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Will your company be successful in 20 years?
/in Ideas to help you build a solid team/by Tom DoescherOver the years I have noticed a correlation between successful companies and the average experience level of their leadership team (you may call it your executive or management team). I have worked with companies that, although they are making money, are noticeably slipping. A common denominator among these companies seems to be that they aren’t investing in new products or technologies, or coming up with innovative concepts; in many respects, they are benefiting from decisions and actions that they — or their predecessors — made years ago. When I attend management meetings at these companies, I feel like one of the youngest people in the room (I know I just stepped over the line with that, but I believe it needs to be said). On the other hand, really successful companies have a blend of seasoned executives and younger members who have fresh ideas and are willing to challenge their elders when they say, “We do X this way because that’s how we’ve always done it.” If your goal is to be a successful company in 20 years, maybe it’s time to take a step back and take a hard look at the composition of your leadership team.
There are leaders all over the plant
/in Ideas to help you build a solid team/by Tom DoescherA number of years ago I was in a meeting with a high-profile Tier 1 automotive CEO. The subject was leadership on the plant floor. His premise was that there are leaders throughout our companies, but we — the chairmen, managers, and supervisors — don’t see them. To make his point, he told those of us in attendance, “The other day I walked around one of our plants and randomly interviewed machine operators. I asked them about their activities outside of work. To my amazement, most of the associates with whom I spoke had ‘leadership roles’ in their communities — they were Little League coaches, subdivision presidents, PTA presidents, deacons at their church, or owned small businesses.” He went on to say, “We have untapped talent already on our team, and we need to get better at engaging them.”
You may want to re-read my June 12th newsletter, entitled “Levels of Leaders”, and then ask yourself this question: Do I have a way to determine if my associates are working at their highest level? Do I have a future plant supervisor or even a plant manager already on the team?
What can you do to discover the potential leaders in your business?
Can I Please Talk to Someone?
/in Extraordinary Customer/Client Service/by Tom DoescherIf you regularly read my blog and newsletter, you already know about my struggles with technology. Based on the feedback I receive, many of you can relate. Well, here’s an issue I’m still processing. I have an opinion about it, but I concede I may be wrong. I’m not sure yet. Anyway, many of the online services which are free to subscribers fail to provide a phone number you can call if you have problems with any aspect of the service. You need to ask your questions via e-mail, or by contacting an online help desk. Often, I don’t know specifically what question to ask without being able to fully explain the circumstances, and I don’t understand the written answers I receive. I just want to talk to someone!!!! I am sure Scott Klososky, a technology consultant who writes a very interesting newsletter for businesses trying to retool old dogs like me, would say, “Get over it.” But I still wonder, is there a middle-ground solution for people like me, who sometimes struggle to stay on top of technological advances? Is it too much to ask for some degree of direct human contact?