I continue to be disappointed in what I see as a significant and continuing degradation of customer service, across all industries. There was a time when businesses, both commercial and retail, regularly competed on the basis of customer service. Today, it’s a rarity.

If you’re old enough, recall driving into a gas station in the 1960’s (they were called “service stations” then). A bell would ring inside the station when a car arrived. Well-dressed attendants (many wore uniforms, brimmed service hats and bowties!) rushed to the car when it pulled up to the pump. In some cases, there was a large, running stopwatch in the window to measure how quickly the attendants arrived at the car. Several attendants serviced the vehicle. In addition to filling the tank with gas, the windshield was cleaned, and both engine oil level and tire pressures where checked. Service was a selling point in the gas company’s advertising. The actual product, gasoline, was considered “generic” by most consumers, so something else was needed to draw customers to a specific service station brand.

Sadly, this kind of service disappeared with the advent of “self-service” gas stations. If there’s a bucket, a few ounces of dirty dishwater, and a half-torn squeegee at the pump today, it’s a minor miracle. Today, oil companies attempt to “differentiate” their brand with various gasoline additives and “virtue signaling” – showing their commitment to green energy, charities, and employee welfare. Despite this mass advertising effort, most purchases today are based on price and location since true service no longer exists.

Harvard Business School emphasizes developing relationships as the cornerstone for business success. The better you know your customer, the better you know their needs and can serve them more effectively and efficiently. Statistics are staggering in this area – Forbes research indicates that the cost to acquire a new customer is five to seven times higher than maintaining a current one. Further, the probability of attaining a new customer is 5-20%, compared to a whopping 60-70% for an existing customer!

So why do companies go to such great lengths to avoid contact with their customers? No one, anywhere, likes automated phone answering systems. At all. Yet somewhere, deep in the financial archives, is a cost savings analysis that shows that using the system saves money by lowering or eliminating the number of phone receptionists and customer service representatives. However, no one seems interested in tracking the consequences of this approach – lost business from customers so frustrated with the inability to have their voice heard that they seek any other viable alternative source, or they just give up. Statistics here differ, but they are just as eye opening. In general, people will tell 9 – 15 people about a bad experience and only 6 people regarding a good experience. With the explosion of social media, just think how impactful that can be on a business.

One of my current “favorites” is the system greeting that starts with “we are experiencing more than normal call volume….” This just means you are in for an excruciating wait, listening to music that would be better used to torment convicted terrorists. Ironically, that greeting never seems to change. Think about it. Simple logic indicates that if call volumes are higher than “normal” for an extended period, this higher level is now normal! Savvy businesses will adjust, but most just don’t care. Another common, and infuriating automated system greeting is “we are with other customers, but your call is important to us.” Yeah, sure.  If I were important, you would be talking to me!

Other, simple customer service practices seem to be regularly forgotten as well. Many are so simple that it is mind boggling. Businesses often don’t return phone calls, don’t follow up, and are late with their products or services without ever bothering to inform their customers. More often than one would think, businesses schedule appointments and are either woefully late or don’t show up at all. And they don’t call!

Make a commitment to improve your customer service. Separate yourself from the pack. It’s good business.

Answer the phone. Return calls. Respond to emails. Show up on time. Call if you’re late. Be pleasant. Take pride in your work. Be enthusiastic. Follow up. Your mother probably told you to do these things when you were a teenager. Do what your mother tells you.

Make every customer feel like they are the only customer you have. Your business will prosper.

As Published in “Southwest Florida Business Today,” July 2022

Say words like lean, six sigma, black belt, and continuous improvement and many employees will roll their eyes. They envision training programs, special projects, expensive consultants, and extra work. They anticipate the nightmare of being stuck in the new “Lean Conference Room” for hours doing special “Lean Projects” while their regular work piles up. In short, they see another “flavor of the month” program, while still having to do their regular job.

While this does happen in many companies, it doesn’t need to be this way. Lean can be a critical tool to help your business succeed and grow. But it must be done right. And it doesn’t need to be complicated.

The expansion of the global economy has provided the ability to purchase goods and services anywhere around the world, wherever one can get the best price, delivery and quality. While this is a significant opportunity, it also means that markets have become more competitive at all levels. In order to survive and flourish, your business must improve. All the time.

