Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/465691
48 • MARCH 2015 • WORLD FENCE NEWS THE HUMAN LINK by Jim Lucci Management Motivational Associates Journey back in time – through the years Over the next few months, I will take a look back and summarize some thoughts that I have expressed at vari- ous times throughout my some 30 plus years of writing The Human Link for the World Fence News. At the same time I am asking you to try to remember where you were then and how some of these items may have impacted you. Hopefully, with that in mind you will travel back in time with me and perhaps even recall how you reacted to those times and grew from it. With that said, I begin my "remi- niscing" with 1985 and what I predict- ed was in store for 1986. In retrospect, generally the fence industry enjoyed two fine seasons back to back in those years. In all its various aspects, the industry had been able to capitalize on the overall economic improvement that was be- ing felt nationwide. However as far as 1986 was concerned, I had expressed that the economy could slow down and that we could see a slowdown in both disposable income and housing starts. I was looking at the same time for interest rates to rise to the 14%- 16% levels. Of course, rising interest rates tend to slow down buying, expansion, and borrowing trends, and thus slow down diversification as well. (Wow! How many of us remember those days of 14%-16% interest rates?) On the international side the "strong" U.S. dollar had been deter- mined to be from 25% to 30% over- valued by the international trading community; therefore, they simply would not buy as much goods as we would like. I further noted that if we continued to import products at a fast- er rate than we export we would con- tinue to experience a continued trade deficit situation. I further commented on two as- pects of the fence industry that we see where planning ahead pays off. For example, I pointed out busi- nesses that identified solid do-it-your- self markets and accordingly created a profitable sales picture would be grateful that they did. I further noted that the DIY mar- ket was a growing and viable market and should not be underestimated as a source of income no matter what the size of your company, and whether wholesale or retail. The second aspect of the fence industry that I pointed out, was the need to be redirected towards the full service picture involving more contact with more customer involvement in the decision making process, which would be reflected in a shift of selling techniques. I wish to point out that the 1986 business climate would call for even more creativity in personnel than the previous years because the econ- omy would not be as strong as it had been during the so-called "economic recovery." We have probably observed in looking back that while some vari- ables have changed, basically the same concerns have been with us through the most recent years. Nothing much has really changed over time. I concluded in my observation in my column with the following: "No matter what your specialty, take time to gather more information in the skills that you will need, and above all be flexible. Developing new habits and customers may be necessary if you are to achieve and maintain success at the levels you have come to expect and enjoy." Has that much really changed since then for you? You be the judge. We will now fast forward to some thoughts from the November 1990 column where I found the need to dis- cuss the value of maintaining a sched- ule while allowing for flexibility. I had discussed over the preceding several months factors that contribute to the success or failure of a business in day- to-day operations. The following scenario was the most obvious one faced by those con- tractors I was in touch with and per- haps you as well if you can remember that far back. Let's paint a word picture for you to consider: A crew is scheduled to in- stall a job on a Monday morning, with all the necessary appointments and material requirements in place. On Monday morning they start out but are caught in a bad rainstorm. Perhaps the rain came sooner than was forecast. (I remember remarking at the time that I hope everyone was paying attention to the weather fore- casts.) The storm makes installation im- possible, so the crew chief calls the office and asks "What do you want us to do?" In this case, there is dead si- lence while the manager quickly runs through the "obvious" options; send them home, wait out the rain, or tell them to come back to the yard. Let's explore this situation. The answer that you give could, on the one hand, reflect your level of cost con- sciousness and depth of observation at their best. Or, on the other hand, it could reflect a lack of organizational skills and thinking. It's almost simplistic to say, but this depends on how aware you are continued on page 50 SECURE GATE SYSTEMS, INC. Original Manufacturer of Preassembled High Security Emergency Egress Gates Opens Every Time with Patented Reliability Toll Free 866-725-6995 • www.securegatesystems.net