Take-home tips and strategies on using employee engagement to effect positive change, whether it be inside the workplace (work/life balance to reduce absenteeism, improved innovation) or out (helping to keep money flowing in this economy, corporate social responsibility efforts), were flowing, along with introductions – courtesy of a lively networking lunch – at our Top Small Workplaces Conference yesterday.  A visual testament to which follows:

Bill Marshall (left) and three of his employees at Phelps County Bank, one of our 2007 Top Small Workplaces, gave a great presentation on instilling an ownership mentality in employees.  Their community bank in Missouri, like several at our event – including 2008 winner Paducah Bank&Trust in Kentucky and finalist Leaders Bank here in Illinois – defines an emerging, under-reported trend within the financial industry.  These banks are not tanking as a result of the crisis on Wall Street.  In fact, they had a great 2007 and are looking at a strong 2008.

How is this possible?  Because employee engagement best practices have created a culture where coworkers look out for each other like family.  This pays dividends for the bank in the form of greater employee tenure and leadership potential from within. 

The concurrent session was all about leadership development.  At one of Gentle Giant Moving Company's 16 offices, Branch Manager Ryan Libby (right) uses the training he's received from the 28-year-old company's Founder and CEO, Larry O'Toole (left), to instill in both new and veteran employees the fundamental philosophy that, as Larry put it, "Our customers are paying us to care" when it comes to doing a good job (read: no undamaged merchandise) quickly.

Customer love, it should be no surpise, is a notion that the previous night's keynote speaker, 2008 Top Small Workplaces Judge and President Emeritus of Southwest Airlines, Colleen Barrett, shares with Larry.  Walking the talk when it came to her assertion on Tuesday that learning is of the utmost importance for today's small business leaders, Colleen attended the Gentle Giant session and asked a question during the Q&A that concluded it.

Lean manufacturing and economic silver linings for smaller firms were the topics of discusion during a session on – appropriately enough – managing in lean times, which featured a trio of leaders who have done it in three labor-intensive industries: manufacturing (Georgia Berner, Berner International, left); construction (C. David Moody, C.D. Moody Construction, middle); and commerical printing (Andrew Field, PrintingForLess.com, right). 

A recent management challenge faced by 37-year-old regional trucking company JA Frate, led by Joe Alger (right), was not unlike one faced by technology PR firm Corporate Ink, a 2007 Top Small Workplace.  In both cases, loss of business forced the leadership to open frank discussions with employees that resulted in team decisions to take pay cuts.  Fortunately, these cuts proved to be temporary in both cases after a renewed focus on team building kept quality high.  In JA Frate's case, this led a former client to return. 

The Illinois-based company then did right by its employees who had shared in the risk by not only restoring their salaries after business improved, but reimbursing their missed income.  Today employees who went through that process recognize the gesture, far more than the lump sum payment itself, as a sign that JA Frate is working for them.   

Alan Murray of The Wall Street Journal Online concluded this year's conference with remarks on the stakes for small business in the 2008 election.  His prediction that regardless of who takes the oath of office in January, increased regulation of many sectors will continue to be the order of the day evolved into a broader discussion of Big Government vs. free market principles as the best platform from which to build lasting enterprises that can support both their employees and our broader economic community.  Heady stuff, to be sure, but highly relevant as the leaders of the firms in attendance – members of the U.S. small business community that supply as many as 8 in 10 new jobs – weigh their options.

There you have it.  If you weren't able to attend our event this year, I hope you'll be able to join us in 2009.