Facts Vs. Feelings: Recruiting Technicians
Guest writer Isaac Rollor highlights the importance of building relationships with your communications at your business in “Facts Vs. Feelings: Recruiting Technicians.”
I do not know the exact source of the statement “Facts don’t care about your feelings” but it’s a statement I have heard many times recently. This statement as I heard it was not applied directly to the heavy equipment industry, but I do feel it warrants some reflection. The heavy equipment industry is really invested in facts. Hard evidence. Data. Not a bad thing. In fact, it is a source of certainty that is lacking in many other industries. Technicians are one of the most factual focused working groups in our industry and rightfully so. To be successful, technicians must focus on facts pertaining to safety, quality of work, billing etc. Facts are important. The problem with facts is that facts alone do not cause someone to act. In my experience emotions cause action.
My hypothesis. One reason technicians are not entering the heavy equipment workforce at a fast enough rate is because OEM’s and dealers are focused on facts during recruiting and rarely focused on emotion. Industry hardened professionals love facts because these facts have led them to remarkable success. Here is a splendid example, if a technician masters the repair manual’s process of replacing, diagnosing, and repairing a certain OEM’s machines they will be considered successful, receive promotions, and make more money. All they had to do was follow the facts, such as processes, procedures, torque specs etc. and they achieved success. When I speak with technicians who have 20-30 years logged repairing heavy equipment, I like to ask them why they started and stayed in the industry. The answer is usually rooted in emotion. This may be related to their family, or even their own internal desire but it is typically a love of something that moved them to become a technician and eventually become an expert technician, service manager etc. The feeling or emotion motivates someone to come to terms with the facts.
When I hear recruiters speak to potential technicians and lead off with statics or data and facts about the industry/job I always cringe a little bit. Starting a career or even changing jobs within the industry is a crucial decision for most people. If you dig deep enough, you are highly likely to discover that this decision is rooted in emotion. An OEM or dealer competing for a scarce resource such as technicians should carefully examine the strategy being used to attract and retain top talent. Let’s make a quick comparison of facts-based messaging and feelings-based messaging. How would you respond if you were a capable technician just out of trade school and you were making a career decision based on the following job discussion with a recruiter?
Facts based job discussion:
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians at ABC company typically do the following:
- Consult equipment operating manuals, blueprints, and drawings.
- Perform scheduled maintenance, such as cleaning and lubricating parts.
- Diagnose and identify malfunctions, using computerized tools and equipment.
- Inspect, repair, and replace defective or worn parts, such as bearings, pistons, and gears.
- Overhaul and test major components, such as engines, hydraulic systems, and electrical systems
- Disassemble and reassemble heavy equipment and components.
- Travel to worksites to repair large equipment, such as cranes.
- Maintain logs of equipment condition and work performed.
Heavy vehicles and mobile equipment are critical to many industrial activities, including construction and railroad transportation. Several types of equipment, such as tractors, cranes, and bulldozers, are used to haul materials, till land, lift beams, and dig earth to pave the way for development and construction.
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians repair and maintain engines, hydraulic systems, transmissions, and electrical systems of agricultural, industrial, construction, and rail equipment. They ensure the performance and safety of fuel lines, brakes, and other systems.
These service technicians use diagnostic computers and equipment to identify problems and make adjustments or repairs. For example, they may use an oscilloscope to observe the signals produced by electronic components. Service technicians also use many different power and machine tools, including pneumatic wrenches, lathes, and welding equipment. A pneumatic tool, such as an impact wrench, is a tool powered by compressed air.
Service technicians also use many different hand tools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches, to work on small parts and in hard-to-reach areas. They generally purchase these tools over the course of their careers, often investing thousands of dollars in their inventory.
After identifying malfunctioning equipment, service technicians repair, replace, and recalibrate components such as hydraulic pumps and spark plugs. Doing this may involve disassembling and reassembling major equipment or adjusting through an onboard computer program.
Feelings based job discussion:
Many heavy equipment technicians at ABC company report feeling a sense of freedom because they are responsible for their own service truck, tools, and schedule. How would it feel to have control over your own schedule and work experience? Is this something that is important to you?
Notice the difference? Facts based discussion leaves little room for tactical questioning of the candidate. To the contrary a feeling-based discussion can easily omit many of the hard facts and cut directly to the emotional reasoning for being interested in a technician position. The great part about leading with feelings is that facts can still be presented but these facts can now be hand-picked to support the feeling the technician wants to have.
