Bob's Top Movie Picks About Business: Pt. 1, Hoosiers: Trust Your Staff

Thursday, February 15, 2018


We are excited to share a new series of articles with you that will discuss the ins and outs of managing a business. We're taking principles from movies that we love for what they have to teach and are applying them to running a business. Please enjoy, and share your thoughts of other movies with guiding principles you think are important to the business world!


Hoosiers

In the 1986 film Hoosiers, Gene Hackman plays a basketball coach, Norman Dale, who was dismissed from his college coaching position because he hit a player. Looking back on the incident, Dale does not remember why exactly he hit him; all he remembers is that the player did not do what he wanted, and, in a fit of rage, he struck him.

Norman Dale is given a second chance when granted a position as a high school basketball coach. His team makes it to the finals, and in the championship game, Dale wants to make a call to use one of his players as a decoy so that another can score. As he is in the huddle with his players explaining the play, Dale sees that the players are hesitant. The player that was to be used as a decoy speaks up and says, "I'll make the shot." Watch the scene here:



When a leader, coach, boss, CEO, etc. and their staff trust each other, the company’s goals can be met with efficiency and proficiency.  The leader trusts that staff sees and executes the company’s vision.  Along the way, the staff will feel the freedom to bring new and insightful ideas to the leader that will advance the company’s vision and goals.  The leader who is open to his/her staff’s new ideas creates an atmosphere of respect and trust.  The staff, on seeing the respect and trust from the leader, will in turn respect and trust the leader.  A good leader will develop the techniques and strategies to make decisions that will include the input of his staff and cultivate trust.



How Is Two-Way Trust Established?

There is a four step process that must take place so that trust can be established between leaders and staff. The steps are: the leader establishes authority, the leader provides structure, the leader creates a cause, and the staff and leader work within their symbiotic relationship.

Establishing Authority

In order for both staff and leadership to trust one another, each must be aware of the roles that they play within the company. This starts with the leader filling his/her role as a leader. Employees must know that a leader will fulfill the expectations he or she has established.

Another scene from Hoosiers shows Coach Dale dismissing two players from the team at the beginning of the season for talking instead of listening to him. While this seems harsh, Dale understood that if he did not set up his expectations from the beginning, the team would not accomplish their collective goal of becoming champions, because they did not trust in his authority. Without the expectations of authority being met, staff cannot trust that a leader is effective, which then can morph into mistrust about how well a leader fills his/her role. This immediately undermines authority. To the contrary, when a leader complies with the rules he/she has established, the staff knows what to expect, and can proceed in their tasks without confusion. This creates trust, which will increase efficiency.

Establishing authority goes both ways. While the leader has the responsibility to be the authority figure, the staff have the responsibility to follow through with the tasks presented. If there are staff who do not want to comply, this simply means that they don't understand the leader's vision, and can either learn to see it, or be helped into another position within the company or change employment. Those who do leave simply need to find a place that has a vision with which they can align themselves. Read more about helping everyone see the vision here. Once the staff that do believe in the vision begin to comply with the guidelines the leader has set, authority has been established because staff believe in the leader and want to accomplish a common goal.

Providing Structure

Providing structure is very similar to establishing authority; it is established authority that is consistent. Three essential elements must constantly be provided by the leader to make sure everyone is still on the same page: context, guidelines, and resources.

Context must be provided in order to accomplish goals. Context helps staff understand the scope of a certain job or task and how it contributes to the common goal. Guidelines let staff know what a leader wants and how structured any given goal is. If something needs to be completed that does not require a particular way in which it is to be done, then this should be communicated, and vice versa. This will help staff trust in leaders, once again, because they will have a clear idea of what their objectives are. This communication may recur, if needed. Resources may include multiple trainings and meetings, or anything that is implemented to help complete the task.

