The Key to Equipment Dealer Marketing: Use the Right Lead Sources

The Key to Equipment Dealer Marketing: Use the Right Lead Sources

Guest writer Debbie Frakes reviews the importance of generating leads in multiple ways in this week’s blog post, “The Key to Equipment Dealer Marketing: Use the Right Lead Sources.”

The only way for equipment dealers to achieve consistent success is by having a steady stream of new leads coming in through the door. If an equipment dealership doesn’t have that, then your business will slow and eventually cease to be successful. That means you have to find productive, reliable lead sources for your sales reps to focus on. 

The most important lead sources for equipment dealer marketing and sales 

When it comes to determining the best lead sources for your sales reps, the key thing to remember is that it’s not all about new prospects. You also have a wealth of leads for your reps to reach out to from current and past customers. Here are a few of the ones you should focus on to improve your sales and equipment dealer marketing.

Email open reports 

Emails are essential for any marketing strategy, because they remind customers and prospects of all your products and services, and they can encourage them to purchase. When it comes to lead sources, emails are also a very valuable tool. Your sales reps should be reaching out to recipients who have opened and clicked on your emails. They can even tailor their sales message to what the customer or prospect may be interested in, based on which section of the email they clicked.

Last purchase reports 

Last purchase reports are an excellent resource for sales reps to find leads to contact. They should be regularly calling anyone who hasn’t purchased something from you in an average time period for your industry and market. 

Customers from different parts of the dealer business 

Equipment dealers are actually several different businesses rolled up into one. Critical for your success is to link them together and make sure your various departments are sharing leads with one another. For example, if one of your customers comes in for parts, they can become a lead for the service, rental, and equipment sales sides of your operation. Your sales reps should be reaching out and offering to fulfill all of your customers’ needs! 

Your website 

A lead generating website is important for equipment dealer marketing strategy. Your site should make it simple for leads to give you their information, ask you a question, or sign up to receive emails. Once they have the lead’s contact information, a sales rep can then reach out to them, answer any questions they asked, and ask them if all of their equipment needs are currently being fulfilled. 

Lead generation should be a constant activity 

Your business requires new leads, and using the most productive lead sources is the best way to bring them in. At Winsby, we help equipment dealers develop and implement successful lead generation plans using proven strategies. By combining effective emails with professional, easy to use websites, email list verification, calling, and reporting, we can help ensure a steady stream of new business. 

Contact Winsby Today.

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Are We In a Golden Age of Information?

Are We In a Golden Age of Information?

Are we in a Golden Age of information? I have to admit that I am being spoiled almost every single day. Every day, 99% of everything I can think of for which I do not know the answer I can find the answer. It is remarkable. I can Google darn near everything and find it. I can search through a “magnifying glass” on most of the website I use. I don’t have to go to the library or “call a friend.”

So that is a wonderful thing. I can get answers to almost all of my questions. But there are several questions I still struggle with on a daily basis. The most important one is “WHY?”

And no, the answer is NOT why not. That is much too easy. It is being lazy. Although I still think I have lazy tendencies most people don’t equate the word “lazy” with me. I do too many things, poorly perhaps, but a lot of things get done. Every day. And be fair to yourself too. You get a lot done every day as well.

But the WHY questions haunt me. Constantly. I have been cursed I suppose because I never got over the “why” phase of my life when I was growing up. Do you remember those days yourself? Why is the sky blue? Why is clear water in a lake black? Or as George Carlin made famous “why do we park in a driveway and drive in a parkway?”    

Alex Schuessler coined a phrase I can’t get out of my head. We have gone from “Paper to Glass.” We have taken most “computer improvements” and moved from a six-part paper form (PAPER) we filled in with a pen and put the document on a computer screen (GLASS).

 I have been involved with computerization all my work life. I took “computer science” as a minor at university. We used punch cards, FORTRAN and COBOL programming languages. I wanted to get a job as a computer programmer but IBM wasn’t hiring when I finished school. When I started in the business in 1969. I was hired to find and fix a problem with a computer software installation. The Parts Inventory, which was managed with a “Double Exponentially smoothly Poisson mathematical statistics model (Phew). I didn’t know it at the time but that turned out to be an unbelievably wonderful opportunity for me both professionally and personally.

Of course, we found the problem and fixed it. From that point on I was put into areas where there were some problems or difficulties or situations that needed to be solved. Looking back, I couldn’t have designed a better training program for my work life as a consultant. I was involved in “CQI” – Continuous Quality Improvement or “TQM” – Total Quality Management right from the beginning. Typically, however, is I had a question that I needed to have answered I either had to ask someone and they gave me their opinion or I had to start my own research. I did both and I had many men who were mentors or helped me along the way.

So today I don’t need to ask anyone other than my phone or my computer. But the WHY question still lurks out there.

I talk to a lot of people in the industry. I talk to leaders, managers, workers everybody. They are normally asking me questions. As in my classes and our employee development business, Learning Without Scars, I use the Socratic method of teaching. I rarely answer questions. I typically flip the question and ask what the person asking the question thinks is the answer. And normally they have a very good answer. BUT they lack confidence. That is a learned response. When we challenge the status quo, and want to make a change. There are a lot of people that are vested in the current methods and approaches. They dismiss your ideas out of hand. Many times, they make it personal and disparage you. In a normal manner we start complying and fitting into the current mode of doing things. That is really disappointing to me.

As a consultant I am being paid for my opinions. As an employee you are being paid to do a job. There is a real difference there. Happily, those days are coming to an end. We are on the cusp of a generational change in almost all aspects of our society and workplace. The Alpha Generation, Gen Z and Gen X and even the younger millennials will not accept the status quo. That is part of the reason for what Sonya Law calls “The Great Reshuffle.” That is what we call in America the “Great Resignation.” That somehow changes the onus of responsibility, doesn’t it? It isn’t because we wanted to have a more challenging job. It is that we quit.