Here is my challenge to you, lead with feelings instead of leading with facts. See how many times you can get your potential technicians to “feel” a certain way about the job. Once the feelings are identified use your facts to support their feelings and allow them to arrive at a career decision that they “feel” most comfortable with. I think the results may surprise you.
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Navigating Innovation’s Lonely Road: A Guide for the Stuck and Stalled
Navigating Innovation’s Lonely Road: A Guide for the Stuck and Stalled
Guest writer Sara Hanks returns this week with a blog offering tips and tricks for those individuals who drive change in their organizations: “Navigating Innovation’s Lonely Road: A Guide for the Stuck and Stalled.”
Do you ever feel alone while trying to drive innovation or when you’re nurturing an idea that people haven’t completely bought into yet? You’re not alone. It’s a common experience for those of us who live on the cutting edge, pushing boundaries and stepping outside our comfort zone. The journey can often feel lonely, and it’s easy to get stuck.
I’m currently building a company from scratch, leveraging my experiences from 2012 to 2020 leading the digital transformation of all quality processes across engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and services at a former GE business. The goal is to assist others in achieving similar transformations through consulting and software solutions. The vision is grand, but I often find myself feeling alone and, occasionally, uninspired.
Not too long ago, I found myself on a solitary drive to a Quality conference in Philadelphia. The long stretch of road ahead of me provided an opportunity for reflection. I was struggling with feelings of loneliness and a waning inspiration. I reached out and phoned a friend, venting my frustrations and sharing my self-doubt. It was a simple act, but it reminded me that I wasn’t alone in my journey, and that there were others who understood and empathized with my challenges.
As the conference unfolded, something remarkable happened: my passion reignited. I was surrounded by like-minded individuals, all of whom were striving for innovation in their respective fields. It was a powerful reminder that even when we feel alone or stuck, there are always opportunities to find inspiration and rekindle our motivation.
Here are a few strategies to help reignite your momentum and boost your drive:
Connect and Collaborate: Find someone who thinks like you, give them a call, and brainstorm ideas. Share your thoughts with them, explaining where you’re coming from and where you want to go. Don’t underestimate the power of collaboration. Partnering with others can often provide the extra motivation you need to move forward.
Expand Your Horizons: Attend a conference or a tradeshow where you can expose yourself to new perspectives and ideas. Listening to others talk about related topics can bring clarity to your own thoughts. Even when you think you’ve covered all bases, you’d be surprised at what you can learn from others who are just beginning their journey. As an example, after implementing a connected supply chain system, I found myself learning new aspects from those just starting out in the field.
Embrace Solitude: It’s important to find some time to be alone and give yourself the opportunity to focus on specific tasks or ideas. Inform your family, friends, or colleagues who might potentially interrupt you to respect your space during this dedicated time. Turn off your phone and make sure you’re giving yourself the time you need. If you find it hard to get started, try this trick: carve out an hour of your time, but only commit to working on your idea for the first 10 minutes. Often, getting started is the hardest part.
Have Fun: Last but certainly not least, remember to have fun away from your work. During the conference, I connected with cousins that I hadn’t seen in 10 years. We laughed at old memories and the exciting world of teenaged children. It was awesome.
Feeling stuck is not a sign of failure, but rather a part of the creative and innovative journey. J.K. Rowling, known for the Harry Potter series, experienced a period of ‘stuckness’ during her writing process. She has spoken about the times when she struggled with motivation and self-doubt, despite having a clear vision of what she wanted to create. Yet, she persisted, finding ways to reignite her inspiration and bring her ideas to life. Today, her books have not only achieved phenomenal success but have also inspired millions across the globe. So, if you find yourself feeling stuck in your journey, try some of the strategies above. Even feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.
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People Are Assets to a Business, NOT Simply Labor Costs
People Are Assets to a Business, NOT Simply Labor Costs
John G. Carlson is CEO & Co-Founder of Reflective Performance, Inc., a data and analytics company bringing a human-centered approach to increase productivity and corporate profitability. Informed by extensive experience in corporate turnarounds and operational improvements, Reflective Performance helps organizations enable a more stable and highly productive workforce — regardless of industry, products, or technologies — by applying the cognitive science of “executive function” (EF). In less than five minutes, a game-like software app called Reflect / EF unlocks previously unattainable insights about personal decision-making, life skills and workplace success. Organizations benefit, too, through better management of the employment pathway for higher employee and customer retention and workforce development. He makes his first guest blog post with Learning Without Scars this week: “People are assets to a business, NOT simply labor costs.”
