Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/330408
Management 46 | ZZZFHGPDJFRP | Construction Equipment Distribution | June 2014 0DNLQJ7HFKQRORJ\(YHU\RQH·V%XVLQHVV One of the additional challenges that we face on a daily basis in our business is the flow of information. Naturally, one might think that with the introduction of new technologies over the years the flow of information would improve. But we've come to the realization that this philosophy is not necessarily true. With the introduction of new technologies we have seen new information introduced and overall increased volume of information with which we deal every day. And as we deal with these volumes of information, we find that placing too much emphasis on too few people for interpretation can lead to little progress, or worse yet, failure. It's the analytical equivalent of "placing all your eggs in one basket!" If the information age has taught us anything, it's that having an understanding of these new technologies can transform employees in all areas of our company into leaders. We've spent a great deal of time and money in educating employees so that they feel comfortable in speaking with our customers about the benefits of technology. Anyone and everyone who interacts with a customer can lead the charge in our quest to educate them on new technologies. For decades, the processes of selling and servicing construction and forestry equipment have centered around a few time-honored principles: production capability, dependability, serviceability, and, of course, the price! With the advent of on-board diagnostics and telematics solu- tions such as John Deere's JDLink, which enable real-time communication between equipment operators and equip- ment managers, we've added a game-changing principle to the mix: "information availability." The time-honored principles still exist, but the way in which we look at them is fundamentally changing due to the availability of this new information. Salespeople and product support personnel within our entire organization are re-evaluating the way they look at our equipment and our customers' needs. While training can start them on the right path, it alone won't do the trick. With regards to these new technologies, we are placing more emphasis on driving conversations with our customers and also listening to their needs. Oftentimes, the informa- tion a customer needs is readily available, but when it is not we make it a point to communicate future needs to our vendor partners so that continuous improvements are made to the software that generates this information. We realize that technology is ever changing, and that we can either take a leadership role in affecting these changes or sit idly by while things go awry. $QG,W$OO*RHV%DFNWR/HDGHUVKLS With this thought in mind, you can now see a pattern of how to make the top-down method of management work in harmony with the bottom-up philosophy, so that they mesh seamlessly in the middle. Oracle Corp. is an example of an organization that believes top-down is tactical based management, and bottom-up is more strategy oriented. If you subscribe to this idea, then you have an excellent road map to leading – and, more important, building your team. Leaders who are not threatened by their employees will empower them to make decisions in a real-time environment. In an ever-fluctuating business environment, taking the time to track someone down to make a decision can create more problems. Having people you trust and can rely on gives you additional comfort in taking care of business matters. Likewise, having an employee who trusts his or her leader to back them up after a decision has been made will encour- age them to actually make that decision and follow up on it. Now you can have leadership that takes advantage of both aspects of management. You can manage top down, tactically, and know that your team is empowered to take the strategic steps they need to make the decisions to ensure success. In the end, the most important leadership strategy you can learn is how to build a team. ´5HEXLOGLQJ/HDGHUVKLSLQ3URGXFW 6XSSRUWµFRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH The authors are employed at Doggett Equipment Services Group, the John Deere dealer based in Houston, Texas. Troy Ottmer is vice president, Fixed Operations; Mitchell Ivey is Fixed Operations coordinator; and Jason Brod is corporate warranty manager. Powerful Rental Tools Robust financial utilization reporting Flexible depreciation management Record/classify lost sales Accounting Inventory Sales Service Built-in CRM OEM Integration Customer Portal www.chartersoftware.com/aspen-rental