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Family Business Success Story - Flanagan Foodservice Inc.

by Rick Baker
On Mar 15, 2012

Flanagan Foodservice Inc. is another local family business success story. 

The members of our Centre For Family Business, CFFB, got to learn some of the amazing Flanagan story when Dan Flanagan, Flanagan's President, spoke at our February breakfast event.

Here are some of the Flanagan-facts that caught my attention when Dan spoke:

Dan showed the most-amazing sales chart I have ever seen. The Flanagan family business has had 34 consecutive years of sales growth and profitability! From zero to almost $400,000,000 in 34 years! The Flanagan's sales chart spoke loudly about growth...direction...consistency...planning and perseverance. 

Dan talked about the early days when his father Joe left a secure position at a local grocery store called HiWay Market in 1977 and started his own business.  Joe worked at expanding his business within north Waterloo and Woolwich township...he added trucks and vans.

Flanagan's moved its main operation to Kitchener in 1983. That's where the Flanagan family business story gets really interesting. In order to finance the building of a 2,500 square foot freezer at its new location, the company sold shares to its employees and selected outside investors. The company sold blocks of 20 shares at $50 per share and the new shareholders could appoint a board member.

A progressive action...and, a successful one.

The shares have been re-valued every year. Each $1,000 invested in 1983 is worth over $37,000 today! In addition, the company has paid out regular annual dividends to its shareholders. [a spectacular ROI]

Perhaps it was that set of 1983 actions that solidified a bond between the Flanagan family and the people who work with them at their company? Perhaps, that set the stage for 3 decades of growth and profitability? I am sure the progressive 1983 actions were an important aspect of the Flanagan magic.

"People serving other people."

"Our team is our greatest asset."

That's the way Dan described his family's business.

And, it is clear the family doesn't just talk that talk - it walks that walk.

Here is a summary of The Ingredients of Flanagan's Success:

  • Think/Plan Ahead
  • Democratic Decision Making
  • Treat People Really Well
  • Employee Share Program/Profit-Sharing
  • Community and Industry Involvement/Support
  • Grow Sales
  • Own Your Property
  • Customize Your Software
  • Open Branches Close to Your Customers

Business success is all about people working together: thinking together, serving together, and succeeding together. 

Flanagan Foodservice Inc. is a terrific example of how to achieve family-business success.

Thank you for sharing the Flanagan's Family Business Success Story with us, Dan.

 

PS: Here is a picture of the Flanagan brothers. It strikes me that 4 brothers working together and achieving such family-business success must be quite rare. 

The Flanagan brothers: Rick, Murray, Dan, & Jeff

Tags:

Family Business and CFFB | INSPIRE PEOPLE - GROW PROFITS! | Succession

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INITIATIVE...TAKE IT!

by Rick Baker
On Feb 2, 2012

INITIATE.

Few people excel at it.

Why?

Probably because, at some point in their lives, they embraced once-burned-twice-shy thinking. Or maybe they succumbed to the criticism of some well-meaning authority figure. 

Really, it doesn't matter why many people struggle to INITIATE. 

What matters is, regardless of the past, people can learn how to overcome their reluctance to INITIATE.

Here are a couple of suggestions on how to help people INITIATE:

  1. Understand, at least, the basics about the human brain. Understand the executive functions of the brain1. Understand, INITIATE is one of the executive functions. For the most part, our brains operate along habit lines. INITIATE can be a habit. Or, it can not be a habit. That's a matter of choice. Like any other habit, it takes time to build the INITIATE habit.
  2. Give yourself an INITIATE pep talk...or, better still, let Seth Godin2 give you an INITIATE pep talk. Check out his recent audio-book 'Poke The Box'. In this book, Seth champions a new way to do business under 7 Imperatives3. Seth puts INITIATIVE at the top of the list of his 7 Imperatives.
And, of course, practice INITIATIVE...focus...think...make decisions...take Actions.
 
Sure, you will make more mistakes...that's the way to learn.
 
INITIATE: that INSPIRES people!

