Bud and Lou are two partners in a nice sized glass shop. Let's use our hidden microphone and listen in to an argument they are having.
Lou: Hey Bud, I just got your email saying there was going to be a foreman's meeting at 2:00pm. What's going on?
Bud: Lou, these guys need to learn about the newest low-e glass. Also, there have been some problems with the Laurel job and the Hardy house is a day behind schedule. We've got a lot to cover.
Lou: That certainly is a lot for a thirty minute meeting.
Bud: Oh, it may run longer, but that is OK with me.
Lou: Bud, don't you think we should tell the crew this agenda so they are ready with answers and can do research on the topics?
Bud: Nah, I want to catch them off-guard on the two slow job-sites. It is the best way to get to the bottom of the problems.
Lou: All you are going to hear are excuses and guess work. Let's send out a formal agenda so the guys are prepared.
Bud: You know I don't like to do agendas. Then I am stuck following the script. What if another idea comes up that needs discussing?
Lou: Hey, Bud, lighten up. You want the guys to cooperate with you. Let them know it will probably run long. Let them be comfortable giving you the info. Don't make them antsy about coming to a meeting with you.
Bud: Lou, we have had this discussion before. Get off my back. This is my style. When you run a meeting, you send an agenda, everyone is prepared to answer questions, but you don't get the real dialogue of people contradicting each other. My way works better!
Lou: Bud, you are my best friend and this business reflects both of our styles. Do your thing.
So, friends in the glass industry. Are you Bud or Lou. Do you want to stir up the pot and maintain pressure like Bud. Or do you respect people's time and send out a good agenda before all meetings. Since I get to write the script, I vote for Lou's style. How about you?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Why It Is So Important To Follow My Predictions
It's Tuesday, you are reading my blog, courtesy of USGlass. When this blog started it was intended as a vehicle giving practical advice to our big family in the glass industry. Today I offer you proof of how to take my advice.
Do the opposite.
Here's the story. In September our heating oil technician visited and did the annual tune-up on our boiler. We have steam radiators powered by a large boiler in the basement. He told me that everything was alright, but the boiler was beginning to look a little tired. I asked him how he knew, and he couldn't tell me. But he had been doing this for twenty years and it was just instinct.
I called the heating company main office and a young engineer came out, inspected the boiler, and prepared a quote to replace it...almost $6000. The engineer said we had a couple of years left, and not to rush in to it. He left it up to me to make the decision.
OK, you have guessed what happened. I said 'no' to replacing it when it would be easy and no rush in September. Yesterday, the boiler cracked. It's done for. Last night was 4 degrees and it got cold in the house. Today it is going up to 20. A heat wave. We have gas fireplaces and a few electric heaters, so we have made the house liveable, with three layers of sweatshirts on.
When an old-timer gives you a suggestion, it pays to listen. Now, some people think I am an old-timer, (just ask my son) but I think I am young.
So, back to the headline, whenever I give a prediction, do the opposite.You are guaranteed to come out ahead.
Do the opposite.
Here's the story. In September our heating oil technician visited and did the annual tune-up on our boiler. We have steam radiators powered by a large boiler in the basement. He told me that everything was alright, but the boiler was beginning to look a little tired. I asked him how he knew, and he couldn't tell me. But he had been doing this for twenty years and it was just instinct.
I called the heating company main office and a young engineer came out, inspected the boiler, and prepared a quote to replace it...almost $6000. The engineer said we had a couple of years left, and not to rush in to it. He left it up to me to make the decision.
OK, you have guessed what happened. I said 'no' to replacing it when it would be easy and no rush in September. Yesterday, the boiler cracked. It's done for. Last night was 4 degrees and it got cold in the house. Today it is going up to 20. A heat wave. We have gas fireplaces and a few electric heaters, so we have made the house liveable, with three layers of sweatshirts on.
When an old-timer gives you a suggestion, it pays to listen. Now, some people think I am an old-timer, (just ask my son) but I think I am young.
