billhamp

May 3, 2013

Work update:

Crazy week. Visited the farm on Wednesday and the peaches are really coming along. Just a few weeks to go before truckloads of America’s best peaches come rolling into Nashville and, hopefully, straight into your hands!

Peaches are looking good just need some good hot days to really ripen them up!

Blog update:

Posted on Wednesday at The Peach Truck blog. You can check it out here: http://thepeachtruck.com/blogs/blog/7785221-bill-hampton-communication-101

Beard update:

Coming in. . . a little gray but mostly black. What do you think?

Have a great weekend!

Golf and Leadership. Get a Lesson!

billhamp

April 25, 2013

I love to play golf. Truth is I’m not very good. I’m not a hack by any means and I have my moments but I consistently fail to live up to my expectations.

It all starts with my driver. If I could keep the driver in play I would enjoy the game much more and my scores would improve immensely. Not just a little bit. A ton. So what do I do? I go to the range and I hit balls. A lot of balls. I try everything. . .

– strong grip
– weaker grip
– ball up in my stance
– ball further back in my stance
– feet together
– hips closed down
– club faced closed
– stand closer to the ball
– stand further away from the ball
– start with my arms
– clear my hips
– right elbow off of my hip on the downswing
– swing harder
– swing easier

You get the point. I’m a mess.

So today, I had an epiphany. I went to see the head of golf instruction at my club.

I’m getting a lesson. B/c some things I can’t fix on my own.

It’s a lot like leadership. It’s amazing to me the leaders I know who have glaring weak spots in their “game” but they just keep swinging. Repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

Stop.

There’s some great help out there today. Amazing conferences, books, personal coaches. Find one and start to work on your weak spots today. Just like my golf game, some things you just can’t fix on your own.

All about them:

billhamp

April 18, 2013

So with peach season right around the corner things have been picking up around the offices on East Argyle. So much to do and the thing about this business is, when that first truck arrives, it’s game on. We’ll be ready, just lots to do. B/c of that the blog posts have been a bit light lately.

My apologies.

The other day I talked about the necessary leadership directive centered around differentiation. You must not only distinguish the performers from the non-performers in your organization but you also must communicate to your people where they stand. If someone is hitting the mark, they should know it. If they’re not, they should know that too. The first one is easy for most business leaders. The second, not so much. It’s got to happen though.

As I mentioned, the differentiation post was spurred by an interview I saw with Jack Welch, former GE CEO. Another thing he said that really stuck with me centered around how your role changes when you become CEO. He said, “When you are an employee it’s all about you. The day you become CEO, it’s all about them. It’s about finding the right people, building culture, etc.”

This is such great advice. While I never held the title of CEO, I was, for all intents and purposes, one. While in that position I struggled to get comfortable with team building, culture, etc being my primary responsibilities. Learning this, accepting this and realizing that this is the most vital thing I could do would have really benefited my outlook.

I’ve had this same conversation with countless other leaders who have found themselves in a CEO spot and struggled with their new responsiblities.

I would often say, and I’ve heard this same thing from others, “Everything I once did I’ve now hired someone to do. I’m having trouble figuring where I really fit into this equation.”

Sometimes I felt ineffective. Sometimes I felt like I should be doing more. Something physical.

This was wrong. I was actually doing the most valuable thing I could do for my company. Setting a great culture, building morale and hiring great people who were smarter than me.

That was what I needed to be doing and that was “enough”.

If you’re a leader and finding yourself struggling with your new responsibilities remember Jack’s words. . . it used to be all about you. Now, it’s all about them.

The Masters:

billhamp

April 12, 2013

Headed to the Masters tomorrow. My first trip. Everyone has told me that no matter how big I’ve built it up in my head. . . .it’s better.

I believe that.

I’ve watched this golf tournament every year for 35 years. I can remember recording it on our VHS player growing up and just watching it over and over and over.

Final Fours, Super Bowls, World Series. . .I would choose this over any of them.

“A tradition unlike any other. The Masters.”

My goal is to set up behind Number 12 tee box. Look for me. I’ll be the guy with a goofy little permanent awe struck smile on my face.

Jack Welch:

billhamp

April 10, 2013

Have you watched David Feherty’s show on the golf channel? It’s one of about 3 shows I look forward to every week. Feherty is a former Tour player and he interviews celebs and other people of influence. Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Jack Nicholas, Bobby Knight. . .great interviews. So the other night he interviews former CEO of GE – Jack Welch.

I guess it was about 8 years ago that my buddy and Co-worker Jack Galloway and I read Welch’s autobiography Straight From the Gut. It’s a great book and I highly recommend it. I just resonate with so much of Welch’s leadership philosophy.

The other night he talked briefly to Feherty about differentiation. B/c I believe this is so important my ears perked up when I heard them mention it. I referenced this is an earlier post (Core Value #2) but think it’s so important for leaders that I wanted to hit it again.