We have many opinion surveys, from watching television with the Nielson ratings to the famous Gallup Polls. We seem to want to have reasons for everything. We want to understand why things happened. Gallup says that employees are leaving their jobs because they don’t feel that they are engaged at work in what they do. I liken that to a tool box. An employee has a “task” that needs to be done. They define the kind of tool that is required to perform the task. Think of a job description and performance standards and job prerequisites. They interview people for the job. They hire the person that they think is best for the job. In my way of thinking they “bought a tool” to perform the task. Then someone teaches them (they call it on the job training) how to do the job. Then they have the employee practice it and get faster and faster at it. They want efficiency in performance. That means speed. Then business establishes performance criteria – they call them metrics, for what productivity should be for any specific aspect of their businesses. One common metric is sales per employee. This is measured in terms of currency. Money. And the common thinking is that the higher the number the better it is. That might be applicable in some areas but how do you think it works in a customer service environment? The higher the sales per employee, that means there will be fewer people to do the job. That means customers will wait. It first became evident to me when we introduced “Call Waiting.” The phone would ring and ring because we didn’t have enough people to answer the phone. Do you remember “Can I put you on a brief hold?” Then we got to “Voice Mail.” We were told there would be a wait but would you like to leave a message and someone will call you right back. Remember that? Then I found some dealers had a radio type of message running while the customer was on hold. Some dealer actually had every call listen to the commercial before the call was answered. I was only 30 seconds that won’t hurt anything. Who are we trying to satisfy here? The company or the customer.

I am asked often – “why aren’t customers loyal anymore?” Or I hear “Customer Loyalty is a thing of the past” To both comments I ask – “What have we done to make our customers loyal to us?” 

My conclusion is that we haven’t done very much to make our customers loyal.

Yes, we are in the Golden Ago of information. We can get answers to almost all of our questions. We still don’t have the answers to the most important questions. What does our customer want and need and desire? Until we start focusing on those questions pertaining to our share of the after-market business, parts and labor, will continue to decline. And please don’t forget. That is where you make all of your money.

I would hope that there is a tingling somewhere in your body. YOU are at RISK. Unless we start to concentrate on making our customers happy more than we concentrate on making money WE all will be at RISK. I think we need to get to work.

The Time is Now.

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Friday Filosophy v.06.24.2022

Friday Filosophy v.06.24.2022

Christopher Eric Hitchens (13 April 1949 – 15 December 2011) was an Anglo–American atheist, writer and debater. He wrote for various magazines including The Nation, Free Inquiry, Slate, and others. He was a supporter of the philosophical movement humanism.

Hitchens was educated at Balliol College, Oxford. After graduation in 1970, he became a magazine writer. In 1982, he moved to Washington, D.C. In 1988, he learned from his grandmother that his mother was Jewish, but had kept her religion a secret. Hitchens remained an atheist and did not adopt any religious faith. He did not write about his religious views until his 2007 book God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. 

Hitchens tried to write from first-hand experience. To write his essays, he braved gunfire in Sarajevo, he was jailed in Czechoslovakia, and in 2008, he was brutally beaten in Beirut, Lebanon. In 2009, Hitchens agreed to be waterboarded. He wrote in Vanity Fair magazine, “If waterboarding does not constitute torture then there is no such thing as torture”.

Hitchens died of esophageal cancer. 

  • Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are God. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are God. 
  • I learned that very often the most intolerant and narrow-minded people are the ones who congratulate themselves on their tolerance and open-mindedness. 
  • Religion is part of the human make-up. It’s also part of our cultural and intellectual history. Religion was our first attempt at literature, the texts, our first attempt at cosmology, making sense of where we are in the universe, our first attempt at health care, believing in faith healing, our first attempt at philosophy. 
  • I’ve had some dark nights of the soul, of course, but giving in to depression would be a sellout, a defeat. 
  • One of the great questions of philosophy is, do we innately have morality, or do we get it from celestial dictation? 
  • A study of the Ten Commandments is a very good way of getting into and resolving that issue. 
  • My own view is that this planet is used as a penal colony, lunatic asylum and dumping ground by a superior civilization, to get rid of the undesirable and unfit. I can’t prove it, but you can’t disprove it either. 
  • The amazing fact is that America is founded on a document. It’s a work in progress. It can be tested by each generation. 
  • Well, I’m in my 60s now. I finally look it, I think. People until I was 60 would always say they thought I looked younger, which I think, without flattering myself, I did, but I think I certainly have, as George Orwell says people do after a certain age, the face they deserve.
  • You can be a Polish American, or an Arab American, or a Greek American but you can’t be English American. Why not? 
  • The fact is: It’s true what they say about the United States. It is a land of opportunity. It is too various to get bored with it. 
  • When you hear people demanding that the Ten Commandments be displayed in courtrooms and schoolrooms, always be sure to ask which set. It works every time. 
  • In the brute physical world, and the one encompassed by medicine, there are all too many things that could kill you, don’t kill you, and then leave you considerably weaker. 
  • I used to wish there was a useful term for those of us who thought American power should be used to remove psychopathic dictators. 
  • Chemotherapy isn’t good for you. So, when you feel bad, as I am feeling now, you think, ‘Well that is a good thing because it’s supposed to be poison. If it’s making the tumor feel this queasy, then I’m OK with it.
  • My favorite time in the cycles of public life is the time when the Pope is dead and they haven’t elected a new one. There’s no one in the world who is infallible for those weeks. And you know, I don’t miss it.

The Time is Now

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Hire Slow and Wait… Just a Minute Before You Fire Fast

Hire Slow and Wait… Just a Minute Before You Fire Fast

Guest writer Floyd Jerkins walks us through the process of hiring and firing in a way that transcends industries in Hire Slow and Wait… Just a Minute Before You Fire Fast.

If you’re responsible for direct reports, then you’ve heard the hire slow and fire fast statement. Yea, you may have even heard that from me over the years. Before you actually pull the trigger, I’d like to ask you to consider a few things.

Should Management Be Fired First?

I am a huge proponent that you make sure that management has done their jobs right before firing someone. Firing someone who’s had a poor manager or having been managed by a poor set of systems and processes is like knowing your car is nearly out of gas and getting on a turnpike and blaming someone else for not putting gas in the car. It’s a recipe for failure and disappointment. Who’s really responsible?

In assessing an organization, I would interview key employees. One of the questions centered around their understanding of their job description. I was always curious to learn how close the description is to what they really do. It was alarming how many employees didn’t have one or if they did, it didn’t relate to their job functions.

Accurate Job Descriptions and Orientation Steps

One of the very basics is to have a current job description that properly matches what you want the employee to do. This is a guidepost to not only their performance but setting expectations. It is also the baseline of a performance review.

The start of creating a good or even great employee is when they are new. In the interview, you may have said how great your company is and how well everyone gets along. As soon as the new employee is unleashed into your business, the realities are exposed. Old employees will tell new ones the strangest things.

Make sure the new employee receives a proper orientation. They are already dealing with a new job, a new way to drive to work, and a host of other issues. Make it easy for them to assimilate into the business. Show them the lay of the land. Introduce them to all the key players. You might even consider not having them perform in the role until they get settled in.

