Offering Innovation and Value Most within the construction, repair and maintenance industry realize what it takes to create a winning client and vendor relationship. The list certainly includes essentials such as exceptional workmanship, great people, and clear communication. But these are just the beginning. Often overlooked, especially when faced with emergencies or seemingly impossible challenges, […]
Big projects can come up suddenly and require quick action, preparation and knowledge about different scopes of work. This week, our technicians are preparing for a client’s major national refresh. To prepare our technicians, a Product Specialist conducted training in our R+D lab, educating them about the products and materials to be used in the […]
Every so often I find that little nugget of oxymoronic brilliance that leaves me even more impressed by its unusual packaging. You know the ones I am referring to – they usually come as absolute surprises, speed up the greying process, and bring a rush of “Uh oh, what else am I missing”. The even […]
The potential of a team lies in its ability to work together cohesively. A less informed, less skilled team often beats a more informed, more skilled one that does not coordinate well. Just because you have the talent doesn’t mean you will win. Companies sell products and/or services. If we look at the selling part […]
Today I want to share some thoughts on a different type of economy. We are consumers, so everyday we trade our currency for products and services that we want or need. There is another, more hidden economy that we interact with daily as well. Remember, we are people first. Matters of the heart and mind have […]
With all of the mistakes and misunderstandings that happen every day, it’s pretty easy to spot the endearing trait of great leadership. Witnessing humility in action just seems to put me at ease. Seeing someone step into a situation and stand corrected takes great courage and a certain kind of humbleness. I respect these people […]
Facilities Maintenance is on the cusp of shining brightly in the new dawn of retail, shedding it’s role as the compliance officer of marketing or the go-to place for financial savings. The adversity and change these folks have experienced has forged strengths in nimbleness, adaptability, and economy. These skills are quite handy for retail businesses aiming to stay relevant to […]
A couple of times a year I have those “Aha” moments that help me pivot from the frustrating track that defines insanity. Its funny how when there is an elephant in the room, if it sits still and quiet long enough, people will forget that it is there. I used to have a pit bull for […]
People, Process, Product, and Performance – the often discussed four P’s of business that need to be monitored and improved to keep a business healthy. What doesn’t get a lot of attention are the changes one must go through as they rise in authority and play a different role in the advancement of the four […]
Building great managers and future leaders of a growing service business is all about teaching people to create and celebrate progress, to find the smart paths through alienation, and make it simpler for the next guy. Think about it – how would you define the performance of a manager that guides their team to accomplish […]
As providers of construction services in an industry buffeted by disruption, I have learned, and re-learned our opportunity lies in our ability to advance. How we deliver our services matters. The expectations set by the client are too often called “goals“. This is the part where excellence becomes elusive. Our clients’ expectations are NOT goals. […]
Something happened recently that really got me talking to myself. It was a humbling, empowering, invigorating, and actionable discussion, though my discussion partner wanted to do more talking than listening… Seriously though, I had a break through because of someone else’s bad “break“. I often talk about actively identifying potential unintended consequences of a decision. […]
I have been busy trying to initiate and deliver progress to the company. The uncommon sense of the activities is to remain balanced between the robotic strength of progress and the compassionate side of the disruption I am causing. Leading through change can be a lonely existence. The excitement of progress we create is only […]
Learning doesn’t happen without failure. Keeping our minds open through our experiences, new and old, allows us to learn through our experience. The other day I found myself at the crossroad of getting something done with constructive or destructive feedback. Mind you I am a firm believer that both types of feedback are needed – some habits […]
“How do you want to see this?” This question is like a key artifact – its very important and even more rare. Much like finding that key relic, understanding how someone needs to see something can unlock the invisible force that prevents the dots from being connected. The other day I had a conversation with […]
I am finally back from my road trip. I spent a lot of focused time thinking about two things – our clients’ needs and our strategy to meet them. The following words are reshaping the way our company is structured. Connect every activity to how it impacts our client’s experience. Know our strategy. Our company […]
“A personal choice to rise above one’s circumstance and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving desired results – to see it, own it, solve it, and do it” – Connors, Smith & Hickman in The Oz Principle. Bad joke tellers know the entire joke inside and out. They have everything they need to succeed – […]
