The M Files

A couple of months ago Matt Dixon, McClure Company’s State College branch manager, wrote the following article as an internal company pep talk. His inspiration was an embarrassing November 14 home loss by the Pittsburgh Steelers to the hands of the seemingly invincible New England Patriots. Given our mutual passion for the Steelers and their pending playoff grudge match against the Jets scheduled for this Sunday (since they beat the Patriots), it seemed like an ideal time to share Matt’s insights into business fundamentals. Thanks, Matt, for your willingness to share. And Go Steelers!

On or Off the Field: Fundamentals Matter

By Matt Dixon, State College Branch Manager, McClure Company

I had the good luck to acquire tickets to the Sunday night Steelers vs. Patriots game this week (Nov. 14). After the opening kickoff, the good fortune turned away from Pittsburgh and the results were not so good for us black-and-gold fans. I did, however, pick up a few ideas from this experience to share in an article. It all comes down to Fundamentals.

Guest author Matt Dixon reminds us that, just like an NFL franchise, truly great businesses have to first be brilliant at the basics. Preparation, personal conduct, and resolve are three fundamental elements of a championship team.

Preparation. Pittsburgh displayed a lack of preparation evident from the very beginning of the game. Preparation is essential in our energy business, whether it’s being prepared for the time-and-material service call, the hard-bid project, the negotiated job meeting, or the scheduled preventive maintenance inspection. The details in how we prepare for each operation will differ, but our clients expect us to be prepared regardless of the situation.This should be evident in even the smallest of details: How we handle our client phone calls, the response we provide when we are asked questions that we don’t know the immediate answer, the tools we bring to the job, the way we handle adversity in a difficult situation. It all matters.

Personal Conduct. The second fundamental that came to mind from last nigh’s disappointing outcome is personal conduct.  Judging from the number of fines levied this season, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell seems to think it’s important. We, too, need to keep our conduct at the center of every company interaction. Four Patriots fans directly in front of my wife and me gave a first-class display of exactly how not to conduct oneself in a public setting. Much to my surprise, the burly, bearded Steelers fans in our section handled this display in a professional manner (at least from what I saw inside the stadium). At times our personal conduct can slip to the back of our daily radar, but the importance of our conduct is always on display.

Company Conduct. Our reputation wins us work at times when we are not the low price. This is a fact.  The expectation that precedes our company needs to be met day in and out, without exception. Our conduct with a difficult customer, or on a difficult project, or when we are driving a company vehicle is always noticed by someone. I’m proud of our company conduct. A few disorderly Patriots fans were a great reminder of the importance of that fundamental concept.

Resolve. The last point I took away from this painful, 39-point dismantling of the Steelers’ defense involves resolve. Listening to the postgame interviews, watching the thousands of disappointed black-and-gold clad fans disperse back into their daily life responsibilities reminded me of the resolve necessary to succeed in our business. I said to a coworker yesterday that it is amazing how much time and effort it takes to lose a job. The work that we pour our time into and are not awarded takes a direct route to the lost jobs files. We cannot retrieve that time; yet we do and will continue to bounce back with conviction to acquire new opportunities. The resolve to bounce back each new morning and put forth our very best efforts to our clients and with our coworkers differentiates us from our competition. I am fortunate to hear those kinds of remarks directly from our clients. These comments are the validation as we carry on, at the front of the pack in our industry, when the future is always unknown but rife with opportunities.