Every new hire needs to be frequently evaluated. You want to make course corrections early on, so you do not allow bad habits to settle in. Also, be cautious about the volume of pointing out the negatives. You have to find successes and highlight the positive behaviors to help with the new hire’s phycological aspects.

In the orientation, offer a dedicated systemic feedback system. Depending on your cultural issues, this needs to be in a formal and informal style. What you want to create is an open communication process where this employee can ask questions or verify certain systems or procedures.

Was there enough coaching to bring them along? Did we hire them for the wrong position, and could they be better doing something else for us? Should we set them free? All these kinds of questions need to be asked before you fire.

Why Did You Wait to Fire Someone?

Normally, when you decide to let someone go, it’s came after a long time of evaluating and talking, and well, it can become exhausting. If you think you should have fired someone months ago, you are probably right. Why didn’t you? Did you think that there would be some miracle?

Firing fast is all about making the decisions you should have made. But it should always come after you’ve made an honest evaluation of whether or not the management team has done their jobs right. 

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Friday Filosophy v.06.17.2022

Friday Filosophy v.06.17.2022

Alice O’Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum Russian: Алиса Зиновьевна Розенбаум .February 2, 1905 – March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand was a Russian-born American writer, screenwriter, playwright and philosopher. 

She published several popular books in the United States during the mid-1900s, including her two best-selling novels, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, plus We the Living and Anthem. Her novels promoted a viewpoint of laissez-faire capitalism as a political and social goal. It is a kind of political philosophy known in the U.S.A. as libertarian conservatism. She called this philosophy ‘objectivism‘. 

Rand was born in St. Petersburg, Russia and grew up during the Russian Revolution, in the years after World War I. She left Russia to visit relatives in Chicago in the United States when she was 21 years old. She did not want to return to live under Communism, and stayed in the US. She changed her name, partly to protect her family in Russia. Rand moved to California to become a movie writer.

Movies at the time did not have sound, and stories were mimed on camera. Dialogue was not important, so Rand could write simple stories while she improved her English language skills.

Rand met Frank O’Connor on a movie set, when they both appeared as extras. When O’Connor married Rand in 1929, she could live permanently in America. She later became an American citizen. O’Connor gave up his acting career, to work full-time so Rand could write full-time. Later he retired, when Rand’s work made a good income. He began painting late in his life. He died in 1979.

Rand was a longtime tobacco smoker. She had lung cancer, but she recovered from the disease after surgery. She died of cardiovascular disease in New York City on March 6, 1982.

  • A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.
  • Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one’s values. 
  • The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. 
  • Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it. Do not count on them. Leave them alone. 
  • The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity. 
  • We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force. 
  • Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities. Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage’s whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. 
  • Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. 
  • The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. 
  • Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities (and the smallest minority on earth is the individual).
  • Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values. 
  • Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision. 
  • Upper classes are a nation’s past; the middle class is its future. 
  • Government ‘help’ to business is just as disastrous as government persecution… the only way a government can be of service to national prosperity is by keeping its hands off.
  • Potentially, a government is the most dangerous threat to man’s rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims. 
  • Money demands that you sell, not your weakness to men’s stupidity, but your talent to their reason. 
  • Do not ever say that the desire to ‘do good’ by force is a good motive. Neither power-lust nor stupidity are good motives. 
  • When man learns to understand and control his own behavior as well as he is learning to understand and control the behavior of crop plants and domestic animals, he may be justified in believing that he has become civilized.

The Time is Now.

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Your Customer Retention Rate Is Your Future Growth

Your Customer Retention Rate Is Your Future Growth 

Guest writer Debbie Frakes tackles the all-important topic of customer retention in her blog post this week, “Your Customer Retention Rate Is Your Future Growth.” We are often encouraged to attract new customers and can overlook the value of keeping customers for life. At Learning Without Scars, we can’t emphasize this enough. It’s so important to us, we have an entire class on the subject!

Finding new customers is great for business—they help you boost your sales and generate more revenue. However, retaining existing customers is even more important. Machinery dealers know that it is far more expensive to locate new customers than it is to keep the ones they already have. Although we all understand the concept, not all dealers actually use programs designed specifically to keep and develop their customers. 

In this post we’re going to cover the six key retention drivers for growing your business: 

  1. Retain Customers with a Satisfaction Program for continuous improvement 
  2. Customer Internal Referrals more than double transactions each year 
  3. Lead Flow with the right customers in the markets and industries you support 
  4. Convert prospects predictably by selling what they purchase most often and saying “Yes” 
  5. Engage your customers with consistent contact 
  6. Measure and Forecast results

What is a customer retention rate? 

Customer retention refers to the rate at which customers stay with your company for a specific period. The average customer retention of an equipment dealer business is 95.5% per month. Although that may sound very high, what that number actually means is that you are losing 4.5% of your customers each month. Over the entire year, you lose 54% of your customers! 

On average, equipment dealers lose 51% of their customers each year. Only 29% of customers are retained for 3 or more years. Even though it looks like you are retaining most of your customers each month, you’re actually losing more than half of them throughout the entire year. And that pattern just makes business more difficult long term. 

On the other hand, an improvement in your customer retention rate of just 1% each month represents a 12% increase in annual growth. The question is, how can you make that improvement? 

How to boost your customer retention rate: a customer satisfaction survey

One of the best ways to improve your customer retention rate is to conduct customer satisfaction surveys. When they are conducted by a third party, these surveys allow you to learn about your customers and determine any issues before they turn into big problems. It’s important to have them completed by a third party, because customers tend to be more honest about a company if they’re not talking to someone from the company.

A customer satisfaction survey will help you understand your customers’ perspectives, why unhappy ones are unhappy, and how to serve them better. Plus, you’ll impress them by showing how proactive you are. 

Using Winsby’s customer satisfaction survey program, our clients have seen 20% higher retention, 49% more customers, and 123% greater revenue growth over 5 years compared to those who are not using the program. 

Customer internal referrals 

Focusing on customer referrals means making sure your customers are buying everything from you—parts, service, rentals and equipment. Equipment dealers have multiple departments that are almost like different businesses. The good part about that, though, is that a customer can come in for a part, and then they become a potential customer for the service or equipment. The more they purchase from you, the better your customer retention rate will be. 

How can you increase internal referrals? 

  • Understand customers’ expectations— turnaround time for parts and equipment deliveries and service protocols. 
  • Then, you can meet expectations, or manage them if meeting them isn’t possible. 
  • Always call the customer with updates before they contact you.

