Business leaders in western Europe face a challenge. With increasing competition from countries with a lower operating cost base, the route to survival is through innovation and adaptability. These factors require intelligent, knowledgeable and creative people, willing to go the extra mile. How should our industry go about finding and – importantly – retaining staff capable of developing our bottom line in a highly competitive market place?
The responsibility for laying down the pattern of profitable business lies with management in the first instance: our staff will do as we do; act as we act. We must not be reticent about encouraging staff to develop their drive and ambition. Our people need to feel motivated and challenged, and training plays a key role in enhancing staff capabilities. Investing in the individual establishes a commonality of interests and purpose between the individual and the company.
Customers also need to feel that we are focused on their needs, and can offer a better service than our competitors. Innovation, whether in products or services, requires staff and management with a capacity for generating ideas, looking into the future, and designing ever-better solutions. As the trade becomes more professional we need different types of people than in past generations, such as product engineers, logistics experts, and IT people to develop the trade’s infrastructure, helping us reduce costs still further. The pattern of trade sales is changing, with more ‘partnering’ leading to closer links on product development, and deeper supply chain co-operation between supplier and customer. Again, well-educated, well-trained people form the central pillar of these developments.
Recognising the individual achievements of our staff in undertaking training or continuing their professional development is just as important as providing them with such opportunities. This is the reason for SCA‘s sponsorship of the annual TTJ Career Development Award. Will we be handing a winner’s trophy to a member of your staff this year? The deadline for receipt of entries is July 15.