In my experience, a number of common elements must be present for lean to be effective. First, management must take the time to make the case to the employees – explaining why improving is so important. And then reinforce it regularly. Create buy-in. Second, management must demonstrate ongoing personal commitment and participation. Third, everyone must be given some level of training. Fourth, lean must be considered a regular part of everyone’s job, not a side task. Fifth, measure to determine success or failure. Sixth, victories should be celebrated, large and small, and defeats considered educational, with no adverse consequences for having tried and failed. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it must be kept simple.

Two effective and simple techniques you can quickly implement across your business or job are “5S” and “value stream mapping.” From there, you can add techniques and tools at your own pace.

In simple terms, 5S is the process of organizing your workspace and keeping it that way. The result is that you don’t waste time looking for things. It’s that simple. As an example, an auto  mechanic practicing 5S would have a visually marked “home” for every one of the tools at his or her station (and all the tools needed to do the job are available!). No other tool will fit in that home. It might be a specifically labeled drawer, an outlined rack, or a shadow box, but the tool is ALWAYS there, unless it is in use. Period. In doing this, no time is ever wasted looking for a tool. This same concept can be applied in the office. Instead of tools, it might be clearly organized and labeled files and supplies. Think of how many times you have wasted minutes, hours, or even days looking for a file, book, production part, or other “tool.” The wasted time adds up fast. And it is costly.

Value stream mapping is also simple in concept. In basic terms, walk through any regular process and document all the steps taken, and how long each step takes. This “current state” is analyzed for potential improvements, which are tested to see if they actually improve things. After some trials, the new “future state” is documented, and contains the validated improvements. It becomes the new standard process.

A simple example: You are sitting at the conference room table and are handed a small package. You realize you need scissors to open the package. You stand up, walk across the room to the credenza, grab the scissors, return to your chair, and open the package. You then return the scissors to the credenza and walk back to your chair. This “current state” has four legs. You quickly realize that you could have eliminated two of those legs by simply carrying the package to the credenza and opening it there, then returning to your seat. This represents a 50% savings in time and distance traveled! When you start thinking this way and applying this concept to the important processes in your factory or office (or both), you will find a gold mine in improvements.

Now for the key part…you must actively take advantage of the improvement! You must fill the previously wasted time with additional, productive work. If you find that a particular work area can complete the normal 8 hours of work in 7 hours with some improvements, you must fill that last hour with new, productive work or no real savings will be realized!

This stuff really works, but it is a journey, not a destination. It never ends. You need to do it. Now.

Copyright 2022 Seabreeze Associates, LLC

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today” February 2022

There are countless excellent articles, videos, and seminars available about time and meeting management. This is probably the largest single source of waste in businesses today. Despite a strong lean/six sigma trend across the economy, somehow, this subject never quite gets the attention or commitment it deserves. Why not?

Elon Musk reportedly breaks his day into five-minute segments. He even eats his lunch in five minutes, usually during a meeting. He doesn’t allow himself to get bogged down with telephone calls and e-mail. His best piece of advice, according to an interview with Mashable, “Constantly think about how you could be doing things better and question yourself.” Good advice.

If you want an eye-opening learning experience, take a small pad of paper (or a tablet) with you to work for one or two days. Log your day in 15-minute increments, briefly jotting down what you did or accomplished in each time segment. At the end of the day, review your notes. You’ll be amazed at the waste!

So…how do you improve your own productivity (and therefore your effectiveness)? We could write a book or two on this subject, but here are a few simple suggestions to get started:

Have a personal agenda – know what you want to accomplish each day. Write it down first thing and cross off items as you complete them. Be driven by results, but be flexible – things often change during the day, so you may need to adjust your agenda. This disciplined approach doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take time to interact with employees and co-workers. On the contrary, that is critical, so make it part of your agenda every day! I used to enter “walk around time” on my calendar every day, so I had time set aside to interact with employees and see for myself what was happening on the floor. Employees appreciate this, and you’ll find out a lot more about what’s going on this way. Be wary, though – if you’re interrupting something, withdraw gracefully, and say you’ll be back.

E-mail/text – this is one of the biggest time wasters there is, hands down. The relentless call of the e-mail “ding” is like the mythical Greek Sirens, enchantingly drawing sailors to shipwreck on their rocky island.  Probably 90 percent of emails are unimportant, yet we are drawn to reading each one as if it could be the most important message in the universe (admit it, you do this). What an enormous waste of time! Email should be your last priority in communicating. Face to face is best, followed by phone/video, with e-mail dead last. Email is great for transmitting data and facts, period. It is the worst choice for any emotional or nuanced message, as it is so prone to misinterpretation. Make yourself get up and walk down the hall when you need to communicate with someone, or pick up the phone. Turn off visual and sound notification for incoming e-mails. Set aside a few minutes each day to scan your inbox. Separate the important ones from the trivial, and deal with the trivial ones later.

