In late January, one of our contributors, Ben Hershey, posed a question on LinkedIn: “If you had to pick the top skill or trait in running a successful business, what would it be?” My immediate answer: “Listening.” Listening for Problems When you hear...

On a recent trip to Japan to observe construction manufacturing methods, I was struck by the amount of time a plant manager spends on the production floor. Comparing this Japanese methodology to our truss industry, our plant managers and upper management spend relatively little time engaged in...

Ask yourself this question, true or false: The most resistant group of employees in many component and LBM companies is the frontline employees? If you answered true, like most people you guessed incorrectly. It’s not our frontline employees who resist change the most, it’s the...

Let’s start out by saying NO to traditional New Years’ Resolutions. That’s a NO to fad diets, new exercise machines, and that new vacation savings account you always planned to open. Blasphemy, you say? What if you were to forget fad diets, over-hyped self-improvement programs,...

I love stopping at Chick-fil-A, not only for the food but also to see how organized and disciplined every store is. The food isn’t bad either. It occurred to me that there must be a secret to their success that modular home factory management could use to ramp up their sales...

As a recruiter, I see the geneses of job dissatisfaction and turnover. You start a job with hopes of being there forever, or at least 10 years, and within a year or two you are back looking at the job market. While the internet has made it easier to search for and find a new job, it also has...

Many of us just returned from this year’s BCMC show. How appropriate it was to be in Columbus, a city named after a visionary who discovered the new world, and the theme was “Set Your Course.” In your business, no matter the role you serve, you have a chance to set the course...

Is your company’s budget only for new equipment, but no formal training for your employees? Any time you think about investing for productivity gains, often the first thing that comes to mind is investing in new equipment. All too often, we think we see the situation clearly and can make...

I was fired. But I didn’t hesitate to work late, by myself, on my last day. Heck, I even set the alarm and locked the gate on my way out. That’s finishing well in my “book” and that’s the least I owed my employer. This I commend to you, whether you’re moving...

Two manufacturers walk into the BCMC Show. One is a seasoned manufacturer who has been attending the show for many years and will learn something new, but really just goes to shake hands and be seen. The other manufacturer is new and eager, ready to learn and network with others at the show....