Electronics Execs Tune In to Human Side of Business

When the regional chapter of the American Electronics Assn. met Thursday, the idea was for high-tech executives from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara to discuss how Sept. 11 had affected business and how they might turn their woes into profits.

But the three-hour meeting at Cal State Channel Islands near Camarillo evolved into a group counseling session.

Several of the 30 members said they had spent so much energy focusing on how to stay afloat--the tech industry was struggling months before the terrorist attacks--that they were glad to finally have a forum for expressing their emotions.

What effect was fear having on productivity? Did they have the vision and confidence to make their staffs feel safer? And were the executives taking care of their own emotional needs?

“Maybe this is what we all need, a chance to vent,” said Thomas Voccola, president and chief executive of Westlake Village-based CEO2 , a leadership consulting firm.

“For me, Sept. 11 has really raised the question, ‘Is this all there is?’ It’s really helped us to look at our values and whether we’ve been moving toward them or away from them.’ ”

Everyone was asked to say how he or she has been affected by the terrorist attacks and the recession.

One was trying to regroup because his investors had just pulled out.

Another saw his own job elimination looming but first had to oversee several other layoffs. As they shared these stories, their peers consoled them with knowing smiles and pats on the back.

This sort of talk didn’t entirely overshadow the forum’s intended purpose. The American Electronics Assn. has been organizing such meetings through 18 chapters nationwide, largely to shape the legislative agenda the group will take before Congress next year.

Those at Thursday’s meeting had several ideas. Some said they want the federal government to be more vigilant about finding and prosecuting people who start and spread computer viruses.

Some want Congress to loosen restrictions on how long workers on H-1B visas--foreign workers with in-demand skills such as engineering--can stay in the country between jobs.

A hiring manager said he has his eye on one of the visa holders, who lost his position at another company because of the recession, but that he doesn’t have the money to hire him. He is afraid the man’s visa will expire before the money becomes available to bring him aboard.

The forums are also an opportunity for executives to brainstorm about what high-tech products would sell in an era of heightened security concerns. That might include software for face and fingerprint recognition, or improved video conferencing technology.

Many expressed confidence that high-tech firms that survive this downturn will benefit in the long run because fear of terrorism will increase demand for technological advancements. At the same time, they say this is a time for introspection, not greed.

Ken Bauer of Agoura Hills-based Line 6 said three-fourths of his company’s work force is noticeably distracted.

The company, which manufactures high-tech music equipment, went from 229 employees a year ago to 170 today.

“People don’t feel they’re in control of their destiny,” Bauer said.

“This economy is going to turn around, that’s not the issue. It’s what steps we take while the economy is in the turn-around phase. People are beginning to deal with all these issues.”