Service Manager

Fletcher’s Truck Caps is seeking a Service Manager who loves trucks more than life itself. In addition to sales, this person will assist with truck projects.  Our selection must be patient and diplomatic with customers and a team player. If you’re not a self-starter, enthusiastic and full of energy, you won’t like this job! Send resume to Doris Scribner at doris@executiveadvantagellc.com.

Office Manager

Do you have a great job but need new challenges? Are you a get-it-done person who is a stickler for detail?  Are you one who initiates rather than waits for instructions? These are qualities our client is seeking in an Office Manager. You must be passionate about follow through, honest in all things and polished when dealing with clients and staff. You must have excellent communications skills and knowledge of bookkeeping (Quick Books is a plus). If this is you, then we’re interested in learning more about you. Send resume and cover letter to Doris Scribner at  doris@executiveadvantagellc.com.

Top Dog Connection is the creation of executive advantage and was developed to offer a safe place for top persons to meet and share the joys and frustrations of being Top Dogs.

Top Dog Connection is a 12 month program in which the participants meet once a month with the entire group and once a month with another participant for lunch or breakfast.  A special curriculum has been developed just for Top Dogs and includes:

• Leading in 2012
• Setting Vision and Purpose
• Managing in Turbulence
• Branding your Organization
• Managing Human Resources
• Coaching
• Selling
• Building Management Team
• Embracing Change
• Managing Time
• Balancing Spirit, Mind and Body
• Looking into the Future

Proven Top Dogs, locally known experts participants would know and respect, are invited to co-facilitate the sessions.

Top Dog 3 has just begun. Marathon Building Environments is the gracious sponsor with David Keller of The Bank of Missouri bringing the opening word on leadership.  David Keller was one of the first participants in Top Dog 1.  Following is his testimony of Top Dog Cxn.

As a bank president, a good share of my time is devoted to leadership. To accomplish the demands of the job I need to create a vision for our staff, practice good time management, build value I our brand and make smart hires. My involvement in the Executive Management program has helped me focus on those responsibilities while learning to sharpen my leadership skills. – David Keller, President, The Bank of Missouri.

Top Dog 4 begins in July and will be sponsored by Services for Independent Living.  If you know of a Top Dog,  contact Doris Scribner at doris@executiveadvantagellc.com.

http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3154.pdf

From what I’ve read thus far, the EEOC would probably recommend the issue of convictions be taken from the job applications.  They recommend making inquiry during the interview process.

A sample interview question: “By business necessity, persons with XYZ criminal backgrounds must be excluded from being considered for ZXY positions with our company.  Might this prove to be a problem in your case?”

Remember to contact executive advantage when you need expert Human Resources help. Contact Doris (573) 819-0706 or doris@executiveadvantagellc.com or Bob (573) 819-2436 or bob@executiveadvantagellc.com .

“I can’t!!!”  These two words drive me nutty…   Here’s the honest truth.  On the way to personal business greatness, each one of us will have to fight the FEAR Monster. Yes, the FEAR Monster will follow and taunt even the boldest of persons as they pursue their business dreams.  That will be true for every man or woman who decides to step up to the business plate and take the challenge of starting and running a business.  Although planning is a very important element of running a successful business, planning won’t defeat fear. Although growth in skills and knowledge is important, learning successful sales techniques alone won’t defeat the FEAR Monster.

Here’s the real deal.   At some point in your business career, you must decide to stare down the FEAR Monster and kill him once and for all. If not, you’ll become just one more victim of a once great idea that failed.  Among all the many business owners who have succeeded here in Columbia and Jefferson City, every one of them has had to deal with the FEAR Monster (and sometimes often).

Perhaps some would disagree with my next thought, but I’ll face down the FEAR Monster and share it anyway!  Business greatness doesn’t come without  adversity.   At some point, each person must deal with his/her fears and decide to go on in spite of the difficulties.

Some years ago while visiting the Lincoln home area in Springfield, Illinois, I found a plaque listing Lincoln’s numerous failures.  At the bottom of the list, the following words stood out: “BECAME THE 16^th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATE”.    Just imagine what our country would be like if Lincoln had not faced down the FEAR Monster and won.   Here’s the starting point in the fight; you must have a dream so compelling that it is worth fighting over.

Here’s another thought.  Most people who’ve had to face the FEAR monster have someone they can talk things over with when the going gets rough.  Here’s our promise to you in your business journey.  Doris and I will be there to encourage you and help you with this very important matter  of victory over fear. We’ll stand with you and pray with you, perhaps linking you to others who’ve overcome, as you meet the challenge that will determine your future…

Killer 1 – Self-centeredness. Self-centeredness drives even the best workers away because they feel viewed as just another number rather than a valued person. Humility is a quality that never disappoints the business owner/manager or his/her employees.  To move forward on the path to greatness requires the owner/manager to shift the focus from himself/herself and place it on those who share their talents.  It is important to learn to practice humility towards others and make this practice one of our daily priorities.

Killer 2 – Lack of Attention. Attentiveness keeps our relationships from crumbling by asking us to value another person.  Our inattention often is interpreted by others as meaning “we don’t value or care for those persons”.  They become a number in our organization.  Just an employee and just employees perform at the compliance level rather than the great level.

Killer 3 – Judgmentalism. Judgmentalism may often destroy business owner/manager relationships. It may be a major contributor to organizational effectiveness. Business owners/managers may observe a less than stellar performance and think the person is an idiot, blurt it out and destroy years of relationship-building in a single moment.  Grace breaks down walls of resentment and anger.  Grace offers the possibility of organizational greatness.  Grace opens the door to employees’ hearts.  At a time in the history of the world when there is such great pressure on all people to perform, isn’t it time to let grace prevail?