This week I am going to share a bit about feedback. I’ve written a lot about it from the point of view of the feedback provider. I’ve written in a way to help the provider provide the difficult and necessary feedback. The other side of finding success with feedback involves how well the recipient is […]
What is best or right, is often overlooked by what is convenient. One of my pet peeves is finding myself revisiting the same challenges over and over. My mantra is “Tomorrow’s challenges better be different than today’s”. I’ve been receiving a lot of feedback to remind people about prior messages and encourage discussions about them. This […]
I am a car novice. My skills with cars are limited to driving them. I cannot tell if I need a tune-up, oil change, maybe I can tell with an alignment, but thats about it. My guess is this is true of more and more drivers. Changing car oil at home used to be much […]
Can you believe we are in the homestretch of summer? Time is moving so fast! This week I will share a few of Thomas Watson’s quips that will hopefully make you laugh, think a bit, and put your ideas to work. It’s really about raising your game. Hopefully Tom’s tips will help. He was known […]
It’s amazing how much you have to do with what happens to you. Reading about or noticing ways to make a difference – do you seize them? Do you help others find their way, their success? There are limits to folks flying solo. T ogether E ach A ccomplishes M ore. Do you go looking for […]
We’ve been confronting our struggles of pointing fingers at goals rather than people. Last week we read about how we need to be respectful of one another, especially when we work together. We will definitely let one another down, so providing a bit of grace and understanding can help us find success more easily. With […]
Preparing a project to be successful is one of the most important tasks of a project manager. There are so many times where we endure what we anticipate and planned around, all because someone didn’t dot, their i’s, cross their t’s, or read their simple instructions. Have you ever made the assumption that since you have […]
This week I am continuing my recent messages about progress. Seems like many people are converging on the crossroads of “What is best for me versus what is best for us”. I often quote my brother with “My value to the company, is my value of the company.” This can be varied into other parts […]
Good Morning. I hope this message finds you well rested and ready to have some fun with your biggest challenges. Making progress climbing our own mountains can be gratifying and humbling at the same time. So many of our mountains are related to the way people respond to situations. Today I will share about the […]
“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” Walt Disney sure had it right. Overcoming naysayers and the limits of what has been done gives me that kind of joy that is personal, satisfies the fire in my belly, and shared with the very few others that were there during the quest. Walt Disney created […]
I hope you all had a great holiday week. I was able to use the time to recharge with my family. I hope you all were able to spend the time exactly the way you wanted. This week I am writing about infrastructure and its importance to staying relevant through growth. I am sharing it […]
“Enquiring Minds Want to Know”. The mindless information shared through tabloids is great for entertainment. Its a terrible place to go for facts. When people put a spin on information in tabloids, we know not to trust it. Why is it so present in the business world? Maybe its because seasoned spinsters have the ability […]
Six months til Christmas…Wow! Where has the time gone? I need to slow down and learn something. This week I have a couple of statements from management writer Bruce Tulgan for you to read and process. Most everyone is a manager of a group at some time during their week – whether its a project, […]
I hope everyone had a great Father’s Day Weekend! I spent mine enjoying some mid-summer type fun – a little yard work, swimming, and, of course, some barbecuing. I noticed something interesting while I was working in the yard. The sun was beating down on me as I tried to dig into rock to plant […]
American History is one of my favorite topics to study. I love our country and marvel at it’s rise from faraway colony to the world’s super power. There have been major struggles along the way to success, including an attempt to self destruct. The internal bickering turned in political battles, and eventually became the war […]
Happy June everyone! I hope you all are enjoying your journey through the weekly messages. Here you are able to suspend all of your existing logic and look at situations from a different point of view. Knowing your perspective allows you to be a participant in the action. Knowing other points of view makes you a […]
This weekend we were able to celebrate a holiday remembering the men and women who died while serving our country. American history is full of gallantry and come-togetherness that would seem to defy all odds. I am not sure I would have the mustard required to do what was required of those doing their duty. […]
The internal battle between pride and truth often ends in a way that a sound mind wishes was different. Today I am expanding on “Are your actions justified or are you justifying your actions”. Too many times clear evidence is disregarded and learning is lost, keeping these people ignorant. This is a very real risk, […]
