09/22/2022
A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish… Aka Why I joined Misura Group
My recent career move has raised questions from those who have known me for quite some time, and they have a natural curiosity about my career direction. From my early years as a commodities trader with Georgia Pacific and Boise Cascade; to working for nearly a decade in the Foxworth-Galbraith organization responsible for directing sales, building teams, and building a bridge between sales and operations; to building a leadership development and succession planning program at Kodiak Building Partners, I have had the privilege of intentionally building my career covering the entire building products supply chain: manufacturing, wholesale distribution and LBM Dealer levels. This “seasoning” has afforded me a fantastic vantage point in understanding how the facets in our industry operate and work together, the cultural nuances of organizations, and assessing the leadership needs of each company.
Growing up, my father was big on teaching his children the game of chess. To say that I hated it would be an understatement. I would have rather been outside riding my bike and goofing off with my friends. I didn’t realize at the time that very early on, I was learning how to think strategically, anticipate moves that my opponent would likely make, and always operate more than one step ahead.
Many of the building products supply chain problems are created upstream, aggregated, and left for the dealer to solve; utilizing the chess approach is critical. Your company’s profitability (and your sanity) depends on your ability to operate and forecast proactively. This is a game I have played, and won, and lost, and won again. It takes a nimble but strategic approach to business, and if your leadership team is solid, they can manage through effectively. If you have the wrong guy or gal in the wrong seat on the bus, you’ll go home every night wishing for a shot of tequila.
Our industry is facing unprecedented challenges, which are accelerating. The way we do business must change if we are to adapt successfully. We are currently facing and likely continue facing strong economic headwinds, but our workforce is perhaps the biggest challenge our industry is confronting.
When we look at creating and implementing a succession plan, our industry is at a deficit in mid-level and entry-level labor force. Additionally, the labor force in the United States is shrinking, handicapping us further as we look at the organizational health of our companies. Implementing succession planning, leadership development, and generational management know-how while knee deep in operations, is difficult at best. We are facing the perfect storm making labor the number one challenge we face today and well into the future.
More than any other asset, your people will make or break your business. How will you react, flex to adjust to rapidly changing labor force conditions, and ensure long term viability for your organization? The answer is organizational development. Misura Group’s approach to organizational development is a science-backed effort focused on improving an organization’s capacities and efficiencies. This is done through: organizational and business analysis, building a working succession plan, and identifying, evaluating, and working with both current and ascending leadership and management. We use tools such as assessments, 360s, education, coaching, and individualized development plans to create strong leaders and build a strong leadership bench.
The Misura Group partnership has provided an opportunity for me to focus on the thing I am the most passionate about…and that is growing people, companies, and cultures. By deploying principles of organizational development and business analysis, together we can create robust, sustainable companies poised for strong performance in the years to come. The legacy you have worked tirelessly to build will continue to impact your community and the industry. The Misura team strongly believes in a people-first approach, not just one-dimensionally, but most importantly, believes in looking at holistically building a team and the people on that team. Understanding your business and helping our client-partners build strong, sustainable teams that can succeed in any market conditions are what we are all about.
See you on the chess board,
Dena
Dena can be reached at:
719.502.9554
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