I’m glad to see Fortune call attention to the financial short-sightedness of organizations viewing their people as mere “labor costs.” Employees aren’t line items to manage, but people whose fundamental impact on the business can be enhanced through better management and tools that enable self-management. (This is what we’re doing with Reflective Performance, Inc. by using data and analytics to help organizations unlock the greater potential of their employees.)
As companies strive for profitability, they need to be able to seize improvements from a stable and highly productive workforce. This requires moving away from traditional financial metrics and management methods. People aren’t “capital,” but they can be understood as assets with an extended employment lifecycle in a way that parallels IT and other hard assets. Looked at from this perspective, costs can actually be measured from hiring to onboarding to training and then through high performance and retention, then analyzed through a Total Cost of Productivity framework.
Companies can greatly reduce so many wasteful costs and unnecessary overheads, not to mention “time sinks,” through lifecycle process management supported by investments in learning technologies and improved decision-making tools. These tools, data, and systems are readily available to enable this kind of system change, but first they require corporate leaders to change their perspective to build corporate profitability through human-centered productivity.
Companies don’t know how to measure their human capital other than as a labor cost–and it’s hurting profits
fortune.com
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Imagine That
Imagine That
Guest writer John Andersen walks us through the latest merger that will directly impact our industry in “Imagine That.”
Imagine waking up one morning to find that Coke and Pepsi had merged. What if Samsung and Apple formed a single company? Can you picture a world where UPS acquires FedEx to become the dominant shipping company in North America?
That’s how the beginning of May felt for a lot of people, with e-Emphasys announcing the acquisition of the heavy equipment portion of CDK Global.
CDK’s Intellidealer solution and e-Emphasys eXtend offering were unquestionably the top two solutions for heavy equipment distributors in North America. The new combined customer base will represent at least 70% of the dealership rooftops in North America, with sights set on a more global presence. It’s an exciting time for both companies, but what does this mean for the customers?
Most customers will be advised that despite this exciting opportunity, it will be business as usual for at least the next 12 months. The company will realign departments, consolidating development, sales, and customer support, while trying not to disrupt the existing clients. There will be new markets, global plays, and perhaps even more acquisitions. There will be talks about technology stacks, integration, and eventually a preferred direction. As the undeniable dominant provider in North America, you can expect OEM attention and maybe some new agreements.
However, what is missing is that all-important product innovation. There was no mention of any groundbreaking application being released. We didn’t read about the next generation of systems or cutting-edge technology that will help form the future of the distributor. We didn’t hear about how this new resource-rich, experience-dense, perfectly positioned entity will deliver anything other than reheated versions of the same old systems. Worse, they will spend a minimum of 12 months arranging the furniture and preparing those all-important renewal contracts.
Success requires more than just resources. It requires passion. It requires humility and understanding. The roots of all these businesses were planted in people who loved the dealerships, the end users of equipment, and the processes. Each strived to be the best provider by leading customers from simple paper to complex systems. Profitability was a byproduct of being a true partner with the customer and stretching the boundaries of what could make a distributor better.
As consolidation continued, that innovation slowed until new development was made up of interfaces, rewrites of data access, bolt-ons, and strategic partnerships. DMS providers were transitioned to private equity partners or venture capitalists that simply work the numbers. Terms like dealer spend or rooftop ROI supplanted innovation and satisfaction for the end-user customer.
The call to action for each distributor should be the same, whether it’s an old supplier, a new supplier, an OEM-supplied system, or a brand-new player: What is the new product that you will be delivering to me in the next 6 months that will fundamentally change the way I am operating? If the answer is a reheat, rework, or just nothing, then it’s time for a change. In the current climate of consolidation, it is easy to lose sight of the importance of innovation. The excitement and buzz generated by the merger of two large companies can often overshadow the need for product development that is truly customer focused. As customers, we should demand more from our technology providers. We should be asking questions about the next generation of systems and cutting-edge technology that will help us to achieve our business objectives. We should expect our technology partners to deliver truly innovative solutions that will fundamentally change the way we operate. It is important for technology providers to remain passionate about their customers and the industry they serve. They must continue to strive to be the best provider by leading customers from simple processes to complex systems. Profitability should be a byproduct of being a true partner with the customer and pushing the boundaries of what can make a distributor better.