 

Footnotes:

  1. A link to an article about Executive BrainSmartsTM INITIATE.
  2. A link to Seth Godin's video-introduction to his 2011 book 'Poke The Box' 
  3. Seth Godin's 7 Imperatives: (1) Be aware of the Market, (2) Be Educated, (3) Be Connected so People Trust you, (4) Be Consistent, (5) Build an Asset, (6) Be Productive, & most-important (7) Take INITIATIVE.

 

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Entrepreneur Thinking | Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | INSPIRE PEOPLE - GROW PROFITS!

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How to Build Self-Confidence - #1

by Rick Baker
On Feb 1, 2012

This is the first in a series of Thought Posts about building self-confidence.

To get started, here is our definition of self-confidence:

Confidence is what you feel when you believe you have what it takes to excel, do well, or at least handle the task and situation at hand

Now, here are some facts about Confidence:

  • each of us has Confidence, at least some of the time
  • our Confidence levels ebbs and flows
  • many factors influence our Confidence: situations, other people's actions, amount of sleep
And, of course, a healthy level of Confidence is a very good thing.
 
So, how might we build Confidence? 
 
First, let's check out some advice from experts.
 
Today, we will start that process with Jack Canfield's Six Confidence-Building Strategies 
  1. Every day remind yourself that you did some things well. Give yourself a mental pep talk at the beginning and the end of the day.
  2. Read inspiring biographies and autobiographies: build a file of the stories that inspire you most.
  3. Be thankful. Focus on the benefits you enjoy.
  4. Build excellent support around you. Excellent relationships will boost you.
  5. Push yourself to accomplish short-term goals. Get things done.
  6. Do something for yourself every week. Celebrate your accomplishments.
What about Jack Canfield's 2nd recommendation: read inspiring biographies and read stories that inspire you?
 
Do you do that?
 
There is no question, Spirited Leaders do that. I imagine Spirited Leaders have always done that...from sitting around campfires listening to the elders and chiefs tell their stories to reading about Mahatma Gandhi or Alexander the Great to watching inspiring movies.
 
Great Leaders study the lives, the successes, and the defeats, of other great Leaders. They do this for several reasons. They do this to inspire themselves. They also do this to learn. Knowledge is a key to Strength and Strength is a key to Self-Knowledge and Self-Confidence.
 
 
 
 

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Entrepreneur Thinking | Hero Worship | INSPIRE PEOPLE - GROW PROFITS! | Values: Personal Values | Wisdom: Surviving the Test of Time

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Invigorating Imagination & Vivid Vision

by Rick Baker
On Jan 31, 2012

The other day I read1:

"The source and center of all man's creative power - the power that above all others lifts him above the level of brute creation, and gives him dominion, is his power of making images, or the power of imagination."

"Imagination pictures the thing you desire. VISION idealizes it. It reaches beyond the thing that is, into the conception of what can be. Imagination gives you the picture. Vision gives you the impulse to make the picture your own."

Do these quotes resonate with you?

Do those quotes help you understand what people mean when they say things like:

  • What's your Corporate VISION?
  • Can I see your VISION Statement?
Do you agree:
  • Leaders must have a Vivid VISION?
  • Leaders must capture and communicate their Vivid VISION?
  • Leaders must lead-by-example along the path to their Vivid VISION? Imagination?
 
What about IMAGINATION?
 
How important is it for Leaders to possess the power of IMAGINATION?
 
Do you agree, IMAGINATION is Invigorating...both to the owner of it and to those it affects?
 
How well do you understand the Leadership power sourced in Invigorating IMAGINATION?
 
***
 
 
I have been interested in IMAGINATION and VISION for many years. And, my interest increased as I took on supervisory, then managerial, then leadership roles. Now, looking back, I better understand the errors I have made in business and with People. One of those mistakes was not explaining things well enough: not explaining what I was thinking, assuming people heard and processed my words the same way I said and intended them, etc. That was a major communication problem. Often, the words we think we say are not actually the words we say. And, often, the words we say mean different things to other People....even when they are doing everything they know to try to listen, to understand, and to follow.
 
To help fix my communication problem I now define words. So, when I read words like those of Robert Collier, quoted above, I use those words to firm up and clarify the words we often use but rarely troubleshoot for shared meaning. As examples:
 
Definitions...
 
