What Kind of Boss Are You?

A two-part series

This is a two-part series, where we will be introducing a new management concept and will go into further detail in the second post. Based on 44 ½ years of managerial and entrepreneurial experience, first please pause and self-reflect on the following question: what kind of boss are you?

It is no secret that the success of a company begins with the persons in the leadership positions. It is their job to make the tough calls, take the risks, pay attention to the finances and hire the appropriate people to keep generating profit.  Capitalism requires profitability for every organization to survive. 

Though the risks and the finances are all a part of the intricate game of business, the people that make up every company are what generate the actual business, and thus their happiness is a key (I’d argue the most important) ingredient in your success. It’s important to keep them happy, motivated and effective.

The responsibility that accompanies your current job title may have you operating on autopilot but how often do you take a step back and focus solely on your employees? Do you ask yourself if they are happy with your performance? Do you ask yourself if you are helping them grow their talents and reaching their highest potential? If the answer is no or maybe, I’d like you to think on the kind of boss you believe your employees believe you to be:  

Are you the “Authoritative Boss,” that has a flair for drama, remains suspicious of others, and rarely communicates with your employees? (Think Don Draper from Mad Men)

Are you the “Narcissistic Boss,” hugely self-entitled and ruthlessly critical with little empathy and opposed to feedback? (Think Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada)

Are you the “Everyman Boss,” likeable and sometimes inappropriate, managing from the nice guy and often times, not being the effective leader? (Think Steve Carrell from The Office)

Are you the “Autocratic Boss,” large and in charge, cruel to an extent and rather frightening to your employees? (Think Marlon Brando from The Godfather)

If you identify with any of these four categories, I say congratulations, you’re a boss, but now I’d like you to toss away the preconceived notion of what that title means and adopt the idea of being a coach instead.  

You must be asking yourself, “What is he talking about?” You see, the distinction between being a boss and being a coach may seem small, but it means the world to the people who work for you!

Bosses who take on the role of “The Coach” take the time to uncover the true value of their employees;  they dedicate themselves to growing human potential and fostering talent, encouraging success, which ultimately leads to maximizing team performance and success.

 These managers focus on improving their employees’ performance through education and tapping into their interests; they encourage self-belief and reap the rewards of their employees’ new found confidence.

When deciding what kind of boss you want to be, try and be the “Best Boss” -- the person who handles management and employees efficiently, who inspires positive vibes in the work place and who motivates every single employee every single day by building mutual respect; you will inspire your employees to trust in you, in your talents, and in your ability to handle any situation and produce positive results in any circumstance.

Next on the series: Be a Coach…Not a Boss.

Thanks for reading!

-          DBK.  

Finding your source of happiness in the work place

My wife, Kim, and I recently attended a family wedding in my hometown of Cincinnati; my sister, Marian, celebrated the nuptials of one of her sons. The bride and groom, Jenna and Eric, were fine examples of sound family values and upbringing.   During the rehearsal dinner, my brother, Dick, spoke and noted that any successful marriage depends not only on love, but also passion.  Since he and his wife Barb have been married for 51 years, he should know! 

As this thought matured in my head, I arrived at the conclusion that his comment applied to much more than just this great young couples new commitment to each other.

In every phase of our lives, including our work-lives, where we spend so much of our time, love and passion come into play.  For each of us to truly enjoy our lives, we should be in a position in our working lives where we feel that God has called us to our positions.  This thought will provide a feeling of both love and passion that will inspire an ever-improving personal performance!  Not only will you see the difference, but so will your superiors, customers, clients and coworkers. It will ultimately bring you the success you desire, and the best part is, you’ll deserve it and have earned it without it feeling like a chore.

It’s this very sentiment that inspires our annual Pool School event.  I’m certain that the 350 teammates, including both suppliers and customers, who recently enjoyed our Royal Caribbean excursion to Haiti and Jamaica, will agree that the Pool School 2016 event provided time for both reflection and learning.

The isolation of the ocean allows time to disconnect from the everyday routine and reconnect with those around you. In this case, that included friends, coworkers, families, customers, and suppliers. It helped reward everyone for their hard work, while allowing them to explore the various ways of growing their business.  The new learning track on personal health and wellness was also a welcome addition to this year’s event. Our very own Coach Andrea made sure to emphasize the importance of a healthy work-life balance and the importance of choosing happiness, and living a JOY-full life.

I know that during my 43 years (so far) here at Team Horner, I’ve always felt very lucky to be in this position, and so happy to be a part of a great team!  Being a part of growing this team has always felt like a part of God’s plan for me… and the conversion this year to an Employee-Owned company has only enhanced this feeling of love and passion for the work we do here every day.

