|
Small Business Case Study
When I first met John at a Chamber of Commerce event, he was frustrated with his ability to motivate his staff of craftsmen. “I just can’t seem
to get them moving,” he said.
“We’re kicking off an open enrollment course in Supervision next week, perhaps you’d like to join us,” I replied. “But, then
again, why don’t I drop by to discuss your concerns in more detail.
On deeper analysis, John’s management team was spending most of its time fighting fires...in operations, in administration, and in sales. Together, we
decided the team needed sales skill development, supervisory leadership and strategic planning.
“We can’t do anything until we learn to work better together,” John decided. So we began a nine week, 3 hour a week process to develop
supervisory skills. To get the fires under control, we suggested that John start counting “fires”...and at the end of each day analyzing each incident to see how to prevent it from happening again. As
the weeks went on, we saw the weekly “fire count” decline to a manageable number. In addition, we helped John develop a dashboard of other key measurements to manage the business.
A couple of months later, we began the nine week sales leadership process, again meeting 2 or 3 hours a week. We identified prospects, laid out sales targets
and developed new focus for the sales team. As a result of this effort, John and his team have been able to weather the downturn in the economy.
This is a family business. Together, we developed the “three hat” approach to family business management. When you’re talking about family
matters, put on the “family hat.” When discussing management issues, such as how to deal with a difficult personnel issue, put on the “management hat.” If you’re deciding whether to
invest in a new building for the company, put on the “owner’s hat.” But, keep the conversations separate. Make sure you define which hat you’re wearing in a particular situation.
|