IMAGINATION: the source of creative power: creating images in the mind, picturing things in your mind's eye
 
VISION: holding the mind's-eye picture of the thing you desire, seeing beyond the things that are and conceiving and idealizing what can be, and communicating the desire you idealize to other People


 
Footnote:
  1. 'The SECRET of the AGES - Volume 3', Robert Collier (1926)

Tags:

Communication: Improving Communication | Definitions - Spirited Words Defined | INSPIRE PEOPLE - GROW PROFITS! | Vision: The Leader's Vivid Vision

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Inwords.

by Rick Baker
On Jan 27, 2012

Many important words begin with 'in'.

One important Inword that cropped up several times this week is: INITIATE. 

Seth Godin cited Initiative as the #1 imperative for future business and Lorie Saxby and I spent time honing a definition...

INITIATE: to commence thought or action aligned with goals

Spirited Leaders defines words to maximize the likelihood of communication...we have found clarity of message is critical.  

Spirited Leaders has defined another Inword - INTEGRITY. We saw a need for that. INTEGRITY - a word that too often is taken too lightly. For example, years ago Integrity was cited in the Enron website as a corporate Value. [Perhaps a clear definition of the word might have helped the folks at Enron.]

Here's another Inword that's at the core of Spirited Leaders: INSPIRE. 

And our definition...

INSPIRE: to exert an animating, enlivening influence on; to encourage, impel & motivate; to excite and impart motion; to bolster focused action

Spirited Leaders' mantra is: INSPIRE PEOPLE, GROW PROFITS!

A few more important Inwords:

  • INTROSPECTION: this is all about self-analysis and self-knowledge, which paves the path for self-monitoring and self-regulation...key things for leaders who want to 
  • INSIGHT: the capacity of understanding hidden truths, especially about people's character and situations
  • INTENTION: allowing wisdom, judgment, and volition to guide thoughts and actions
  • INFLUENCE...and, of course, INFLUENCE is something leaders must do. Leaders also need to pay attention to their
  • INTUITION. The largest mistakes I have made in business have happened when I have ignored my INTUITION. Laziness and logic should not take precedent over INTUITION. When laziness kicks in, as it tends to do from time to time, Leaders need to figure out how to set aside the facts and figures and opinions and check out gut feel.
  • INVIGORATE themselves and other people. The words INVIGORATE and INSPIRE cover similar territory...important territory. When people are INSPIRED and INVIGORATED their fears have less hold on them. They are more confident and that confidence enables
  • INVENTION and INNOVATION. Business Leaders know the status quo is not good enough. And, INVENTION and INNOVATION are remedies for the status quo. To quote Seth Godin, "The relentless act of invention, innovation, and initiative is the best marketing asset there is."
That's enough Inwords for now.

 

 

 

Tags:

Definitions - Spirited Words Defined | INSPIRE PEOPLE - GROW PROFITS! | Leaders' Thoughts

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Do you have a "SELLING PURPOSE"?

by Rick Baker
On Jan 26, 2012

Business Leaders: do you have a Selling Purpose?

Here is the way Spencer Johnson1 presented this concept in 1985:

"MY SELLING PURPOSE

is to help people get

the good feelings they want

about what they bought

and about themselves."

He went on to add:

"I quickly reduce my stress

because I no longer try

to get people to do

what they don't want to do.

When I sell On Purpose,

it's like swimming downstream."

(I did not add the underlining...that was in the book.)

Now, that advice can apply to:

  1. Sales people,
  2. Leaders,
  3. Everyone who wants to sell an idea, &
  4. Everyone who wants to inspire other People.
I propose it be applied to all 4.
 
Leaders need Purpose...and they should do things On Purpose.
 
Leaders need to explain their Purpose to the People who are following. And, Leaders need to repeat, repeat, repeat...ideally, using sticky stories.
 
Leaders should aim to have less stress...that applies to them and to their followers...that only makes good sense...Right? Purposeful, focused action generates less stress than haphazard, unfocused fire-fighting...Right?
 
And, the bottom line...
 
People want to feel good.
 
 
Footnote:
  1. 'The One Minute Sales Person', Spencer Johnson (1985)
 
 
 

 

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | INSPIRE PEOPLE - GROW PROFITS! | Leaders' Thoughts | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Sales

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Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.