I’ll leave you with this thought, “enjoy every day and spend your time developing God’s plan for you.”  You will find your purpose and your passion, and your quality of life will improve drastically.

The BEST is always yet to come in every phase of our lives!

The Power in Team Work

There is a famous book by author Jim Collins called “Good to Great” which explains that the key role of every manager is to “get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the people in the right seats on the bus”.  I recently found two contemporary articles which add to this concept.  The first one is about Google, who has researched the dynamics of work group success (here: http://nyti.ms/1ng5GFo )

In short, this article describes Google’s research and indicates that for optimized performance in work groups, employees need to feel psychologically safe to say what is on their minds and feel that their opinions matter.  Mistakes need to be corrected but without recrimination.  Empathy and sensitivity are important characteristics of a successful group culture. 

The second article is about the interview strategies employed by San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich to evaluate potential teammates.  Recognizing that the egos of professional athletes may be different than us working folks, he still makes a point for “open communication” and the ability of teammates to “take a dig and give a dig”, looking for people who have gotten over themselves and who avoid the blame game (here: http://read.bi/1OyZyhD). Both articles are worth checking out!

Each of these stuck out to me because they so closely align with what we try to employ here at Team Horner – a company whose cultural focus is about teamwork and a shared fate.

Our values include treating everyone with mutual respect and appreciation; being honest and ethical in all activities; personally sacrificing for the benefit of the team; open and honest feedback on behavior and performance and having an overall positive mental attitude.

As a CEO, it’s an honor to be able to recognize employees every monthly team meeting who are celebrating years spent with the company. We have everything from a few veterans that have shared over 30 years with us, to those who have recently joined us as we continue to expand. No matter the time they have spent with Team Horner, they all have one thing in common: they are a pleasure to work with.

 When it comes to hiring, we’ve always kept one thing in mind, and that’s that we are a family unit. We work closely together and strive to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each and every one of our employees.

For this reason, my wife, Kim, initiated the Color Me Healthy program, which has brought in the True Colors Personality test, a quick quiz that provides the group with an excellent understanding of their own temperament, motivational tactics and communication methods. It also aids in the understanding of others.

Kim takes the time to walk the Horner employees through this test to help them identify their colors, and how to better connect with those of a different nature. We find that this has helped our employees improve their interpersonal skills, while also understanding their core values, their needs and what makes them feel good about themselves.

 Ultimately, this creates a healthy work environment that fosters positive communication as each employee can now implement the proper motivational tactics when working in a team to achieve a common goal. This sort of culture, as discussed in the aforementioned articles and as put into practice at Team Horner, helps employees, and even upper management, perform at their highest potential.

In addition to exposing our employees to, what I consider, a highly beneficial set of skills ( the ability to better connect with others), we’ve also taken this “team” mentality one step further…we’ve sold our company to the employees.

 I decided that selling the company to just any one person or corporation didn’t seem right; I felt we risked losing this very culture that has made Team Horner so special, and once I started thinking this way, there was no going back.  I could think of no one more deserving of future company ownership than the people who have helped make my career so successful, exciting, fulfilling and, well, fun.

This was the only proper way to say thank you for all of their hard work and dedication.  I also feel it’ll help keep the Horner legacy alive and thriving for multiple generations in the future.   With each now owning a little bit of the company, I have full faith that they’ll continue to work both hard and smart.  Their love of Team Horner will hopefully trickle down to our customer base, new and established.

Now more than ever I truly believe that the BEST is yet to come!

Dr. Bill Kent

PS: I would love to hear your thoughts on team work and how you employ a positive work environment in your business, department or team. 

How Lucky Are We

Photo Credit: Turquoise Diaries

I recently came across an interesting article in the BBC News that describes how angry Americans have grown in recent years (here: http://bbc.in/24z3nzi).  Since the BBC News provides an external perspective without the market-driven motivations inherent with our domestic media firms (mostly driven by media market share and competition for money), I found it to be thought-provoking, allowing me to see us, the citizens of the United States, through a foreign perspective. 

Depending on how you define success, America always ranks top 15 among the world’s various nations in regards to our income on a per person basis, our freedoms and our general standard of living (here: http://bit.ly/1WTvmUF).  Significantly, we have the highest quality of life compared to other countries with large populations (in excess of 100 million citizens).

