Opinion: SBJ wants your opinion, life lessons

Gregory Holman

Springfield business leaders: We want to hear from you. If you have a perspective on an issue affecting local business – or a lesson from your work and life that others might find useful – send me your idea for an Opinion column. You don’t need to be a professional writer. Begin by telling me what you want to say and why it matters. My email address is
gholman@sbj.net.

We’re working to bring new visions to Springfield Business Journal’s Opinion page by making room for a wider range of voices and ideas. We’re not discarding the columns we’ve run; we’re inviting more people across the business community to contribute. We weant pieces about issues that matter to local businesses and the people who build them, and formats that show how a contributor’s experience shaped their point of view.

A journalist since 1997, I’m a language nerd who loves reading and writing. I pay attention not only to what a piece says, but how it says it.

You may have noticed us tinkering with that “how” on SBJ’s Opinion page. On Sept. 21, we ran a column by Matt Morrow, president and CEO of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, about how Springfield can grow without giving up its advantage as an affordable place to live.

The photo we paired with the column is a small change, but it points to a larger idea: An Opinion page should do more than tell readers what they already know. It should introduce them to people with something worth saying – and give those people room to explain how they came to believe it.

One idea we’re developing is “What I’ve Learned,” a personal-essay approach that asks contributors to reflect on lessons from their work and lives, and how those lessons connect to business. Someone who has changed careers, started a business or taken an unexpected path may have useful insights well beyond their own industry.

The point of “What I’ve Learned” isn’t to recap a resume. It’s to show readers what an experience taught the writer – and why the lesson matters. That was the goal of “It started with a stroller and a doorbell,” published Oct. 5. Financial adviser and CEO Stephanie Staggs wrote about grit and resourcefulness, drawing on her work at the Better Business Bureau and in TV news on her path to starting her own firm.

There’s also a place for practical columns that help readers solve a problem or understand a business issue. Take this week’s “Point of View” by Missouri State University’s Carly Asher-August, who makes the case for looking to southwest Missouri’s creative community when your company needs branding and marketing advice.

But an Opinion page made up only of advice can feel like a reference shelf. Personal stories, strong perspectives and a sense of discovery can make it feel more alive. Asher-August’s piece does that by weaving the perspectives of local creative leaders into her message.

We want to rotate contributors and try ideas that bring forward more of the community’s thinking. Not every experiment will become a regular feature. That’s all right. Trying something new is one way to learn what resonates.

What makes a good contribution? Start with a clear idea and give readers a reason to care, supported by firsthand experience, carefully chosen information or expertise. Connect it to something larger than yourself. Respect readers’ time, make your point plainly and offer more than a familiar talking point.

Most of all, a good column gives readers a perspective they might not otherwise hear. Ron Bogart’s Sept. 28 contribution, “Why good employees stay silent,” is a strong example. Bogart, CEO of Gold Mechanical Inc. and holder of a doctorate in strategic leadership, explored why employees might keep quiet about significant issues, even when leaders have worked to build a culture of trust.

We’re not looking for one kind of writer or one prescribed opinion, beyond a focus on business. We’re not replacing traditional op-eds with personal narratives. We’re looking for a bright, vibrant mix: thoughtful people with something specific to say – and a willingness to say why it matters.

So, if an idea has been on your mind, send it my way. If you’ve already connected with me about an agreed-upon column, it’s in my queue for publication, and you’re welcome to check in anytime. The Opinion page can be more than a page in SBJ’s weekly edition. It can be a conversation with our southwest Missouri business community.

And we want you to be part of it.

Gregory Holman is interim editor of Springfield Business Journal, overseeing its News team. He can be reached at gholman@sbj.net.