A Case Study
Not long ago, a large sales and distribution warehouse asked me to assist them with improving communication between departments. Conflict had started erupting between salesmen and the warehouse. It wasn’t limited to just those two departments. There was tension between other departments as well – transportation with district managers, purchasing and accounting – and on and on.
Unfortunately, the internal conflict was reaching their customers. Items that were supposed to be delivered weren’t. Missing items had to be expedited, resulting in increased costs. The customer contact folks, like the customer service reps and sales people, were frustrated and grumpy when they spoke with customers due to the challenges at the office.
As we worked together, we uncovered a network of shared beliefs that were adversely impacting relationships and keeping them from achieving their goals. Our next step was to rewrite each belief structure to ensure that it fostered collaboration and trust instead of the previous self-focused beliefs. Through the process, the team members learned to challenge the old ways of thinking and behaving and adopt new methods of communication. They learned to manage their emotions respectfully and constructively.
Once the entire management team learned to communicate effectively and develop emotional mastery, the company began breaking past sales records on a regular basis while consistently seeing a 99% fill rate. Additionally, overall employee satisfaction rose by several percentage points. Today, the company continues to maintain its sales and satisfaction levels.
My Education & Experience
I received a BS in Hotel & Restaurant Management from the University of Houston. Although it may seem like a giant leap from managing restaurants to speaking professionally, the hospitality industry is an amazing training ground for observing and understanding human behavior – the subject I love to speak on.
After graduation, I worked in the industry as a manager, trainer, food and beverage controller, and director of catering. Through my work and continued education, I studied the nuances of human behavior as it relates to relationships in the workplace.
My experience showed me how employees at all levels – hourly to leadership – tend to limit their own and their company’s potential by their inability to communicate effectively, relate with one another, and manage emotions. That’s why I launched Simply The Best Results.
While consulting with small to medium-sized businesses, I help them identify and remove the barriers that are stunting their growth, and I assist them in developing greater emotional intelligence. As a result, many of my clients have excelled financially and otherwise.
A True Story
The San Antonio Spurs NBA Basketball franchise is one such organization. In my first season with the Spurs as a business consultant/trainer, I was asked to help improve season ticket sales. I quickly discovered that season ticket sales were suffering due to several inherent problems that occurred during every game. I brought together all four organizations involved in producing a game – the Spurs, Ticket Master, Aramark Foods, and facility management – together; we identified and analyzed the issues that were impacting ticket sales. Working as a team, we found ways to resolve the challenges and implement the solutions. As a result, the Spurs Fan Satisfaction Rating improved from 9th place in the NBA to 1st.
