Danboise Mechanical’s Impressive ‘Recovery’ Habit

Let’s face it, we all fall short in our attempts to be a professional. Whether it’s a small slip-up or something truly bone-headed, ‘recovery’ is really important. ‘Recovery’ (i.e. apologizing or the equivalent) speaks volumes about the professionalism of the individual and collectively it says a lot about the culture of the organization the person is a part of.  Without some form of ‘recovery’, people typically hold grudges that tend to poison the work environment.  An organization that has successfully created a habit within their people of ‘recovering from professional gaffes’ is to be admired. One of my clients, Danboise Mechanical, has successfully created such a habit.  This admirable habit is just one of the ‘fruits’ Danboise has reaped by adopting ‘professional values’ as their north arrow.

To read more about Danboise Mechanical’s impressive ‘recovery habit’ click here.

Breaking Down Silos

The greatest opportunities for innovation and overall improvement (whether they be tactical or strategic) are typically across departments/functions/disciplines.  Said another way, silos (e.g. departments/functions/disciplines) and the behaviors that accompany a ‘silo mentality’ typically work against innovation and improvement. Disarming a ‘silo mentality’ is a big deal, because virtually every organization suffers in one form or another from it.  One of our clients, Danboise Mechanical, successfully disarmed the ‘silo mentality’ within their organization. They were able to do so because of the emphasis they put on professional values across the enterprise. It was a tremendous accomplishment.  You can read more about it here.

Case Study – Danboise Mechanical (2)

Danboise Mechanical’s Impressive ‘Recovery’ Habit

In an earlier case, we introduced you to Danboise Mechanical-–headquartered on Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.  From before, the Danboise leaders went ‘all in’ in their application of professional values within their organization.  The impact was significant—helping break down dysfunctional departmental silos to building up greater levels of trust across the enterprise.

Over the years we’ve learned what a powerful prevention one’s professional identity can be in helping people avoid behavior (think: unprofessional) that they might later regret.  In short, it proves a powerful deterrent in succumbing to a myriad of temptations.

Trouble is, even with a powerful deterrent sometimes we fall short.  Whether it’s losing our patience with a know-it-all customer, lashing out at a co-worker who incessantly gets under our skin, or failing to return a critical client’s call in a timely manner, we’re human—we mess up.

Recovery from these mess ups is invariably a key indicator as to how well people have adopted professional values within the organization—either individually or collectively.

Consider this ‘recovery’ experience related to us by Carl Pistolesi, Danboise’s EVP:  ‘About a year after our engagement, Zachery (an assumed name), one of Carl’s division managers, had one of those rough days. Zachery was in the warehouse when he overheard a service dispatcher and one of the managers discussing an equipment purchase. Perhaps Zachery hadn’t slept well, maybe he just needed a cup of coffee, but something about that conversation set him off. He exploded, “That really isn’t any of your business, you don’t make those kind of decisions…it’s not part of your job description!” and proceeded to berate the dispatcher. Zachery momentarily had lost sight of his identity as a professional, and subsequently lost control.’

Later that day, Carl had a call from Zachery. Zachery explained what had happened and acknowledged how embarrassed he was.  He felt that he had been out of line and had clearly been unprofessional.  Carl asked him to go home to clear his head. The very next workday, Zachery was at work early and personally apologized to everyone present for his melt down.  Upon hearing Zachery’s apology, the suddenly-relieved dispatcher broke down in tears. Zachery recognized the recklessness of his actions, owned them, and committed to make things right.

Zachery’s successful recovery is instructive.  Recall from our earlier Danboise case how Carl and his management team had worked hard in reinforcing the staff’s identity of themselves as professionals.   The largely blue-collar staff readily embraced the message in a significant way.  How Carl and his management team went about keeping professional values top-of-mind is a subject for another day.  The point is: the staff viewed themselves as professionals and, while experiencing an occasional misstep, they really ‘upped their game’ in terms of how they conducted themselves.  Zachery’s example (admittedly a backhanded recovery example) is certainly illustrative of that.  Yes, a timely, heart-felt ‘recovery’ is reflective of what you’d expect from a professional who has experienced an unfortunate misstep.

Prior to our work at Danboise, explosions like Zachery’s were commonplace.  Each party would hold a grudge for months-on-end making subsequent interactions (even routine ones) between the parties difficult.   Non-routine interactions (think: sensitive) between the parties regularly would become downright contentious.  Given that there were upwards of a half-dozen situations (all by-products from earlier ‘interpersonal jujitsu’ incidents) that were impacting the organization at any given time, it really had a negative impact on the business.

It goes without saying that an organization that has created a habit of recovering from these types of ‘interpersonal jujitsu’ incidents has made great strides in ‘baking in’ professional values into their organization.  That’s an admirable accomplishment.

In your organization, how often do you see people recovering (quickly, effectively) from a professional misstep as Zachery did?   Or in your organization do the messy interpersonal skirmishes tend to fester– ultimately prolonging the pain?

How many Zacherys do you have in your organization? A few or many?   Carl Pistolesi tells me that at Danboise virtually everyone has a ‘recovery’ story.  In other words, Danboise has a lot of Zacherys.   Danboise has created a powerful ‘recovery’ habit.  That’s impressive. That’s only possible when ‘identity’ is universally strong amongst the staff.   And that means Carl and his staff are doing something very right.

Thank You for Firing Me.

“There is nothing that turns a manager’s stomach in knots more than having to fire an employee.  Imagine my delight when I learned how one of my clients had successfully used the power of professional ideals in making the ‘separation process’ (think: firing) more effective, more tolerable, more humane.  The employee, in fact, thanked the manager for firing them. Yes, you heard right, an employee (one who desperately needed their job) thanking their manager for letting them go.  Read more about this powerful case study.”

