A brief thought of reflection and a heartfelt “Thank You” for all the readers who commented and provided positive feedback on my last column.

One of the biggest frustrations I have had over the years with a lot of stone fabrication companies is their unwillingness to invest into human capital. Many owners seem reluctant to hire and develop middle-level managers because they see it as an unnecessary expense. 

As I anticipated and predicted months ago, stone fabricators are busy. High customer demand without sound processes will almost certainly lead to chaos and aggravate the entire team. Taking ownership implementing the right systems and educating your customers on the frontend would be wise and well worth the investment.

Let’s talk compensation. It has been well documented that the amount of someone’s paycheck is not the #1 driver for their professional satisfaction. However, it does get pulled up to the top of the list quickly in the absence of the top drivers such as recognition, sense of purpose, ability to contribute, opportunity for advancement, etc. Today, I am discussing compensation plan designs. In my opinion, there are a few KEY considerations to incorporate into designing compensation plans to make them great.

Sometimes spending more dollars on the front end can save you a whole a lot more on the backend. I want to challenge you to think about the bigger perspective as it relates to the decisions and investments we make.