So, back to the headline, whenever I give a prediction, do the opposite.You are guaranteed to come out ahead.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
What Do You Do About An Employee That Has Given Notice?
Susie, your bookkeeper of eleven years, walks into your office and tells you that she will be leaving at the end of the following month. She has decided to move closer to her aging parents. You loved having Susie work with you and she has always done a great job. But, what do you do now? You are grateful she has given you a long notice allowing for a replacement search, but you are worried about her being a lame duck.
If you knew Susie, like I knew Susie, you wouldn't be worried. I know she will be a great employee up to the last minute.
But what about the employee who gives a proper notice, leaving to join a competitor? Or doesn't tell you why they are leaving or where they are going? If you have covered this in your employee manual, then follow the procedures you have created. My recommendation is that your manual state:
What if you have no policy or handbook? Then you should act based on prior occurrences when circumstances are similar. The next thought is: How will this play out in your current workforce? If you make it hard on a departing employee, will your current employees be happy that you protected the company, or will they be upset that a co-worker was mistreated. Will the same thing happen to them? If they think so, you will not receive notice from anyone.
If an employee gives their two week notice because of going to a competitor, do you have to pay them the two weeks, or can you just show them the door? There are no regulations concerning this. It is up to your personal feelings. Here's what I have done. If the employee has been a good employee and is honestly trying to improve their life by going to another glass company, I would pay them the two weeks, but have them leave the company now. If the employee was a rabble rouser, always in trouble, always arrived late, then I would just show them the door.
If you pay an employee the two weeks, even though they are going to a competitor, that employee will tell his new co-workers that you are an OK guy. Maybe that will help you recruit others. And maybe, the grass won't be greener at the new job and the employee wants to come back to you. If you would rehire him, then pay the two weeks now as an insurance that the employee might come back home.
Your goal is to protect your company and your current work force. If your loyal employees see you booting out a 'good person' you will lose their respect. They will know who the rotten apples are and will applaud you for taking a tough stance in that case.
In another blog, we will discuss the situation of an employee giving a long notice, for instance a retirement, and keeping them motivated for the last couple of months.
For those of us in the North, stay warm. For those of you in the South, I am jealous.
If you knew Susie, like I knew Susie, you wouldn't be worried. I know she will be a great employee up to the last minute.
But what about the employee who gives a proper notice, leaving to join a competitor? Or doesn't tell you why they are leaving or where they are going? If you have covered this in your employee manual, then follow the procedures you have created. My recommendation is that your manual state:
- Employees are expected to give two weeks notice of their intent to leave. Failure to give this notice will impact future references and may result in forfeiture of accrued vacation. In rare instances, the company may not accept the two week notice and ask employees to leave immediately. These instances include, but are not limited to, leaving to work for a competitor, leaving after an event that leads to the employee's arrest, or other events as management may decide.
What if you have no policy or handbook? Then you should act based on prior occurrences when circumstances are similar. The next thought is: How will this play out in your current workforce? If you make it hard on a departing employee, will your current employees be happy that you protected the company, or will they be upset that a co-worker was mistreated. Will the same thing happen to them? If they think so, you will not receive notice from anyone.
If an employee gives their two week notice because of going to a competitor, do you have to pay them the two weeks, or can you just show them the door? There are no regulations concerning this. It is up to your personal feelings. Here's what I have done. If the employee has been a good employee and is honestly trying to improve their life by going to another glass company, I would pay them the two weeks, but have them leave the company now. If the employee was a rabble rouser, always in trouble, always arrived late, then I would just show them the door.
If you pay an employee the two weeks, even though they are going to a competitor, that employee will tell his new co-workers that you are an OK guy. Maybe that will help you recruit others. And maybe, the grass won't be greener at the new job and the employee wants to come back to you. If you would rehire him, then pay the two weeks now as an insurance that the employee might come back home.
Your goal is to protect your company and your current work force. If your loyal employees see you booting out a 'good person' you will lose their respect. They will know who the rotten apples are and will applaud you for taking a tough stance in that case.
