Rolling Service

Introduction

The owners of this highly successful mid-sized company responsible for around 45 employees contacted us with the initial request for instant advice and support with ‘human resources’ challenges. The initial reason was an incident that, according to the owners, negatively affected the core principles and values of the company.

Although humor and off-handed remarks are accepted and common in an ‘informal family-owned business culture’ and is perceived as a natural part of how people relate to each other, this particular situation crossed a line. The owners wondered if these ‘internal dynamics’ also might affect the external dynamics with customers. The initial meeting with Tammy, primarily focused on empowering the owners dealing with the situation at hand, led naturally to several follow-up conversations where the owners shared the extraordinary ideas, the start, the history and the life cycle of the company by highlighting the past, present and the future.

These sharing conversations, offered a deeper understanding what the company was all about.  On request, we offered a proposal in which we outlined a possible collaboration. After some adjustments, this proposal led to a formal collaboration with the mutual intent to launch Phase 1. In the meantime, we continued to offer our Click & Go Service and co-created a presentation to introduce this organizational project at their annual event. The owners articulated the following areas of interest in which they wanted more information:

Goals

Background

This company emerged from the personal drive and passion of the owners. Right from the start they searched for talented people to support their vision. Some members have been working within the company for more than fifteen years. The internal data showed that all people within the company are long-term employees and are very loyal to the founders. A very good sign.

Within three decades the company moved successfully through the several stages of organizational development. Evolving from an entrepreneurial idea into a small pioneering family-based business and, finally today, operating as a  second generation, highly successful, mid-sized company in a wide-range of products and applications focused on terrain stabilization. Through the years the company proved its existence and grew into a company that is strong enough to offer stable jobs for more than fifty people and their families living in five different states. An exceptional accomplishment considering the facts such as surviving the global financial crisis in 2008, and the recent effects on the economy due to the Corona pandemic. The company is still on the top of their game today, strikingly articulated by the late CEO.

“ Striving to make a positive impact in our community and to improve mutual success through empowerment.”

D.

In short, this company developed a unique business selling point that created a strong value proposition and became a respected brand that is highly appreciated by customers, manufacturers and the established business community. These achievements, to date, and the acknowledgment of change through time has led to initial consideration of long-term business strategies, specifically related to the possible transfer of the company.

Approach

Given the focus of the owners to reflect and learn, not to solve problems but to investigate how strong and talented the company really is, we proposed an action ‘research’ approach. By using appreciate inquiry (AI) as the central method the employees would have the chance to reflect on their daily operations and challenges from a positive angle.  This collective process leads to action learning and energizes and promotes individual, team and organizational learning. Relevance and practicality are paramount.

Stimulating employees to engage in defining their own challenges increases not only their individual knowledge and skills to become more creative in critical thinking and problem solving but also increases the overall capability of the company to meet the challenges of the future.

Phase 1

The main focus of Phase 1 was to appreciate the company’s history, to look back on what had been accomplished so far, and to explore how the company can build its strength to tackle the challenges of the (next) future. To prevent any confusion, we explicitly clarified that our presence and role were not efficiency focused nor were we engaged in assessing individual performance.

Actions taken:

1. Individual survey sent to all people of the company
2. Individual interviews representing all layers, position and jobs within the company
3. Presentation of the initial report

All information gathered from the survey, including the information gathered from the interviews, was kept confidential and summarized in a generalized report serving as a discussion paper presented in an upcoming meeting.

Phase 2

To ensure a smooth transition of a possible succession and to limit pitfalls by miscommunication the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) was expanded adding the potential 2nd generation business owners into the mix.

A new (temporary) Organization Development Team  (ODT) was installed to ensure the flow of ideas and the communication with all employees within the company. For that purpose an Internal newsletter was introduced to prevent noise. The main goal of this ODT was to monitor the progress of the project with the demands of the customer in mind focused on relevance and practicality. Together, they engaged in defining challenges and offering strategies.

The main focus was not only to increase the individual knowledge and skills and to strengthen the collective capabilities of the company, but this also served as a LearnLab to get used to the idea of succession and to facilitate a smooth experience regarding the transition towards the second generation family business owners who served as rotating leaders of the ODT Meetings.

To ensure the smooth transition and effectiveness of finances, the Administration and Control Team (ACT) was formalized led by one of the 2nd generation business owners. At last, the Office Team Meetings (OTM) were continuing their daily practices expanding their focus more on knowledge and skills sharing including mentorship on personal goals.

Actions Taken:

1. Expanding the ELT (1st & 2nd Generation)
2. Installing an ODT (Demands of Customers)
3. Formalizing the ACT (Administrative/Control Team)
4. Continuing the OTM (Knowledge, Skills, Goals)

Phase 3

However, structural changes are inadequate to handle cultural challenges. To re-activate a learning culture of fun focused on success we proposed the introduction of an Academy accessible for (new) employees, This new product-line could also serve for future customers with a strong focus on what really matters.

An Organization Development Team  (ODT) was created to ensure the flow of ideas and the communication with all employees within the company. For this purpose an Internal Newsletter was introduced. The main goals of this ODT was to monitor relevance and practicality of the project. Employees together with the owners and their adult children engaged in defining challenges.

The main focus was not only to fuel the drive to increase the individual knowledge and skills and to strengthen the collective capabilities of the company, but It also served as a LearnLab to get used to the idea of succession and to facilitate a smooth experience regarding the transition towards the second generation family business owners operating as the new leaders of the future.

Final Results

1. 2nd generation ownership completed
2. Implementation of a Business University
3. Consolidating the final report

Reflection

It takes a huge amount of courage to invite Knowelegable Strategic Innovators into one’s business and to collaborate and co-create with us to consider strategic engagement in this challenging transition journey. Some customers even call our engagement a “service of both hope and fear.” They are the ones who have experienced our combined talents, knowledge and skills and how we uniquely connect using the ‘Art of Exposure’ to support people and organizations to follow their bliss.

We just were grateful we could serve.

In Memory of D.