Every year, we learn new ways to communicate — an email survey, a smartphone app or automated messaging. No matter the delivery, one thing is sure: the more often we receive these the less likely we are to listen.
So many things have taken the effectiveness out of our day. Call me old school, but I carry around my clipboard with a paper calendar and make a to-do list the night before or early morning. I call this my “deep work,” a time of 1.5 to 2 hours a day when I work to keep myself organized. Our company has an internal system with a shared calendar for all team members’ appointments, production schedules, and other things to do. Nonetheless, I still walk daily with paperwork intact.
Technology is great with limits but it takes our attention off the prize — the person right in front of you. Even as I’m writing this on my computer, my patient, loving wife is trying to have a conversation and wants eye contact!
So yes, there are many ways to communicate in this ever-changing world. But nothing beats good paperwork and a personal touch.
Contracts, proposals, letters of intent for service delivery are all best presented on paper and in person. This is when personal selling works the best. People want to buy from people. Otherwise they will order things online — then we become a faceless commodity. If you want to increase your closing ratio, take the time to be present with your client. It builds trust and confidence. We meet our full potential when we communicate face-to-face.
A cautionary tale that ends on a good note … this time
Every year, we review our snow and ice service contracts looking to limit exposure to poor financial or legal outcomes. I live in one of the heaviest snowfall areas in the world, where we receive an annual snowfall of 30-plus feet. In 2014, we decided to grow our White Division. We hired many new people, purchased more salt, invested in new equipment and subcontracted some work. The only things that remained consistent were our overhead, extra demands on paper processing and time control.
We budgeted our costs for an average annual amount of snowfall, but the unthinkable happened. We received record snowfalls that we hadn’t seen since the 1950s. We overconsumed by 35% in all areas of Cost of Goods Sold (Labor, Material, Equipment).
Depending on the size of operation, it can take 5 to 7 years to recover from something like that. Fortunately, we had patient vendors, clients and employees that helped us sustain the storm. The lesson: When in business long enough it is not a question of if you will fail — it’s a matter of when.
Tip: Be sure to set limits on accumulation amounts, number of events, number of applications for ice control, response times to service requests to help mitigate risk.
A risk management tool
Beyond personal organization and the opportunity to get face to face with clients and prospects, the importance of proper documentation cannot be understated as a risk management strategy.
Legal counsel. Employ a lawyer to review your contract wording. Be aware of hold harmless agreements in which they state the owner of the property assumes no risk for the site conditions while under a contractors’ service agreement. Weigh the risk/reward. We would all own more buildings if we had no risk associated with the upkeep and maintenance of a facility.
Paperwork. Keep accurate records by event. Track all communications, call logs, emails, time reports, weather reports, and training and development sessions for employees. Establish 3 to 4 levels of sign off for the work delivered from your operators to your working supervisors to your quality control to management. File a hard copy by the date and a digital copy. Document everything. Add pictures to file content as well as weather-related articles. You may need those reports in the courtroom to prove your due diligence. When it’s together in one place it makes for a very easy find when called upon.
Plan ahead, be ahead and expect a win!
Most companies in our sector start from a passion fuelled by amazing energy and drive. After about 25 years, owners see a new challenge: How to keep their companies going after they retire. Since 70 per cent of company purchases are made by employees, developing great people is the deciding factor on the future success and longevity of your business.
It’s the owner’s role to engage, lead and coach in all areas of business performance. Developing people becomes the owner’s main focus as companies evolve. Some use proven business management practices, while most learn lessons over time, understanding this becomes the focus for future growth. Every business needs a long-term plan for personnel growth. In my personal journey this came from mentors, peer groups and much trial and error. Industry-led education gives us a benchmark and starting point for sure; real life situations prove whether or not they work. To focus forward on a path our vision must be clear, and remember, the path is never straight, as we learn most in the valleys and turns. The following points have proven to work for many toward developing people that build your company’s value as time moves forward.
It’s the owner’s role to engage, lead and coach in all areas of business performance. Developing people becomes the owner’s main focus as companies evolve. Some use proven business management practices, while most learn lessons over time, understanding this becomes the focus for future growth. Every business needs a long-term plan for personnel growth. In my personal journey this came from mentors, peer groups and much trial and error. Industry-led education gives us a benchmark and starting point for sure; real life situations prove whether or not they work. To focus forward on a path our vision must be clear, and remember, the path is never straight, as we learn most in the valleys and turns. The following points have proven to work for many toward developing people that build your company’s value as time moves forward.
It’s the owner’s role to engage, lead and coach in all areas of business performance. Developing people becomes the owner’s main focus as companies evolve. Some use proven business management practices, while most learn lessons over time, understanding this becomes the focus for future growth. Every business needs a long-term plan for personnel growth. In my personal journey this came from mentors, peer groups and much trial and error. Industry-led education gives us a benchmark and starting point for sure; real life situations prove whether or not they work. To focus forward on a path our vision must be clear, and remember, the path is never straight, as we learn most in the valleys and turns. The following points have proven to work for many toward developing people that build your company’s value as time moves forward.
Management
A strong management team that is well qualified in sales, operations and accounting is key to longevity, whether your company has three people or 63. Map the team out on paper, into a past/present/future organization chart to help guide growth and decision making. Assign Key Performance Indicators to keep decision-making focused on numbers, NOT feelings.
Communication
Communication tends to be an area where companies break down. Keeping open communication lines becomes very challenging as a company grows past about six employees. Ensure communication is as clear and direct to the source as possible. Whether it’s a visual scoreboard, a client share system, or regular reporting checklists, just do it! A communication process map is a great idea to help everyone understand processes and proper channels.
Education and development
Making our places of employment educational institutions is critical. At a Congress event over 10 years ago I heard a speaker say, “The largest school should be our daily workplace.” That has stuck with me for years. Now we are realizing that sharing, learning, teaching and coming together as a group is the best return on our largest investment — OUR PEOPLE. The military’s main purpose is to set clear rules and expectations through disciplined activities, and to obtain a desired outcome. I am not suggesting in any sense that green business activities are equivalent to the efforts of men and women in our Canadian Forces. It’s just that if we expect people to perform at a certain level, we had best teach them how to act and react. Former NCAA basketball coach John Wooden, one of the most-winning coaches in history, made things clear. The first thing he did with new team members was to sit them down and explain how to put on their socks and tie their shoes. Because he wanted their best and knew how to prevent injuries. We must show and tell others often how we expect them to perform. Standards really help outline clear expectations, as well as build consistency and rhythm. This is another form of communication. How do we start making our work place an educational institution? Just start! Line up chairs. Set up a white board. Schedule the meeting. Meet and communicate. Invest time in your people. I believe we have a development issue within our industry, far more than a retention problem.
Relationships
Building relationships that matter helps focus efforts forward — bankers, accountants, legal counsel, mentors, vendors, clients, customers (yes, there is a difference between the two), future managers, peer groups, other business groups, etc. all help expand our reach and potential. Exposure to these groups enhances the long-term growth and continuation of our operations.
Energy is as valuable as is time, but much more important. As leaders, knowing where to spend your energy is critical. Spend it on the area of largest return, your people.