More on the mission...
Across decades of working with people and teams from every level and at many different organizations - including small business, large corporate companies and in-between, one thing has become increasingly apparent to me - very capable, dedicated employees are often left under-utilized.
This can happen for many reasons: often it is because when an organization grows or changes, a historically high-performing employee gets a bit left behind. Sometimes there is a hesitation to promote someone or pass on new responsibilities due to perceived risk and the lack of a process to help mitigate it. Sometimes a manager or organization just moves too quickly to plan for or fill a role, missing potential opportunities to upskill an existing, reliable, high-performing team member with a demonstrated aptitude to learn and be successful in new areas.
These misses often come at a detriment to not only the individual, but also to the team and ultimately the whole organization. There is a real cost to hiring outside talent, and it doesn't always pay off. The average increased salary and benefits expense is around +18% - that really adds up over time. When you add direct hiring costs, the time it takes for a new person to get up to speed with business context and relationships and just the overall risk of culture fit and potential mismatched expectations, there is a lot of reason to be sure that there is consideration of upskilling and providing opportunity to existing staff to build capability.
I like to share an example from the time in my career when I was leading a continuous improvement program plant roll-out. Another plant within our network that ran 3 lines of the same product family had been consistently failing to deliver volume requirements and our parent company invested millions into a new line. Within 12 months of the start of implementing the CI initiative, line efficiencies on the original 3 lines had improved so much and output increased such that they no longer needed the new line. The lesson was optimize what you have before you add to it.
When this becomes a priority, not only do efficiencies and expenses directly improve, you also naturally contribute to morale and company culture and the many additional benefits that a strong, connected, valued team delivers.
Just as reflected in the shared goals so often assigned to top management, "we win and lose together." I believe this whole-heartedly. Do you really, truly know who is contributing what - and how they could and should be? And do you have a lever to pull when you identify a gap and opportunity? I'd love to be that lever that helps you strengthen your team.
More about me.
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Sabra Billings - Owner/Solutions Mentor
I have spent three decades working within the manufacturing and operations industry, with an unusual breadth of experience. My professional career has included Director of Commercialization for a large co-manufacturer, Director of Project Management for the US division of a large privately held food corporation.
I have directed warehousing and operations for a non-profit and supply chain for a mid-size branded and private label food manufacturer. I led the local focused continuous improvement implementation while part of a large national branded food company and have held key roles in multiple MRP and ERP implementations.
My consulting experience includes working with a start-up to vet a full third-party supply chain and with a multi-branded CPG company to improve their commercialization process during a brand line reformulation. Added to the mix is a four-year stint as an entrepreneur, reopening and significantly growing a local landmark donut shop during covid 19.
Most recently, I served as Director of Operations and Logistics for a co-packed start-up CPG business.
Having worked up from an entry-level position myself, I have every respect for the contributions team members make at every level of the organization - and I am uniquely, and passionately, positioned to help businesses identify, support and leverage high-potential employees and the processes they drive.