Q&A Archives - Chris L. Kenny

Leadership, Communication and Expectations: A Q&A on Managing Company Productivity with Chris and Jen of Kenny Family ShopRites

Allison S — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 19:08:27 +0000

After sharing my blog article on how to improve your organization’s annual planning and budgeting, I received questions about the follow-through: how do entrepreneurs, company managers and team leaders manage expectations, productivity, team morale, accountability and performance reviews? Running a successful business, organization or operation is not just about prudent planning; it is about planning combined with leading a team through an executable and assessable plan-of-action. Much like a Knight training a Squire, a good leader educates by empowering their team with important tasks and expectations that they can be held accountable to.

So on the topic of team accountability, I sat down with the Kenny Family Stores HR Director, Jen Selvaggi to explore what turns a good team plan into a strong and effective formation like a line of Knights.

Defining a Knight

How do you approach managing company productivity to drive results?

Chris: Starts with the job description. Managing people is about managing expectations. You cannot manage expectations if someone does not know what is expected of them. To be clear, you must have a job description in writing when you hire somebody or transfer somebody into a new position so they are crystal on what their role and functions and duties are on a day-to-day basis and what they will be reviewed upon regarding their performance and compensation on a regular basis.

Properly draft a job description to provide an individual a clear scope of defined work product. Further, it’s instrumental during the review process in order to highlight variations in the expected performance of each job function. If you are regularly having a discussion about whether somebody is doing something they’re supposed to do or they are stating that it’s not their job, you have not done a good job setting out a clearly defined job description.

Jen: Each associate that is hired attends orientation where we discuss policies/rules as well as job expectations. We share the family story and all of the benefits and growth that can be earned through hard work and dedication. Each associate is given a job description and handbook with clear direction on how to be successful. Each associate is trained and managed through their probationary period with a training checklist as a guide. Items that need further development are reviewed again.

"A culture of positive morale is obtained by accepting all individuals and allows for freedom of expression."

A Squire’s Training

What is your process for holding people and teams accountable to executing stated goals, tasks and objectives?

Chris: Making sure you have regular opportunities to review task progress and job completion through huddles, meetings, project status check-ins, all with minutes taken that clearly spell out any gaps in performance and assign names and dates for expected improvement and/or completion.

Encouraging vigorous dialogue around any roadblocks whether that be difficulty of initial task assignment or the wrong person was given the job task is critical. Allowing constant change in order to adapt work processes to drive towards the ultimate result is critical. The end result is key; you must be flexible and malleable during the production process so everyone sees they have productive input to achieve the desired result.

Jen: Progressive discipline is used to hold associates accountable for their actions and job duties. While counseling on discipline, additional training opportunities may come to the surface and we will re-train as needed.

What sort of culture is important for encouraging productivity? Company morale?

Chris: People like clarity and communication. If they know the rules of the game they are more likely to succeed in their current role and exceed expectations. If there is any miscommunication, clear directives crumble. One time my father Bernie told somebody to go “block the aisle” and they went and blocked off access to the aisle so that no customers could get to it… but what he really meant was to go pull the product forward on the shelves so it looks like a wall of product in the aisle! Great lesson on clear communication matching up with performance expectations.

You must consistently and honestly communicate any deviations positive or negative in relation to each specific job task and do it on a timely and regular basis. Creating this culture of accountability will inevitably increase productivity and morale. People respect when you pay attention to their jobs and provide constructive feedback. It is when you ignore poor performance or do not communicate deviation in expectations of job performance that lack of productivity and a decline in overall morale accelerates.

Jen: A culture of positive morale is obtained by accepting all individuals and allows for freedom of expression. We have suggestion boxes, hotlines, 2-way texting and an open-door policy that allows all associates to communicate, suggest and express concerns without judgement. We also have a social recognition program that allows for peer-to-peer recognition as well as manager-to-peer recognition. This keeps associates engaged and focused on doing better to achieve recognition as well as a job well done.

Achieving Knighthood

Talk about your performance review process

Chris: We utilize the performance review process for both compensation and succession planning. We start with the job description and assign a measurement scale based on the performance of each individual item. Then the associate completes a self-evaluation and scores each major job task within the job description. If it in their opinion deviates from or meets expectations whether favorably or negatively, they have to write specific examples why. The manager then does the same process, and they sit down either twice annually or once annually and attempt to close the gaps.

Succession planning is critical with each job, and it is made clear during this Performance Review process what the next job description level for their career tract is or what other jobs and career tracks may be available. We clearly define what soft skills, managerial skills, leadership skills or other developmental items are required to move to the next level.

