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14 APRIL 2016 FOGHORN BUSINESSMATTERS About the Author Bob Shaw is a veteran industry executive having led over 100 vessels respon- sible for over 10 million passen- gers a year. He can be reached at shawrwgmail.com. you could see promoting them one to two levels as you train them and they gain experience. If not you need to pass because you are pro- actively planning your future with people who can grow and are not placeholders. For difficult-to-retain positions have a clear path. For years the reception and administrative support roles were disasters to fill people with potential left quickly and those who stayed were just interested in a J-O-B. Make it clear that this is an entry perch to the organization and if they arent moving on to another position within the first year this will not be a good fit and they will have to move on. Make your crew ambidextrous. Information technology IT positions are always hard if you only have one person you are vul- nerable should they leave. Train interested crew in new areas like IT help desk pay-for-click admin- istration social media monitoring inventory management hourly crew recruiting and dozens of other topics. Then move them along to a new department. Youll have depth for esoteric topics plus crew who are constantly learning and are excited by the new challenges. Ive seen call center agents morph into world- class experts in important business subjects. Respect your crew. Entry-level positions may not get much respect in life and respect is the founda- tion for long-term relationships. Introduce and live by a compre- hensive service system. This will demonstrate that you believe in and have a special organization which will in turn inspire enthusiasm and loyalty throughout the farm team. Talent comes in all ages. Forgive any implied emphasis on kids but everyone today looks like a kid to me. Todays boomers are going to work forever Im one of them and many are looking for a fun energetic business that is a break from other careers. I have a high school buddy John Flynn who retired as a U.S. Navy pilot after 30 years and then started at HMS Ferries as a deckhand to get his captain license. After winning employee of the year honors he has successfully transi- tioned to a new career that offers the flexibility and travel he loves. One of my favorite Wow stories concerns a 60-year-old deckhand formerly a union operator who thrived in a service system and inspired hundreds of co-workers. Find people with the right stuff who fit in your organizations culture. It is the old idea of hire for attitude and train for skill. Tom Landry the Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboy coach would say you should find the best natural athlete not the best person in a particular position. Fortunately almost all positions can be filled by energetic people at any age. Always promote for the vacancy created by a promotion. My personal record is an initial promotion allowed us to promote four others. Thats what the farm team is all about Mentorship becomes everyones mission not just that of the owner key leader or those with special talent. Everyone must view each position as integral to the companys future and invest the time energy and wisdom to make one and all successful. Building the farm team isnt easy or fast but returns and profits are always the result of the great effort to get that flywheel going. And certainly the best answers reside with your team brain- storm with them and the right ideas will emerge. With an eye towards the future investing in your farm team will pay vast dividends with loyal dynamic crew who will bring a smile to your face every day. n