Building The Dream Team
“An excellent example of Magis leadership at work”.
This is a story of how a humble, Magis-thinking COO assembled a team that accomplished unprecedented results in three short years, while navigating a technology revolution, a declining market, and a politically charged corporate environment. Members of “The Dream Team” have unanimously agreed that these were incredible years, and served as their foundation going forward.
The little company made yearbooks and it’s big sister produced school pictures. The little company did 10% as much annual revenue as big sister. Between 1999 and 2002 the little yearbook company grew from 32 million in sales to 86 million, without an outside sales force. And while it was happening, they were having more fun than anyone in the entire organization. For the Dream Team, these actually were, “the good old days”.
Collaboration, innovation, communication, and celebration were the primary ingredients for this highly energized team. There was very little hierarchy in the division, enabling a high level of creativity. The more appreciation was shown to employees, the higher the level of creativity. Politics were removed from the equation. Listening to customers, territory distributors, and salespeople was critical. A field advisory council was created. New processes were pioneered; New markets were created; High visibility parties were thrown to celebrate top performers; Professional development plans were put in place for all key personnel; the production team was connected to the customer experience for quality control; and a field training department was established.
Record sales growth was accomplished by the same sales teams who were failing to grow other product lines. This team had captured the hearts and minds of the employees, and the employees captured the customers.
Of course, with good intentions, the senior management team was split up among multiple divisions after a successful run in order to spread the wealth. You can guess what happened next. It is always important to clearly understand what caused the magic, the synergy, the courage, and the fortitude.
By dividing the collaborative unit into little parts, and lending no credence to the specific elements that served as a catalyst, the team was less effective individually than collectively. Although most moved into key roles in the organization, they did not achieve momentum in the same robust fashion. Eventually, some left in search of the next great adventure.
The intangible force that often makes a critical difference is seldom recognized or clearly understood. Bottom line; how people feel and what they believe is directly related to how they perform.
Leadership is the primary ingredient. At Lifetouch Publishing, during this period of time, people at all levels in the organization felt highly valued and appreciated. The positive force created by this environment paved the way for talented stakeholders to shine, making daily contributions to a collective vision.
Stay tuned for more about the “Dream Team”.
This information is the property of Magis – The Achievement Company, and may not be copied or reproduced without specific written permission.