Creating a Cause

At the end of the day, people want to do what they want to do. The challenge that every leader has is finding a common cause between the company's needs, his/her personal goals, and the staff's personal goals. In Hoosiers, the common goal was to become champions. Leaders must find something that his/her staff can get behind; maybe it's developing an award-winning application, saving the whales, or being the quickest at delivering a product. Whatever it may be, everyone on the team must be passionate about it and motivated to contribute. This is also a two-way street. The leader finds or creates the common cause and the staff work towards it. Coach Dale's athletes contributed to the cause, and Dale was a strong enough leader to accept their contribution which enabled their success.

Symbiotic Relationship

Once everyone has a common cause and processes are in place, they can begin to make game-changing calls that will ultimately lead to a company's success. Both leadership and staff will fill their corresponding roles appropriately and collaborate effectively. As the leader continues to guide and create a foundation of authority, and the staff continue to believe in the vision and cause, everyone on the team will feel comfortable speaking up about what they know and sharing their opinions that correspond with the company goals.
 
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My Wood Burning Stove - Everything It's Taught Me About Business

Tuesday, August 29, 2017


My wife and I bought a home 17 years ago. We love our home and the cherished memories it keeps. Many of those memories include collecting, splitting, and burning wood to keep us warm. Each year we gather and split anywhere from two to four cords of wood. They say that burning wood heats you up three times: when you gather it, when you split it, and when you burn it. We have certainly found this to be true.
We have converted our backyard into different areas where we can process the wood in two steps: splitting and stacking.

Marketing requires consistent searching and effort.

Just as finding firewood for the upcoming winter requires one to start looking in April, so does marketing require one to keep a constant search open for new and potential clients. A good marketer is not spotty in when he or she puts all effort into reaching out to potential clients; a good marketer constantly gathers and searches, knowing that consistent effort is a must.


Preparation.

 Oftentimes we will find a tree that has just been cut down, so the wood is green. We have to let that wood sit in the yard anywhere from six months to a year in order to dry so we can then split it. Splitting green wood is almost impossible. This is similar to nurturing along potential clients before they become clients. The timing has to be right before we can actually engage with them as clients. We can stay present and vocal with them, but only when the client are ready to do business with us can we do our job properly. Just like leaving wood to sit so it can be split properly, we need to let our potential clients decide when they are ready.

 Go with the grain.

 When splitting wood, I have found that it is easiest to put the larger side towards the hammer that will push the wood towards the stationary axe, and the thinner side towards the axe. This allows the splitter to cut with the grain of the wood instead of fighting the grain of the wood. In business, it is important to be aware of climates, situations, and attitudes that, when confronted, would be a difficult struggle, expending more energy than is needed. One can, instead, continue in a current course until the right direction is found, knowing that there will be a time and a place for everything.

 Work around the knots.

Every batch of wood has pieces that won't split correctly because there are knots in the wood that are impossible to get through. Knots can exist in business, as well. There may be things ingrained in any industry that are just part of it or the way things get accomplished that are impossible to fight against and will not go anywhere. Sometimes these knots need to stay in place and we need to learn how to work around them because they actually help the business stay in place.

Getting the right people for the job.

My wife grew up stacking wood. I have tried to do it before, but she has the necessary experience to make sure that the wood is stacked correctly. When she stacks it, it won't fall over or lean once the wood dries or in harsh weather because every piece is perfectly placed. When I do it, the pile sometimes leans, because I simply did not grow up doing this. So, my wife stacks the wood and I split it because our experiences have given us different strengths. It is more efficient this way. So, too, in business, should people be placed in positions according to their talents or experiences, their strengths.

A good foundation is imperative.

When my wife stacks wood, she always comes to me and says, "In order to begin another row, I need some solid, square pieces that will ensure that the foundation is strong, that way the pile doesn't fall over." In business, having a strong beginning will create a solid foundation, ensuring that the business process can continue forwards  without fail. There need to be good, solid, consistent practices put in place from the beginning in order to accomplish this. My previous posts talk about having a champion, or creating standards, or owning data, or involving IT, and these are those strong practices that create a good foundation.

 Energy will be produced.

