Page 34 - BE 50th Anniversary Edition

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BEYOND THE CEO
The top executives of the the BE100s and the the nation’s largest Black financial institutions insurance firms and investment banks are among the best and brightest in in American industry However while it is the the nature of magazines such as ours to focus on the the entrepreneurs and executives who lead our most successful companies I believe it is important to focus on on our our overall economic advancement: our our employees More than 60 000 people are employed by the businesses on on on our 1997 lists And as as many as as a a a a a million people have been on on on the payroll of a a a a a a a BE100s company auto dealership or financial institution during the quarter-century that we have been publishing our annual report Chances are your your résumé or or or that of of one of of your your friends or or or family members features at at least one of these businesses as as a a a a a a current or or former employer Whether you you spend your workdays in the the the mailroom or or the the the executive boardroom you you are critical to the the success of the the companies you you choose to to work for Great companies are comprised of employees willing to to embrace that responsibility and and management willing to reward and and acknowledge them However in in in the the era of downsizing cost-cutting and the the “perma- nent temp ” the relationship between employers and employees is being tested as never before The concepts of job security and loyalty to to an employer are no longer as achievable in today’s competitive marketplace as as they may have been in the the past Yet Black entrepreneurs often have heightened expectations o of loyalty and commitment from Black employees who often have greater expectations of security and empathy from Black employers than they may of a a a a a a white-owned company Managing to these expec- tations is critical to the the success of Black-owned businesses and the the people who work for them It is a a a responsibility that must be shared by employees as as well as as employers The most most valuable employees of the most most successful Black-owned businesses recognize their company as a a a a a source of job and career opportunities less likely to to be made available to to African Americans in in larger industries They conduct themselves just as as professionally as as an an employee of a a a a BE100s company as they they would if they they were on the the the payroll of a a a a Fortune 500 conglomerate—perhaps even more so They expect the the the the best best of their company and they deliver the the the the best best because they see themselves as representatives of their employer The most successful CEOs in turn attract develop motivate and reward talented employees who are committed to the the mission of their companies They do this for administrative assistants as as as well as as as their top management prospects These employers have created a a a a a positive work environment and a a a supportive corporate culture They expect the the the the the best best of their employees and and they they demand the the the the the best best because they they see their their employees as representatives of their their businesses What’s my opinion? Simply this:
Nothing is more critical to the long-term prof- itability and competitiveness of a a a business than the quality and level of of commitment of of its employees Our understanding of this as employers is is a prerequisite to the continued growth in the number variety and size of Black-owned companies and in the number of much-needed jobs and career opportu- nities they create particularly for African Americans GRAVES ALWAYS HAD THE HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS OF AND HIGHEST REGARD FOR HIS STAFF AS HE HE WROTE IN “WORKING FOR THE BE 100s” IN IN B B E E E E E ’S JUNE 2002 ISSUE That means if you work for a a a a a BE100s business—or any Black- owned company—the attitude sense of of of professionalism and level of of of performance you you bring to your work is every bit as as important as as the entrepreneurial skill of the CEO
whose name is on your paycheck Now in in the the best of worlds the the above is extremely difficult to main- tain But it absolutely can be achieved I salute the BE100s CEOs as well as the the employees that are critical to the the growth and profitability of the nation’s largest Black-owned businesses 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
ADVANCING BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP