Time To Talk About Managing Change

In Search o/ Excellence author Tom Peters believes "our commercial affairs are undergoing a sea of change. Only those ready to confront and master change each day will thrive in the '90s and beyond. This is true for a company chiei a small business owner and a receptionist."

"The old ideas of loyalty, security and lifelong employment - as practiced by the Japanese (though far less than advertised). IBM and othersare nonsense today. Those who prepare themselves for change and growth will have the highest probability ofsuccess," he says,

By Les Sanders, CAE Executive Vice President Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California

If we agree with Peters, and I do, the way we think and communicate will also need changing. There usually is a sharp distinction between form and substance. Sometimes, however, form itself can affect substance. Vocabulary, for example, affects the discussion of substance: are they "freedom fighters" or "terrorists? "

Recognizing the importance of vocabulary, perhaps we should begin to use the phrase "change management" instead of "growth management." It is indisputable that the state of California, like many other states, is changing. California's ethnic composition is changing, the demographics of our population are changing, our cities are changing -

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September 1991 all regardless of whether we have growth. Growth is one element of change, but it is not the only element. Furthermore, growth often is itself a result of change.

At this year's meeting of the Western Regional Lumbermen's Council, l2 retail dealers and six association managers spent a half day talking about changes we see facing our industry. It was probably the most thought provoking session in my two year association with this industry. It is interesting how many good ideas can surface when people have round table discussions in a relaxed atmosphere with no phones ringing or other stress related interruptions. Many of the "kudos" go to Fred Caruso, our Mountain States colleague, who acted as monitor of the workshop.

At a recent Building Material Association Executives (BMRE) meeting, we also spent a good deal of time on how to posture our respective association federates to provide the programs and services to meet the members' changing needs. lt will be interesting to see how we respond, especially if we have to deep-six some long standing sacred cow programs.

Change, like death and taxes, is inevitable.

Salespeople In Short Supply

Retailers face a labor shortage in this decade. As critical as the labor shortage will be in other industries, retailing, especially in the position of sales associate, will be the hardest hit, says The Retailing Issues Letter.

Currently, inexperienced high school and college students and women fill sales positions. The interested, engaged and experienced professional salesperson is a vanishing breed, reports the newsletter. Salespeople need to relate to the most lucrative patron, the 35-55 year old customer, yet most employees in this age group are buyers or managers, if they're in retailing at all. Retail selling is not considered a serious career choice for many.

The lack of a respectable career track for sales associates compounds this dilemma. If sales associates want to make more money or be promoted, their only option is to go into management. Unfortunately, many of the best salespeople, the ones with

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