Letter on the Third — June 2020
Dear Datamax Family,
Whether we think about it or not, we’ve all got a process, starting with a simple morning routine, continuing with the elaborate business processes we continue to polish. Every department at Datamax has a process – do we trust it? Imagine we’re all on a raft together. As we approach the rapids, we’d better be synced up on our process, or one (or all) of us are bound to get swamped.
Process, to me, is about being organized. It’s about establishing a shared navigation plan. Without it, we have no way of working towards a trusted outcome. Sometimes, these processes become so ingrained into our routine that we don’t often stop to think about them, like making cold calls or setting up equipment for delivery. This is what we would call an unconscious competent.
Some processes must be developed quickly, under unusual circumstances.
It was March 12, I was visiting with my neighbor, when they mentioned that there was talk of shutting the country down. Later that day, I was out shopping with my wife. I was waiting in line, chit chatting with a woman in front of me who mentioned the very same thing about a potential shutdown. I was, like all of you, initially stunned.
The first thing we did was get Justin Huffaker and Stew Campbell in to start asking the questions: “Are we prepared if we have to have people working from home?” “What does that look like?” In asking those initial questions, a process began to develop. There were, of course, a few bumps, but I feel like over all, we were ahead of the game.
Some processes go on behind the scenes, the intricate details unnoticed by many at our organization.
Think about operations, administration, leasing, and all the dynamics that must come together from the time an order comes in to the time that the equipment is set up on the customer’s floor. If we don’t lean on one another and work through all the necessary logistics together, it would be pure havoc.
Some processes develop steadily over time, through commitment and accountability. For instance, take into account Principle #12 from The Little Blue Book: “Honor our systems or initiate positive change.”
Consider the process of culture. Culture doesn’t develop by simply announcing it. It’s like guaranteeing a four-hour response time – how do you know this to be the case? How are you going to prove it? If you asked employees about their company’s culture, what would they say about it? Because our culture is written down in the Little Blue Book, each one of us has an understanding and responsibility to uphold these principles and philosophies.
It’s my belief, based on everything I’ve seen and heard over the past three months, that we as an organization authentically live our culture daily. But don’t forget: Culture, like anything else, is a process. We must keep our eyes on the roadmap. We must trust it. The Best is Yet to Be.