Meetings – the answers here are also easy, unfortunately few people adhere to good practices. Some simple rules – have an agenda with an objective, have a time slot and don’t go over it, invite the minimal number of people to complete the objective, keep the group on task, and summarize the results and actions. It’s really that simple. I used to ban cell phones from my meetings, unless an important call was expected, but that had to be disclosed before the meeting started. If a cell phone went off during the meeting, it was a $5 fine. It worked.

Water cooler wasters – don’t get bogged down in “water cooler talk.” As noted, plan time and commit to interact and communicate that is important. But when it degrades to non-productive discussions and rumors, politely disengage and get back to your agenda.

Customer visits –if you ask for and get an hour appointment with a customer, plan a one-hour agenda with time for discussion. At the end of the hour, regardless of where you are in the agenda, politely stand up and say, “We asked for an hour, and I see our time is up, so we’ll be on our way so you can get back to your busy day.” If the customer is interested and has the time, you’ll be invited to extend your visit, so go ahead. If you’re not, pack up and depart with an offer to follow up. The customer will appreciate it and you’ll almost always get a follow up appointment.

These are just a few techniques you can use to better manage your time and increase your productivity. Time does really translate to money, so manage yours aggressively and you’ll see impressive results.

Copyright 2022 Sea Breeze Associates, LLC

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today” December 2021

We cannot completely put COVID in our rear-view mirror, but just maybe the worst has passed.  Now, we can all get back to normal, right? Not so fast! COVID changed the way we do business in so many ways that there is no “normal” anymore. This is the time to reflect on how you made it through, what worked, what didn’t work, and what you will do to ensure continued recovery and success.

I observed three common, critical actions that businesses took to survive COVID. First, they stayed in touch with their customers, suppliers, and employees. They told everyone “We are still here!” in as many ways as they could – signs, letters, emails, phone calls, advertising and word of mouth. They maintained visibility so their customers didn’t forget them or assume they were closed. Second, they adapted quickly to the conditions and stayed flexible. The initial changes weren’t always correct because experts were still learning about the virus. As a result, more and different changes were required. The successful were nimble. The key was not just meeting the ever-changing COVID requirements, but changing things in ways that made customers feel safe. Third, successful businesses went above and beyond to take care of their employees. This helped with morale, loyalty, and retention (that’s looking pretty good right now, isn’t it?).

If you did enough of these things to survive, congratulations! What next? Simple – do it again. And again! Observe, adapt, and communicate. And be quick about it! The current challenges of supply chain and employment shortages could be just as debilitating as COVID. Look hard at ways to change, transform and work with your suppliers and employees. Find new ways to work in the current environment. Be creative and stretch borders. Most importantly, keep communicating with everyone!

Copyright 2021 Sea Breeze Associates

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today,” September 2021

The last year and half (and counting) has been a very difficult time for businesses. But no one needs to tell you that – you’ve been living it as a business owner, employee, or customer. Or all three. As businesses have re-opened and worked to recover to pre-pandemic levels, more and more obstacles are emerging that are thwarting progress. Supply chain shortages and delays, price increases, workforce hiring challenges, and ever changing COVID regulations are just a few of the many hurdles hindering business recovery.

Sadly, one of the areas that seems to have lost emphasis during this crisis is customer service. Unreturned phone calls and emails have suddenly become commonplace, as have missed schedules, delays, and inconsistent quality. If you are a business owner, beware! Customers have long memories. Statistics indicate that a dissatisfied customer will tell as many as 15 people about their experience, but will only tell a handful about a successfully resolved issue. Worse, more than 95% of customers will not complain about an issue at all, and then 90% of them will leave and not come back. These are sobering statistics.

Don’t let this happen to your business. Remember, in this new age of social media, customers have an immediate avenue to publicize their frustrations – just peruse Google, Trip Advisor, Amazon or other sites and look at the reviews. These reviews are a powerful tool and people read them.

Now is a critical time to revisit customer service and re-emphasize its importance to your success. Here are a few simple do’s and don’ts to consider:

Do establish a commitment to return all phone calls and emails within one business day, or sooner if possible. Set aside time every day to get back to customers and stick to it. Consistently. Nothing is more important than communicating with your customers.