Killer 4 – Apathy. Apathetic business owners/managers almost always end up with apathetic employees. Poor customer service, high incidences of absenteeism, high turnover, poor performance, no creativity or initiative, employee theft, and poor attitudes are just some of the symptoms for determining if an organization has an apathy problem. Almost all of these behaviors begin with apathetic business owners/managers.

Killer 5 – Fear. Possibly the strongest connection killers are fears of failure, conflict and rejection, especially in situations which require us to point out poor performance or handle other disciplinary matters.  What’s missing?  Personal courage.   It takes great courage to walk into tough situations.

Killer 6 – Snootiness. It’s easy for business owners/managers to forget they probably started from humble beginnings.  It’s easy to think of oneself as being better, but finding common ground helps to link hearts and produce relationships that can be counted on even in times of great struggle.  Remember, John Maxwell says that the way to an employee’s hands is through his/her heart. At times, employees can’t be counted on because they’re merely fulfilling the prophetic opinion of the manager and working like “just employees”.

Click here to pre-register for Top Dog.

The Top Dog Cxn group is an atmosphere in which approximately 10 Top Dogs from non-competing businesses come together once monthly for 12 months to learn, share, and grow in their Top Dog responsibilities.

Congratulations to the following confirmed group members: Nelly Roach (Caledon Virtual), Micki Marrero (NY Deli), Susan Hart (HBI), Jessica Macy (BCCA), Scott Bradley (Carpet One) and Stephanie Rothermich (HighPointe Financial)!

We have a few slots left for people who’ve truly exhibited excellence, achievement and/or innovation within their organizations.   Are you qualified?  To find out,  enter pre-registration screen here or contact Doris (573 819-0706; doris@executiveadvantagellc.com)

Date/Time: Third Thursday of each month, beginning April 19, 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Place:  Marathon Building Environments(1715 Paris Rd., Columbia, Mo)

Investment:  $699/ yr  (Discounts given for Marathon and Executive Advantage clients.)

See topics and full handout below:

Now, Bob and I aren’t “trainers” so to speak, and our company is not first and foremost a training organization.  However, like our parents, we’re always training our clients in best practice, constantly teaching them the rights and wrong of HR both from the documentation and the human side.  Bob says we’re “come alongsiders” teaching business owners and managers to “come alongside” those they’re in charge of in order to bring out the best in those around them to promote a common vision. (Try saying that sentence without taking a breath mid-stride.)  We help clients get their HR house in order while teaching them how to do it.   And that sets us apart from the others.

So, isn’t it time to schedule a cup of coffee with us to see whether it makes sense for us to work together.  (Call me at 573 819-0706.) You’re also welcome to join one of our upcoming Lunch & Learn sessions for tips on recruiting, performance management, and so on, while switching business cards with others.  Download Lunch and Learn_marketing_parkade for list of topics, or pre-register here.

There’s nothing quite like hearing a client say, “Wow!  I love being a business owner again!”

Following are some of the bullet points that Bob and Cathy covered:

• Listen to Consumers!
  • If you are willing to listen to consumers they will tell you what they want rather than your having to guess.
• A” players prospect
  • “A” players should spend 50% of their time prospecting with the rest of their time dispersed between sales, account management, and administration.
• Ambition and drive are the key elements of sales
  • Cathy stated that she would rather have an employee that lacks experience but has great ambition and drive over an employee with 25 years of experience and no ambition or drive.  Bob commented that the number one predictor of a successful hire is drive or energy.
• Future orientation is vital
  • “How do you manage next week?” Yes, it is important to review success or failure of the past, but more important to concentrate on what your goals and objectives are for the future and how you will accomplish them.

If you know of anyone who might be a good match for one of our upcoming Top Dog sessions, direct them to a pre-registration form here.

Here are some tips to help you network through a slump.

1. Be a learner.  Find other people.  Join other people, listen to what they’re doing.
2. Be visible.  Often when our businesses aren’t doing well, there’s a tendency to isolate ourselves.  There’s an old adage in business. Out of sight, out of mind. That can happen in your business – you’re not visible to public.  Remember, they’re not out looking for you. It’s easier and less expensive to keep a customer than to find a new customer.  So we need to learn to interact with new customers, calling on them, listen to them carefully.
3. Be relevant.  Consider how your lives have changed over the last five years, and then consider how your customers lives might have changed.  Make a list of these changes, and re-engineer your businesses to accommodate these changes.  Maybe you’re providing something …
4. Be focused. Be goal-oriented.  Know where you’re going and why you’re going. The number one cause of burn-out is loss of hope, i.e. when people no longer know what they’re doing or why they’re doing it.  That’s why focus, goals, missions and a good business plan are critical.
5. Be involved.  Be a good team player.  Be for other businesses. Look for ways to add values to other businesses.  Doris and I work diligently to add value to CPA and law firms, because they have similar clients to ours.  Be an encourager to other businesses.
6. Be real.  You must be real.  You have to understand that everyone at some point has a blue day.  For me, I never know why it comes, so I plan with a “blue day to do list” for those times when I won’t be that dazzling, creative, etc.
7. It’s critical to be positive.  To speak positively towards ourselves, kindly towards ourselves.  Maybe you have a friend whose glass is consistently half empty.  I had a friend like that once.  He grew up in a home in which “That’s a nice paper” was followed by a slap “but…”.  It’s critical to stop beating yourself up.
8. Be blessed.  At the end of the day, for Doris and myself, we know that we’re loved by our Heavenly Father, that He loves us, values us, and cares for us.  That allows us to go to bed smiling, wake up smiling, and walk through the garbage that we have to walk through “smiling”.

Maybe only 5% of the world can put up with what you and I put up with as business owners.   Happy Networking!