In just three weeks the Pawtucket Red Sox will enjoy another historical day in their history. The franchise that took part in the longest game in professional baseball history will unveil a completely refurbished McCoy Stadium on Wednesday, April 14, when the Rochester Red Wings arrive for the home opener.
The $16 million renovation project includes new outfield stands, more seating, modern concessions and plenty of parking.
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The stadium project has been a fast-paced one. Workers arrived soon after the bats and balls were put away last fall. O. Ahlborg & Sons, a Cranston general contracting company, has spearheaded the project. Teams of experts, including engineers and architects, have had a hand in the project.
But they haven’t been alone.
Concession and maintenance workers, office personnel and groundskeepers have all had a say in the project. Ben Mondor, the team’s owner, would not have had it any other way.
“If there’s an issue with the ticket office, we talk to the people who work in the ticket office,” said Mondor. “The people who operate the stadium – they know what we need. That’s the blood and guts. They are all experts in their own areas.”
While Mondor and his PawSox have been following the so-called “out-of-the-box” approach for years, for some companies it’s a new way of thinking. According to a national study, the “out-of-the-box” approach is growing in popularity.
A Robert Half International, Inc. study has found that 89 percent of the nation’s top executives believe employers are more proactively promoting creativity among employees than five years ago. The study was conducted by an independent research firm and included responses from 150 executives with the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.
Max Messmer, chairman and chief executive officer of Robert Half International, said that as businesses develop a more relaxed corporate culture, they are also building an environment that promotes innovation.
“A growing number of companies are soliciting input from staff at all levels and moving the ideas from conception to the implementation stage,” Messmer said. Employees with direct customer contact, for example, are becoming an invaluable resource for identifying cost-saving and revenue-enhancing opportunities.”
Tony Manfredi, an area manager at Robert Half International, describes the “out-of-the-box” approach as a winning situation for both employer and employee.
“By keeping a constant eye on how they can improve business procedures and customer service, employees can bring benefits not just to their companies, but also to their own careers,” Manfredi said.
Barbara Payne, director of corporate communications at the Providence-based Gilbane Building Company, describes Gilbane as “a matrix company, not a top-down company.” She said the company has long had a system in place in which employee input is not only welcome, but encouraged.
Dan M. Kelly, corporate director of human resources and a vice president at Gilbane, said that kind of approach is simply the way things have to be done in today’s highly competitive marketplace.
“A lot of companies – out of necessity – are coming to grips with the issues of the current workforce,” said Kelly.
Kelly points out the Generation Xers are a confident group.
“They won’t work in an environment where they do not have a say,” he said. “Their allegiance is not to a company; it’s a personal focus to grow and develop.”
Is that a good thing? Kelly thinks it is.
“We have done it like this for a long time because of the nature of our business,” said Kelly. “We manage other contractors. So we are selling a client a team of construction managers.”
Kelly considers the “out-of-the-box” approach to be one that can only help a company.
“To me, it’s all on the positive side of the equation,” he said. “It’s healthy. And it tends to tear down the bureaucracy that can take place in an organization.”
Back in Pawtucket, Mondor is eagerly awaiting Opening Day. It’s going to be a special day, he said, for the players, the fans and all the people behind the scenes.
“Every single piece of this stadium that is being rebuilt has been done so along with the input of our employees,” he said.
Not only is it good for morale, Mondor said, but it makes good business sense. Mondor never knows when valuable information will come from a ticket-taker, or perhaps, a second basemen.
“Somebody may save you a lot of money, by giving you an idea that you never thought of,” Mondor said.