Do contact your customer before the delivery date and let them know if you are going to be late. Apologize, and give them a date that you have confidence you can meet. Don’t compound the problem with an unrealistic commitment. We have all experienced the airlines’ unfortunate practice of announcing delay after delay after delay. Death from a thousand cuts! Customers may not like that you’re late, but they will deal with it if you communicate with them effectively. If you then deliver a quality product or service, the memory of the schedule issue will eventually fade. However, customers cannot deal with not knowing. They will remember how you treated them. Another statistic to consider – customers are 4 times more likely to go to a competitor if the problem is customer service related.

Do call your customers periodically with progress reports – it really helps to know someone is working on the problem.

Do try to be realistic. These are challenging times and many things are not getting done as quickly as in the past. Account for it. Maintain a professional and pleasant demeanor. Rather than making promises you can’t meet, under commit and then over perform.

Don’t make excuses or complain about the circumstances. Never say things like “sorry, we’re really busy”. When someone tells me that, all I hear is that I am not a priority for this business. That’s not a message anyone wants to hear.

Don’t ignore phone calls and emails. Embrace them – each one is an opportunity to connect with your customer and strengthen your relationship. Remember, it takes 6-7 times more effort to get a new customer than retain an existing one.

Don’t accept the barriers that have emerged. Look closely at how you do business and brainstorm changes, workarounds and temporary procedures that will mitigate the current challenges.

Finally, have faith – this pandemic will be over at some point, hopefully soon. When that happens, the businesses that served their customers most effectively are the ones that customers will remember. And they will flourish. Be one of those businesses.

This is a slight departure from my other posts. In this post, I am identifying and emphasizing a critical business management style as demonstrated by a current business – a local Florida restaurant focuses on their people and their customers and it drives consistent success.

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today,” August 2021

Effectively managing people demands an unwavering obligation to take care of your work force like they are family. You must hire well, train, coach, reward, and motivate. And you must be there, all the time, visibly “walking the talk” to back it all up. Easy, right? Nope. It takes a huge commitment of time, patience, and most of all, rock solid consistency. It is not for the faint of heart. But it pays.

One of the best examples I have seen is the Doc Ford’s family of restaurants of Southwest Florida. Their employees are dedicated to delivering a great experience for their customers. And they go above and beyond to make sure they achieve it. It’s their culture. This did not happen by accident. It is the result of the owners’ steadfast commitment in an industry where it is very, very difficult to sustain lasting popularity and relevancy. But they have done it successfully for years.

To illustrate this, I arrived by boat at the Doc Ford’s in Fort Myers Beach on a very busy Sunday in season. All of the dock space appeared to be taken. However, a dock hand jogged down the ramp, waved, and called to me, “Are you here for lunch?” I nodded. “Just a minute, please,” he replied. He hustled down the dock and moved at least four boats to create a space just big enough for me to fit in. Then he helped me dock the boat. He smiled and said, “Welcome to Doc Ford’s.” Many places would have just said, “Sorry, we’re full.” That’s extra effort.

Marty and Brenda Harrity are two of the restaurant’s owners. They believe that it’s all about the people. Marty readily admits that he’s not a culinary expert, “…but we hire the best chef, ask for a fresh, appealing menu that is aligned with our theme, and then we allow the chef culinary freedom to develop interesting specials.” It works.

Brenda’s role is “director of hospitality.” Think about the message that title alone sends. Both Marty and Brenda talk about how selective they are in hiring, and then training their staff. All of the servers get comprehensive instruction and must pass written tests before they can go on the floor. When a server finally starts, it’s just a few tables, with experienced staff assigned nearby, ready and willing to help if needed.

I had the pleasure of spending an hour with the management team recently at their staff meeting. It is an impressive group. To a person, they are passionately devoted to both their guests and their employees. You can feel their enthusiasm and energy. I heard phrases like “coaching,” “elevating people,” and “high energy.” And they live it. They have a “Doc Ford’s way”, and it works, so they stick with it. And they expect their people to stick with it, too. That doesn’t mean they aren’t open to change – quite the contrary. Suggestions are welcomed. They are enthusiastically debated, carefully vetted and, if accepted, implemented with uniformity. Continuous improvement. That’s how you stay relevant.