Burning wood creates energy, and so does a business that lays good foundations and follows it's principles set up from the beginning. By taking these lessons that I have gained from gathering, splitting, and burning wood, I have been able to see positive effects in my business; in the RSC culture, in the profit I see, in our relationships with our clients, and the things we have been able to produce. They are essential, and I hope you can learn from them as well.


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5 Reasons the CFTA Conference is Not to Be Missed

Thursday, August 10, 2017


I had the amazing opportunity to attend the CFTA conference in Madison, Wisconsin. Sitting in the Dane County Regional Airport, waiting for my flight home to San Ramon, CA, I reflected on the week of activities: a tour of Epic, Inc., a local band at an outdoor bar and grill with delicious food, dancing, and great conversations. The venue was top notch; hosted by the University ofWisconsin Madison, the Edgewater Hotel provided a relaxing atmosphere. The views of Lake Mendota were
Lake Mendota, Madison, Wisconsin

awe-inspiring, The restaurants - The Statehouse and The  Boathouse - and the in-room dining, provided satisfying cuisine.  The rooms were spacious, comfortable, and elegant. But what really made this conference one of the best I've ever attended was that the sessions were about real-life experiences concerning successes and challenges. This was a refreshing and welcoming approach for the conference. Here are the five main reasons as to why this conference should not have been missed:

     1.    Communication, goals, and accountability.

Firstly, the responsive design of the website and the guidebook allowed each attendee to carry the conference on their smart phone. Along those lines, the guidebook provided a schedule that was easy to use, including descriptions of each meeting that were clear and connected to attendee’s calendars with reminders.
Secondly, the executive board meeting was efficient and informational; it was concise and direct.  The three executives that were present delivered facts surrounding the existing state of their role, their future plans and goals, and a review of past performance highlighting successes and challenges.  All this was completed in less than 30 minutes.

     2.     Non-sales Vendor involvement.

This approach is rare and refreshing.  Approximately 20% of the attendees were vendors, including myself, but I never heard a sales pitch.  We each presented solutions and observations, then shared experiences.  Software solutions were mentioned in context to problems that were presented, but everything was collaborative instead of competitive.  Each vendor was given a time to give a 6-minute Spark Talk.  We presented our solutions concisely, some with humor, others with facts, and some with an overview of their offering. Overall, the collaborative environment ensured that everyone felt included and had the opportunity to learn and contribute.

     3.    Friendship.

Our bond was a simple one.  We were all colleges and universities executing CAD drawing and GIS applications with little resources and sometimes minimal support.  These commonalities created an instant bond because we understood and had empathy for each other. Because of this bond, our conversations were not forced or insincere.  They flowed easily.  We discussed BIM, GIS, CAD, KPI’s, etc. We talked sports, families, shared laughter, and shared successes and challenges.

Conscious time was set aside for these conversations. I personally had many that stood out, but would like to highlight two in particular:

1) I had the opportunity to receive advice on how to resurrect a neglected piece of technology that had been disregarded.  It is slated to be replaced even though it is still a viable solution.


                                   2) I also was able to have a great conversation about BIM: how it is connected to the IWMS industry, its strengths, and its weaknesses.                                            

     4.    Sharing Freely.

Every moment of every session, gathering, and entertainment, I observed sharing: old friends reuniting and catching up, new acquaintances sharing their life experiences, vendors providing insights into the future of technology, and universities sharing successes.

     5.    Meetings that Broke the Mold.

One example of this was the Unconference. This was a meeting reserved for those who wished to stay after the official CFTA activities. This was the first  Unconference I’ve seen. We were each given five topics, which quickly multiplied. The topics were distinct and appropriate.  They ranged from space floor plans and their security, BIM and its opportunities and constraints, project management, KPI’s, GIS, and more.  As I sat and listened intently, the openness was refreshing, the struggles were real, the successes were celebrated, and professional connections were created.  These meetings flowed freely without interruption.  When the time was up, the desire to continue was evident.  These colleagues truly faced familiar problems and were eager to solve them and they found brothers and sisters in arms.