Ensure you have a consistent lead flow 

Another critical piece of improving your customer retention rate is properly managing your lead flow. Your sales reps need to identify customers at risk consistently, then contact and engage them. At risk customers are current customers that you’re in danger of losing. These are people who start purchasing less and less from you, and eventually they could go to one of your competitors. Customers that are at risk typically haven’t purchased from you in over eight weeks. By reaching out to them, you can encourage them to come back to you to fulfill their needs. 

Engage your customers and convert prospects

You should also be regularly sending out emails to your customers and prospects. In our experience, customers on an email list buy two to three times more often than those who are not receiving marketing emails. By putting your brand, products, and services in front of customers, you’ll stay top of mind and your retention rate will increase. 

First, call customers and prospects to confirm decision makers’ emails to expand your list and keep it current. Then, send emails at least twice a month and show all your capabilities: parts, service, rentals, new and used equipment. It’s also important to identify your website visitors. Distribute leads who engage with your emails or website to your sales reps automatically to reach out to and determine what they need. 

Plus, when you engage with customers, always answer your phone and always say “YES!”. 

Measure and forecast 

It’s important to look at your past to predict your future. When it comes to improving your customer retention rate and achieving consistent growth, you have to have an idea of where you’re at and where you’re headed. At Winsby, we forecast the growth of Active Accounts for the next 12 months, based on patterns during the past 36+ months, by branch and by department. You’ll learn:

  • Expected losses and gains of Customers
  • Expected number of transactions
  • Expected revenue

You can then use the forecast to develop a plan of the action to take to improve your customer retention rate.

Conclusion 

Retaining your existing customers is just as important (if not more important) than gaining new ones. Use all the tools at your disposal: customer satisfaction surveys, internal referrals, email marketing, consistent lead follow up, and always trying to say “yes” to your customers. 

If you want to increase your customer retention rate and take advantage of all your possible tools, then contact Winsby today! We’ll help you implement a plan quickly. Contact Winsby Today.

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Friday Filosophy v.06.10.2022

Friday Filosophy v.06.10.2022

A Brief History of the Hawaiian Islands

  • 1,500 years ago:  Polynesians arrive in Hawaii after navigating the ocean using only the stars to guide them.
  • 1778:  Captain James Cook lands at Waimea Bay on the island of Kauai, becoming the first European to make contact with the Hawaiian Islands. Cook names the archipelago the “Sandwich Islands” after the Earl of Sandwich. A year later, Cook is killed at Kealakekua Bay on the island of Hawaii.
  • 1790:  The Battle of Kepaniwai was fought between forces from the island of Hawaii and Maui.
  • 1795:  Battle of Nuuanu takes place on the southern shores of Oahu. It was a key battle in Kamehameha’s campaign to unite the islands.
  • 1795-1874:  The Kamehameha dynasty reigns over Hawaii. 
  • 1810:  Kamehameha I unites the Hawaiian Islands. – See comments at the end. 
  • 1819:  Liholiho, son of Kamehameha, defies the tradition of men and women eating separately during a feast, which leads to the abolishment of the kapu (taboo) system. 
  • 1820:  The first missionaries arrive in Hawaii. 
  • 1820-1845:  Lahaina was the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom
  • 1835:  The first sugar plantation opens on Kauai. The Hawaiian Islands garner recognition for their prime agricultural land. Agriculture becomes a dominant economic force. 
  • 1836:  The “King’s Band,” is created by King Kamehameha III, becoming a staple of daily life. The band, presently called the “Royal Hawaiian Band,” continues to entertain audiences in Hawaii and around the world today. 
  • 1830s-1848:  The Great Mahele Kamehameha III sought to keep the land in Hawaiian hands by adopting a western allodial system with a new system that would divide the land into thirds – one-third to the Hawaiian crown lands, one-third to the chiefs, and one-third to the people.  In the end, the people received less than 1% as the law required land claims to be filed within two years under the Kuleana Act and many Hawaiians made no claim. This was largely because ownership of land was not a common concept. 
  • 1845:  Honolulu becomes the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom
  • 1850s:  With Hawaii’s plantation production on the rise, a need for more labor is realized. The first workers are recruited from China. Workers also make their way to the islands from Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Portugal. 
  • 1874:  William Charles Lunalilo dies leaving no heirs. The Kamehameha dynasty comes to an end. David Kalakaua is elected as Lunalilo’s successor. 
  • 1878:  Lydia Kamakaeha (later Queen Liliuokalani) pens “Aloha ‘Oe”
  • 1881:  King Kalakaua becomes the first monarch in history to circumnavigate the globe.
  • 1882:  Iolani Palace, the official residence of the Hawaiian monarchs, is completed. The Palace was ahead of its time outfitted with the most up-to-date amenities, before even the White House and Buckingham Palace, including the first electric lights in Hawaii, indoor plumbing and even a telephone. 
  • 1887:  The 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii is signed stripping King Kalakaua and therefore the Hawaiian monarchy of much of its authority, empowering the legislature and cabinet of the government. This became known as the Bayonet Constitution due to the force used to gain the King’s cooperation.
  • 1889:  Joseph Kekuku from Laie, Oahu invents the steel guitar. He later moves to the US Mainland to share his music with the rest of the world. Steel guitar becomes incredibly popular with country music and is still heard today.
  • 1891:  King David Kalakaua dies and Queen Liliuokalani takes the throne. 
  • 1893:  The overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii begins. Queen Liliuokalani is placed under house arrest at Iolani Palace in Honolulu. 
  • 1898:  Hawaii is annexed by the United States through the Newlands Resolution.  
  • 1900: The Organic Act establishes the Territory of Hawaii.
  • 1901:  The first Waikiki hotel, The Moana Hotel, opens on March 11. The resort is affectionately named “The First Lady of Waikiki.”
  • 1917: Queen Liliuokalani, the last sovereign of the Hawaiian Kingdom, passes away.
  • 1941:  On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launch a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Oahu during World War II. 
  • 1945:  On September 2, 1945, Japan signs its unconditional surrender on the USS Battleship Missouri. Although the signing didn’t take place in Pearl Harbor, the ship is now part of museum and memorial complex at Pearl Harbor, offering activities and tours to visitors from all over the world
  • 1959:  August 21, 1959 – After a popular vote, Hawaii becomes the 50th State of the United States of America. 
  • 1966: Don Ho releases his signature song, “Tiny Bubbles.” The album makes the Billboard Top 20 and stays in the charts for nearly a year. His music and style become synonymous with Hawaiian leisure. 
  • 1978: The Hawaii State Constitutional Convention makes Hawaiian the state’s official language (the only state in the U.S. with a non-English official language).
  • 1980: Hawaii becomes the home of the NFL Pro Bowl when the AFC-NFC all-star game lands in Oahu’s Aloha Stadium. The Pro Bowl is hosted in Hawaii for 26 years, until 2017 when it moved to Orlando, FL. 
  • 1990: Kīlauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes located on the island of Hawaii, erupts sending lava through the town of Kalapana. While it destroyed the town, it also created a new coastline that extends nearly 1,000 feet farther into the Pacific Ocean.
  • 2009:  Senator Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. Obama, who was the first African American to have served as president, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. 
  • 2011: Hawaii hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
  • 2013:  The Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage begins. The four-year voyage covered over 60,000 nautical miles, 100 ports, and 27 nations, including 12 of UNESCO’s Marine World Heritage sites. The mission was to take Hawaii’s iconic cultural sailing canoe Hokulea around the world and her sister canoe Hikianalia around the Pacific and the Hawaiian Islands, to grow a global movement toward a more sustainable world. The voyage sought to engage all – practicing how to live sustainably, while sharing Polynesian culture, learning from the past and from each other.
  • 2017:  Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage completes its journey. 