Differentiation is simple.You reward your players who are consistently knocking it out of the park. (Top 20%) You coach and mentor the middle rung to get them to that top 20% (middle 70%) and you help the bottom 10% move on. That’s right. You don’t keep folks on the team if they’re not getting the job done. No matter how “good of a person they are”. It just kills the morale of your A players. If you have a few minutes take the time to read this interview I found with Welch on this topic. It’s fantastic. Here is a brief clip from the article but I encourage you to read the whole thing:

I didn’t invent differentiation! I learned it on the playground when I was a kid.

When we were making a baseball team, the best players always got picked first, the fair players were put in the easy positions, usually second base or right field, and the least athletic ones had to watch from the sidelines. Everyone knew where he stood. The top kids wanted desperately to stay there, and got the reward of respect and the thrill of winning. The kids in the middle worked their tails off to get better, and sometimes they did, bringing up the quality of play for everyone. And the kids who couldn’t make the cut usually found other pursuits, sports and otherwise, that they enjoyed and excelled at.

Not everyone can be a great ballplayer, and not every great ballplayer can be a great doctor, computer programmer, carpenter, musician, or poet. Each one of us is good at something, and I just believe we are happiest and the most fulfilled when we’re doing that.

Welch on Differentiation

Here are some other thoughts that stuck with me from the interview the other night:

Evaluations:
“No fancy forms, just a hand written note every 3 to 3.5 months to all my direct reports. Here’s what I like about what you’re doing, here’s what you can do to improve.”

Integrity:
Playing golf with an employee and saw him drop a ball out of his pocket. (cheat) I called him in the following week and confronted him with that. “Told him that he really didn’t have a place with us and I thought he ought to start looking for a job elsewhere.” It’s a character flaw. If he would do that what else would he do?

Bureaucracy:
“We had a value that we put on our cards. Hate Bureaucracy and the Bereaucrats that practice it”

Retirement:
Question: What do you miss most about being the boss?
Answer: Zero. I turned the page. I’ve never been back to the office. Goodbye.

Learning:
I like to learn. I’m 77 and I’m learning everyday. I’m smarter today than I was yesterday.

Education:
You shouldn’t poo poo the education and the letters and all that b/c in the end you set out to do something and you did it. You finished it.

Good stuff.

Daily writing:

billhamp

April 4, 2013

Anyone out there good at keeping a journal? Daily? If not everyday, for a season or special events?

We spent last week in Carlsbad, CA for Spring Break. We were there 8 days and did a ton. Disneyland, San Diego Zoo, spent time with family, spent time with friends, beach, pool. I watched the movie Pitch Perfect with my daughter. My first time, her 40th. We ate at a great place called the Pizza Port three times. Fantastic. We had a great time.

I told myself while I was there that each day I should take 10 minutes and write down what we did each day. I put it off the first day and then the 2nd and then I convinced myself that I would remember what we did.

We’ve been back 3 days and while I remember the big stuff I’m sure I’ve already forgotten some of the little things. Something funny that was said, etc. Frustrating b/c it’s these little moments that are the best.

I do this all the time. Have the best of intentions and then just don’t do it.

How about you? Anyone out there good at journaling? You have a process or does it just come natural?

It’s Beard Time:

billhamp

April 2, 2013

So I’ve decided to grow a beard. Like a legitimate one. Well, as legit of one as I can. I’ve had a beard before but I’ve never really made it through the itchy stage. This time I’m committed. I’m thinking start now and not consider shaving until July 4th.

Why?

Why not?

I think if I was ever gonna grow one now is as good a time as any.

I’ve seen some lately that I like. I’ve got a look that I’m going to go for and we’ll see if I can pull it off. We’ll track my progress.

I do have one problem though. It dates back to a several month period in 1985.

I was a late bloomer. Seriously shaved for the first time in college and even then it was just b/c I figured it was time. I could have plucked the random hairs on my face just as easy. Anyway, even though there was no need for after shave in the 8th grade I decided I would apply it daily. Not a lot though. Just enough to get the girls talking. You know, walk by and they get that little whiff of a manly smell. That’s what I was going for. So, each day, I would take my bottle of after shave, put my finger over the end, tip it upside down, take my finger and touch my cheek. Then repeat with the opposite hand on the opposite cheek.

Tip
Apply
Tip
Apply

Same place. Every day.

I did this consistently for months. Several months. Shoot it may have been years. This is how I did it.

However, I think that may have had a significant impact on my pursuit of the perfect beard at this stage of my life. See, after years of my unnecessary after shave application with what I’m sure was the cheapest aftershave I could purchase I have developed permanent pink spots on my cheeks that grow no hair. These spots are the exact spots where I would apply my smooth smelling lotion. Hair grows around them but no hair on them. Isn’t that a problem? To have a full beard with two perfect hairless circles on each side? I guess we’ll find out.

I’ll keep you posted.

Here’s to a great journey.

It begins. . .

Tell the story:

billhamp

March 20, 2013

Yesterday we sat around our desk on East Argyle and talked compensation. As we’re hiring team members to represent The Peach Truck this summer we’ve got to figure out the best way to compensate them. At the end of the day, there is no model for this. We are putting together what we think is the best way to pay our team and we’ll monitor it.

