Is it in Top Management`s Job Description?
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Transcript Is it in Top Management`s Job Description?
April 19, 2013
Jeffrey Evans
The Will-Burt Company
CEO, President and Chairman
Jeffrey Evans, THE Will-Burt Company
Will-Burt: 1894, 1918, 1986 ESOP
6th CEO over 120 years
Several other ESOP boards of directors
How do ESOPs stack up with others?
Employee-owned companies do better
than their peers
◦ Sales and profits
◦ Employee morale
◦ Adherence to values and mission
◦ Long-term wealth creation for everyone
ESOP Success Examples
Will-Burt from 2000 through today
ESOP company on the verge of
bankruptcy
TRW / Argotech
Firestone Tire Stores
So HOW does this happen?
It starts at the top - leadership must
be committed to the ownership culture
Employees that think and behave like
owners perform like owners
HOW is the Culture Built and Nurtured?
1.
2.
3.
Communications – start with listening
Shared challenges, shared resources,
and shared benefits
Be true to your values
1. Communications
Start with listening
MBWA
Quarterly Newsletter
Quarterly All Hands Meeting
Weekly “News from the ‘Burt”
Open door policy
1. Communications
Monthly lunch with the president
Monthly EAC meeting (employee
activity committee)
Z-Dep quality policy
2. Shared Challenges, Resources, Rewards
Open book management
◦ “The good, the bad, and the ugly”
◦ Everyone needs to understand the goals
◦ Include key objectives and metrics
◦ Everyone gets annual strategic plan summary
Accountability and alignment
◦ “It is not / IT IS my job!”
2. Shared Challenges, Resources, Rewards
Good communications, alignment and
accountability lead to a “Snowball Effect”
1.
2.
3.
4.
Develop and follow the plan
See improvement
Achieve shared profits and stock valuation
Go back to step #1
3. Be True to Your Values
Will-Burt Mission and Values
Long-term Goal: Make Will-Burt a place
where people want to work
Quality, safety and profit (in that order)
Balance between current income and
bonus, benefits, and long-term stock
growth
3. Be True to Your Values
Fair wages
2 retirement plans (ESOP, matching
401-k)
Excellent medical and other benefits
Bonus to all employees in “good years”
Excellent stock value growth
3. Be True to Your Values
ESOPs are better for customers,
employee-owners
Tax law and structure make ESOPs
possible
Culture makes performance happen
Top leaders must develop, feed and care
for ownership culture