The Story of King Kamehameha I

A great warrior, diplomat and leader, King Kamehameha I united the Hawaiian Islands into one royal kingdom in 1810 after years of conflict. Kamehameha I was destined for greatness from birth. Hawaiian legend prophesized that a light in the sky with feathers like a bird would signal the birth of a great chief. Historians believe Kamehameha was born in 1758, the year Halley’s comet passed over Hawaii.

Given the birth name Paiea, the future king was hidden from warring clans in secluded Waipio Valley after birth. After the death threat passed, Paiea came out of hiding and was renamed Kamehameha (The Lonely One). Kamehameha was trained as a warrior and his legendary strength was proven when he overturned the Naha Stone, which reportedly weighed between 2.5 and 3.5 tons. You can still see the Naha Stone today in Hilo. 

During this time, warfare between chiefs throughout the islands was widespread. In 1778, Captain James Cook arrived in Hawaii, dovetailing with Kamehameha’s ambitions. With the help of western weapons and advisors, Kamehameha won fierce battles at lao Valley in Maui and the Nuuanu Pali on Oahu. The fortress-like Puukohola Heiau on the island of Hawaii was built in 1790 prophesizing Kamehameha’s conquest of the islands. In 1810, when King Kaumualii of Kauai agreed to become a tributary kingdom under Kamehameha, that prophecy was finally fulfilled.

Kamehameha’s unification of Hawaii was significant not only because it was an incredible feat, but also because under separate rule, the Islands may have been torn apart by competing western interests. Today, four commissioned statues stand to honor King Kamehameha’s memory. Every June 11th, on Kamehameha Day, each of these statues are ceremoniously draped with flower lei to celebrate Hawaii’s greatest king.

Downtown Honolulu, Oahu 

The most recognized Kamehameha statue stands in front of Aliiolani Hale (the judiciary building) across from lolani Palace and a short walk from the eclectic art galleries and restaurants of Chinatown. Dedicated in 1883, this was actually the second statue created after the ship delivering the original statue from Europe was lost at sea.

Kohala, Island of Hawaii

The original statue was miraculously recovered and in 1912, the restored statue was installed near Kamehameha’s birthplace at Kapaau on the island of Hawaii. Visit North Kohala to see some of Hawaii’s most sacred places like Puukohola Heiau

National Statuary Hall, Washington D.C

In 1969, the third Kamehameha statue was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall where statues of historic figures from all 50 states are on display. A statue of Molokai’s Saint Damien joins the Kamehameha I statue in this amazing collection of art.

Hilo, Island of Hawaii

Hilo was Kamehameha’s first seat of government and the statue of Kamehameha, dedicated in 1997 at Wailoa State Park, is the tallest of the four statues at fourteen feet. Hilo is also home to the Naha Stone, which a young Kamehameha was said to have overturned in a feat of incredible strength. Legend said that whoever had the strength to move the Naha Stone would rule the Hawaiian Islands. Today, the Naha Stone is located in front of the Hilo Public Library.

The Time is Now.

 

Construction Equipment Used Parts

Construction Equipment Used Parts

Guest writer Alex Weaver writes this blog post tonight on the topic of Construction Equipment Used Parts.

Construction Equipment Used Parts is similar, in some ways, to the automobile or on-highway truck salvage business. A core is purchased for salvage, disassembled, parts are evaluated for inventory, and some parts and components are repaired or rebuilt and sold. The business was created out of a need or demand for additional price points in the construction equipment replacement parts business.  

A successful Used Parts business contributes to overall company goals. Assume, a company has the following high-level goals:  Financial Performance, Market Share, Customer Satisfaction, Employee Satisfaction. Used Parts impacts these goals in the following order. Customer Satisfaction first, Financial Performance second and Market Share third.

Used Parts increases Customer Satisfaction by providing additional price points, and in some cases parts availability. Today, parts availability is not as certain as years past. In fact, some very large consumers of parts have created their own internal used parts operation to support parts availability needs. To insure they have the parts they need when they need them. Customer Satisfaction or loyalty positively impacts market share. Used Parts can impact financial performance by adding a revenue and profit stream for the seller. Used Parts can increase customer loyalty. Used Parts, also, contributes to harvesting a greater share of a customer’s wallet.  

History

The Construction Equipment Used Parts business got its start in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.  Enterprising entrepreneurs purchased U. S. government surplus war material from World War II   Primarily half–tracks. An armored truck, mated with a rugged bogie and track suspension system in the rear, allowed foot soldiers to quickly move with modern, mechanized attack forces. In civilian life, many found homes in large farms and ranches as a way to deliver feed and hay bales to herds scattered across many acres.  Some 12,499 M3 half-tracks were built by White, Autocar, and Diamond T during World War II.  The track bogie’s required replacement parts and cannibalizing other units became the best, easiest source. The companies that started here, gravitated toward other track type units. And, thus, an industry was born.

As the construction equipment product lines expanded, so did the demand for used parts and components. Product improvements obsoleted older technologies. From Mechanical systems to oil lubrication, hydraulics, electrical, and electronic. Dry clutch to oil clutch, Gasoline Starting Engine to Direct Electric start, Manual transmission to PowerShift, Cable lift system for dozer to hydraulic. Operator Environment – from no operator protection to Air Conditioned, Enclosed Roll Over Protection. Every step of the way, used parts provided opportunity. And, that opportunity continues today.  

Growth & Change – Scope and Scale

The transition from Half-Tracks continues. The number of construction equipment manufacturers has increased. The numbers of product lines and models has increased.

