Maintain open communication
Shuel-Walker had been hearing it for years and years from customers. They wanted to be able to simplify things by buying more products and services from fewer sources. In the midst of managing through a recession, it was finally time to make the change.
“We listened to that and, as a result, organized our business to better meet those needs,” Shuel-Walker says. “More than 40 percent of our business comes from manufacturing companies that rely on us as a single source for many of the products they need for a safe, clean and environmentally friendly workplace.”
The idea is to maintain open lines of communication with your people, whether it is your customers or your employees, to find the best way to lead your business. This is true whether it is a recession or not but can become especially valuable in tough times.
“We try to help customers become more efficient and more productive and more profitable,” Shuel-Walker says. “You solidify your relationship and you also differentiate yourself from the competition.”
When it comes to building a rapport with her employees, Shuel-Walker is not the type of person to say 40 words when 10 will do. So her thoughts on developing close bonds with her people were, not surprisingly, brief.
“You smile, you speak to them, you ask them how their day is,” Shuel-Walker says.
But the idea of building a bond with your team is something that Shuel-Walker recognizes as a valuable piece to the whole puzzle.
“If morale is high and people like coming to work, they are going to stay the extra 10 minutes they have to go get the job done,” Shuel-Walker says. “They are going to go the extra mile. If they need to throw something in the truck to drop off for a customer on the way home, they will do it.”
How to reach: HP Products, (800) 382-5326 or www.hpproducts.com