Next time you visit a Doc Ford’s, look around. In addition to a festive dining atmosphere, great food and attentive service, you’re likely to see owners Marty and Brenda Harrity, and Mark Marinello, cheerfully mingling with staff and guests. More importantly, you will notice that the employees welcome the owners’ presence – there is no “show” because the bosses are there. This is a direct result of the trust and respect that the owners have developed with their team.

Take care of your people and good things will happen. Ask the Doc Ford’s family. Oh, and when you’re there, be sure to try the Yucatan shrimp.

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today”, May 2021

Until recently, the term “Supply Chain” was not a commonly heard business term. However, as the world has become more competitive, the importance of reliable, cost effective suppliers has become recognized as a critical success factor for many businesses. Unfortunately, many suppliers are still neglected as part of the business management process, often derisively referred to as “vendors.” This is a big mistake. Suppliers are a key part of your business and deserve the same attention, respect and active participation from you as other aspects of the business.

When choosing suppliers, there are a few simple steps which will help make the relationship more successful for both parties. First, describe the supplier’s responsibilities in detail. Try to keep subjectivity out of your description. Words like “large,” “often,” and “high quality” are subject to interpretation and can lead to misunderstanding and conflict. Be as specific as possible. Review these requirements with the potential suppliers and make sure you both understand what is being requested. Be sure to include other important details like schedule, delivery requirements and payment terms. Next, decide what you will use for the selection criteria and share it with the suppliers. What is most important in making the selection – cost, quality, or delivery? Sometimes it’s a combination of these things, so be clear. This helps you to confirm your own needs and helps the supplier to develop an appropriate proposal for you. After you have reviewed proposals and chosen a supplier, contact the other participants, thank them, and describe constructively why they weren’t chosen. You never know when you might need them.

Once the supplier begins the work, stay in touch. Monitor the supplier’s performance and provide constructive feedback. In many companies, suppliers are rated on a standard “scorecard.” These results can often influence whether the supplier will be awarded a follow-on contract or win new business. Surprisingly, some companies neglect to share this information with the suppliers, so the suppliers have no idea that they might need to change their approach until it’s too late. In sharing your assessment with the suppliers, you get the opportunity to see if there are any mistakes in your data (it happens!), and the suppliers have the opportunity to change and improve their performance. Everyone wins.

Treat key suppliers as part of your team. Meet with them regularly. Get to know them. Share appropriate parts of your business forecasts, future needs, and strategy so they can adapt their offerings to meet your needs. If you can, give them a tour of your operation and show them where their product or service is used and what role it plays. This can be very motivating for the supplier. In one of my businesses, we manufactured critical elements of a military fighter jet. We invited a group of the aircraft’s pilots to the factory to explain their mission and how the aircraft is used. They showed short films of the aircraft in action and explained how crucial our parts were. Then they handed out simple giveaways to the factory workers to remind them of the aircraft. The workers were talking about that visit for years.

Another suggestion. Listen to your supplier’s feedback – when a supplier understands your business and their role in it, they can often suggest significant improvements. You will never get that advantage by holding suppliers at arm’s length as “vendors.”

As your relationship evolves through the course of business, you expect your suppliers to perform and treat you well. Do the same. I was always amazed and disappointed with how many customers of mine would hold onto a scheduled payment beyond the contractual deadline in order to make their cash flow forecast for the quarter or the year. They never asked, they just did it. If you need some help from a good supplier, ask. And offer something in return. This will motivate them to stay engaged and help you.

If you think about it, these principals are applicable to suppliers to your business as well as your home. Almost every business, regardless of their position in the supply chain, has both customers and suppliers. If you treat them both with respect and commit to a collaborative working relationship, your business will be much better off.

Copyright 2021 Seabreeze Associates, LLC

As published in “Southwest Florida Business Today,” April 2021

One of the most important things you can do in your business is communicate with your customers effectively. While that sounds like a “no brainer” (sorry, I hate that expression, too), I have found that, like common sense, it isn’t.

Today, many customers will come to your business accustomed to “instant gratification.” The internet has given us immediate answers, customized entertainment on demand, and instantaneous communication through email, text, and numerous other apps, so customers are expecting instant service from your business, too.