In another blog, we will discuss the situation of an employee giving a long notice, for instance a retirement, and keeping them motivated for the last couple of months.
For those of us in the North, stay warm. For those of you in the South, I am jealous.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Problems, Problems, So You've Got A Problem?
Who doesn't have a problem? Maybe your team didn't make the playoffs, or you didn't get that concert ticket you wanted. These are easy problems. A broken leg or a car accident are bad problems but are personal issues. What happens when problems hit your business?
Business problems fall into two classes:
Study your problem and find the root cause. It is not that business is slow, but why is your business slow? Ask your employees what they would do to increase customers calling or walking through the door. What would they do to reduce waste in the back? How would they set up the shop to be more efficient?
Your employees know more than you do on these types of basic questions. In fact, they want to solve them even more than you! If times are bad, their jobs are in trouble, as they know they will go before you do. Their self-preservation will kick-in to the benefit of the whole company. No need to pay for ideas, or have a contest. Just lay it out that there are issues that are hurting the company. Most employees will step and help. And the ones that don't, well, just keep that in mind when times get better and you can again give raises.
Break your problems down to bite-size pieces and ask different people in your company to work on each piece. When you pull them all together again, you will often find a new and successful solution.
Let's say you are the manager of a four man crew doing installations, and no matter what you say, they come back every day a half-hour late, except on the days you get a chance to go with them. How about appointing a foreman who is responsible for time management, letting him make suggestions on how to cut that overtime, and together you pick two or three ideas. The foreman is personally invested in the success of the idea and will try a lot harder for success.
The moral of the story? Ask those around you for help with problems, be they good or bad. The best resources are right next you most of the day.
(And the answer to the question, what is the opposite of Progress?
It is, of course, Congress.)
Business problems fall into two classes:
- Good problems---like you are too busy
- Bad problems---like you are too quiet
- Good problems---like you are cash positive but only getting 1/10th of a percent on your money market
- Bad problems---like you are negative in cash, and can't find a bank willing to make a loan, at any rate.
Study your problem and find the root cause. It is not that business is slow, but why is your business slow? Ask your employees what they would do to increase customers calling or walking through the door. What would they do to reduce waste in the back? How would they set up the shop to be more efficient?
Your employees know more than you do on these types of basic questions. In fact, they want to solve them even more than you! If times are bad, their jobs are in trouble, as they know they will go before you do. Their self-preservation will kick-in to the benefit of the whole company. No need to pay for ideas, or have a contest. Just lay it out that there are issues that are hurting the company. Most employees will step and help. And the ones that don't, well, just keep that in mind when times get better and you can again give raises.
Break your problems down to bite-size pieces and ask different people in your company to work on each piece. When you pull them all together again, you will often find a new and successful solution.
Let's say you are the manager of a four man crew doing installations, and no matter what you say, they come back every day a half-hour late, except on the days you get a chance to go with them. How about appointing a foreman who is responsible for time management, letting him make suggestions on how to cut that overtime, and together you pick two or three ideas. The foreman is personally invested in the success of the idea and will try a lot harder for success.
The moral of the story? Ask those around you for help with problems, be they good or bad. The best resources are right next you most of the day.
(And the answer to the question, what is the opposite of Progress?
It is, of course, Congress.)
Monday, January 2, 2012
I Love, I Love, I Love My Calendar Girl
This is a famous oldie, written by Neil Sedaka. Do you have a calendar for your glass business? You know, the one you look at each day with a silly joke? Or is it the one with the daily baseball trivia?
No, it is the calendar you prepare to create special sales in your glass business. You are in the business of selling glass, metal, labor, energy savings, design and more. This is the calendar to let your current and potential customers know more about your business in 2012.
Every event on the calendar can jump start another part of your business. Start the planning 4-6 weeks ahead of the schedule date. If you do regular newspaper or Internet advertising, coordinate your ads. Lay out a flyer or newsletter to mail to your customers along with statements or invoices. Plan if you are going to decorate your store, order T-shirts, bring in extra inventory, get brochures from vendors, coordinate with other retailers in a community wide event, and schedule your employee's hours.
