Author Archives: Ciro Giammona
← Older postsNew Year’s resolutions or a solid business plan? Part II
February 20, 2012Our business and department plans are done, and we’ve moved into execution mode. As I mentioned in part 1, a well-crafted plan is meaningless if it ends up on a shelf, so we’ll be working on the action items as the year unfolds. One great tool for keeping things moving is called the Quarterly Priorities Manager (or QPM) which we learned from Kraig Kramers in his book “CEO Tools” – http://www.ceotools.com.
It provides a systematic way of periodically checking in on the top 5 things that will move our plans forward. As each item is completed a new one takes its place, and each company manager is accountable for completing their action items.
One aspect of the plan I am really excited about for 2012 has to do with our Employee Owner satisfaction. We received feedback from our Employee Owner survey (look for an upcoming blog that will address this further), that piqued our interest in Wellness Programs. We began to study what leading companies are doing to create a healthier environment for their employees, and decided to initiate one of our own. One of the recommendations from the health and wellness experts is that for any initiative of this nature to succeed, it must be at the highest level of company goals, along with customer satisfaction, financial goals, and other high priorities.
So that’s what we did. We included employee owner health and wellness goals into our business plan, and as a result, we have a program in the works, with guidance from a consultant that specializes in corporate wellness. We’ve established a “Wellness Committee” comprised of five employee owners; Kathy Paul – Chief Estimator, Bella Babot – Director of Marketing, Susan Pines – Finance and HR Manager, Kai Jensen – Project Manager and me, Ciro Giammona – President. We are starting a terrific program requiring a minimum investment of time, and are all excited to be on our way to healthier, happier employee owners and improved productivity.
So as it turns out, our business plan is actually capable of helping our employee owners fulfill some of their New Year’s resolutions! How cool is that?
Posted in Articles | Leave a commentInnovation
February 14, 2012by: Ciro Giammona, President and coffee lover.
My wife gave me a new coffeemaker as a gift – probably not like one you might be imagining. It amazes me how many different devices have been invented to address the centuries old process of steeping roasted beans in hot water and extracting the part one wants to drink from the waste.
One might think that the best way to do this would have been figured out long ago. Then came dozens of innovative improvements including the percolator, the French press, Mr. Coffee, the Keurig cup, and now the Aeropress. I have to say, as unusual this thing looks and operates, it makes a really good cup of coffee.
For some, the process of making coffee is partly about the ritual - comfortably repeating a task you’ve done over and over year after year. For others, its about the coffee, and that’s it – “I don’t care how its made; just get me to a Starbuck’s.” Regardless of the process, its true that it’s basically all coffee, but obviously quality and flavor will vary, and the evolution of the process continues to evolve through innovation.
What does this have to do with remodeling? Some might say “I don’t care how its done – its just remodeling”. But is it? Just like the idea of what constitutes good design has changed dramatically in the last century, innovative new materials and methods are being invented all the time. The ubiquitous cordless screwdriver (and similar tools) has reduced the level of skill required to install a screw, but again, results will vary. Knowing when to use a screw instead of a nail, what size screw, what type of screw and what material to use and whether to use a cordless or old-fashioned hand-operated screwdriver are all things that come with experience and training.
Nevertheless, innovation can work in everyone’s favor and as a company, we are always on the lookout for new materials and methods on behalf of our clients. Its also why we strive to sort out the “leading edge” of design and construction technology from the the “bleeding edge”, as we really don’t want the results of our work to be an experiment that our clients end up having to live with or readdress.
I think I’ll go make another delicious cup of coffee now.
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