Jen: Associate reviews are completed every 6 months. At the review session we ask the associate to identify what they have accomplished during this period and what additional training and/or goals they may have. Those associates who score above average, meet with the store manager and discuss development plans to get them into a position that increases their skills such as cake decorating, meat cutting or possibly management. Those that score below average also meet with the store manager to put a plan in place to get them to be more productive.

How do you use development plans?

Chris: Development plans are created for someone that is consistently not meeting the standard for the performance of their position or for somebody that’s ready for promotion and needs a clear path forward. We use third-party assessments that highlight key areas of opportunity for growth, and we also work mutually on areas the associate and manager identify as opportunities. Resources are applied in order to accomplish specific training, education and job skills enhancement over the course of the following year.

Jen: We use development plans to assist with associates that need further training and/or management of job duties. The idea is to get them performing at expectations on their own.

The Knight’s Code

How do you encourage continuous and ongoing improvements?

Chris: We are constantly pushing the envelope with performance expectations. Never settle for what has been done. Always set a goal for what may be able to be done, not what has already happened. Stretch goals and push people to challenge themselves to find ways to accomplish the task more efficiently and effectively. In one team meeting with executives years ago Bernie was asking for more performance and better results and one of the team members stood up and took his shirt off and asked, “Do you want my shirt off my back??”

Everyone has on their limits and it is on a good team leader to push for productivity without reducing morale. We try to find other market participants, industry studies or other individual examples where performance has exceeded all expectations. We applaud spontaneity and ingenuity while in addition allowing mimicking of other successes.

Jen: Continuous improvements are encouraged by regular feedback, on the spot training, regular daily training and the review process. Department managers work side-by-side with associates are able to offer regular feedback on a process/skill as well as on the spot training. It is feasible for a department manager to take 3 minutes and do a quick lifting training session or explain the proper way to store product with members in their department. We also have a daily training tool that will train and remind associates of key items that need to be reinforced.

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When a Knight trains his Squires, he is empowering them to grow through not only opportunity but accountability. Running a company, organization or team requires constant communication, assessment and feedback. No, people are not widgets; however, whether you are an executive, manager, or line level associate, there are basic performance management practices that if applied organizational wide in an open, fair and consistent manner, it will pay dividends for morale and productivity.

The post Leadership, Communication and Expectations: A Q&A on Managing Company Productivity with Chris and Jen of Kenny Family ShopRites appeared first on Chris L. Kenny.

How to Improve Your Organization’s Annual Planning and Budgeting: A Q&A with Chris Kenny and Ben Simons of Kenny Family ShopRites

Allison S — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 20:57:38 +0000

2020 was an intense and challenging year for many organizations across the country, especially the small businesses and non-profits that make our local communities thrive. 2021 will likely be another trying year for organizations everywhere. As we move through the first quarter of the new year, it is worthwhile for leaders and managers to take a step back and review their organization’s processes and planning procedures in order to maximize success through the rest of the year.

For my first Sword in the Stone piece of 2021, I thought exploring our family business’s approach to annual company planning and budgeting might prove insightful and informative for aspiring and seasoned business owners, non-profits and public officials. Together with our Director of Sales and Marketing Ben Simons, we took a critical look at the important aspects for successful annual planning and budgeting.

Create a culture of continuous improvement by having a regular transparent budgeting and planning creation and review process that is well documented who has to do what and by when and to what standard.

Rallying TO the Flag

How can one be a strong leader during the annual planning and budgeting process and create a culture of continuous improvement?

Chris L. Kenny: It is beneficial to “push down” the budget formation and decision-making process to the lowest level possible to understand the unique needs of the various divisions of the organization and inspire their meaningful participation in the process and loyalty to the vision of the organization. A leader must effectively coordinate all levels within the company structure during the budget planning, recognize their interdependence and communicate between and among the participants a common vision. When the process is uniformly percolated up from the lowest levels of the organization along a common communicated vision there are less intentional gaps in information and oversight of key emerging issues. We utilize this submitted information and check it through various internal and external data points like employee and customer surveys and broader comparative market information that help us better understand our trends and what is needed for strategic direction the following year.

How does a leader not micromanage the planning process and empower the budget creation without dictating the result?

Chris: Always utilize specific data reference points that show why a particular investment of time, treasure, or talent needs to be made or conversely reduced or eliminated. You need to be versed in correlating facts and data to inspire compliance on the vision, a leader will never get the required organizational buy-in to accomplish a unified mission if you provide no reference points for your guidance.