There is an interesting phenomenon I’ve noticed about the zoom lens on a camera – the better one feels about the way they look, the more comfortable they are with its use. Much like the lens of a camera, a mirror of our behavior can be just as intimidating. Today I am going to share […]
For this week’s message I am sharing a couple of items for you to consider to shed the mindset or habits that make success elusive. So much is discussed about what to do to be a great leader, I thought I’d have a little fun and share what not to do. So I took our […]
Maturity, the ability to respond to our challenges at the right time, in the right place, and in the appropriate manner, becomes increasingly important as we find more success. It is very easy to fall into the trap of becoming complacent in the way we do things or stuck at the level in the which […]
I know of a few ways to overcome difficult situations – get stronger, smarter, or more lucky. The luck part we cannot specifically control, but like Thomas Jefferson said “I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it”. We get better through our diverse and adverse […]
Building something great can be hard work, full of set backs and false starts. As you all can see, I’ve been literally driven to the point of pulling out my hair – I’ve starting in the front, working my way back. I cannot afford much more of this, as the supply of this precious natural […]
At first, intentionally enduring adversity may seem a bit unconventional. Who in their right mind wants to experience unnecessary stress? If we look more closely, though, many parts of our society do this everyday, and we are often impressed by their achievements. Lets look at sports teams. They practice the fundamentals, game situations, and build […]
Managing fickle times is much like baking – the right ingredients need to be coupled with the right timing and temperature to work out as intended. Unsteady, adverse situations are very risky, and can create a great opportunity to demonstrate our ability to adapt to the new needs. There are few situations where we can […]
At first, intentionally enduring adversity may seem a bit unconventional. Who in their right mind wants to experience unnecessary stress? If we look more closely, though, many parts of our society do this everyday, and we are often impressed by their achievements. Lets look at sports teams. They practice the fundamentals, game situations, and build […]
The company’s goal of becoming other people’s favorite client/vendor/employer continues to be a guide for our processes. Coupling this with mutual respect for one another has prompted great improvements already, and these successes are creating the momentum we need to carry us further. Our potential continues to grow and many opportunities are being unlocked. Many […]
Internal battles with change are much like the bar fights of old westerns – everyone is disrupted, all kinds of things are broken, and many people are injured. The major difference is the visibility, or openness of the damage done. Its easy to see the physical damage done during the bar fight, so its easy […]
Through one month of this important first quarter we’ve already made significant headway on our key initiatives – our new software solution will be live this month, a key person is focused on creating standards of care to better support our teams, and we have a transition plan in place to create a third home […]
The way we approach transitions directly correlates to how well they unfold. Resicom is evolving from success to the company that sets the trend. To make this transition, our options must change from the easily identifiable “right” and “wrong” options into dilemmas – choosing between “great” and “great” options. There are many connections between how strong […]
People tend to cling to the identity that made them successful. The longer someone stays in a role, the better they may become at it. Over time, though, this experience can become the very element that stifles their progress. Eventually the challenges change and if one continues to base their strategy on past successes, they […]
Capabilities can be leveraged with the right leader. We need to look to utilize each persons capabilities, without the limits of our own. It takes a lot of trust to turn something over to someone. By defining what it is going to take for you to trust someone, they can actively work towards it, otherwise […]
One of my struggles during change management is overcoming the sabotage by people trying to avoid a loss of comfort. I recently went through a period where too many conversations about a person were happening without that person. This gossip is detrimental in most every way possible. Here is I told my team I was […]
“Words are just words until actions support them.” – John Fairclough So many promises and statements are made that just don’t sit right with us. They are the words we may have wanted to hear, but for some reason we don’t trust them. I’ve been told “I support your decision” and the like for years, […]
“Strategic Decisions must have multiple perspectives present. In our haste to be efficient, we are tempted to speed a decision. Discerning well between what requires additional perspectives and what does not can open up new opportunities and lower your risk. So take your time and get it right.” – John Fairclough
