Polished Edges

Technology integration, into our products and our operations, is a vital component to the future health of almost any organization today. Glass is a vital and burgeoning industry with diverse opportunities for new products and whole new businesses.

Technology helps me run a best practices company. We are always looking for creative applications for glass and related materials. Our capital appropriations practices for equipment and tools are justified by an ability to out-deliver our competitors on both single-source capabilities and for the impeccable quality and precision for which we have earned our reputation.

A regular and perceptive reading of trends will help prevent a business from becoming too complacent. In many ways, technology has helped to level the playing field in other industries with adverse effects on non-tech savvy competitors. By not refreshing the product and services offering, these businesses become more and more alike with little more to differentiate them than price.

With change taking place inside and outside of our businesses at lightning speed, having a strategy for keeping up to date is important. Since I am in my fourth decade in the glass business, it goes with little explanation that I possess a broad perspective. Yet, I make it a point to religiously keep current with most industry journals and online publications, as well as those of our primary customers.

I also attend various industry events that allow me to supplement my regular check-in calls to colleagues in other companies with these chance face-to-face meetings in restaurants and on the trade show floor. Keeping informed provides a great perspective when making important decisions about the future of your operations.

New product innovations from some of the leading research companies in our industry hold the promise for new business opportunities and new markets to serve. Innovative surface materials, photovoltaic glass, plus new ideas in display and design utilizing architectural decorative glass are just a few examples of items that can bring distinction to a creative organization.

One of the key reasons for maintaining a technology edge is to stay ahead of the competition, to do something new, innovative or simply recognizable. In today’s excess capacity economy, “follower” competitors are losing ground. And, it isn’t just limited to technology matters. If you have competitors, and most all of us do, the ones that are still standing today can be characterized as aggressive, innovative and well prepared. For the most part, the weak have already fallen by the wayside.

At the same time that competitors have gotten better, customers have gotten smarter. They have more choices than ever before, have many more information sources and take longer to make decisions. These smart buyers make intelligent decisions – they demand the newest products and innovations, the most features and all at the best price.

For me, this discussion always comes back to marketing. You can be innovative, offer competitive prices and consistently deliver on time. But, what if no one knows about you? Don’t be the best kept secret in your market.

To be prepared to get your fair share, you need a clear business plan, innovations that distinguish you from others in your business, a competent workforce, efficient production abilities and a communication plan to stimulate the market and win the sale.

Together the people, the products and the direction of our industry provides a progressive platform for expression and healthy growth. Continuing to invest in our businesses and in our industry is a good bet.

It seems harder to get good people while unemployment is so high.

Now should be a great time to find reliable and energetic people to grow and further develop our collective workforces. However, I am not sure whether we are all waiting for the economic turnaround thinking we will get our old world back or, just putting off accepting the new reality. In any case, it remains difficult to find quality workers to add to our team.

There was a time when vocational/technical schools provided a reliable stream of young people with good intuition and a desire to learn. Today, these schools are not producing enough people ready and willing to work in industrial environments. And, the challenge facing those with more advanced skills and seniority is a mixed bag; unrealistic earning requirements, less productive work habits and poor attitudes.

So how do you find the right people to join your team?  How do you know if the person in front of you is in it for the long haul?  And where do you start on the search for a qualified employee?

Filling our employment requirements used to be a constant challenge.  We have addressed this issue by creating a versatile hiring process that works for any type of employee category, from sales to shop labor.

The process starts with having a clear outline of the skills required for the position. If the position is a current one, a quick look at the formal job description should be all that is necessary to create a job offering statement. If you are creating a position for the first time or have been operating without such protocols in your company, you’ll need to create a list of skill requirements and expectations you have for the position. Then, turn the list into an advertisement.

Your ad or position statement can then be communicated through your social networks and placed in commercial job post media. There are many schools of thought on how to structure and compose a recruitment ad. The Internet is full of resources for this step.

Word of mouth is always an excellent way to begin the job search.  It removes some of the unknowns from the equation.  Ask your staff for referrals and prepare and send an email to appropriate vendors, customers and friends of the company for recommendations and referrals.

