Fall 2016 Hardlines Strategies

best fit for each employee, Goebel says. And he stresses that those employees have the opportunity to do well in a variety of areas. “You want to make sure no one feels left behind in the process, as you search for the right roles for each person,” he says. “We make it clear that being a manager isn’t the only measure of success. Not everyone is wired to be a manager. “You can be very successful in sales, production, accounting or another area,” he says. “We try to help people find the right fit, and we provide as many resources as possible in doing so.” He says family members are encouraged to take chances and see where they might best fit in the business. “We encourage them to apply for open positions—sometimes you don’t know you are good at something until you try it—or sometimes we will actively seek Lumber’s accounting firm (which has a family business consulting arm) to help family members define what area of the company might be the best fit for them. Specifically, they utilize two types of profiles employees can fill out. The first is an interest inventory survey, which helps people identify their interest and offers suggestions on what types of careers they may want to explore. The second is a personality profile. The test-taker also participates in a debriefing and coaching after taking the test to gain further insight into their test results. “These tests help people better understand themselves and find the correct role,” Goebel says. “They provide some insight—maybe you excel in this particular area, or maybe this is something you should stay away from,” he says. And, Goebel emphasizes that many of these ideas are scalable. You may not have a nine-store operation, as Star Lumber does, but that shouldn’t hold you back from trying a few of these suggestions. someone for a particular role.” He also works closely with Star

“The leadership profiles can be $45, or they can be $1,500,” he says. “You can go online and find some similar tests that can give some insight into your style.” He says one of the biggest steps is carving out time to talk with family members about the business and offering opportunities for feedback. You can try something as simple as inviting everyone to meet for lunch— yet another tactic Star Lumber utilizes. Goebel regularly hosts extended lunches for all active family members—those who work at Star Lumber—to attend. “We want to make sure our team has opportunities to ask questions or bring up anything that’s going on,” he says. “We might bring in someone from the community as a resource, or do some fun exercises that spark discussion.” He says one of the biggest goals is to offer the chance for anyone to ask questions about any topic related to the business. “A family business can be a great thing, but it can also be a challenge,” he says. “It’s good to recognize that things may come up, and the natural way to deal with it is talk about it.” Sometimes it can be important to take a step away from the family business to learn a little more in a different setting. “It’s tough in a family business, because if you grow up here, you don’t always get the opportunity to explore and test yourself,” Goebel says. “Sometimes having those extra tools can really help.” Goebel was part of an executive master’s program at Wichita State University. “I gained a lot from it,” he says. “I also spent some time working at a different job outside the company before returning to Star Lumber.” Last fall, Patrick Goebel’s cousin, Jeff Goebel, participated in the North American Retail Hardware Association’s (NRHA) Retail Management Certification Program. Gaining New Ideas Through Time Away

The Retail Management Certification Program is a six-month, college- level course that works to develop future leaders in the independent home improvement industry, focusing especially on leadership and management capabilities. It is designed specifically for independent hardware stores, home centers and lumberyards. The class includes three visits to NRHA’s headquarters in Indianapolis and culminates with the presentation of a Business Improvement Project students work on throughout their time in the course. Students also work on various assignments that relate directly to their business and receive guidance from a mentor and a business coach. Patrick Goebel says he appreciates that Jeff had an opportunity similar to what he had—a little time away from the family business to learn and grow on his own. “I think it’s a good way for a leader to gain more confidence,” he says. “Jeff got away from me, from his dad, from his brothers, and got to go try out some things on his own. “This course gave him an opportunity to express his own views,” Goebel says. “He got to throw his own ideas out there and see what stuck.” Blish-Mize offers a scholarship for the Retail Management Certification Program that covers half the cost of tuition for the course, which played a big role in Jeff’s participation in the program, Goebel says. “It says a lot that Blish-Mize feels strongly enough about the program that they are willing to provide the scholarship opportunity—that’s a big deal,” he says. To learn more about the NRHA Retail Management Certification Program, please contact Scott Wright at NRHA by calling 317-275-9417, or email swright@nrha.org. To learn more about the Blish-Mize scholarship, contact Clay Uhrmacher at clay.uhrmacher@blishmize.com.

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