Start the sale three or four days ahead of the actual holiday day, and run through the next weekend. You can offer 10% of table tops one week, 20% off mirrors on another. In the Spring, push screen repairs, and in the fall, low-e replacement windows as temperatures go down. One sale can be 10% off on customer shower doors, and another would be a free bathroom mirror with a new all-glass shower. You are not limited in your ideas...be as crazy as you want. The goal is to bring traffic into your showroom and on your phones. These both will result in new sales. Remember, a customer that calls in response to an ad is not as price conscious as the customer who is calling ten shops for fixing a broken door glass.
Here are the holidays sales events you can plan in 2012:
If you think your ad will be lost in the clutter of all the other Memorial Day ads, then run your specials around Mother's and Father's Day. The idea is to stand out from the crowd, not be part of it.
Set up a local radio station to do a remote broadcast on one day. Sponsor a mobile blood bank in your parking lot for Memorial Day. On St. Patrick's Day, give a discount for all store fronts made with green aluminum. Be different!
These sales have two goals...sell more products and create buzz about your shop so that more people will come to your showroom.
Mark the dates you want on your office calendar and get started now.
No, it is the calendar you prepare to create special sales in your glass business. You are in the business of selling glass, metal, labor, energy savings, design and more. This is the calendar to let your current and potential customers know more about your business in 2012.
Every event on the calendar can jump start another part of your business. Start the planning 4-6 weeks ahead of the schedule date. If you do regular newspaper or Internet advertising, coordinate your ads. Lay out a flyer or newsletter to mail to your customers along with statements or invoices. Plan if you are going to decorate your store, order T-shirts, bring in extra inventory, get brochures from vendors, coordinate with other retailers in a community wide event, and schedule your employee's hours.
Start the sale three or four days ahead of the actual holiday day, and run through the next weekend. You can offer 10% of table tops one week, 20% off mirrors on another. In the Spring, push screen repairs, and in the fall, low-e replacement windows as temperatures go down. One sale can be 10% off on customer shower doors, and another would be a free bathroom mirror with a new all-glass shower. You are not limited in your ideas...be as crazy as you want. The goal is to bring traffic into your showroom and on your phones. These both will result in new sales. Remember, a customer that calls in response to an ad is not as price conscious as the customer who is calling ten shops for fixing a broken door glass.
Here are the holidays sales events you can plan in 2012:
- Jan 12 Martin Luther King Day
- Feb 12 Lincoln's Birthday (20% Discount if your birthday too!)
- Feb 14 Valentine's Day (Free roses with each purchase)
- Feb 20 President's Day
- Mar 11 Daylight Savings Begins (Key on 'savings' at your shop)
- Mar 17 St Patrick's Day
- Mar 20 Spring Begins (Commercial doors get 15% off)
- Apr 8 Easter
- Apr 25 Administrative Professionals Day (Sell glass for desks)
- May 13 Mother's Day (Free purse mirror with all purchases)
- May 19 Armed Forces Day (Discounts for all active and retired)
- May 28 Memorial Day
- Jun 17 Father's Day
- Jun 20 Summer Starts (All screening with a discount)
- Jul 4 Independence Day
- Sep 3 Labor Day
- Sep 17 Autumn Begins (Start pushing energy savings products)
- Oct 31 Halloween (15% discount to anyone buying in a costume)
- Nov 11 Veteran's Day
- Nov 20 Thanksgiving Day
- Dec 21 Winter Begins
- Dec 25 Christmas
If you think your ad will be lost in the clutter of all the other Memorial Day ads, then run your specials around Mother's and Father's Day. The idea is to stand out from the crowd, not be part of it.
Set up a local radio station to do a remote broadcast on one day. Sponsor a mobile blood bank in your parking lot for Memorial Day. On St. Patrick's Day, give a discount for all store fronts made with green aluminum. Be different!
These sales have two goals...sell more products and create buzz about your shop so that more people will come to your showroom.
Mark the dates you want on your office calendar and get started now.
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