Do You Choose To Win?

By Debbie Nicholson, Think-to-INK!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-nicholson-24a53627/

No matter how much you pay someone, you can’t make them Win! Winning is an internal strength the giver, not the taker, can only control. You must want to win and maybe even need it to feel good about yourself.

While watching the Super Bowl this past weekend, I experienced a more profound sense of “win” from both opponents. I thought about their preparation over the last several months; The detailed personal coaching, team meetings, one-on-one collaboration, extensive training, mapping new plays, team practices, and strengthening of the mind and body for the win – The Super Bowl!

It got me thinking about our industry and how negligent we have become regarding customer service, sales, production, and even leadership! Why is that? What has changed within us that we have lost the will to Win?

Let’s focus on what a Win could look like within our organization if we utilize the few aforementioned preparation points.

Detailed Personal Coaching

Personal coaching is designed to meet a specific individual’s need. As an example, instead of criticizing, be honest but constructive to prompt self-improvement. In addition, you can provide them access to resources and improvement courses. Continual feedback for improvement benefits everyone – a Win!

Team Meetings

Team meetings are an essential aspect of any organization’s commitment to winning. Working from the same page is necessary for responsibility, expectations, accountability, innovation, and company-wide success. Not to mention the motivation it ignites within each member to participate in an overall plan.

One-on-One Collaboration

If you want to increase productivity and innovation and help individuals communicate more effectively, this is a great addition to clear a path to success.  

Collaboration helps to expand skill sets and help advance careers. Acquiring an inside mentor is also a positive move!

Extensive Training

Without a doubt, this is the best way to build your company by investing in your employees. 

If employees are continually trained and educated, the company will be the beneficiary. When employees are educated and knowledgeable, they feel confident and proud of themselves, and it shows up when they discuss projects with their teams and customers. If we do not educate and train employees, we effectively put ourselves on the losing team.

Mapping New Plays

Employees must understand what the company’s next play looks like. You can’t ask them to adjust on the spot -- they need time to understand and have the opportunity to ask questions and address concerns.

Examples of next play: Such as…adding new equipment, expanding current portfolio, acquiring additional space, updating marketing materials, implementing different marketing channels, new employees, new sales opportunities, new leadership (to name a few).

Team Practices

Especially in the Wide-Format production division, this is most critical. We typically wait until a live project comes in to try a new printing or manufacturing process. Why wait? Practice new production processes during your slow time – do it again and again until you get it right. Promise to work with new products, new layering effects, and new finishing processes to enhance your company offerings. Then introduce it to your sales staff and let them take it from there.

Strengthening the Mind

If you commit to just a few of the above statements, you will, in effect, strengthen the minds of employees and customers.

In closing:

I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a Win!