Heavier, bigger machine products as well as compact construction equipment. Many smaller models, and as a result many more customers. The construction equipment market now includes global manufacturers and distribution.  

Some products are now obsolete or out of production. But the original products/machines are still operating. Elevating Tractor – Scrapers, like Caterpillar, 613/615.  The used parts business helps keep these machines running.

It all adds up to used parts opportunity.

Operations

Used Parts can take a lot of real estate. Or not. Some combination of Core (a machine to tear down) storage, warehouse storage and physical space dedicated to core disassembly and parts inspection. Plus, space for counter sales. Some customers want to “kick the tires” or look at what they are purchasing before they purchase. Which means public access to the used parts operations.

In today’s world, there are environmental considerations. How do you wash/clean a core before dis-assembly? How do you capture the waste fluids from a core? 

Environmental Impact

In 1976, Congress passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to increase recycling and conservation efforts as waste became a bigger problem. It is estimated that the slogan “reduce, reuse, recycle” was born at this time. The used parts business is a positive contributor to environmental opportunity. Used Parts maximizes the use of original material.  Reduce/Reuse/Recycle and now Repurpose are all in the used parts “wheelhouse”.

Accounting

Many used parts operations, assign or breakdown the purchase cost of a parts machine, to some larger, higher demand parts or components and value the “by-products “at estimated scrap value. Slower moving inventory is not overvalued. In some cases, the cash accounting model is more suited to the used parts business than the accrual method. Your accountant will have the answer as it applies. Proactive, managed scraping of unneeded material is an ongoing process.

Products

  • Work Tools / Attachments
  • Drive Train Components
  • Hydraulic Components
  • Cabs / Canopies
  • Sheet Metal
  • Structural Parts – main frames / track frames / booms / sticks

Condition

Used Parts products can be in prepared and sold in various conditions

  • “As-Is” – removed during salvage process.  Take off with no condition offered
  • Removed – Cleaned
  • Removed – Cleaned – Inspected – includes condition estimate
  • Removed – Repaired – base product used as core to make some repairs
  • Removed – Rebuilt – base product used as core to rebuild to published standard condition
  • Removed – Remanufactured – base product used as core for complete rebuild

Future

Our industry has grown and prospered by providing customer solutions.  Used Parts, starting with Half – Tracks, has provided, and will continue to provide customer solutions.  The details, models, applications, horsepower, reach, lift, capacity, may change, but the demand and the supply our industry provides will continue.  Used Parts has been a part of every product/market change.  

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Developing a Value Based Training Culture

Developing a Value Based Training Culture

Tonight, we are happy to introduce a new guest writer, Mick Vaught. In his first blog for us, Developing a Value Based Training Culture, Mick emphasize the incredible importance of employee development.

Mick was born and raised in the small town of Williamsburg, Virginia, located in the South East region of the United States. While earning a degree in business administration as well as two degrees in Theology he has used this education as a foundation for educating corporate and distribution employees at all levels all over the world. Mick married his wife of 43 years, Carole and together have raised three married children and 8 grandchildren.  After graduating from college Mick joined the Liebherr America group. While serving as Sales Manager he gained experience working with their distribution network in the United States and Canada. After 20 years of service, Mick joined Komatsu America as a product manager. Mick has worked as Vice President (Articulated Hauler Division) Of Volvo Construction Equipment Company, where he oversaw the development of sales, parts, service and the dealer pipeline with their launch of their new haulers. Mick has also worked as a training consultant for a large Caterpillar dealer, and was challenged with creating and launching their LMS system.Upon retiring from corporate America after 35 years, Mick also established his own leadership development Consulting Company. Here he worked with fortune five hundred companies around the country. The company (L3Learning Academy) also offered a wide variety of consulting services for small business owners designed to address everything from major strategic issues to more basic problems affecting everyday business practices. Mick sold the company, and currently teaches at the Charlotte Motor Speedway STEAM program, focusing on developing young minds with an aptitude towards science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

Development and Execution of a well-conceived Training Plan.

The cornerstone upon which a successful training program rest.

This training plan exists on two levels:  

  • Corporate – encompassing the entire organization and covering a relatively elastic time period of perhaps several years (this is a reflection of an overall set of goals) 
  • Specific – describing smaller organizational units within the organization and covering a discrete fiscal or calendar time frame (this is a reflection of concrete, measurable goals and objectives) 

Training Plan Elements

Background

The Training Plan will begin with a background section, which describes the following: 

  • A description of the strategic Training Directive for developing a Training Plan. Training should always follow the corporate strategy!
  • Define the core client group. Within this client group there will be field and regional offices throughout the branch locations.  
  • A comprehensive resource audit to determine those materials currently available and any of the GAPs that may exist for planned training expectations.
  • Review the total number of employees and age demographics. Indicate approximately how many of these employees are local and if possible, how many are in each geographic area. 
  • Other pertinent information that may be appropriate under the Background section such as:
    • new or, revised organizational-driven requirements (newly formed groups, programs, branches) 
    • changes in profile of service-oriented delivery versus product-oriented business models within the organization 

The background section will be predominantly narrative in structure with a table or charts to assist in framing the context of our plan.

Current Status

The purpose of this section is to describe what sort of training has been completed to date. This section of the corporate plan will be updated each year, and referenced against the previous year for comparative purposes. 

  • What sort of training has been completed to date? Has the training been Ad Hoc and demand driven or … (competency vs. content based)?
  • Has there been a formal training plan? If yes, to what extent has the training plan been completed? Did training include out-of-town travel? 
  • What are the factors that limit training? 
  • Is there a training budget? If yes, what is it and how much, if any, has already been spent? 
  • Have there been any needs assessment conducted to identify what sort of training is needed by headquarters and field offices? If no needs assessment has been conducted, this may be something to add as part of the overall training plan? 
  • Has a need for training evolved by the type of repeat questions and telephone calls for advice we have received? 

This section will be greatly assisted by including a table to indicate current readiness against total numbers within targeted employee groups.

Mission Statement

The Mission Statement will address what it is we want to achieve in a corporate sense with the training plan. For example, our overall goal may be:

“AS AN EXAMPLE.” 

To ensure all employees have those skills required to meet all competencies needed for their job descriptions and to add value to our Human Capital Management while also driving initiatives to focus on Business Knowledge Impact.

