Tim Kaine goes solo and wants to lead Virginia

	by Jim Garrettson

Tim Kaine

Northern Virginia and the greater DC economy play an obvious key role in driving the regional financial engine of the surrounding Macro-markets. Business, housing, government services, technology and even baseball are red hot and should have a highly visible place on dashboard of every area politician. Are the State Governments of Virginia and Maryland taking this engine for granted? ExecutiveBiz is beginning a series of interviews with local leaders to see who's focused on the issue most closely tied to the greater DC market. Today, we open with an interview with Tim Kaine, current Lt. Governor and democratic hopeful for this year's gubernatorial race. More interviews with local leaders will be forth coming.

	Jim Kimsey and Bob Woodward share a laugh
	TownHall Teleconferencing CEO Jim Garrettson presents Bob Woodward with the highly coveted "POC Star" award

In a recent area appearance at the Potomac Officers Club, Bob Woodward, legendary reporter, accomplished author and well known newspaper editor wowed a crowd of local business leaders with his insightful comments on the state of the nation. Woodward drew on many personal vignettes and first hand accounts of news that shaped our government and ultimately our world. In addition to many personal comments about his historical role in Watergate, Woodward has the distinct honor of having the longest interview with a sitting president on a current issue in history. Woodward's exhaustive research and interviews produced the best selling book "Plan of Attack". As if this weren't enough to keep business leaders tuned in, Woodward also displayed the hilarious sense of humor that reflected a perspective on worldly affairs only a sage could offer with such ease.

Bob From Left Maggie Kavalaris - DLA, John Sanders - DC Tech, Dendy Young - GTSI, Llyod Griffiths - GMU Dean, Bob Dinkle - CA, Chris Ryan - iCode

Bob Woodward, Mark Bisnow - Radio Celebrity AM 1160, Deb Kissire - E&Y and Steven Meltzer - Shaw Pittman

David Steinberg

Kevin Plank (Under Armour) and David Steinberg (InPhonic), two of the area's most dynamic CEOs will be speaking together at the POC on April 21st. Special thanks to Art Greenberg of Studley for making this event possible. POC members register here.

ExecutiveBiz has been getting a lot of attention on our Job Board and you should consider listing your company's open positions. It's free and gets some great traffic.

Potomac Officers Club members, click here to register for the next event.

Tim Kaine
Lt. Governor
Virginia

The race for Governor in Virginia is starting to heat up. We speak to Lt. Governor Tim Kaine about his proposal for monthly debates, his support for GMU to be a world class research institution, and how his administration would be different from Jerry Kilgore's in terms of supporting business.

Click here for the full interview.

Ben Hammer
Reporter
Washington Business Journal

Ben Hammer is an enterprising reporter covering technology and government contracts for the Washington Business Journal. In our exclusive interview, we learn more about his background, what he thinks makes a good story, and what folks do wrong when pitching him a story.

Click here for the full interview.

1 of 5 / 2005 Drivers

Kirk Lucas
Golf Expert, Washington Golf Centers

Equipment companies, players and the process of bringing the latest and greatest products to you the worlds amateur golfers.

It all begins in the fall of each season. The companies are preparing new product lines ,players are looking for better equipment and some new contracts with the various manufactures.( ex.Justin Leonard was aware that Hogan was not going to renew his contract thus the search for a new relationship began. His win at this years Bob Hope proved the switch to Nike was a good choice for all ... except maybe the Hogan company)

Companies are looking for validation from the worlds best players that their products perform at golf's highest level along with exposure (the more the better). The belief is that product visibility along with player testimonials sells equipment.

Prototypes begin showing up at tour events months before they are available to the public. During this period player feedback regarding performance is of great value to manufactures. Player suggestions are often incorporated into the final design as companies rush to produce the latest and greatest. Callaway after signing Phil Mickelson was producing a variety of prototype drivers with top secret code names in an effort to satisfy Phil as well as boost sagging driver sales. Finally settling on the new Fusion F2 and F3 models.

Let's look at what is new for 2005 Drivers bigger is better. Nike 460 Callaway 454 Ping 460 Cleveland 460. Why 460 the rules of golf limit the size of drivers to 460cc's. Size allows for thinner faces more perimeter weighting and the ability to move the clubs CG (center of gravity). Cleveland ,Mizuno, and Callaway are producing drivers that combine titanium with carbon fiber similar to the old Yonex woods.