Ex. If you are trying to reduce an expense because the vision is you can be more productive in that particular unit, then you need to be able to point out specific examples in similarly situated situations where it has been achieved repeatedly and motivate them to want to replicate. Never write the budget item and say it’s done elsewhere; figure it out and get it done. That never works and actually demotivates and cripples the entire initiative.

Ben Simons: By fostering teamwork, many great ideas and strategies come from observations outside of one’s direct responsibility. Lose the "stay out of my sandbox" mentality. Disagreements are not a bad thing. That's where positive change comes from. Someone doesn't have to be a subject matter expert when taking on a new area of responsibility.

ALIGNING THE BANNERS

How do leaders set guardrails while encouraging risk taking and enable decisions within the constraints of the economic realities?

Chris: Communicate all financial realities internally and externally facing the business decisions; do not hold back hidden info or agendas. Determine and enforce consistent minimum standards, guidelines and expectations well in advance across all units. Don’t have selective enforcement or double standards—be fair. Reward risk taking and do not punish mistakes. When people know the rules of the game and they agree they are fair and on a level playing field, they will perform far better.

Ben: Sometimes risk taking involves giving opportunities to people who are eager to learn which I believe are often better than handing an area or project to someone who has knowledge but will then walk through the motions as opposed to being innovative. Someone who doesn't necessarily have knowledge in an area will strive to learn and excel to prove that they have ability to learn and grow. Don't be afraid to look outside your direct team/organization for information and direction. You don't always have to recreate the wheel. Someone else has probably already experienced a hurdle you have faced and found solutions to cross it.

Chris: To reward risk and not punish mistakes, encourage top performers to go outside the confines of the budget, but require communication to all in advance, require a written plan and strategy, and tell them to make a decision. If it fails, you don’t do it again, but you make the decision and do it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Unit order of Battle

How does a leader progressively address poor performing units without demotivating?

Chris: I use peer pressure. If you have everyone present their operating objectives and financial budget in front of the group then everyone will see who isn’t pulling their weight. Do not sugarcoat lack of performance. Address the issue, ask the group for feedback, and engage in a vigorous discussion of why. Tear down the ego barriers and build back clear agreement on the new operating direction.

Ben: Understanding that employee morale is almost always based off of the management/employee relationship and not just financial incentive is important. If you build that relationship with the employee, they will work harder and be more loyal than just handing them another dollar. The dollar may make them happier short term, but if they still dislike the engagement and relationship between manager and employee, then they will still be dissatisfied and less eager to promote positivity and work efficiently.

Conversely, how do you reward/incentivize good performing units without demotivating?

Chris: First, give them credit privately and amongst their peers. Then increase the scope of responsibility, promote position, add more business units to their domain. People will be forced to grow and challenge themselves to continually perform at the higher standard in the new or expanded area. You build trust that you are relying on them more and more to execute the vision.

Ben: The success of a leader should be based off of the success of those they manage. Empower and engage your team to be involved in all processes. This makes them feel as though their voice is heard and they don't feel blind-sided from a decision or directive.

Any final words?

Ben: Budget and annual planning takes time. Be realistic in the process. If multiple revisions aren't occurring then there are probably missed opportunities. Don't put a number down just to put something on paper. Justify your calculations but be prepared to adjust fire when variables occur which almost always happen whether it’s as large as a pandemic or a competitive variable that suddenly occurred. Transparency is important. Your team may not like a decision, but if they feel they have had an opportunity to address thoughts into what goes into making a decision, they will often understand the reasoning and get behind it.

Chris: Create a culture of continuous improvement by having a regular transparent budgeting and planning creation and review process that is well documented who has to do what and by when and to what standard. Stick to that process every year and tweak it but don’t make exceptions like we don’t have time or this is a difficult time, etc. Do not do this in a hurry or in a vacuum with only a few people. That’s a disaster waiting to happen.

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Pulling the Sword: A Leadership Q&A with Chris L. Kenny

Allison S — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 14:19:22 +0000

When I started this blog The Sword in the Stone, I created it as a place to post my thoughts on various topics in addition to sharing more about my background and who I am. Since launching my website, I have been asked many great and interesting questions about my leadership role in my family’s company, so I have put together a list of your questions with my answers in Q&A style to share with you what leadership means to me. This article explores how I approach my role as President and CEO of my family’s business and what it is like to lead our incredible team at Kenny Family Stores.

1. How did you feel about becoming the President + CEO of the Kenny Family Stores?

It was a natural progression of responsibility. Since 2003 my roles had been expanding successively every few years. I felt a sense of completion in one aspect of not having to prepare for another role and new set of requirements.

2. Were you "fully prepared," or were there some aspects you "had to learn by doing/observing," etc.?

I had been growing in areas of responsibility for 10 years. Each role requiring the use and expansion of the prior. Some things I learned by doing, other by observing, most by trial and error via making decisions and adapting based on the results.

