There are many moments in the life of a business when success, profitability, or even a company’s ability to survive are seriously tested.

Perhaps none more so than the transition from Entrepreneurial to Sustainable.

That period of time when the moment has arrived to -

• Seriously invest in personnel, resources and capital equipment.
• Delegate significantly to others.
• Appreciate and capitalise on engagement, training, incentives, communication etc etc.
• Daunting as it may be, accept the unavoidable reality that you must conform to Corporate Governance.

You may have started from scratch, or been appointed to a business that has experienced significant growth. But you now recognise that there are things you don’t know. And the saying “Protect me from people who don’t know what they don’t know” should be ever present in our minds. 

In 30 years of recruiting we’ve constantly found the most difficult personnel to recruit are quality sales and operations managers. And the fact that they are generally considered to be the lifeblood of successful business accentuates the importance of an appropriate recruitment process.

In my experience there is no more convincing sales person than someone with a successful operations background.
But convincing and closing are very different skills.

Conversely someone who has made a successful transition from sales to operations can bring exceptionally valuable experience.
But tough informed decision-making is not always part of the sales make up.

SO WHAT ARE THE CONSIDERATIONS?

The Operator
I’d like $10 for every time I’ve heard an operations manager say “Yes I understand our business perfectly, but I can’t sell”. And I’d also like $10 for every time I’ve seen these individuals clinch a sale with informed reasoning and convincing arguments around -

• Quality service
• Improved productivity and
• Reduced expenditure

There are always significant numbers of good operators who can be lured into business development. But the conundrum is that the above considerations are only half of what is required in your sales personnel. Can they also –

People will always be your most important investment. Finding them your most important skill.

 And contrary to popular belief it’s not rocket science!

It’s easy to write a book about the do’s and don’ts of recruitment. There are hundreds of important factors. However there are
just a few deal breakers, and they are the ones too often ignored or misinterpreted …. in my humble opinion.

An opinion perhaps justified as I’ve been doing it for what seems like a hundred years. At least 30 anyway!

So the following is not intended as a tutorial. Just a few pointers that will establish a foundation for a good result.

• Be honest

  We define TACTless communication as The Avoidance of Constructive Truth, and it is never more relevant than during the recruitment process. Don’t complain if you avoid sensitivities and they return to bite you 3 months down the track. You know what you want (if you don’t you shouldn’t be looking), so make sure that at least that you are looking for the right product.

LEAN

- The mystery

- The misunderstanding

- The dangers

- The rewards

You may be interested in my experiences in the world of Lean. From absolute Dummy to someone with just enough information to be dangerous.

I have now spent almost 12 years working with , providing services to, learning about, and excited by the world of Lean. To be fair I should also add at times confused, frustrated and disappointed.

Here are two definitions of Culture -

-  A way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a business.

-  The act or process of cultivating living bacteria or viruses.

Unfortunately either can apply within your business.

Fortunately you can choose which one prevails.

Two decades of recruitment have provided us valuable insight into the benefits of an excellent culture, and the perils of one that is toxic.

The real danger is that many companies and senior executives are unaware of how they rate.  And very good can exist alongside very bad, which is sad because great work can be undermined by a lack of awareness of negative factors.

It is one of the oldest, most utilised services in the world…… and remains one of the most misunderstood.

To most consumers …..

• What you pay for
  
  
• How much you pay for it…. and
  
  
• What factors most determine how much you pay

 ….. is a total mystery.

By the time the average buyer has sat through a presentation incorporating weight, cube, distance, onforwarding, fuel levy, insurance, consolidation, packaging, minimum fees, service levels, weight breaks etc etc confusion reigns supreme.

Even worse, most buyers find it very difficult if not impossible to admit to that confusion.

Are you familiar with the significant benefits of Dashboard Reporting?

 In today’s connected environment we are constantly bombarded with huge amounts of information ……  financial, statistical, operational.

Excellent data, but often presented in a complex way that does not allow us to:

• Absorb and react in a timely manner or …
  
  
• Interpret immediate circumstances to capitalise on opportunities or avoid problems and issues..
  
  

Smart use of today’s technology provides companies with Dashboards. Think your car dashboard.

A visual display that provides at a glance information that allows urgent action to either take advantage of positive situations or resolve issues before they become serious.

• It shows the most important key performance indicators and measures.
  
  
• It is designed for use by all levels of management.
  
  
• It is automatically updated as required.

8 Ways to Communicate Effectively

• Is there anything more important in an organisation than effective communication?

• Is there anything more dangerous and costly than ineffective communication?

          Someone says “yes, I agree” …..  but do they?

          Or “yes I’m happy with the outcome” …....  but are they?

We are all relatively confident in our ability to communicate a message or delegate a task, but therein lies the problem. That is our Achilles heel!

Consider the following complexities …….

• It is more important to think about what the listener does with our message than what our message does to the listener.
  
  
• Listeners generally interpret messages in ways which make them feel comfortable and secure.
  
  
• When people’s attitudes are attacked head on, they will likely defend those attitudes and in the process, reinforce them.
  
  
• People pay most attention to messages that are relevant to their own circumstances and point of view.
  
  
• People insecure in relationships are unlikely to be good listeners, and even more unlikely to admit to a lack of understanding.
  
  

eXenet’s proprietary m8tes program provides a simple and very effective way to ensure that communication both within your organisation and with your external stakeholders is as good as it can be.

All too often decisions to outsource are made with an expectation that if you choose the right service provider, it will succeed. A little like saying that if you choose a talented manager, he/she will succeed.

Wrong!

Nothing is more common than unsuccessful managers with talent. And the corporate world is littered with outsource arrangements that fail in spite of the service provider’s unquestioned capability.

There are literally hundreds of things you have to do right in order for your manager and your outsource service provider to succeed.

And delegation not abdication is the key ….

Yes there are outsource service providers who have skills and resources around Technology, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Communication and Sales, perhaps not resident in your organisation.