In summary, while these mergers/acquisitions may bring benefits in terms of size, scale and reach we must not lose sight of the importance of innovation. We should demand more from our technology partners and push them to deliver truly groundbreaking solutions that will change the industry for the better. Only then can we ensure a bright and successful future for the heavy equipment industry.
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Facts Vs. Feelings: Recruiting Technicians
Facts Vs. Feelings: Recruiting Technicians
Guest writer Isaac Rollor highlights the importance of building relationships with your communications at your business in “Facts Vs. Feelings: Recruiting Technicians.”
I do not know the exact source of the statement “Facts don’t care about your feelings” but it’s a statement I have heard many times recently. This statement as I heard it was not applied directly to the heavy equipment industry, but I do feel it warrants some reflection. The heavy equipment industry is really invested in facts. Hard evidence. Data. Not a bad thing. In fact, it is a source of certainty that is lacking in many other industries. Technicians are one of the most factual focused working groups in our industry and rightfully so. To be successful, technicians must focus on facts pertaining to safety, quality of work, billing etc. Facts are important. The problem with facts is that facts alone do not cause someone to act. In my experience emotions cause action.
My hypothesis. One reason technicians are not entering the heavy equipment workforce at a fast enough rate is because OEM’s and dealers are focused on facts during recruiting and rarely focused on emotion. Industry hardened professionals love facts because these facts have led them to remarkable success. Here is a splendid example, if a technician masters the repair manual’s process of replacing, diagnosing, and repairing a certain OEM’s machines they will be considered successful, receive promotions, and make more money. All they had to do was follow the facts, such as processes, procedures, torque specs etc. and they achieved success. When I speak with technicians who have 20-30 years logged repairing heavy equipment, I like to ask them why they started and stayed in the industry. The answer is usually rooted in emotion. This may be related to their family, or even their own internal desire but it is typically a love of something that moved them to become a technician and eventually become an expert technician, service manager etc. The feeling or emotion motivates someone to come to terms with the facts.
When I hear recruiters speak to potential technicians and lead off with statics or data and facts about the industry/job I always cringe a little bit. Starting a career or even changing jobs within the industry is a crucial decision for most people. If you dig deep enough, you are highly likely to discover that this decision is rooted in emotion. An OEM or dealer competing for a scarce resource such as technicians should carefully examine the strategy being used to attract and retain top talent. Let’s make a quick comparison of facts-based messaging and feelings-based messaging. How would you respond if you were a capable technician just out of trade school and you were making a career decision based on the following job discussion with a recruiter?
Facts based job discussion:
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians at ABC company typically do the following:
Heavy vehicles and mobile equipment are critical to many industrial activities, including construction and railroad transportation. Several types of equipment, such as tractors, cranes, and bulldozers, are used to haul materials, till land, lift beams, and dig earth to pave the way for development and construction.
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians repair and maintain engines, hydraulic systems, transmissions, and electrical systems of agricultural, industrial, construction, and rail equipment. They ensure the performance and safety of fuel lines, brakes, and other systems.
These service technicians use diagnostic computers and equipment to identify problems and make adjustments or repairs. For example, they may use an oscilloscope to observe the signals produced by electronic components. Service technicians also use many different power and machine tools, including pneumatic wrenches, lathes, and welding equipment. A pneumatic tool, such as an impact wrench, is a tool powered by compressed air.
Service technicians also use many different hand tools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches, to work on small parts and in hard-to-reach areas. They generally purchase these tools over the course of their careers, often investing thousands of dollars in their inventory.
After identifying malfunctioning equipment, service technicians repair, replace, and recalibrate components such as hydraulic pumps and spark plugs. Doing this may involve disassembling and reassembling major equipment or adjusting through an onboard computer program.
Feelings based job discussion:
Many heavy equipment technicians at ABC company report feeling a sense of freedom because they are responsible for their own service truck, tools, and schedule. How would it feel to have control over your own schedule and work experience? Is this something that is important to you?