Tiger's Nike along with a new Nike One ball have put him back among the tours longest hitters. VJ claims his new Cleveland Launcher is eight yards longer on average than last years . The new Ping driver is getting rave reviews from the Pros. Titleist is also on board with the new 905 series drivers.

Before suggesting to you how to shop for a new driver let's look at the way tour pros do it.

First the club company a player represents will provide the newest products secondly if a player is not obligated to play a certain brand then the various reps will provide product third word of mouth. If someone raves about a club or ball be sure the other players will know.

Tour reps are the link between the players and the manufactures providing products and services.

Reps provide players with the opportunity to test new products on the course, the range, and launch monitors ( which provide scientific data including launch angle ball speed club speed spin rate side spin angle of decent ). They also build clubs to whatever specs a player desires. They have nearly unlimited options of shafts ,grips, lofts etc. These resources allow the reps to customize clubs on site.

As word of mouth goes Jonathan Byrd a long hitting young player was paired with Lee Janzen a former U.S. Open champ. Byrd was pounding a Callaway Fusion Driver shafted with a Fujikura Z-Com shaft miles past Janzen's tee shots. The very next week Lee had an exact copy of Jonathan;s driver in his bag. He was so pleased that this season he is playing all Callaway clubs.

Tour reps are attempting to get as many players as possible to use their brand of equipment. Thus all players not under contractual obligations are fair game. An example of this was VJ Singh he was obligated to plat Cleveland clubs but not the Cleveland driver or putter. So to increase endorsement dollars he plays a Taylor Made Driver and a Titleist putter. This year he is using both a Cleveland driver and putter.

You determine the characteristics a prescription can be written. Your swing speed, launch angle and spin rate will determine loft. swing weight, shaft type and shaft flex of your future driver. See a trained professional to aide you in your club fitting. They Now how do you go about purchasing a Driver. First determine the type of ball flight you now have. Do you hit it high or low? Does your ball curve too much? Are you getting enough roll? . Once will ultimately save you time and money by getting the proper driver in your hand on the first try. I have been told by a few tour reps that they have players using 10.5 or 11.5 degree drivers that they mark at 8 or 9 so ease the ego's of the pros. So remember leave your ego at the door. More loft with today's drivers is better.

Good luck and Good Driving.

Corporate Culture ... Does yours measure up?

Kathy Albarado
President, Helios HR

Often as an organization grows, managers fail to involve the stakeholders in the change. While there is no "one-size-fits-all" culture, you can increase the potential for people buying into a positive culture by communicating to them how they are important parts of the desired changes and how they will be rewarded for their contributions and commitment.

If employees in a changing organization don't understand their roles, they often cling to what they know. By involving employees in the development of proposed changes-by engaging employees in setting their own goals and measurements-you allow them to share your focus on the future and their role in getting there.

According to Jerry Haney, author of "Making Culture Pay: Solving the Puzzle of Organizational Effectiveness", strong, adaptive cultures do not just happen. They are built by leaders who understand the need to develop cultures where people are proud to work and that broadcast their values to their client base.

Leaders who develop the strength, speed and adaptability of their cultures will not only increase their ability and mandate to lead, but motivate a work culture ethic that results in greater sustaining productivity and high performance.

Below is a checklist created by Jerry Haney, which may help you judge the present cultural potential of your organization. If you answer yes to all the questions, you can feel comfortable that you are currently working toward building a high performance workplace culture. If you answer no to any question, you may want to focus on that issue as you begin your cultural renewal process.

Answer for the culture or subculture for which you are responsible.

Cultural Conscience Checklist		Yes	No
	Is your organization performing as well as it can in terms of bottom-line results?
	Are you happy with your organization's ability to attract, motivate and retain top talent?
	Is employee turnover hurting productivity and/or performance in your organization?
	Is your organization able to quickly anticipate the need for change? Does it readily make the changes required?
	Do the leaders in your organization have a good understanding of organizational culture and how to improve it?

The difference in a high performing organization can be credited in many cases to cultural leadership. Yet, too often the definition of corporate culture is often left to chance. It is the rare organization that provides managers with the knowledge and skills to intentionally build effective workplace cultures. By training managers to become cultural leaders, you enable them to become more effective and accountable. And in having done so, the entire organization benefits.

Kathy Albarado is President of Helios HR. Helios HR is helps organizations establish an enhanced human resource infrastructure allowing them to attract, engage and retain an exceptional workforce.

Question: Which "real estate" is more valuable in your business? Great office space or great Google listings?

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