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Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
April 2018 #10225 Page #51
Change Your Dynamic By Investing in Your Team Ben Hershey, CEO & Coach 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC
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hat is the difference between companies which are stuck in the status quo and those which are transforming themselves into the leader in their industry? One significant difference is their focus on Continuous Improvement. By focusing on making things better—People, Projects, and Process— these leading companies are increasing annual revenue and profitability. Moreover, they are transforming the culture of their teams. In the 200+ companies I have worked with in the past seven years, I’ve seen a trait with owners who are successful. Rather than doing the same thing day-to-day, they are life-long learners. A trait I learned from my Father early in life, a life-long learner is focused on continually improving their company, people, team, and management. These same individuals build efficient companies using systems, best practices, and technology, and they challenge their teams to continually improve. But most importantly, in these determined individuals, I see their focus on people. Through this investment in improvement, improving the character/culture of their teams, focusing on results and improved communication, these leaders have turned their companies around and exceeded others in the marketplace. One key individual in our industry who exemplifies this is John Herring with A-1 Truss in Fort Pierce, FL. John has consistently focused on people and hiring the right individuals, training, and focusing on results. Because of this, John has seen the company grow and prosper through the years. Others in our industry have or are learning—Continuous Improvement is not just about the process on the floor, out in the yard or in the office, it is also about our people.
Changing Your Dynamic Requires Investment Getting your company culture right requires an investment both of your time and of what you are providing to your employees. You can provide training, improved technology in your operation, or improvement in the software they use to increase efficiency— but you also need to invest time in regular team meetings and programs to guide people in the right direction and keep the lines of communication open. Although employee recognition programs, with incentives such as employee of the month awards, have disappeared in many companies, they can go a long way towards improving culture too. You can also include things such as gift cards when work cell members meet their goals, regular employee satisfaction surveys, and a personal career development plan for each employee.
Hiring for Character When was the last time you looked at how your team was selecting individuals to hire? When I made a presentation with John Herring a few years ago at the BCMC show, we talked about how A-1 was not looking to hire the most experienced, but instead hiring the character of the individual and then training the employee for skills needed. If you think about this, there is a profound difference in what they are doing compared to most companies in the LBM industry. Continued next page
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