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Counter IntelligenceBy Oliver PostA year of possibility lay aheadWith the new year looming large, it’s time to start thinking about some of the goals youmight want to set for you and your business: 12 months hence, will you look backand realize you’ve changed nothing in yourself or your business? Will you be okay withthat?Think about the last 12 months: are you happy with the progress you’ve made inimproving your business or yourself? If not, then perhaps the list below might help focusyour thoughts.I call my list This Year’s Resolutions rather than New Year’s Resolutions because, somewherearound the second week of February, everyone starts falling off the New Year’s wagon. In2009, resolve to do the following:Work toward becoming a paperless warehouseManual inventory and daily manual stock checks still go on, even though everyone absolutelyhates them. With today’s inventory systems, you no longer have to rely on a person dedicatedto performing stock checks. Give them something more productive to do and, when year-endinventory needs to be conducted, turn that into running a report rather than running everyoneragged.The process of going paperless may take a couple of years, but the payoff is significant. Anup-to-date system can boost line picking efficiency three-fold, even four-fold, and accuracyimproves, too.Improve your fitnessTo improve your ability to run a desk, department or company, you need to have energy.Walk, jog or bike; cut out the bag of chips in front of the television; make a small change inyour personal activity level that you can maintain.Attend four industry eventsWith economic turmoil guaranteed to dominate the deadlines, it is important to stay intouch with others in the industry to get a reality check. Industry events are simply the bestway to do this. Although the Web has become a valuable tool for learning, Facebook is nosubstitute for face-time.So pick your events, making sure that they’re not all just golf tournaments, and spend sometime sitting with peers and talking shop. I have always found it encouraging to know thereare others who struggle daily with the same challenges; that it’s not just me wrestling withthese issues. Sometimes we even find solutions together. When people share their concerns,everybody benefits.Visit your competitorsOwners of businesses only steps away from each other can spend their entire careers neversetting foot in each others’ facilities. Spend a minute or two looking around, then introduceyourself if you have to, and invite the owner or manager over to your place for a coffee.The benefit of this is that it ‘humanizes’ your competition, which is bound to lower youranxiety level, and may even lead to discussing common local market issues—a change thatmay help you both provide better service to your market.You may have to make a leap of faith on this one but, again, the suspicion that is bred byignorance never did any business any good whatsoever.Hold at least one Customer Appreciation DayCustomers love it when they see you care (especially when they have a full belly), so hold abarbecue, invite your customers and their families, rent an inflatable castle, and have a coupleof electrical-themed amusements to cap it off (like making up a game of wire horseshoes).Staff can get involved in making up signs, games and flyers, and have a ton of fun with itbesides.Host one more customer training event than last yearYou can probably skip this point if you’re already holding one a month but, for many distributors,there is room in the calendar. And while the ‘mega-training’ event is great, thesimplicity of a two- or three-hour sessions on something of interest to your customers ismuch easier to handle, especially when you’re a smaller operation.The topic could be technical, dealing with a new technology that your customers are startingto see, or it could be product training provided by a supplier. It could also be worker safetyawareness training—a topic that can never be spoken about too often. The key is to keep itto something that will help your customers.Do something that improves your employees’ outlookConduct some kind of training or other event for your workforce, but try to make itsomething that will give them some skills training, not just information. This is the differencebetween providing training that will improve the way they communicate withtheir customers, and giving them information on new lines that have been added to youroffering.While the latter is certainly important, the benefits of improving communication skillsimproves every transaction—making them more positive experiences—and boosts theirpersonal esteem.Do something that improves your outlookDo you arrive at your desk every day, or most days, with a positive outlook? If not, what isit that keeps you from feeling good about what you do every day? There may be some veryreal changes you can make in both your personal and work life to improve the way you feelabout each day, but do not overlook a simple change in your outlook. The way you feel aboutyourself and your work affects the way you do your job, the way your co-workers relate toyou, and the way your customers deal with you.Do something nice for someone deservingMaybe an employee has done something exceptional. Recognize that accomplishment with asmall reward; maybe tickets to a show, or a game that the company would normally reservefor customers. Do not shy away from it for fear of incurring the wrath of others. If theywonder why, tell them you have a new policy of random acts of kind rewards. Put it on theschedule monthly or quarterly, but keep it random. It shouldn’t be a contest.Plan a real vacationMany busy people fail to plan their vacation, and are then forced to take time off dueto company policy and/or family nagging. Plan your vacation well in advance and telleveryone. Plan your work accordingly. Then, when you leave for vacation, leave your phoneoff the hook and your Blackberry behind. You may feel some separation anxiety at first,but by 48 hours into your vacation, you’ll forget all about work and be in the groove ofjust relaxing.Here’s hoping you have a Happy New Year... the whole year through.Oliver Post can be reached at oliver.post@hotmail.com.is proud to sponsor EB’s Counter Intelligence sectionphone: [800] 661 2461 • www.hellermann.tyton.com/canada0804/HT_banner_EB_May08.indd 120 • november/december 2008 • www. mag.com4/7/08 12:14:47 PM