June Business Growth Workshop Offers Unique Trio of Perspectives on Protecting A Company’s Assets

At the University Club on the morning of June 23, a troika of three respected Pasadena business leaders led the monthly Business Growth Workshop. Introduced by James Harwood of Total HR Management, the trio of speakers offered a multi-dimensional perspective on how to help an organization protect and improve the assets of its business. Diana Peterson-More, JD, focused on people and employees, Blake Longo, CIC, illuminated product challenges, and Alan Harrison, CPA, zeroed in on the financial challenges.

By examining a plethora of questions and hurdles facing every modern company, the speakers revealed the multidimensional approach that is needed to succeed. While each speaker brought up salient points that could not be overlooked, none of the three dominated the session. Rather, by viewing key issues like employee hiring, customer analytics and government compliance from a multi-dimensional take, the Pasadena business leaders at the University Club came to understand how none could be ignored. By ignoring one of the three perspectives, a company might be placed in unexpected jeopardy. After all, in the 21st century marketplace, ignorance is very far from bliss.

Although the breadth of the presentation would be impossible to summarize given how much ground was covered, a couple powerful points can be highlighted. In discussing coverage in the modern world, Blake Longo highlighted the importance of an employee dishonesty policy that is separate from other forms of coverage. Blake Longo explained to the surprise of his audience, “Normally, such a policy applies to a long-term trusted employee that has turned on the company. In most cases, these employees have experienced a negative change in life, involving divorce, gambling or drugs.”

Alan Harrison emphasized how so many companies are actually caught with their pants down when it comes to employee fraud. Time and time again, Alan Harrison has heard business owners shake their head and mutter; We can’t let this happen again. What Alan Harrison doesn’t understand is why they let is happen the first time around. As he clearly explained, “Don’t put your company in the position where you will have to say this. If you have employees, you will only have the potential for fraud.”

Diana Peterson-More believes a roadmap to long-term success starts at the beginning when a company develops what she describes as a vertical alignment model. The vertical alignment model begins with values, opens up into vision, and pares down into the mission, leading directly to goals and an overall strategic plan. If such a vertical alignment model is implemented, long-term success follows once the checks and balances are in place.

If you really wanted to know the depth and extent of the presentation, you had to be present at the University Club of Pasadena. For the sixth time this year, the Business Growth Workshop provided valuable business insight amidst intelligent company and a satisfying breakfast. As 2015 continues to progress, there is little doubt that the value provided to the Pasadena community by the monthly Business Growth Workshops will continue.

About the Author

Growing up in New York City as a stutterer, John Lavitt embraced writing as a way to express himself when the words would not come. After graduating from Brown University, he lived on the Greek island of Patmos, studying with his mentor the late American poet Robert Lax. As a writer, John Lavitt’s published work includes several articles in Chicken Soup For The Soul volumes and poems in multiple poetry journals and compilations. Today, John Lavitt works at Open Interactive as the Director of Content Development. As a journalist, he is a Regular Contributor to The Fix where he writes investigative reports about the latest issues in the world of addiction and recovery.