The overall goal differs from course goals and objectives because it is much broader and all-encompassing than course goals and objectives which tend to be more specific to the training and more limited in scope. It would be very challenging to reach the above overall goal in one or even 5 years. A number of different types of training would have to be implemented in order to reach the overall goal. Course goals and objectives are also much more measurable than the overall goal because course participants can help us assess whether or not we have met them.

Methodology

The methodology drives the approaches to training delivery that will be employed. For example, our training plan may cover 2 years, 5 years with a number of prescribed courses, or perhaps a phased approach that would be more appropriate for our mission. We may begin with general training one year and include more advanced training the following year. We may also want to offer one or two courses a year on specific topics. The options for this portion of the training plan are limitless.  

  • How will we reach our overall goal?
  • What type of training will be offered? General awareness sessions or topic specific training? Will the training be branch specific in some cases? 
  • Will we develop brochures and other documents that explain marketing concepts, roles and responsibilities? 
  • Will we train via Zoom, video-conference, web based, computer based, or, create a video that staff can sign-out showing management buy-in. Create a training Hotline? 
  • Would it be beneficial to use a Training Steering Committee as we move forward? 

Training Methodology should also be updated each year in the corporate plan as different training delivery methods are evaluated.

Description of Training

We will be doing more than one type of training, to include Service, Parts, Sales, Employee “Human Capital” and eventually a “Company Academy” to develop potential managers and leaders for future growth opportunities (this is where our training plan becomes more specific both in terms of deliverable and time frames). We will also be implementing quick vignettes such as “Lunch & Learns” to communicate common knowledge and information at a quick rate.

Time Frames 

Training will be scheduled and delivered in a “time sensitive manner” working in collaboration with division and department managers to ensure optimum time management. Certain seasons in an industry dictate when time is most appropriate. Other elements to consider will be approximate time we expect to have new product or other documentation complete. Will the documentation be updated each year? When do we expect to have our Web Page up and running? Etc.

Goals 

Identify Clients: First we will identify which group segment will benefit from the training: Customer support (service and parts) would be the first recommendation followed by sales and employee administration. Another goal to target is upper and middle management making available those disciplines needed for their position. 

Objectives: Once we have identified the group segment that requires training, then we will identify what we hope the participants walk away with: This may include; to provide a comprehensive base-level of expertise to support the groups compliance with their core competencies and skill levels or, to ensure all ASC managers participate in training that specifically focuses on their area impact as it pertains to their specific strategies.

Learning Objectives 

Learning Objectives are specific and measurable. Learning objectives identify specifically what the participants will do/learn/understand/identify/recognize etc…

Some examples of objectives would include any of the following: 

The participant will show competence in the following:

Communication 

  • explain four basic principles of communication (verbal and non-verbal) and active listening.
  • outline four barriers and bridges to communication
  • list at least four ways communication skills will help create a positive work environment
  • identify records that require formal FOI response vs. routine release of information 

Time Management

  • list job expectations of staff
  • provide tools to use in prioritizing tasks 

Organization

What will we need to be able to accomplish the training objectives? 

Coordination of Training Delivery: (Based on our Training Resource Audit)

  • Do we need to identify and coordinate a number of training sessions to cover each branch or geographic region? 
  • Do we need to find facilities that will be available on a given date? 
  • Do we have to solicit participants? If yes, will we send out a general e-mail or contact people by phone or post an advertisement? Will we have registration via the Intranet? 
  • How will the training be delivered? Will a facilitator actually give the session, will it be given via video-conferencing or will we develop a brochure or package that is self-explanatory? Will we create a video to send around the province? Will we have a Web Page or a FOI (Field of Information) Hot Line? 
  • Evaluation – How will we analyze the delivery outcomes and identify shortfalls of the training method?  

Materials:

Once we have identified how we will deliver the training, the next question will be what materials do we need to deliver the training:  

  • Will we use slides, video, ILT, WBT, CBT or WebEx? 
  • Due to a deficiency in OEM support material our trainers are spending 65% of their time developing their own which takes away from our training effectiveness
  • What sort of hand-outs will we provide participants? 
  • Will participants be expected to participate in case studies, pre-tests and/or post-tests? 
  • Will there be a poster we want to use?   

Training Schedule and Budget

Finally, the Training Schedule and Budget specifically identifies the date, method, cost and approximate number of participants to be trained.

It would be useful to identify the approximate number of participants to be trained and identify the following:  

  • program delivery 
  • include central administrative staff (i.e., Personnel, Policy and Finance) 
  • include manager / director level? 
  • include executive? 

Reporting 

Finally, when the annual round of training is complete, we should consider the type of reporting we want to do. A summary of the above information is a good place to start and you can flesh out this report with the actual cost and number of participants trained. This information will be helpful in forming part of our overall evaluation of the training program. 

Reports required must include the following: 

  • Personal Development Plan (PDP)
  • Usage / Adoption (project-based)
  • ROI (project-based)
  • Assessment results
  • Transcripts
  • Exception reports (who hasn’t completed requirements)
  • Printable into ms excel
  • Push versus pull
  • Export capabilities
  • Flexible

Executive Summary: 

The critical key for the success of a Learning culture depends on the following: 

  • We must create value for professional development
  • We must create desire
  • Tie learning to performance
  • Communicate successes
    • Run a pilot program
    • Testimonials
    • Recognition 
    • Pictures on a bulletin board
  • Overcome fears
    • Demonstrate learning environment
    • Flash demo’s
    • Technical assistance
    • Peer support
  • Provide job aids

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: HAVE FUN!

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Le Leader, le changement, et l’être humain

Le Leader, le changement, et l’être humain

Je suis née au Québec et j’ai été élevée aux Etats-Unis. Je eu la chance de travailler à travers le Québec, le Canada et les États-Unis. Conseillère stratégique, gestionnaire de projet, gestionnaire de l’amélioration continue, directrice des opérations, et directrice des ventes pour plusieurs organisations internationales. Mon expérience d’adjointe à coordonnatrice, de chargée de projets à gestionnaire de projets, de directrice du marketing à directrice des ventes, de directrice des opérations au service-conseil, j’ai eu la chance d’œuvrer dans un monde d’affaires professionnelles et diversifiées. Première femme à faire partie d’un regroupement nord-américain composé d’hommes d’affaires canadiens et américains pour une entreprise spécialiste en groupe motopropulseur de Québec. Instigatrice et collaboratrice à la mise en œuvre de plusieurs projets marketing et de ventes nationaux. Personne-ressource et lien d’affaires auprès de manufacturiers de grandes renommées internationales. Mes domaines d’expertise :  Gestion de projets • gestion du changement • gestion d’amélioration des processus industriels, dans le transport routier, en technologies d’informations et des soins de la santé • gestion des ventes et marketing • restructuration organisationnelle • plan de communication • plan de formation • développement d’outils de gestion.