Additionally, the Spark Talks provided each vendor 5-6 minutes to share who they were and what they represented.  This shortened sales approach was done in less than 45 minutes.  I was impressed at the preparation to make this run smoothly.  Though a small detail, the combining of all PowerPoint slides into one slide deck provided a smooth transition between vendors and cut down on time.  I found myself drawn to my competitors’ stories and offerings.  I enjoyed their candor and examples and the humor presented was refreshing.  I gleaned new perspectives, cataloged improvements, and relished in mine and everyone’s uniqueness.

I reiterate: this was the best conference I have ever attended.  I recommend this conference to all Universities and will continue to support the CFTA organization as they continue to provide disruptive innovation. The challenge of disruptive innovation was given to all Universities in attendance.  As a vendor I was inspired to pick up that challenge. How I will accomplish that is worthy of another article.  So, for now, I’ll see you, my new friends, next year at The Ohio State.

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ARCHIBUS is Headed in an Exciting Direction

Monday, May 29, 2017


As a CEO and business partner with ARCHIBUS, I have been watching the development of the company very closely for the past 20 years. As I discussed in my previous article, "Why ARCHIBUS is here to stay!", Bruce Forbes laid a solid foundation destined for success, paving a road for Wise Cho, the new CEO of ARCHIBUS, to follow and lead the company to continued profitability and reputation as a leading and innovative IWMS provider.

I was very impressed with Wise Cho's presentation at the 2016 NEXUS Conference. I looked for a few key factors in his presentation, and I was not disappointed. The four main concepts that I was looking for, and which were presented were:
  1. A defined mission statement
  2. A connection back to the core values of the company
  3. A clear idea of the direction to where the company is headed
  4. An ambient of collaboration by allowing other leaders within the company lead key discussions
Being a CEO myself, I understand the pressure felt and the responsibilities placed within that world, and I empathize with those put into that position. It can be a difficult, and sometimes lonely, road, as many decisions must be made that require careful thought, planning, and execution, and occasoinally cannot be discussed with anyone else because of legal obligations. I see in Wise Cho a leader who is capable of filling the role as ARCHIBUS' new CEO and a leader who is capable of making these decisions essential to ARCHIBUS' continued success. 

We at RSC are excited to see what new direction Wise Cho will take ARCHIBUS in the coming years!

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Success with energy management

Wednesday, February 8, 2017




Bob: You just completed a really good installation of energy management module for one of our government clients in Southern California. Talk to me about some of the successes that happened there.


Todd: It was exciting to see them get their utility information available in ARCHIBUS in a way that would allow them to do some reporting that had previously taken them weeks or months. It can now be done in minutes or hours. One example is that the two most common questions they were asked were “Tell me how much a building of this type costs in terms of electricity and gas usage.” Those used to take them quite a few days to put together the report that was necessary and we built them a report that took just a couple of minutes. 


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What sets RSC apart?

Wednesday, December 28, 2016



Matt: What sets RSC apart from other IWMS consultants?


Bob: I think that what we do really well is deliver quickly and with good quality. I think a couple of other things are we listen to our clients, synthesize what they say to us, analyze it, and then provide them the solution they asked for, instead of giving them a “cookie-cutter” or “out-of-the-box” answer. 


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Advantages of energy management

Wednesday, December 21, 2016




Bob: If you were to talk to other clients about the energy management module, what would you say are some advantages of using the system?


Todd: One of the things that ARCHIBUS brings that’s unique is the ability to pull in data from external weather agencies to compare energy usage to actual climate models. That’s a great thing. You can actually look at the energy, gas, and electricity usage and you can plot that against what the cooling degree days for that same period were and see that your energy usage may be a bit off the charts this year but maybe that’s because it was a hotter year than last year. That’s a useful thing to be able to do. It’s difficult to do in the client’s old system, but easy to do in ARCHIBUS. 


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