The process we developed at our company helps ensure that we find good employees who know how to follow directions. The steps are organized to quickly qualify or disqualify prospects in the most efficient manner. Our first principle is to always be on the lookout for good people.

Once we get interested in someone, we engage respondents in the process.

We insist that candidates include a cover letter highlighting their background and the reason they believe they are qualified for the position. If the cover letter does not come in, we don’t even look at the resume. Either the prospect is “Robo” responding or doesn’t follow directions.

When responses come to us, we briefly review the cover letter and resume to determine if the prospect meets our general requirements. If we believe they may, we forward back a complete job description with a questionnaire. We want to see how they write, if they will follow directions and if they are “connected” to the position. If they don’t meet the criteria, we reject them.

Even with a comprehensive interview process, sometimes things don’t work out.  It can be costly to hire and train an employee and then find out they are not the right fit.  We have found that a trial period of 30 to 90 days greatly improves the likelihood of success in hiring a new employee.

Many other companies are now doing this—offering the candidate the position on a contingency basis.  After the trial period, their performance is evaluated.  At that time, they are either let go because they don’t meet company standards or, they are hired as a full-time employee.

There should be plenty of qualified employment prospects.  Finding the right fit is achievable if you have a process. As the hard facts of our economic reality take hold, I believe workers will seek quality companies that offer sustainable wages and ample opportunity for growth.

When I was younger, my parents instilled the importance of having a good reputation. We were taught that personal status was not only a reflection of ourselves, but of our family as a whole. We learned to live our lives knowing that how we present ourselves in every situation would be a direct indication of our upbringing. Today, one of the most valuable assets of my company is our excellent reputation. Having good standing among our industry and existing customers is directly related to earning referrals and securing new customers.

I started writing this blog on a flight to attend glasstec, our industry’s premier event held in Dusseldorf, Germany. Weather delayed the flight for several hours and I found myself talking “shop” with a couple of colleagues on the same flight. They relayed stories regarding a particular glass fabricator with a well-deserved bad reputation. This company had been slow to pay their suppliers and was generally disreputable. Hearing these stories made me wonder how one could allow their companys’ reputation to become so sullied. Does the owner not realize that his companys’ reputation is a direct reflection of his own?

I know that every product we produce and every interaction with our customers is a reflection on us, our brand and, by extension … on me. At Galaxy, our employees have made a fundamental commitment to providing customers with quality products and education. They know that doing so is directly tied to their own reputations. It is simply a matter of pride. When you have pride in everything you do, it shows. The reward is perpetuating your good reputation for another day.

Building a good reputation takes time, effort and a group commitment. It is not achieved overnight and it is not something that can be done alone. Also, it is something precious that can be upset or lost in an instant.

There are many ways through which I ensure my company builds and maintains a good reputation. These include hiring the best employees, working with reliable vendors and generally surrounding myself, and our brand, with others who take pride in their work and are equally aware of the value of a good reputation.

We know that our customers have a choice when it comes to selecting custom glass, metal and stone services. And while we are confident that we provide the highest quality products and services, we understand that our customers may rely on our positive reputation to distinguish us from competitors. For this very reason, I can’t underscore the importance of engineering our good reputation by maintaining the very highest standards.

Reputation management isn’t just a matter of building a respected brand to increase sales and profits; it’s something I take very personally. After that conversation on the flight, I reflected on how I believe my company is regarded by our industry and was pleased with where we stand. Our commitment to service and quality has been the foundation upon which our reputation has been built. This perception has cultivated trust among our clients. It serves as a barometer of where we are and where we want to be, and it inspires us all to continue striving to be the best in our business.

I will continue to build, shape and protect the reputation of my company as staunchly as I would protect the reputation of my family. As you can see, I took my parent’s advice to heart back then and have applied that spirit across my business, and to our customers, the specifying community and our many industry friends.

Many business leaders who have been involved in growing a company over the long haul know that much of the structure and discipline comes through necessity, not proactive planning. For most small businesses, 35 years ago the first thing you did was make a sale. Today, you write a business plan, create a logo and marketing communication strategy, and then mortgage your home just to buy the liability insurance protection you must have before doing anything else. 