3. When did you first learn you were going to have that leadership role?

With a family business you have a very limited group to choose from for running the business each generation. It became very clear when I entered the business that would be my responsibility.

4. How did that make you feel? (Excited? Scared? Wondering "why me??", etc.)

I have always had the sense of martyrdom. I could go elsewhere to make more money and work less, but I didn’t feel that would that be fair to my family. If I have been blessed with certain capabilities and the opportunity to help my family, but don’t act on that, I would not feel good inside.

5. Many have asked about your reference to the “The Sword in the Stone” in the title of your blog, how does that story and the idea of the Unwanted Marcher relate to your experience?

My father’s legacy and the family business are Excalibur. At this time, only I have the power to wield the sword. It can be used for good or evil, but it is mine, as no one else can use the sword. Luckily for us all, I choose to always use my position for good.

Currently, none of my siblings could pull the sword from the stone. I am lucky to have the genetic predisposition, coupled with the intentional experience and completed training to be able to successfully take on this responsibility. My siblings could have gone to college and finished, but they didn’t. They could have gone to law school and passed 3 bar exams, but didn’t. They could have excelled in their jobs and demanded incremental responsibility every year. They either couldn’t or didn’t.

6. Were any business books part of your leadership training? If so, what were some of your favorite ones, and why?

I’ll expound upon all media I consume—books, newspapers, movies— in its own blog post.

7. How do you manage to "rise to the occasion" without "getting swallowed alive" by the problems and obstacles?

VFMA hardened my soul. I operate from a cool, calm, and steady place with tracer fire overhead. The thrill of success (winning) when bodies are dropping (competitors) is visceral. Throttle maxed with hair on fire is the only speed. I ain’t got time to bleed. If someone isn’t getting it done, I step up, get in and do it myself.

I find it easy to calm the nerves while traveling a path already well tread, that has led to a desired result; everyone is traveling that path along with you. There is no need to reinvent the wheel during crises. My tried and true philosophy is to double down on core strengths and stop anything fringe or speculative until the crises averted.

8. Can you elaborate on your business practices with regards to respect?

Respect requires fairness and accountability. To me, treating anyone differently is the biggest form of disrespect. It is my creed to respect people by treating them as I would anyone else under the same circumstances.

9. How do you motivate people?

I intentionally overwhelm people with stretch goals and large volumes of workload, with the intention of pressing them to overachieve what they think is possible. I don’t micro manage or punish failure to complete, but I find far more work gets done than if goals and workload are simple and easy to complete.

10. How do you motivate yourself?

I need to successfully complete things and move on to motivate me to do it again. I need to feel it isn’t being done so I have to do it. I love creating something to fill a hole. I motivate myself the same way I motivate others, I create a huge stretch goal and plan out the kitchen sink to get it done. My motivation comes from the need to successfully complete a project.

11. Have you ever wanted to throw in the towel?

I have actually gone to the unemployment office and sat waiting with a number. This was years ago. I think I was in HR at the time.

12. What are some examples of how you have persevered through the ups and downs of trial and error?

When I entered the family business full time in 2003 as the director of Human Resources, the department was essentially a two-person operation for 600 associates. When I started as CFO in 2008 we were not paying our bills to our wholesaler. When I took over as CEO in 2012 my father had been doing the same things for 30 years.

Most of my time working in executive roles have been conducting myself by trial and error, finding ways to make things work that haven’t been working for years. My favorite trick is very simple: replicate. I have no ego with strategy. If someone else is doing it and it works, then we do it as quickly and efficiently as possible the same way. We can worry about doing it differently or better later, but right now, let’s get it done a proven way ASAP. Secondly, just do it, take a chance and ask for forgiveness if it doesn’t work. Do it. Don’t wait, don’t make excuses, don’t fear failure, don’t care what others will say, just do it.

13. How has a lack of planning shaped your career?

My family business never had a business or leadership succession plan and if you ask my father today, he may still say we don’t have one. At 82 years old and still the controlling owner, he believes he will live forever. I had to create our succession plan and implement it myself. I created the timelines and successive roles. I had to initiate, convince, negotiate (re-negotiate), and involve partners to curate the business succession. Nobody in the family at the time could understand the complexities involved.

14. How does creating more of a strategic operation happen?

Having a permanent strategy of effectively implementing change requires deeply ingrained organizational processes and carefully groomed people that are both forever successively developed and adaptive to the change.

Change. Process. People. You have to manage change by creating processes with people. That is the strategy for business and frankly life.

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