Page 31 - The Compass 2017 | Volume 12 | Issue 4

business, which are: Sales (for ASI & RSI), Operations, Call
Center, Marketing, Admin & Reporting, People Manage-
ment, and Leadership. Once you answered these five ques-
tions, the review challenged you to identify your top three
priorities/tasks and assign deadlines to each.
Of all the sessions at Expo, we encourage you to watch
this one. It featured a panel of highly successful members
within your trade. Each offered keen insight into critical facets
of a profitable business. The time you spend watching and lis-
tening to their knowledge is time well spent.
wORkING wIth fAmILY: OVERcOmING thE
INEVItAbLE chALLENGES tO fINd SUccESS
& GROwth
A significant number of SGI companies are family businesses.
There are many benefits to having a family-owned business. How- ning: While 97 percent of people need to work, 70 percent hate
ever, based on a 2012 Harvard Business Study, family businesses their job. That means 70 percent hate half of their lives—because
rarely survive multiple generations of ownership. Rebecca Cassel that’s how much time we typically spend at our jobs.
shared five major challenges family businesses face, which must be Gus emphasized that we all have one life to live. Within the
answered to survive: Bible, it says, “There is nothing better for people than to eat and
1. Challenge: Too much ego. Everyone wants to make the im- drink, and to find enjoyment in their work…” Yes, God calls us
portant decision because they think they know best. to find enjoyment in our work. Gus went on to share Milestone’s
Resolution: Have a clear organizational structure so there’s mission and values. He also shared that he emphasizes to his peo-
no confusion who has the final say. That means org charts and ple that Milestone cares. It cares about them, their families, and
job descriptions. You should be using accountability tools such their future. It’s because he knows his people will spend more than
as clearly stated goals, utilization of the DMER, have perfor-
mance reviews, disciplinary procedures, etc. half of their lives at work. Finally, Gus challenged you: Build a
2. Challenge: Everything feels too personal. business that you enjoy working in. You’re going to spend at least
Resolution: Strive for work/life balance, and put yourself in half your life doing it.
your employees’ shoes. How do they feel when you’re fighting OPERAtIONAL EXcELLENcE:
over family issues in the office? Rebecca shared a Culture As-
sessment and Employee Engagement Survey you can utilize thE bOttOm LINE mAttERS
to see how well you’re doing in this department. Paul Riddle and longtime AirTime member Leland Smith took
3. Challenge: Family members treat the company as a last re- a deep look into what makes a contracting company operational-
sort/safety net. They always come back when they need em- ly excellent. Here are some of the tips these veteran contractors
ployment. shared:
Resolution: Be true to your team and business first! If your • Hire for your slow periods. Determine the manpower you
family member isn’t respecting your company, why should you need to provide service in your slow periods and hire that
allow them to come and go? The answer is you shouldn’t.
4. Challenge: The next generation is unprepared. amount. Then, make sure you’re profitable during your slow
Resolution: If your son is going to take over the business, times.
ensure he’s properly trained on all aspects of the business. He • Trucks aren’t your assets. Your people are your assets.
can’t be a tech for 20 years and smoothly move into manage- • Be the highest priced and provide the service to back it up.
ment. Make sure all of your costs are considered in your pricing.
5. Challenge: Ownership-transfer issues. • Your pricing determines the quality of people you can hire.
Resolution: Have a succession plan. Know what will happen to The quality of your people determines the quality of your
the business if something happens to you. And if you’re plan- service. So, if you’re the cheapest, you can’t have the best.
ning on selling/giving it to a family member, ensure they’re • Determine your team’s starting capacity (1 or 2 calls).
prepared. Whatever you do, be sure to have it in writing.
• Watch your call-booking ratio and lost-call ratio to deter-
RUNNING A fAIth-bASEd ORGANIzAtION mine success.
SGI owner and member Gus Antos offered his customary Faith- • Remind technicians of the opportunity before the call —
Based Organization discussion. He asked you to look at how most then conduct a full, live debrief after each call.
people think of their work. The statistics Gus shared were stun- • If a technician needs a part, call dispatch first.

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