a calculation that not only takes into consideration full-time employees, but part-time employees as well) must figure out whether they will be required to offer coverage and what their penalty exposure may be.  Further, simply offering coverage is not enough.  To avoid a potential penalty assessment, coverage offered to full-time employees must meet the minimum value and affordability requirements.  

In addition to the employer mandate, small businesses also need to consider how they may interface with their state’s exchange. Open enrollment begins in October 2013, allowing employers with fewer than 100 employees to offer coverage through the SHOP Exchange.  Along with the exchanges and the employer mandate come various new reporting requirements to ensure necessary data is collected and shared among employers, employees, plans, and the federal and state governments. 

Are there any good resources online that provide facts and helpful tips?

In October of 2012, we launched our Health Reform 101 website  with education information, particularly geared towards our small business members, which includes:

• A Coverage or Penalty Chart helps a business determine if it has to offer coverage and/or pay a penalty due to the employer mandate.
• A Penalty Calculator assists businesses in figuring out whether they must offer coverage and what the potential penalty might be under the employer mandate.
•  An Added Costs Table highlights the revenue provisions of the law, the effective date, and the revenue impact.
• An interactive timeline outlines when key provisions of the law will take effect and offers a brief description of each provision.
• The FAQ page offers in-depth answers and definitions to help businesses navigate the employer mandate.
• The Press Room and Video pages provide recent news and video coverage of how the health law is affecting the business community.

For SIMA's position on Obamacare and other legislative issues, download this pdf.

Jennifer Pierotti is the Manager, Health Care Policy for the US Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business federation representing 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations. Jennifer will be presenting during SIMA's 2013 Snow Strategies Forum August 5th-6th, 2013 in Washington, DC.

Leadership lessons from a football star

What made Steve Largent successful was his tremendous focus, his knowledge of his opponent, and his ability to bring his team together through his humble nature.  

By Mike Mason, CSP
As I think about leadership, a slow, undersized champion comes to mind. Number 80, Steve Largent. Mr. Largent was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1976 and traded to the Seattle Seahawks after 4 pre-season games because he was “too small and slow to make it in pro football.” Although all 6 of his records have been broken, he was the NFL’s all-time leading receiver when he retired in 1989. In 1995, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After football, Steve served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1994-2002 and also ran for governor of Oklahoma in 2002. In 2003, he became President and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association, a non-profit association that represents the wireless communications industry.  

Steve wasn’t the biggest, strongest and definitely not the fastest guy on the field, but he did have an amazing ability to catch a football. As most know that doesn’t necessarily translate into success for a wide receiver, especially at that level. What made Steve successful was his tremendous focus, his knowledge of his opponent, and his ability to bring his team together through his humble nature.  

One of the great things about football is that it takes 11 guys all working together in a unified manner to be successful. This is true for any organization. As a CEO, there are a million different ways to lead a team, but focus and knowledge of your competition or environment must be present. In Steve Largent’s case, a portion of his success came from his uncanny ability to focus on the ball no matter what was going on around him, whether it was a 250 linebacker about to unleash a bone jarring blow, or a defensive back bumping him as he ran down the sidelines. He was able to singularly focus on the ball and make the catches that most couldn’t. The goal for Steve was to catch the ball and get to the end zone and he could do that better anyone.  

As a CEO in an organization the goal is going to vary, but the focus on achieving that goal must be paramount. The other factor that contributed to Steve’s success was his knowledge of his opponent. He studied like nobody else. In football, as in most sports, you watch a lot of video of your opponents. As any coach will tell you this is done to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent and how to exploit them. Largent was a master at this. According to his teammate Paul Jones, “The biggest thing with Largent was in the film room. He studied his opponent just like they studied him - but in even greater detail. He knew the defensive back’s weaknesses. He knew how deep he needed to take a route before they would turn their shoulders to run with him.  So he knew how to set guys up.” This knowledge allowed him to take advantage of the guy attempting to cover him and beat him. 

