GPS Reviews: Now, We’re An Effective Management Team

Situation

A third generation family farm, growing crops and raising cattle, engaged GPS to “provide business consulting services to increase the long term profitability of our company.” Overall goals of the Value Enhancement Project were to set up “a strategic business plan along with organization and process measurement, upgrade the productivity and reward process, and provide general training.”

Process

The GPS consultant “quickly identified the root cause of the issues within our business. There existed a lack of defined leadership within the management group; there were numerous trust issues within the management group that led to a lack of accountability; and there was a lack of engagement from some of the members within the group.

These issues had resulted in a lack of focus and direction on critical corporate issues, such as succession planning and management transition. Before he began addressing our goals, our consultant had to start resolving these concerns.

He was able to tactfully begin to draw out the source of these problems within the management team and lead the discussion of why it was limiting our ability to be an effective management team. As he did this, certain tendencies were revealed as well as a feeling of transparency. Leadership and management responsibilities were created and assigned to individuals.

As these changes began to take place, the ball started to roll in the direction that we wanted it to go, and we were able to begin to complete the goals of the Value Enhancement Program.”

Result

“At this point, I believe that our consultant is one of a few people who could have come into our business and initiate the changes that needed to be made. Besides the value of being a third party, he was able to use his executive experience and knowledge to drive the changes that needed to occur.

In essence, GPS provided our company access to a top level executive, so that he could work inside our business. This provided valuable insight that we haven’t had access to before. We were able to take his suggestions and begin to apply them directly to our business.

By no means are the changes that he started, complete, but he has initiated the progress that needed to take place in order to move our business forward. I feel that we are, now, in a stronger position to conduct those hard discussions, which we, as a management group, had avoided in the past. By breaking through those walls, we can now begin to fully implement the processes that our consultant and GPS have provided.” Martin, Partner