Le Leader, le changement, et l’être humain

Le changement semble perpétuel tout autour de nous.  La vie, comme le travail, évolue rapidement en raison des nouvelles technologies et la facilité d’accès aux informations.  Nous sommes dans une ère de questionnement continuel, de renouvellement et d’amélioration.  Je crois avoir appris à vivre assez bien avec le changement.  Je suis motivée par le changement parce que j’y ai, jusqu’à présent, trouvé ma force.  Je suis une personne qui s’adapte facilement à un nouvel environnement. Que ce soit un déménagement, un voyage en pays étranger ou un changement de plan de route; je digère, je réfléchis et puis je réajuste mon tir pour mieux m’adapter à la situation.

Il y a déjà plusieurs années, on m’avait proposé le poste de gestionnaire de projets pour une entreprise spécialiste en groupe motopropulseur.  Imaginez-vous une femme blonde, sans formation adéquate, sans connaissance technique, plongée dans un monde d’hommes, qui vit tout un changement et qui doit vendre le changement ; soit d’implanter de nouvelles façons de faire en gestion de réparation et pour le service à la clientèle. J’ai fait beaucoup d’erreurs, mais j’ai réussi à mener le projet à terme en m’adaptant à chaque obstacle. J’ai dû implanter le projet dans une succursale là où j’étais peu connue, afin de réduire les réticences concernant mon manque d’expérience.

Aujourd’hui, avec le recul, je pourrais l’implanter beaucoup plus rapidement. J’ai appris à mieux planifier et implanter le changement en tenant compte d’un facteur majeur, soit la culture organisationnelle en place et la résistance prévisible à laquelle il faut faire face au cours du processus de changement. La réussite d’un projet dépend non seulement des livrables, du budget, de l’échéancier et de l’équipe, mais également de notre capacité à gérer le changement dans l’entreprise.

On peut tout planifier sur papier : l’équipement, les ressources, les résultats voulus, cependant il ne faut jamais oublier les êtres humains directement impliqués et non impliqués.  Il ne faut pas sous-estimer les défis du changement. Il faut être à l’affut des réactions de toutes personnes de près ou de loin qui devront faire face au changement. N’hésitez pas à consulter tous les groupes de l’entreprise afin d’obtenir leurs avis concernant les projets de changements prévus dans l’entreprise.

Le changement demande du temps. L’individualité à maintenir les conditions existantes pourra être forte. On peut se sentir à l’abri par la familiarité. Nous trouvons du réconfort dans ce que nous savons déjà. Il n’est pas nécessaire de s’adapter à des choses que nous connaissons. Selon Jennifer L. Kunst, PhD. « C’est pourquoi il est si difficile de briser une habitude, même si nous savons que ce n’est pas bon pour nous. Nous pensons que nous avons besoin de ce que nous essayons d’abandonner ».

Il ne faut jamais sauter des étapes ou introduire le changement de force.  Michel Crozier, sociologue français, citait – « on ne peut pas faire changer les individus de façons autoritaires et coercitives ». En tant que leader du changement, il est particulièrement important de comprendre les émotions que les changements peuvent générer chez les personnes concernées. Nous devons faire passer l’être humain avant l’objectif ou le résultat à atteindre, car ce dernier peut parfois sembler plus important que ce que les individus vivent pendant le changement.

Avant d’amorcer un projet de changement, assurez-vous d’inclure une planification pour des périodes de consultation en entreprise avec non seulement la direction, mais aussi avec tous les employés qu’ils soient impliqués de près ou de loin. Vous seriez surpris d’avoir de la rétroaction importante d’employés qui sont loin d’être atteints par ce changement et qui peuvent être favorables au succès du projet.

Selon Daryl Conner, auteur du livre Managing at the Speed of Change, il faut également déterminer si ce changement est mineur ou majeur.  C’est-à-dire « cartographier le portrait humain et examiner les cinq domaines clés : le parrainage, la résistance, la culture (croyances, hypothèses, comportement), l’architecture (soutien en place), et la capacité (ressources intellectuelles, émotionnelles, physiques ou financières) afin de bien planifier et gérer le changement ». Daryl Conner mentionne : « Aujourd’hui, nous constatons de plus en plus que le leadership a mûri dans sa compréhension de la gestion du changement. Les dirigeants reconnaissent que, au moins pour un changement majeur, ils ont besoin de conseils sur la façon de gérer le paysage humain. Ce soutien n’est pas autour de « ce qui » est en train d’être changé autant que « comment » exécuter le changement afin d’atteindre la pleine réalisation du projet.

En lisant de nombreux articles de Conner, je crois aussi qu’en tant que chefs de projet, nous devons faire plus d’introspection. Nous comprenons tous les processus, mais nous devons également comprendre qui sont les personnes qui traversent le changement et les valeurs déjà intégrées dans l’organisation.

Selon John Kotter, professeur de leadership à la Harvard Business School, il soutient que de nombreux projets de changement échouent parce que la victoire est déclarée trop tôt. Le vrai changement est profond. Les gains rapides ne sont que le début de ce qui doit être fait pour réaliser un changement à long terme. Dans le modèle de changement en 8 étapes de Kotter, un plan de communication peut nous guider à mieux adresser la résistance au changement.  L’élaboration d’un plan de communication tout au long du processus de changement est considéré comme un atout majeur pour aider à comprendre et partager la motivation de l’entreprise à changer et valider la pertinence de nos actions. Il ne faut surtout pas oublier l’une des phases les plus importantes : un programme de formation pour s’assurer que nos employés se familiarisent avec les changements.

Lorsque nous avons un manque de connaissance relié au projet de changement, nous devons axer nos efforts sur la consultation et la concertation.  Il faut faire la même chose lorsque nous croyons maitriser la matière.  Car pour qu’un projet fonctionne il faut tisser des liens, réunir les différents groupes d’intervenants, valider si nos connaissances sont encore à jour, s’assurer d’avoir cerné qui sont les personnes qui auront à traverser ces changements et comment leurs résistances peuvent impacter le projet ?

Ne jamais oublier que l’être humain fait partie du succès dans tous les aspects de notre vie et de notre travail. Ils doivent toujours être pris en compte à tous les niveaux de la mise en œuvre du changement et être considérés comme la priorité dans tout ce que nous faisons. Soyez à l’affût, avant, pendant et après, des réactions des gens au changement. N’ayez pas d’idée préconçue pour en tirer vos propres conclusions.

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