Notice the difference? Facts based discussion leaves little room for tactical questioning of the candidate. To the contrary a feeling-based discussion can easily omit many of the hard facts and cut directly to the emotional reasoning for being interested in a technician position. The great part about leading with feelings is that facts can still be presented but these facts can now be hand-picked to support the feeling the technician wants to have.
Here is my challenge to you, lead with feelings instead of leading with facts. See how many times you can get your potential technicians to “feel” a certain way about the job. Once the feelings are identified use your facts to support their feelings and allow them to arrive at a career decision that they “feel” most comfortable with. I think the results may surprise you.
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Utilizing Three Key Sources of Information to Support the Product Support Business Growth
Utilizing Three Key Sources of Information to Support the Product Support Business Growth
Guest writer Ron Wilson covers the data points and information we can gather inside and outside the dealership in his blog post, “Utilizing Three Key Sources of Information to Support the Product Support Business Growth.”
There are many data points and sources of information within and outside the dealership that can support growing the product support business of a dealership. Two areas reviewed below are examples of a source within the dealership and one from outside of the dealership.
Abandoned Shopping Cart Analysis
We have all left items in our online shopping cart. This is no different with the customers utilizing the online part lookup and order systems with the various dealers.
The abandoned parts orders can provide a wealth of information:
Maintaining the Dealership’s Machine Population List is a Challenge.
Many dealers and OEMs utilize the dealer’s machine population within the territory to identify parts and service opportunity. It’s an ongoing challenge to keep the various customers machine population current. One suggestion is to monitor the various auction sites that your customers may use when disposing of machines. Some of these sites will list not only a photo of the machine, but also the model and serial number. Run this serial number against the dealer’s machine population list to identify if a client is planning to sell the unit at auction. Notify the Sales/Rental and Product Support Sales Representatives and update the machine population.
Here are a couple of examples:
Both of the machines above came from an auction company’s website showing the location and detailed information about a specific machine.
Identifying Missed Component Rebuild Opportunities
Very often a customer may source component rebuilds and parts purchases from various vendors in addition to the dealership. Reviewing the service repair history of a customer can help identify to what level the customer is utilizing the dealership’s total service capabilities.
Depending on the dealer’s business system it may be possible to determine:
Utilizing the above information can be particularly useful when developing marketing campaigns, recording lost sales, and identifying future business opportunities. The dealership can apply a more focused approach for product support offerings.
There is a tremendous about of information available within the dealerships business system, the challenge is utilizing the data to understand the current environment and the future direction. Combining data analysis and business expertise can lead to increased part and service business, as well as improved customer service and support.
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Filling the Experience Gap
Filling the Experience Gap
Guest writer Jim Dettore blogs about how we can go about filling the experience gap for our technicians and employees.
In industries such as construction equipment dealerships, mining equipment, and gas compression, the role of service technicians and service management is crucial. These industries rely heavily on the expertise of their technical teams to maintain and repair equipment, minimize downtime, and ensure optimal performance. However, there is often a gap between the experience level of new hires and the requirements of the job. This is where quality, relevant training can make a significant difference.
Quality, relevant training can help bridge the gap between the knowledge and skills of new hires and the demands of the job. Here are some ways in which training can be beneficial for service technicians and service management in these industries:
In conclusion, quality, relevant training can help fill the employee experience level gap in service technicians and service management in the construction equipment, mining equipment, and gas compression industries. By providing employees with the necessary technical skills, safety and compliance knowledge, customer service skills, teamwork and collaboration skills, and career development opportunities, companies can ensure that their technical teams are well-equipped to meet the demands of the job and provide excellent service to customers.
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Who Should Establish Repair Options Pricing?
Who should Establish Repair Options Pricing?
Guest writer Ron Wilson brings us the fourth part of his four-part series on Repair Options offerings with “Who Should Establish Repair Options Pricing?”
This is the fourth in a four-part series relating to Expand Product Support Offerings with Repair Options.
This article discusses who should set the pricing utilized in repair options rebuilds. In many cases the Service Department is responsible for setting the rebuild prices for component rebuilds. In some cases, Product Support Sales is responsible for establishing the rebuild pricing, and some dealers have established a Pricing Department outside of rebuild sales team. A third option is to utilize a Pricing Team (could be a department) that does not report to the neither of the Service and Product Support Sales Departments.