I am amazed at how many businesses are careless with simple customer communications. Here are some examples:

Answering machines and voice mail –don’t use an office answering machine. If you’re not at the office, have calls forwarded to your cell phone and answer them! About the only time you should let a call go to voicemail is if you’re with another customer. But call back as soon as you can and apologize for not being available (don’t offer an excuse or any elaboration – sorry, but the customer doesn’t really care). Recall the many times have you made a list of potential sources and starting calling down the list. If you got voice mail, you may or may not have left  a message, but you moved on to the next source. Often, the first one who answered and provided a reasonable response got the job. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve responded to call backs with “Thanks for returning the call, but I’ve already found a source.”

Putting customers on hold – while it isn’t always possible to avoid this, hearing “please be patient, we’re serving other customers right now” always infuriates me. It translates to “someone else is more important than you” If you must put a customer on hold, make it brief and offer to call right back. And do it!

Automated phone response systems – no one, anywhere, likes these. At all. I will never understand why businesses use them. I’m sure there is a financial spreadsheet somewhere that makes these systems look like a winner, but did those calculations include the customer frustration and the lost sales they cause? It seems like they have been designed to make it as difficult as possible for a customer to reach a company representative. Why would you use a system that actively discourages you from connecting with your customers? Don’t do it. There are alternatives – hire and properly train someone to answer your phones, and take messages. Return those calls quickly! As another alternative, some companies use interactive websites that offer to call you back directly, and they tell you when they will call. This is an improvement, but still not the most effective way to communicate with customers.

Returning calls and emails – establish the rule that ALL customer calls and correspondence receive a response the day they are received, without exception. It still surprises me how many times I have called a business, left a message inquiring about doing business with them, and the call is not returned for days. My immediate thought is, “Is this how they will treat me as a customer?”

Many businesses use a website contact page for customer correspondence. For “internet agers” this may be a preferable approach, as many in this group prefer this to direct contact with a representative. It’s not a bad idea to use these systems as a supplement, but make sure the inbox is checked frequently and appropriate responses are sent out quickly. You may want to try a rule I established in my businesses – the sun will never set on a customer call back request! Any correspondence from a customer is answered that day. Period.

Quotes and proposals – this is another area where communication often fails. This is a critical function and a prime source of new and ongoing sales, so it should be a priority, not a secondary activity. Don’t do it in your spare time. Allocate time to do professional, accurate, and comprehensive quotes and proposals and then follow up! Learn why you won or lost so you can apply these “lessons learned” the next time.

These are just some examples of customer communication issues. Take some time to think about when you don’t do it well and how you can improve. It will pay you back handsomely. Customers are the lifeblood of your business, so communication with them should be the highest priority. You should try to interact with your customer as much as possible, not avoid it. After all, without customers, there are no orders, with no orders there are no sales, and without sales…….well, you know the rest.

Copyright 2021 Seabreeze Associates, LLC

Top performers are one of the most important resources in any business. You know who they are. Everyone does. They are the ones who perform “above and beyond,” like staying late or coming in early to meet a crucial customer deadline, volunteering to cover for a co-worker who is out, coming up with innovative approaches and ideas to improve performance, etc. They are enthusiastic, cheerful, and diligent. Customers like them, suppliers like them, and co-workers like them. It is critical for you to know who they are and to take care of them.

One of the most important things you can do with your top performers is take the time to find out what motivates them. That means getting to know them better, both personally and professionally. That doesn’t mean a one-time visit, after which you declare that you are BFF’s. It’s a long-term commitment. Stop and casually chat at their work station, in the cafeteria, in the parking lot, at the grocery store, etc. Ask questions and share stories – it’s two-way street. They should know you better, too. Over time, this develops trust, which is the foundation of any strong relationship.

Make sure the top performers are rewarded for their performance. Recognize that it’s not JUST about money, although money is almost always a good place to start. Don’t scrimp. This is not an area to try to save pennies. You need to reward and retain your top performers. Don’t ever lose a top performer because you underpaid them trying to save money or stay within the payroll “rules.” Find a way.

In some cases, a promotion is a very appropriate reward. Promotions often come with pay increases, too, so there’s a double benefit. For some, this is exactly what they seek – more responsibility and compensation, as well as the status and respect of “moving up.” But make sure they are capable of taking on this extra responsibility and growth. Have a plan to coach, mentor, train, and monitor the newly promoted employee. Nothing is worse than promoting a top performer, only to have them fail because they didn’t receive help and guidance! Sink or swim is NOT a good development strategy.

