1999

WHAT's NEW: 1999

Draft Values Statement Published

POSTED: June 15, 1999

Over the course of the weeks since our company retreat up in Maine, we have been carefully honing our corporate values statement--an effort to articulate succinctly what is most important to us as individuals and as an organization. Now we are making this statement available to our clients, our suppliers, and our readers here in order to obtain feedback. Please go there either now or later, and let us know what you think.

Retreat Results in Values Statement

POSTED: April 12, 1999

City's Square held its first company retreat in Kennebunkport, Maine on May 3rd and 4th. Hosted by Captain Lord's Mansion, Chris Schiavone, Vivian Harris, and Steve Westort used the time away from the office to review the firm's mission, share personal and professional objectives, and chart plans for continued growth. We returned from the retreat with a deeper understanding of each other and a clearer sense of our future direction--not to mention a couple of extra pounds from eating too well!

One of the important outcomes of our time together was a draft values statement--an effort to articulate succinctly what is most important to us as individuals and as a company. Since returning from Maine, we have circulated the document among ourselves several times in order to make it as accurate and clear as possible. Within the next couple of weeks, we look forward to sharing it with our clients, our suppliers, and our readers here in order to obtain feedback.

Meanwhile, we are already finding that the two-day investment we made in focusing on our mission, vision, and values has yielded dividends. More than anything, we've renewed our commitment to designing and executing the highest quality research for our clients so that they can successfully fulfill their own business goals.

City Square Heads North!

POSTED: March 03, 1999

City Square's associates head north to Kennebunkport, Maine, for a two day retreat. Led by Research Assistant Steve Westort, we will review the mission of City Square as it was first set out when we were established last year. We will work together to articulate a shared vision, articulate our professional objectives, examine the functional areas of our organization, and recommit ourselves to community service.

We are excited by the opportunity to reflect on our work and apply what we learn to our practice. We will be away from our offices on Wednesday and Thursday, March 3 and 4 and thank our clients and colleagues for your patience while we're away.

City Square Welcomes
Senior Research Director

POSTED: February 01, 1999

For those of you who check our "What’s New" page, the suspense is over! We are pleased to introduce our Senior Research Director. She is Vivian Harris of South Berwick (Maine) and inaugurated this new position at City Square on Monday, January 25.

Vivian is coming to City Square from The Taylor Research & Consulting Group (of Greenwich, Connecticut) where she was Director of Operations and Staff Development. In this position, she implemented a mentoring program for junior staff members; developed guidelines for the recruitment, hiring, orientation, and evaluation of staff members at all levels; and led the development of a number of enrichment programs, including workshops on marketing, research methodology, leadership skills, and team-building. Prior to becoming Director of Operations, Vivian was a Consultant and Project Director, responsible for design, management, and analysis on some of the firm’s most complex and sensitive high-profile customer satisfaction projects.

In her position at City Square, Vivian will be a prime contributor to project work, a co-leader in the ongoing growth of our business, and a participant in the daily administration of our practice. With an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Chicago and prior experience in marketing and promotion for the medical and pharmaceutical industries, Ms. Harris also exemplifies the interdisciplinary spirit of City Square Associates. Vivian brings outstanding insight into human nature, superior oral and written communication skills, and a wonderful sense of imagination to all of her work. Moreover, by increasing the size of our full-time research staff, Vivian enables us to expand our outreach, without jeopardizing the personal attention and "hand-crafted" approach to research which our current clients have come to expect.

She will work both from an office in her So. Berwick home (207.384.5337) and from our downtown Boston office (617.242.3954). We are fortunate to be joined by a colleague with the kind of personal and professional attributes that Vivian possesses. The work of City Square will be richer for Vivian’s participation in it.

New Year! New Growth!

POSTED: January 08, 1999

Thanks to the trust and loyalty of our clients, suppliers, and friends, City Square Associates moves into the New Year with some exciting plans for continued growth. We are especially pleased to announce the creation of a new staff postion and the development of a community service program

New Staff Position: On January 25, City Square will add a Senior Research Director to its full-time staff. We envision our new associate contributing toward the mission of our firm as a prime contributor to project work, as a co-leader in the ongoing growth of our business, and as a participant in the daily administration of our practice. We have made it a policy not to accept more work than we can complete in an excellent and timely way and have committed ourselves to giving each client company and organization personalized attention. By adding a highly-experienced senior research professional to our team, we can expand our outreach without compromising on these commitments. We look forward to introducing our newest associate within the next couple of weeks.

City Service: Since City Square Associates has embraced the prosperity of the community as an integral element of its corporate mission, we have decided to add to our "Terms of Employment" a provision for community service. As of January 1, 1999, all present and future employees of City Square will be entitled to dedicat up to 10% of their working hours to community service or volunteering, on a weekly or flexible basis. So far, Steve Westort, our Research Assistant, has signed on for the Boston/New York AIDS Ride. Chris Schiavone, our Principal, has become a mentor of a second grader at the Cathedral Grammar School in Boston's South End. We look forward to seeing what other associates choose to do over the next several months. The goal, of course, is to share the gifts we've been given with others in our community; but we also know that our experiences volunteering will ultimately enrich the work we do for and with our valued clients and colleagues in business.