A Pricing Team can provide a skill level that includes:
An entire science relating to Value Based Pricing provides tools, knowledge, and expertise to support the combination of historical rebuild information, market-based pricing information, and moves away from an hourly rate philosophy to a value add philosophy.
An example of some tools that can assist in reviewing and establishing rebuild pricing include:
Many other pricing tools available Component Pricing Ladder provides a view of the current market pricing options. Each has its unique advantages/disadvantages. If an analysis shows the Dealer Exchange is above the OEM Reman price there are some opportunities to determine why and adjust as needed.
The same concept can be utilized comparing competitors pricing, but it is important to understand the competitors rebuild practices. Machine Rebuild Opportunity Model can assist in establishing a priority of which machine/component is most important in the current market.
Component Rebuild Customer Importance Ranking utilizes the attributes that are important to the customer and evaluates the dealer and other competitors. Corrective action can be taken to address the specific issues. It is not always about price. Price is not listed here but could be included. A Pareto Analysis reviews the breakdown of the engine rebuild process. Comparing the actual to the standard can provide a recap of potential areas of concern. The chart below represents labor hours, this can also be done representing the value of the parts utilized in the rebuilds.
Component Pricing Ladder
The above information shows some of the various tools that can be utilized to evaluate pricing other than just the number of labor hours. Labor hours are important and should be included in the process, but there is more to the story and really goes back to the question.
Where does the establishing of component pricing belong?
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Critical Thinking Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Guest writer Jim Dettore brings the importance of critical thinking skills into the work we all do in our industry with today’s blog.
Heavy construction equipment plays a crucial role in various industries, including construction, mining, and agriculture. However, like any other mechanical device, these machines are susceptible to failure, leading to equipment downtime, costly repairs, and even safety hazards. Therefore, it’s essential to conduct root cause failure analysis to identify the underlying causes of equipment failure and take corrective action to prevent similar incidents in the future. This is where critical thinking skills come in.
Critical thinking skills are essential for analyzing complex problems and making informed decisions based on available evidence. The root cause failure analysis of heavy construction equipment failures requires a systematic and analytical approach to identify the contributing factors and develop effective solutions. Often, it can be summed up as the forensic analysis of metal destruction. In this blog, we will discuss some critical thinking skills that can help in conducting root cause failure analysis of heavy construction equipment failures.
In conclusion, critical thinking skills are essential for conducting root cause failure analysis of heavy construction equipment failures. They help in identifying relevant data sources, analyzing problems systematically, developing hypotheses, making informed decisions, and continuously improving equipment performance. By applying critical thinking skills, heavy construction equipment operators and maintenance personnel can prevent equipment failures, reduce downtime, and improve safety, productivity, and profitability.
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How Does Someone in High School Know What to Do?
How Does Someone in High School Know What to Do?
Welcome back to our series on Lifelong Learning! The founder of Learning Without Scars, Ron Slee, is looking ahead to the future of education and the future of the working world in, “How Does Someone in High School Know What to Do?”
Caroline, my daughter, and I were having a conversation yesterday about Learning Without Scars and the needs of the people who were in school or working. It brought me to ask her – “how does someone in high school know what to do?” Her answer was the school guidance counselor, along with a program being implemented in her specific district (not nationwide). Through the program, students complete career profile quizzes to suggest careers that might suit their learning styles, interests, and strengths. From these career suggestions, students can explore the pathway to reach the career. I found that to be interesting and I pushed back with more questions. How does the advising aspect work with the guidance counselor? One of our good friends was a guidance counselor for most of her career in education in Canada. My grandchildren both accessed their guidance counselor. In the case of my grandchildren, it was more advice on which classes to take and why. I was wondering more about the guidance that the high school students received in their lives. On their individual careers. The question “what do you want to do with the rest of your life?”
Earlier today I was having a Teams Meeting with Steve Clegg, from Zintoro, and John Carlson, from Reflective, and we got into the same subject. There were some interesting options we touched on.
John Carlson has been involved in continuous improvement engagements for many decades. He is a “Systems Thinker.” He has a product that allows an individual to do an evaluation of themselves and how they would fit into the world around us. It starts with an awareness evaluation, then they proceed to a “Gamification. tool”
On another front David Jensen, Johnny Creek Consulting, has developed a “Tabletop Exercise” to assist with evaluating the match of skills and job function needs. Learning Without Scars has Job Function Skills Assessments. We are talking about developing a tool to assist students in high school to answer my opening question.
