A long-term employee-owner at Web Industries with 20-plus years at the company once told an audience of NCEO conference-goers in Minneapolis that communication and learning at an ESOP company never really ends. He said that even thinking there is a finish line when it comes to improving your efforts on education might just mean that there is still a whole lot more to learn...

The NCEO has put together an online training and networking program for companies, new and old, that want to create employee involvement and help their employees understand what their ESOP really does mean to their company, to employees, and to their families in the long run. This summer we will be hosting our next series of the NCEO's Communications Committee Crash Course, which consists of six separate training sessions that will cover topics such as developing an effective communications strategy, common challenges and mistakes, how to create alignment with company leadership, and how to improve employee engagement strategies for the long term.

You may have just started an ESOP, or you may be a mature and growing ESOP company with new employees that have similar questions to those at companies with new ESOPs. Whether you are just getting started or trying to get back on track, this training program will offer communications committees from companies of all shapes and sizes a way to learn, engage, and network with others in the employee ownership community. Join me and other employee-owners on Wednesday, July 28 as we host attendees and invite employee-owner friends and professionals to provide their insights and discuss challenges and lessons learned at their own companies. We hope to see you there!