Sieb Heating, Plumbing and Air Conditioning Effectively Using Teams In A Service Industry

Sieb Heating, Plumbing and Air Conditioning Effectively Using Teams In A Service IndustryTeam Members:Ryan RafkoSteven WaySue DankeKristene JacksonMelania EstesCareea Nord

1Sieb Heating, Plumbing and Air ConditioningOldest family-owned plumbing and heating company in the United StatesOne stop plumbing and HVAC company for a lifetimeTrust is a MustWell-trained technicians with high quality workmanshipRyan Rafko2Rob Sieb - PresidentSpoke to Rob Sieb who is the current president of the company5th generation of family to run the businessBeen with the company officially for 37 yearsOversees all operations of company with a very hands-on approach12 questions asked about the company and its approach to using teams effectivelyRyan Rafkoa typical day in the office4 divisions housed under one roofService - Plumbing and Heating and AC issues for installed equipment (breakdowns, troubleshooting, etc)Commercial - Heating and Air Conditioning (Installs of new equipment)Residential Heating and Air Conditioning (Installs of new equipment)Industrial Plumbing and Heating (Service and Install)Ryan Rafkoa typical day consist in the officeEvery day is different depending on appointments and issues that ariseAs President he may go out on a call to a major client, trouble shoot on a job with an employee, be in the office conducting meetings, or doing paperwork required of being a small business owner Chris Musselwhite said the team leader must provide the necessary support and structure for the team, starting with putting together the right people and Creating an environment that promotes problem-solving as part of creating an effective team structure

Ryan RafkoChris Musselwhite in his article Building and Leading High Performing Teams 5employees20-25 full-time. Usually have additional employees hired as apprentices and temporary help.Steven WayBringing the team togetherThey have weekly required safety meeting and other meeting as deemed necessary.Steven WayYour company handles a variety of heating, plumbing, and cooling issues. specialized teamsEach division is essentially its own separate team. They have employees who are assigned to each division and will handle jobs based on the need. Many employees are able to help other divisions as needed if the workload calls for it. Cross-training is essential so that jobs and quotes on projects can be held to the standard that Sieb sets forth for its customers.

Steven WayApproachSieb Heating, Plumbing and Air Conditioning have developed a teaming approach with their sub-contractors.

Sue DankeThings that can affect a ProjectAtkinson et al., 2006 state there are many sources of uncertainty that can affect a project and include among other things ambiguity, differing culture and characteristics of the project partners (as cited in Clarke 2012, p. 200)

Sue DankeTeamworkSieb has put aside any problematic issues in order to build a lasting relationship with outside contractors and form a team.This has enabled them to complete project s within the deadline constraints. Further, keeping the customers satisfiedSue DankeKnowledge is PowerRivera-Vazquez et at., 2009 state knowledge sharing is the process where individuals mutually exchange both tacit and explicit knowledge, and jointly create new knowledge (as cited in Swart & Harvey, 2010, p. 708). Sieb has an excellent reputation in the community and has had years to develop its continued knowledge. Sue DankeInnovationEven though the company could rely on its knowledgeable staff and its top-of-the-line service for continued success, they still keep an eye on any possible threat to their business.In their research, Curran, Niedergassel, Picker, and Leker (2009), argue firms are realizing that they need to improve their innovation ability to foster growth and profitability (p. 458)Sue DankeStay On TopSieb is staying on top of the industry by maintaining vigilance in innovation and technology.Sue DankeCOMMUNICATIONHow the Teams Communicate

Almost all communication occursFace-to-FaceVia cell phone

Questions/Problems?Phone Employees and/or supervisor

Jackson,Kristene.2013Kristene JacksonTeam CommunicationThe truth about communication

Communication failures

Improving communication As a team memberAs a team leaderKristene JacksonMotivational ToolsHow do you motivate the team to accomplish goals?

Money

Recognize and communicate a job well done

Employees care about the image of the company and how their work reflects it.Motivateplay.comKristene JacksonImprovement through MotivationWhat is motivation and do all teams have it?Where has the motivation gone?Finding motivationPositive leadership inspires and motivates teamwork (Glenn, 2010, p. 140).Kristene JacksonOrganization ConflictPolicies in place to avoid conflictAlcohol, drug abuse, tardiness policyContract employees are sent back to the Local Union Hall for disciplinary measuresFull time employees are also held to these policies

Employee conflictListen to each side and bring employees together for conflict resolutionIf employees are not able to work together termination could be the next stepStirring the potEmployees working together may create a disruption but the core team is able to overcome these obstacles

Melania EstesCompany ExpectationsFirst time through capabilityCustomer serviceFull time employees held to this measureTo complete the task the first time without going back to a siteIf employees are not capable to support this requirement they can be let go or if they are a temporary employee, there services are no longer neededMelania EstesWrapping UpHow important is team work in the success of a business?Vital - Team work is extremely important in any organization or company.In a company that has been around as long as Siebs, understanding the fundamentals of teamwork has been advantageous. Having the ability to identify, address and resolve problems or issues that arrive in a timely fashion is also important.

Careea NordRecappingCharacteristics of Successful Teamwork TrustDependabilityWorking as an individual, yet being a team playerHaving Hands-On LeadershipMeeting FrequentlyBeing InnovativeUtilizing additional helpCustomer SatisfactionSwift Problem-SolvingKnowledge is PowerEmployee EmpowermentCommunicateMotivateCareea NordOur Interview QuestionsTo get an idea of how your company works, what does a typical day consist of in the office?How many employees do you have and do you have an employee meeting to bring them together as a team?Your company handles a variety of heating, plumbing and cooling issues. Do you have specialized teams to handle these different tasks?Does your company use teams for specific projects?Do you ever involve anyone from outside the company to help on team projects in order to get a variety of perspectives, such as suppliers?Do you visit supplier shows or benchmark other competitors to have an understanding of their business processes?

Our Interview Questions contd

Could you give us an example of how the teams communicate?How do you motivate teams to accomplish goals?How do teams in your organization handle conflict?Do you get involved with team conflict, and, if so, how do you deal with it?How do you handle members of the group complaining about the same person?Has one of your teams failed at accomplishing a task or not met your expectations? If so, how did you handle it?

ReferencesBecker, E.F., & Wortmann, J. (2009). Mastering communication at work: How to lead, manage and influence. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Clarke, N. (2012). Shared leadership in projects: A matter of substance over style. Team Performance Management, 18(3), 196-209. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13527591211241024

Cottrell, D. (2009). Monday morning motivation. New York, NY: Harper Business.

Curran, C., Niedergassel, B., Picker, S., & Leker, J. (2009). Project leadership skills in cooperative projects. Management Research News, 32(5), 458-468. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01409170910952958

Glenn, S. (2010). A kicky in the attitude. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Gostick, A., & Elton, C. (2010). The orange revolution: How one great team can transform an entire organization. New York, NY: Free Press.

References contd

Maxwell, J.C. (2001). The 17 indisputable laws of teamwork. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

Musselwhite, C. (2007). Building and Leading High Performing Teams. Inc. Retrieved from: http://www.inc.com/resources/leadership/articles/20070101/musselwhite.html

Swart, J., & Harvey, P. (2011). Identifying knowledge boundaries: The case of networked projects. Journal of Knowledge Management, 15(5), 703-721. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13673271111174285

Topchik, G.S. (2007). The first-time managers guide to team building. New York, NY: Silverstar Enterprises.

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