With the leadership of Steve Johnson, at Learning Without Scars we are developing a network of Centers of Excellence across the US and Canada to carry our classes and assessments for both the Academic Credit and Workforce Development programs in their syllabus. We have developed an intensive library of skills assessments for our classes as well as for our subject specific class reading lists and our homework assignments. This allows us to provide our students with the results that they obtain from increasing their skills and knowledge. With the changes in education continuing to proceed at an extremely fast pace we are looking at extending the assessment process to high school students.
This group, David, Steve, John, and I are trying to tie the skills and performance of the employees with the performance level of the businesses that employ them.
We have data analytics on the transactions of a business. Transaction level data. We have employee skills and knowledge assessments for those employees working in Product Support, the distribution side of the business. We have reflective analysis data on the probability of performance of employees in a business. Now we must tie all of this together.
Ross Atkinson, who keeps our IT and systems needs under control, works with our Learning Management Software, Litmos, on their reporting engine. Between Ross and Steve, we are building Portals for our Schools, Manufacturers, Dealers, Associations and State Certification programs to allow our clients, their employees, and students to be able to track their progress through our classes and assessments.
I find this work to be especially stimulating. As most of you know I am personally invested in helping people find their potential and then providing tools to those people that will assist them to reach their personal and professional potential. It is in keeping with my constant pursuit to get better at what I do.
I grew up spending hours and hours in the swimming pool training. I got to be good at it. There is one profoundly serious lesson that I learned from swimming that has served me well in my years in the business world. You see, in swimming the competition isn’t the issue. Winning races isn’t the issue. Being better than your best time – now that is THE issue. Beating my best time finishing last in a race was a win. A HUGE win.
I learned at an early age that competing with others was not that important. Sure, you felt good if you performed well. But the real competition is within yourself. We must constantly get better at what we do. I wonder who is passing that message along to the high school students that are about to embark on the journey of their lives.
The time is now.
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The Validity of 5-Star Google Reviews
The Validity of 5-Star Google Reviews
Guest writer Roy Lapa walks us through the ins and outs of feedback. We have all seen reviews posted online, but how can we measure the validity of 5-star Google reviews?
Can you trust them? Yes, with some precautions. Google actively updates, examines, and penalizes most false or biased reviews. Nevertheless, despite their best efforts to curb these actions, this behavior persists, and customers and businesses alike experience the negative effects.
Google wants its reviews to reflect the real experiences and opinions of its users and not be the result of either swaying or other forms of incentive. If Google discovers that a company offered incentives in exchange for reviews, it has the right not only to remove those reviews but also to suspend the company’s account. Here are three recent encounters I have had:
Hotel Reviews vs. Hotel Experience
We booked a hotel for employees going on a work trip to a new region based on Google reviews. After the trip, when we performed a post-event review, one of the strikingly negative comments revolved around the hotel experience. Descriptions by the employees who stayed at the hotel depicted a dramatically different encounter than what we read within the Google reviews. As we investigated deeper, we found what seemed to be a lot of reviews from people who did not appear to exist. Though we did not do a full forensic dive, we concluded that the business had a substantial number of reviews which were not authentic.
Marketers Give Advice on Paid or Influenced Google Reviews
Let us start with a definition of marketing from the American Marketing Association:
Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.
Although the word ‘value’ is overused and rarely assessed, I am positive that customers would not value Google reviews unless they provided a complete representation, without bias, of the business they were considering engaging with. Unfortunately, I recently discovered the opposite within the marketing agency industry, and it is heartbreaking to see because it harms all professional and ethical marketers. Marketing strategies which focus on obtaining genuine reviews are a fantastic approach; however, be wary if the marketing recommendation you receive for your business includes any indication of achieving 5-star reviews as the primary goal.
Financial Consulting Firm Requests 5-Star Google Reviews or No Review at All
When a powerful group tells its members they are required to act a certain way or else, this is clear positional power at play and full of bias. This firm has an exceptionally large following, but in this instance, it has, unfortunately, lost focus on one of its foundational values of being ethical. Discouraging open and critical yet true feedback leads to several major negatives that have the potential to become monsters later. Here are two to contemplate:
5-Star Conclusion
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