When leading an organization, a CEO must have a true understanding of the forces working against the organization, whether they are internal or external. Understanding these forces in a way that nobody else does allows a CEO to lead in a way that no one else can.  

SIMA’s CEO of the Year award was created to recognize leaders with many of these leadership traits, and how they reflect on the values and culture of professional snow and ice management companies. If you work with or know of someone who would be a great candidate to receive the CEO of the Year Award in 2013, please nominate them at www.sima.org/ceo. 

Mike Mason, CSP is the Chair of the SIMA Board of Directors, and the Vice President and COO of The Lawn Pro in Louisville, KY.

Forecast for Snow and Ice on Capitol Hill

This is a next step is a series of many to help improve our industry and I’m thankful we have the backing and support of the association management industry and government leaders who are willing to lend a hand and help.

By Phill Sexton
On March 18 and 19, SIMA CEO Martin Tirado and I had the opportunity to meet with House and Senate representatives on Capitol Hill. All of them were very responsive listening to the issues that affect snow & ice management professionals and other small business owners who are members of SIMA. What impressed me the most was their willingness to meet with us and the increased level of interest and urgency they expressed regarding some of the issues they had no idea existed. Martin and I met with our respective congressional representatives from Wisconsin and New York. I personally met with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s office, and offices of Congressmen Tonko and Gibson. I was able to spend a few minutes with Congressman Tonko himself, who lives in a snow belt area of Upstate, NY, and expressed personal interest for snow & ice management professionals and is anxious to learn more about the issues.

I give particular credit to Congressman Tonko and his staff who ended up meeting with me for a little over 45 minutes during what was originally slated to be a standard 15 minute meeting opportunity. They offered particular focus and dialog about issues related to insurance liability created by frivolous slip and fall lawsuits and the potential need for common sense reform of lawsuit abuse. SIMA has been invited back to continue dialog about this issue in future months, which we plan to do when we partner with PLANET’s legislative day on the hill in July. 

3 main issues representatives heard from SIMA that directly impact the snow & ice management industry included:

1. Proposed Reform of Lawsuit Abuse. We spoke with everyone we met regarding the issues of frivolous slip and fall claims and how they are affecting both the cost of doing business and the ability (or inability) to obtain the necessary insurance coverage. Every representative office expressed they had no awareness of this issue and wanted to learn more. We also discussed the inequity of liability between property owners and service providers, as well as how liability had been increasingly transferred solely on the service provider over the past decade or more, which is a larger contributor to insurance issue equation. 
2. Comprehensive Immigration Labor Reform. The representatives I met with seemed to be aware of the issues for small business finding qualified seasonal labor and said they will support legislation to ease the process for obtaining workers. They realize this affects not only the snow and landscape management industries and recognize it as a broader issue for all service industries and agriculture. We did briefly discuss specific proposed legislation for the H2b program without much new information offered by any of the representatives we met with. We plan to continue discussing these issues with them during our next visit in July while also adopting PLANET’s position on this issue.
3. Health Care Reform and the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA). We spoke about how small businesses need simple, straightforward answers and solutions to offer their employees adequate and affordable health care coverage and the need for minimizing the regulatory burdens on the business community to the greatest extent possible. I didn’t receive much in the way of feedback on this issue other than a nod of understanding and agreement on this issue.  

I appreciate Martin’s support in helping represent the snow & ice management industry. Furthermore I thank the state representatives from Wisconsin and New York for providing us their time and focused attention to listen and understand the issues affecting our industry. This is a next step is a series of many to help improve our industry and I’m thankful we have the backing and support of the association management industry and government leaders who are willing to lend a hand and help.   

To find out more how SIMA is advocating for the industry and you the members, including legislative updates and to download a copy of SIMA’s Legislative Position Statement, I encourage you to visit www.sima.org/advocacy. Also feel comfortable to contact me directly phill@sima.org.

Looking forward to our return to Capitol Hill in July! We will keep you updated.