Be aware that some excellent performers are not interested in promotions. You need to know this. One of the biggest mistakes I see is the habit of automatically taking the best individual contributor and promoting him or her into a supervisory position that they really didn’t desire, but end up taking it for the pay. This is a double loss – the excellent individual contribution is lost and the new supervisor isn’t motivated by the new responsibilities. This is where your personal knowledge can pay off. If you know what your performers want, you can “customize” their rewards so they are the most effective.  

You would be surprised by what really motivates some people. What inspires some, discourages others.  One employee may just want a small office rather than working in a cubicle, and would view this as a huge reward. Another may just want a little extra schedule flexibility to deal with child or elder care. Another may be interested in having a more open job description in order to participate in various projects that interest and motivate them. Motivations are as individual and different as people.

Once I thought we were going to lose our long-time chief engineer to retirement, which would have been a huge loss. His announcement indicating that he intended to retire surprised me because I knew he loved technical challenges and enjoyed the business. We had lunch together, and when I asked, he confided that he had tired of the day to day administrative work associated with managing a large engineering group. I suggested he change roles and join the senior staff as “Chief of Technology” with no direct reports. That way he could move from business to business to solve critical technical challenges, explore new technologies for the company, and still be available to help mentor his replacement. He loved the idea and stayed another five years, making significant contributions along the way! I was glad I took the time to find out more about his situation.

If you are on the other side of this conversation, try to find the opportunity to tell your supervisor what motivates you. If no one has asked, try to find an opportunity to tell them. No one wants to hear the words, “Gee, I would have happily considered you for that opportunity had I known you were interested.” Ugh. If you understand your top performers, you can customize rewards and continue to motivate and retain them. This is a very powerful tool. Don’t skimp. And take the time, effort, and sincerity required to know them better. You’ll be rewarded, too

Copyright 2021 Seabreeze Associates, LLC

If you read my column “I’m the Smartest Person in the Room (Don’t Bet On It!),” you may recall that whenever I started as the leader of a new project or business, I would present a set of ground rules to my team. I called it “The User’s Manual for the Boss.” I found it to be helpful in getting off to a good start. These were essentially operating principles on which we would agree to adhere. They covered background, expectations, communications, feedback, and other guidelines and priorities for conducting day to day business together. They were not all encompassing, but they did give us a jump start in working together more effectively.

In today’s column, I discuss the “expectations” part of those ground rules. These are simple and brief.  Most importantly, they must be a two-way street – they include what you expect of your team members, as well as what they can expect of you. Here’s an example:

I Expect You To:

• Operate independently and effectively without day-to-day supervision
• Meet the commitments on which we have agreed – in full and on time
• Inform me in a timely manner if circumstances prevent you from meeting a commitment, and …
• Bring forward solutions, not problems. I am always willing to collaborate on potential solutions
• Actively engage and debate issues and support your positions with logic, conviction and business acumen, not just emotion
• Be an advocate for the project or business as a whole, not just your area of responsibility – commit to the overall success of the group
• Ask questions or seek clarification if you are not clear on direction I provide or decisions I make
• Offer appropriate, constructive, and timely feedback
• Operate ethically with integrity, honesty, and professionalism at all times
• Respect my privacy and work/life balance decisions

You Can Expect Me To:

• Give you the respect, independence, authority, and flexibility to manage your area of responsibility
• Delegate to the appropriate level and trust those empowered to do the job right, but….
• Seek to understand and monitor progress and results (trust, but verify)
• Make every effort to be available and get back to you with timely decisions, approvals, feedback, etc.
• Give you timely, constructive feedback
• Solicit, listen, and act on your feedback to me
• Operate ethically with integrity, honesty, and professionalism at all times
• Let you know in a timely manner if circumstances or priorities prevent me from meeting a commitment to you. I will have alternatives.
• Keep you informed on trends, strategies, requirements, news, and other issues affecting the business
• Respect your privacy and work/life balance decisions

With these simple rules in place, much of the mystery in what to expect is eliminated, or at least reduced. However, you can’t just email these rules to the team, or just read them aloud and walk away. It will take a collaborative conversation with the group, and perhaps some one-on-one follow up to make sure there is understanding and clarity. Be patient. Once established, enforce these rules. If you don’t, your team will see through it immediately. Worse, they will always wonder when you really mean it.

Make your own set of ground rules and try them out with your team. It takes some extra effort, but it works. This is another one of those upfront investments that will pay big dividends in the long run. Everyone performs better when expectations are clear and consistent.

Copyright 2021 Seabreeze Associates, LLC