How do we endure overly stressful periods and come out of them significantly stronger, in a productive way? This is a challenge I have recently been pondering – the people that help me be productive have not been able to, loading up the work I became responsible for. It was a bit enlightening as what […]
Does the person trying to sell me their product or service have the capacity to deliver value? Can I trust him? Does he care about me? These are a couple of standard questions when selling most items. It is wise to keep these in mind while building out an offering and determining your way of […]
Looking at situations from different perspectives, temporarily suspending your own logic helps build up your skills of “connecting the dots”. This is what we need to do when developing solutions. This is how we are going to innovate our industry. Its often said that communication is the key to success. Usually people focus on being […]
“So, how do I look?” There are some questions that create instant crossroads. I want to tell the truth, I want to protect the other person’s feelings, I want to share productive thoughts. So many wants, so few ways to meet them all. All too often the answer is provided, even if it is not […]
Just because you can does not mean you should… Last week I wrote about sweating the small stuff and how we need to look for the small items that reveal future breakdowns and address them proactively. This week I am writing about discernment. Our ability to decide where to use our resources greatly impacts our […]
Imagine if your team had specific measurements of success. I don’t mean the basic financial measurements, rather I mean the ones that lead you to better understanding of where the challenges and opportunities are hidden within your company. Effective measurement makes performance visible and defines expectations. These assessments will lead to the identification of potential […]
If you want to make an omelet you need to crack a few eggs. And sometimes its necessary to have hard conversations with people so there can be clear communication and good direction. You may need to muster some courage. Yet being brave does not mean you’re not nervous. There are many different personalities and […]
If a leader has a hard time connecting with his team he or she may need a lesson in social intelligence. Is it possible to achieve a “brain connectedness” with someone–to feel what they are feeling? And why is that important? When it comes to social intelligence, science says it is important and can be […]
Its been said that when we don’t like people on a personal level it is because we feel they do not like us. Whether this is a reality or simply a perceived reality, can you see how that may be true? Robert Wright is an author, journalist, accomplished scientist and regular speaker on TED.com. Wright believes […]
Want to know the trait that can increase business? Its a human trait that even animals display. Its empathy. Whether you are dealing with customers, vendors, family members, acquaintances, friends or associates, empathy is a trait that can make human bonds strong and make life worth living. It will behoove us to harness empathy to […]
Do you get the most out of relationships? If not, consider giving people 100% of the credit they deserve in their role. Trust is earned. Having to prove yourself gets frustrating, not exactly the quickest route to a mutually trusting, beneficial relationship. Assume people have already proven themselves in being offered and accepting the position […]
Managers have it tough – they need to create and foster performance without destroying their team’s dedication when discipline is required. Keeping in mind that people behave rationally to their own unique realities can help us understand their behavior better. Consider that people make decisions using their experience, desires, and fears. Since everyone’s are different, […]
http://bit.ly/dLHrFs When John Fairclough started his facility maintenance company, The Resicom Group, he had only a few employees and enjoyed interacting with each one of them. As time went on, the company, based in Lemont, Illinois, grew and Faiclough felt more and more disconnected. So he decided to implement a mandatory mentorship program to help fill […]
Delegate Desired Outcomes Stifling creativity can be a devastating habit for a company. Avoid this pitfall by abstaining from micromanagement activities. As an example, consider how you can empower your people’s creativity in how you delegate. Example: Our Task Description Connect with Mr. Smith to learn of his interest in becoming a client. He is […]
Assigning Ultimate Responsibilities An employee is easily underutilized when they are assigned tasks rather than responsibilities. Consider how you can gain a more dedicated advocate for the company by charging employees with ultimate responsibilities. Example: Our Offer Letters – New Hires All employees are charged with upholding the core values and executing the strategy of […]
Explain WHY before the WHAT Being defined by what we do limits understanding and communication opportunities. We remove this constraint by focusing on WHY we do things before we explain WHAT we do. Below is an example of how Resicom has adopted this non-limiting behavior in our company. Example: Our Elevator Pitch We believe in […]
Throughput Success Six Sigma is an approach to improving the quality of products and services that are made using a process. Almost every business can benefit from systematizing their approach (the company’s “way of doing things”) into a process. And, Six Sigma is a way to reveal improvement opportunities within that process. Yield The term […]
