Real Estate and Construction

Attitude adjustment

By Abby Cymerman

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Folded tightly within Keith Maxim’s pocket is a 4-by-6-inch note card inscribed with the word, “Smile.”

The president of North Canton’s Maxim Enterprises Inc. carries this pearl of wisdom every day as a reminder to smile and put people at ease, a technique he learned from Dale Carnegie Training.

When he first adopted this technique, Maxim — formerly known around the office as “Grumpy” — says his 24 employees thought there was something wrong. But today, they share his positive attitude because they’ve seen the healthy environment it creates.

Maxim’s property preservation company serves the mortgage banking and real estate industries in four states. Revenue has grown 52 percent in the last two years, from $4.6 million in 2004 to $7 million in 2006.

Smart Business spoke with Maxim about how good attitudes breed business success.

Q: How do you convey that message?

We have monthly training. We identify problems in the field. How can I make their jobs easier, through tools or through forms?

Improving upon everything on a monthly basis adds value to what we’re doing. We’re always revisiting how we can do the jobs quicker and better.

Q: How do you learn to delegate authority?

I’ve learned that along the way. I call myself the fire marshal of my business; I’m always putting out fires. People call me and ask, ‘What should we do?’ Instead of telling them what to do, I say, ‘What do you think the answer is?’

We have a form everyone fills out when there is a problem, and we use this religiously. It asks, ‘What is the problem? What are possible solutions? What do you feel would be the best solution?’ Then we’ll sit down and try to accomplish our goals. By the em-ployees making the decision instead of me, they feel they’ve contributed something and what they say makes a difference.

Q: How can executives create a growth strategy?

Goals and needs change periodically, so they need to be revisited at least twice a year to make sure you’re still on track with what you originally planned for the first six months of the year. We’ll revisit that in the middle of the year and say, ‘What have we accomplished? What were our goals? Have we met those needs? Do we need to modify them? Or, do we need to dig our heels in a little deeper to make sure we meet those goals and objectives?’

Going in a direction is always better than no plan of action whatsoever. You may be going in the wrong direction, but you can always turn around and go in a different direction. Standing still makes your company become stagnant.

Q: What distracts a company from growth?

An overwhelming feeling of, ‘This is too much to handle.’ The fear of the unknown is what scares people. Everyone likes things at status quo, but we try to challenge everyone. How can we make this better?

Don’t be afraid of the unknown; embrace it and conquer it. By challenging yourself on a daily basis to make things better or bigger, it gives you something to look forward to, in-stead of becoming stagnant. You never want to plateau; you always want to seek the stars.

Q: How can other executives grow their companies the way you’ve grown yours?

Invest in the right people and define your goals so your employees understand what you’re trying to accomplish. I was able to grow the business by delegating authority and allowing people to assist me in making decisions, instead of trying to take all the responsibility upon myself.

Q: How do you choose the right employees?

When I hire people, I ask specific questions: What’s your outlook? What do you plan to accomplish? How do you want to accomplish these goals? Where do you see yourself in five years? What do you do in certain situations to get things done?

It’s more of a positive mental attitude that I look for: someone who’s self-motivated, driven and has a desire to succeed. The people who want to do a good job will do it, if you assist them with the proper tools.

Q: How do companies benefit by hiring those kinds of people?

You can accomplish much more. Someone may have all the knowledge in the world but may not be exactly what you want. You can teach people and get them to go in a certain direction if they have the right attitude.

Q: How can executives get employee buy-in?

You may have qualified people doing their jobs well, but do they understand the reason behind what they’re doing? Do they feel they’re a part of a greater something?

When people believe they’re a part of something and that they’re actually responsible for some of the decision-making, they have a more ventured interest in it.

HOW TO REACH: Maxim Enterprises Inc., (330) 499-9289 or www.maximent.net