My wife, Kim, and I recently spent two weeks in Morocco – first week was dedicated to business (9 sales calls) and then we took a week to travel over 1,000 miles country-wide. Our vacation included sightseeing throughout the major cities, two hours of camel riding and one night camping out in the Sahara Desert – all that you set out to accomplish when visiting the African kingdom. What we didn’t expect to experience, however, was a true paradigm shift that would go on to influence our daily lives long after returning home.

During the combined business and personal meetings with many people, we noticed one consistent characteristic– everyone wore a smile on their face!  Interesting considering that their wealth per person equals about 10% of that of the average American; with 35 million citizens, they seemed a peaceful and generous people.

Morocco isn’t rich in the traditional sense – it’s common to see people selling fruits and tea on the side of the road, brought to the location on wagons led by donkeys. However, there were no beggars. Moroccans don’t seek money, they seeking fulfillment. While we’re caught up with living a lifestyle, they seem to be caught up with living – music, delicious food and gratitude seems to be the priority in this foreign land. They don’t fret the superficial or the demands of a work-oriented society as we often do.  

After taking in this life-altering experience, I ask how any of us, the citizens of the great United States, can be so angry? We have so much afforded to us – the potential to rise above our social classes, the ability to travel and see the world with ease, to voice our thoughts freely – we have it good. We simply need to remind ourselves to take a break from the hustle and bustle and take in the little things that make life so rich.

This cultural difference is something to think about as we roll into the second quarter of 2016. The BEST is truly yet to come! And I mean that for all of us.

P.S. If you'd like to see a video diary of our trip, click here: http://bit.ly/1Si0UUO 

Dumb Ideas Happen Quickly!

From: Gregg Wallick
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2015 5:37 AM
To: Bill Kent
Subject: RE: latest Doctor Dumb blog

 Dear D.D.

I have been thinking about doing a roll-up of roofing companies with a group of venture capitalist. Would you like to invest with me?

D.D. Jr.
Dumb Ideas Happen Quickly!

Mr. Wallick,

This is a totally brilliant idea; you can be both rich and famous FAST, maybe even with your picture on the front page of Forbes or Fortune magazine.

No worries about those venture capitalists; they are all nice people and will be there for you if anything bad happens!

My check is in the mail to you shortly!

DBK

Strategies in the New Economy

On December 11^th, we had the privilege to sit through a new-age economics class by professional Vistage speaker, Mr. Sam Bowers. He presented his thoughts on the new market dynamics faced by companies both now and in the future. His key points focused on the necessary paradigm shift we must all experience in order to gain and maintain competitive advantage in this new business world.  

After a four-hour lecture, our employees walked out motivated and excited to incorporate the following five points into their 2016 business strategy:

1.       Accept commoditization – In an economy where the seller’s power has been transferred to the consumer, it’s imperative to remain competitive by looking at your product and figuring out how to continue to provide that service or product in a better, faster, and cheaper fashion than your competition.

2.       Yours costs are not fixed – Customer driven pressure will force you to lower your costs and selling prices. Every company needs to become a negotiating company that defends profit rather than a sales company that defends price at the expense of profit. In fact, price is a useless number; the only number that matters is profit.

3.       Sales people are obsolete – A company without sales people would make for a stagnant business in the old world, but in today’s day-in-age, our customers are educated and knowledgeable. They’ve done their research online, they’ve read reviews on the company through social media outlets and they know exactly what they want. When a customer contacts a business, they’re not looking for information, they’re looking for the best price point they can find. In order to survive in this new economy, your company has to find itself on this new “bid list” and this can be done through effective marketing. 

4.       Marketing is key – The culture of instant gratification has taken over the business world, resulting in companies having to be available 24/7, while also taking on a non-interruption approach to promoting their products or services. Consumers do not want to be bothered by sales calls at any point in time. When looking for a particular product or service, they will come to you. The key is making yourself visible and available to them so that your company can make it to their “bid list.” This can be done through excellent online presence, i.e. social media platforms, websites and blogs. Mastering non-interruption marketing will help your company get on the “bid list” 100% of the time.

5.       Added Value is no longer valuable – Added value comes from the idea of not giving into price pressure. Your company may pride itself on excellent customer service, however, in today’s age, no one really cares. They’re on the hunt for the cheapest price they can find, and they know that they can find your same services and products elsewhere; it’s no longer about providing superior quality at a higher price – it’s about offering a product or service that is “good enough” and at the price point your consumer is looking for, circling back to the idea that every company needs to figure out how to do what they do in a better, faster and cheaper manner. 

What are your thoughts on this new business philosophy? Do you agree? Disagree? We’d love to hear from you. -- Dr. Bill Kent