Tension Tolerance Tension Tolerance refers to a leader’s ability to absorb tension. The source of the tension may be related to conflict amongst team members, project deadlines, or workflow processes. In each of these situations, a leader has the choice to grow stronger from the conflict or grow weaker because of it. A leader must […]
So you Think you can Lead… The final step in building raving followers is showing that you care about your team. It is extremely difficult for a team member to be motivated to go above and beyond for a leader if that leader shows no care for his/her team members. Without an evidence that a […]
So you Think you can Lead… Teams need to know that they can trust their leader. This is the second test a leader must pass to build raving followers. There are simple signs that provide evidence that a person can be trusted or not trusted. A team must be confident that the person leading them […]
So you Think you can Lead… No, this is not a press release for a new reality TV series. There are, however, three tests to see if your team considers you a leader or just a manager. The first test is if your team believes that you know what you are doing. Your team will […]
How do leaders build raving followers? Regardless of the organization, there are limits to authority yet unlimited potential with influence. It’s easy to see the difference. With authority, a team member may comply with requests made by a superior. With influence, a team member will commit to the leader or his/her requests. It is the […]
High Authority and Low Influence = Mediocrity Gap The difference between high authority and low influence creates what we call the “Mediocrity Gap.” Followers disconnect from their leader when they feel obligated rather than motivated to do something. Duty vs Responsibility The obligation comes from performing out of a sense of duty to an authority. […]
Gathering pertinent information to make informed decisions leads to greater likelihood of success. I call this task “Workplace Reconnaissance”. Lets look a common scenario. The leader of a business is in the middle of working on something important for the future of their company. They are interrupted by a team member who throws a fire […]
As business owners and managers, we are often put to the test. We face all sorts of situations with which there is handbook on how to deal with the situation. We need to be able to count on ourselves. Here is the test I give myself before taking action. I imagine my child is watching […]
All too often people share their two cents when not asked. People tend not to follow advice they receive without solicitation. A more effective method of helping one another is through experience sharing. It is arrogant to assume that you have the answer to someone’s complex problems after briefly hearing about the story. There are […]
Finding a mentor is one of the best things entrepreneurs can do for their business. Too often small businesses do not have a board of directors to keep them accountable. Therefore they do not perform to their potential. Its like the old adage, what gets managed gets done. A mentor relationship can add accountability to […]
My approach to the financial aspect of business is best summed up by the oxymoron “Aggressive Conservatism”. I aggressively approach the financial well being of the company in a conservative manner. Let me better explain: I pay bills faster than terms. This is not what most people would teach because it has the potential to […]
It starts with you. When you aim to lead your organization and people to greatness, you need to be accountable to the company. There are things that people in leadership roles do that they believe are of little or no consequence that other people on the team see differently. Throughout the years, I have had […]
Company meetings are a great way to get information regarding strategy and goals. Many times they do not happen enough. I like quarterly meetings that are a little bit more formal coupled with regular feedback. In this environment, there are a lot of questions floating around, job losses are sweeping through the country, and most […]
I have run a company for years without a mentor, Advisory Board or Board of Directors, and we plugged along just fine. I had been completely comfortable in my role. The company was growing, I was making the company better and challenged myself to continuously improve what we did. I felt great about this. Then […]
Why should a significant block of time be scheduled for quarterly strategic meetings when busy executives have so many other pressing responsibilities? Few phrases elicit as many groans in a company as the dreaded “Let’s schedule our quarterly meeting”. The most effective quarterly strategics should take place over the course of 1 to 2 days. […]
It should be normal that innovative solutions get developed and implemented into a company. We reached a size where this was no longer happening. These solutions were important, but not important enough for the executives of the company to focus on them. We were suffering because of this. It was not acceptable. Because of this, […]
Emerging Business Leaders is a program that we built that brings together young, insightful, talented members of a team to develop their leadership skills. This program serves as a platform for educating members on each discipline of business structure, innovation, improvement initiative development, while developing and acting upon Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis. The […]