Case Study – Bellwether

Being Comfortable In Your Own Skin—Leadership’s Unspoken Prerequisite

Agribusinessman Chris Rufer is dominating an industry and, in the process, is turning management norms on their head.  Rufer, founder of Woodland, CA-based Morning Star, is the world’s largest tomato processor with annual revenues of $700 million. Their customers include major companies like Kraft and Frito-Lay.

It has been estimated that Morning Star, a private company owned by the Rufer family, controls approximately 40 % of the world-wide market for two essential intermediate products: tomato paste and diced tomatoes.

When it comes to tomato processing, Morning Star is the 800 pound gorilla.  Not bad for someone like Rufer who was raised in a blue-collar family in Merced, California and later earned an MBA at UCLA.  Rufer founded Morning Star in 1970 and it has been through his contrarian approach that the company has flourished.

What has enabled this eye-popping success? Morning Star is operated by ‘self-managed professionals’.   It’s Rufer’s brain-child. He considers this ‘platform’ —which, in effect, is Morning Star’s central operating system—to be Morning Star’s competitive advantage.  That belief is hard to argue with as Morning Star’s employees are off-the-charts when it comes to engagement metrics and delivering bottom-line     results.   As a result, Morning Star is able to pay 15 % above market in salary and provide a benefit package that is unsurpassed in the industry.

At Morning Star employees make all the decisions.  There are no bosses, no titles, no promotions.  If an employee needs something, they buy it—they don’t need to ask anyone.  For management junkies studying this curiously unique, world-class phenomenon, it’s nirvana. The Harvard Business Review, Forbes and other national publications have all written about Morning Star’s approach to ‘self-management’.   The company’s approach is truly fascinating having seen it first-hand when they were a client of our firm.  A quick search on Google will enable you to learn more about Morning Star or ‘self management’ should you desire.

This issue of Bellwether has as its theme ‘Leadership 2.0’.  Breaking new ground, establishing a new status-quo, shaking up an entire industry are just a few outcomes consistent with someone exhibiting ‘Leadership 2.0’.  That’s precisely what Chris has done at Morning Star.  That’s real leadership! And it’s a marvelous opportunity to learn from one extraordinary professional.

From a leadership point of view, what is it that enables someone to accomplish the types of things that Chris Rufer has?  What can we learn from Chris—and others like him? What characteristics are especially important? If you’ve read many of my previous Bellwether articles you know the importance I put on leading oneself first before leading others.  That’s what trusted professionals do.  That’s what Chris does.

After years of working with tens of thousands of professionals, I believe that the defining characteristic of the trusted professional is being comfortable in your own skin. 

What does it mean to be comfortable in your own skin? Simply said, it means that the person isn’t conflicted about the most basic tenants of their nature—their identity, if you will.  They’re not trying to be someone or something they aren’t.  Typically they hold a core set of beliefs along with specific values supporting those beliefs. They’re not phony; they’re real. Invariably they are confident, typically in an unassuming way.  If there was ever anyone who was comfortable in their own skin it is Chris Rufer.

Self-assured, unpretentious, natural, inspiring, transparent, authentic, and humble are just a few of the adjectives people use to describe those who are comfortable in their own skin. These are people who don’t obsess about what others think of them, don’t talk trash about others, aren’t trying to win popularity contests, aren’t trying to be better than anyone else, don’t measure their success against others success, aren’t swayed by whimsical social fads, and aren’t torn by the fickle winds of public opinion.

In a recent post a frustrated Alan Weiss, CEO of the Summit Consulting Group, asked why so few people are comfortable in their own skin these days.  Does it stem from the desire to fit in (i.e. conformity)?  Or perhaps it originates from a desire to be liked. These are two big drivers in my view.  Weiss continued, “The people I’ve seen become most successful are those who aren’t afraid to stand out in a crowd.”

Weiss isn’t suggesting one adopt a fashionista mind-set in the hope of developing a cadre of sycophant followers.  Rather, he’s suggesting people stand up for (and make actionable) their best ideas and heart-felt beliefs—even if it cuts against the grain of conventional wisdom, even if it isn’t popular.  That’s a professional’s way of standing out–driven from higher-order thinking.

That’s precisely what Chris has done.  Early-on Chris was “laughed out of rooms constantly” when he first sought financing for his fledgling company.  Later he was scoffed at for the seemingly high-stakes gamble he took on the grand experiment he called ‘self-management’.  Neither experience fazed Rufer in the least. He doggedly pursued what he believed in.  In the end, Rufer revolutionized his industry and turned traditional management thinking on its head.  That’s ‘Leadership 2.0’. That’s the right way for a professional to stand out.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that it has never been Rufer’s aspiration to ‘stand out’.  It’s never been about him.  Shy is a word Chris uses in describing himself.  He appears to be quite fit.  He’s a neat (but not a snappy) dresser. He’s a regular guy—until it comes to his ideas.  When expounding his point of view Chris unknowingly sucks all the air out of the room.  And when you combine that passion with his matchless personality, he’s one of the most unique people you’ll ever meet.  Whether he likes it or not, Chris—the professional– stands out.

From where I sit, Alan Weiss is right—today fewer and fewer people seem willing to take a stand on the things that they claim matter to them.  Said another way, Leadership 2.0 is alluding them.

Ask yourself, as a professional what do I stand for? My ideals with purpose, what are they? What are the value-driven things (ones bigger than myself) that mean something to me? Professional: to what degree do I feel that word describes me?  What about my colleagues, to what degree would they say that ‘professional’ describes me?

Getting answers to these questions gets you a whole lot closer to Leadership 2.0.