Along the way, led by many of the largest corporations, a top-to-bottom evolution in business practices has taken place, and from what I see and understand, it is happening globally. Businesses of all sizes are re-evaluating and re-engineering for the greatest efficiencies.

And, everything is on the table. Not only are internal systems and personnel duties fully scrutinized, but some companies have done what appears quite extreme by deciding to terminate relationships with loyal customers, saying the cost to service certain segments can no longer be justified.

As my company has evolved, we have begun to absorb many of the lessons of other diligent, forward-thinking businesses of all sizes. For example, our business relationships have provided formal and informal exchanges to allow the application of safety, productivity and enterprise planning tools.

It’s simply not so easy anymore. Failure to plan is one of the biggest challenges to growth and sustainable profitability. Early on we had no need to plan; the first of January was no different than the first of any month. Then, our focus began to crystallize in the 1980s around the time that Total Quality Management (TQM) was being embraced in a big way.

Businesses, like dieters, seem to plan for a better future around the New Year. In the early days I thought out my plan and it slowly but surely, along with the roadblocks and the detours, shaped our future. Now, plans are written, distributed to all involved in the effort, and headed by one controlling reporting point that can ensure that our most important goals get realized.

Like business leaders in smaller environments, there are a multitude of distractions. Our vendors come in many forms and we depend on them for their knowledge in making the best choices for our needs. Over the last few years, I have called upon a group of consultants to supplement some of the services that are not required on a full-time basis.

Contingent on the skills and depth of relationship, I have found some very dependable resources and given accountability duties to several to lead initiatives for us. In most instances, the results are faster and are likely not influenced by internal factors. Most importantly, this arrangement allows me to do the things that I do best.

As our direction and value proposition has evolved into a respected brand, what I have found the most rewarding is how it all has come together. The design qualities of our pieces, the significant strides in response and customer service, plus the beautiful end products and the encouraging words from our clients; these are the results of accurate self-examination, realistic plans and serious execution.

Good luck in creating the successes you are searching for in your business. The best businesses engineer their future with proper planning, enthusiasm and extreme care. And, the harder you work, the luckier you get.

A very special person in my life once said that if you find something you love, you’ll never work another day in your life. Sure, there are always good and not so good days in anything we do. I love to fish, and there are days my finned friends are uncooperative and I catch absolutely nothing all day. But, I still love being in the water and in the game. And there are days at the plant that seem to work against me from time to time. On balance however, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I am told that a majority of workers are dissatisfied with their jobs, and continue to be dissatisfied as they move from one job to the next. We live in a society that offers unlimited choices for both vocation and the pursuit of other interests. With all the things available to us, I wonder if those unhappy in their vocational or personal pursuits just have trouble selecting one interest over another. In my view, it is all about passion.

Our economic circumstances are temporary, but these are the times when significant changes foster innovation. I believe that everyone has something they are enthusiastically ready to do. Sometimes finding it is the hard part. A career advisor I know recommends that her clients take stock of themselves by “pulling together what they were born with, what they like to do, and what they have learned in school and other experiences. Then, put that large cluster of skills to work in finding their passion.”

Job satisfaction is only a part of the pursuit of a satisfying life. We can no longer be limited to defining our self worth by our jobs or how much money we make. Employers are obsessed with worker productivity and spend billions of dollars on efficiency programs targeted to the parameters of the job. But, workers today are more than who they are from 9 to 5. Many get their stimulation and pursue their passion outside their jobs, through hobbies and other interests.

Taking a holistic approach, and understanding the individual is the key to motivation. Tying together what employees do for you with the rest of their lives, and taking genuine interest in the individual makes a big difference in the mood in both the plant and in the image of the Company.

Helping others discover their passion is important to me, my business and my personal relationships. Before going through that brick wall and doing whatever it takes to find success, one must decide where they want to put that stake in the ground. And, that’s the really challenging part.

We all have something special in us. It may not be running a business, or making a lot of money, but it’s there in all of us. Find that one thing, make it most important, work at it every day, and make it your delight. The rewards are happiness and personal fulfillment. When you are working at it, you’ll be most happy, and if that one thing is not your vocation, well that’s quite OK. During the times you are away from your passion, you will still have a strong feeling of personal satisfaction from knowing that you are whole.