Regardless of interest, age, or size, there’s one opportunity common to almost every business enterprise. It’s so important, in fact, that 91% of all Fortune 500 and 87% of mid-sized companies make it a part of employee life cycle process. As important as general preservation of capital, this aims to preserve intellectual capital. [1]
It’s called the exit interview. [2,3]
John Olsen has announced his retirement as Executive Director of the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce (SACC) effective December 31 of this year. Having served three full years in the center chair of that organization, one can imagine that he might have something to say about the job. To highlight accomplishments he’d like to see continued. Perhaps share a word or two of caution with his yet-to-be-announced successor. [4]
When the 2015 search committee tapped Mr Olsen, he was known to the community — as former owner of Spotted Dog Winery. As a long-time Chamber member and two-time president, he felt himself familiar with its inner workings. [5]
“Then I came into this job and I was surprised at just how much the Chamber does in the background,” he began. “There’s always an energy. Another meeting. Someone who needs help with a business issue, ‘Can you go talk to such-and-so with me?’
“Those things should be in the background. They’re not coming in to raise a flag everytime we do something for them. Nobody wants their problems shared when they’re looking for ways to solve them. They don’t want their possible competitors to know that they’re thinking about doing when they ask the Chamber of help with understanding regulations or to make introductions, when they say, ‘I’m not sure how to move forward with the Building Department.'”
As a “business” organization, Mr Olsen cautioned that the importance of our local school system could be too easily missed.
“We are a business organization. We represent businesses. But without good schools in your community, it all falls apart. Who wants to bring their kids to bad schools? Where do your new employees come from if you haven’t provided them with good schools? That is what makes Saline a strong community.”
Looking back even prior to his time as Executive Director, John Olsen cites as example the organic development of the downtown merchants’ association here. Simple discussions over regular get-togethers for coffee got that to critical mass. Then, when Main Street came along, it was rolled into that. “Some of our original people are still on that board.” [6]
What’s next?
“The east and west ends,” he answered without pause. “I suppose this is the biggest opportunity — eastgate, westgate.” He pointed to efforts in Riverside Plaza that he believes should be given another look. Last year, he personally attended exploratory meetings intended to gauge interest in launching the Saline 12 east marketing intiative.
He also believes an important perspective on community balance is sometimes missed. “Homeowners use more city resources for every tax dollar than does industry. If you want good services, you want industry. When you think of city leadership that is involved in development of an industrial park, those are people who have good insight.”
As for John Olsen himself, he counts the transformation of the former Country Market space in Commons at Sauk Trail to the Emagine Theatre there today. “Most of the Country Market plaza stores were members, and I thought ‘What can we do to help get this going?’ I went to Brian [Mayor Marl] and said, ‘How do we get together with the players?’ Brian called a meeting, and with a number of us in the room, we brainstormed ideas.
“There’d been talk about a theater downtown. But the reaction was, ‘What? With a 8700-person population?’ That’s not it. You have to see that sixty-five to eight-five thousand people call Saline ‘home.’ Everything went quiet for a few months. Then we heard Emagine was coming to that spot. Did we do it? I’d like to think we were a part of that; I was pleased to be a part of that. [7]
Parting advice for the next Executive Director of the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce?
“This isn’t a desk job,” Mr Olsen said. “You have to be out there, you have to be seen. We used to be a ‘voice for the community.’ But today we need to be a part of this community.”
References
- “Employees Can Make the Difference!” Jaci Jarrett Masztal PhD, Diane M Salamon, Gabriela Pashturro PsyD, and Lisa Steelman PhD, Burke Institute.
- “Making Exit Interviews Count” Everett Spain and Boris Groysberg (April 2016) Harvard Business Review.
- “The Real Value of Getting an Exit Interview Right” Camille Patrick and Dipak Sundaram (June 14, 2018) Gallup.
- Saline Area Chamber of Commerce (home page).
- “Report: Spotted Dog Winery to close after nearly 12 years in Saline” Jessica Webster (March 18, 2015) mLive.
- Saline Main Street (home page).
- Emagine Entertainment (home page).