Should we buy a truck or not?
Should we invest time and energy into a particular location?
Expand into new territories?
Enter into that relationship or hold off?
This logo or that logo?
This font or that font?
This box or that box or should we even use a box? What about a bag?

These are the questions that, as a small business, we are thinking about. Daily.

These questions. These decisions. They’re all part of our story. See, we’re not just doing this for a season. We are building a business that will last. That will grow and that will eventually require us to make hires. And when we make those hires, we’ll need to tell them our story. How did we get to where we are? Why do we do what we do. . . how we do it?

As I was thinking about this, I thought about The Lampo Group. They’re so good at telling the story. Over and over again. That’s what you have to do. It’s important for people to know your history.

I wrote a blog about this 6 or 7 years ago. I tracked it down and thought I’d share it with you.

Enjoy.

Remember how you got here. . .Published December 5, 2006

I am the Executive VP of Broadcast for Dave Ramsey’s company. I tell you that b/c I am honored to be able to lead at what I consider to be one of the great companies operating today. As we have done since our founding, our entire company gathered together this morning. We have 2 mandatory company wide meetings each week. (I participated in one of these meetings 10 years ago when there were 8 team members around a conference table and this morning 180 of us gathered) This morning a few of our team members reminded me how important it is to remember where you came from.

We asked a couple team members to stand up and “tell their story”. Take 5-10 minutes to give the rest of us a little insight into your history. I have to tell you that it was so refreshing and inspiring to hear about these people’s lives.

The Dave Ramsey Show is a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs live from 2-5pm EST on almost 300 stations. From time to time we will let radio stations air us at times different than our live time. One of those times was on a radio station in Nebraska. A few years ago this station asked if they could carry the show during morning drive. That certainly wasn’t ideal (we would always prefer to be live) but we accepted the clear. I tell you that b/c as one of our employees spoke this morning he let us know that when he was at his job in Nebraska, and was miserable, and in a real rut in his life, he turned on the radio one morning and he heard the show. He loved the show, couldn’t stop listening and now as a result is the Marketing Director for the largest department in our company. Did I want the show to be on in Nebraska during morning drive? No. Did God have other plans? Yes.

Knowing Tim’s story and a little about the path he took to get here changes my perspective on things. This is just one story. There were many told this morning.

If you are currently leading a company and it’s growing fast. Maybe you feel like you’ve lost a little of that “family atmosphere”. Take the time to let your team tell their story. Let the new members hear about the sacrifices it took to get to where you are today. I once heard someone say that the problem his kids have is that “they woke up 3rd base and thought they hit a triple!” In other words they were SPOILED! They forgot that it takes work to get to third base. It took effort and time and practice and diligence by those that came before them!

Tell your story! Tell it often! If you aren’t tired of telling it you haven’t told it enough! Have your more experienced team members tell it to the newer members! It’s easy to forget this. . .don’t let it happen at your organization.

ReWork:

billhamp

March 14, 2013

I had this book sitting on my shelf for years. People would come in and see the book.

Them: “Great book!”
Me: “Oh yeah!”
Them: “You read it?”
Me: “Oh yeah!”

Truth: I hadn’t read it. I just knew that all the cool kids had. I’d looked at it. Glanced at it. Enough to make my untruth not hurt as bad. But I’m admitting now. . . I hadn’t REALLY read it. Just looked at it.

Until 2 weeks ago. I read it. Listened to it on Audible actually. And, for where I’m at and what I’m doing, it is truly a great book. I listened to the whole thing and then specific chapters again and again.

I won’t blog on the whole book. I will blog on one recommendation from the book. Here it is:

Cut your ambitions in half.

We’ve all heard the statements, “Go big or go home!” “If you’re gonna dream you might as well dream big.” I get this. I really do. I have no problem dreaming big. I just have a problem sometimes with a 3 person staff of executing big. With excellence.

What we do at The Peach Truck we want to do with excellence. It’s got to be really, really good. I mean our product is the best peach in the country so it’s always really good but I’m talking about the customer experience. We’ve got to rock that. I have no shortage of ideas. However, try to execute on all of these and our customer experience is going to suffer. There’s just no way around it.

So, we have an idea folder and an execute folder.

Ideas are what we will dig into and may execute on one day. The execute folder holds what we are doing now. And it’s currently about 5 things. We may do more than these 5 things but I promise you that we won’t do more until we are drilling these 5 things day in and day out.

I would rather do 5 things great than 30 things ok.

The authors of ReWork state it like this:

That’s something I’m liking about The Peach Truck.

We’re ok with this.

We’re not in a hurry.

We’ll grow.

We’ll do what we do with excellence.

We’ll enjoy life along the way.

If we aren’t as big as fast as other people think we should be. That’s ok. We’re getting clarity on where we want to take this thing and it feels right.

Have a good one. Buy some peaches from us this summer. More importantly buy some peaches for someone else. You’ll be their hero. They’re that good.

The Right People:

billhamp

March 13, 2013

“I’m not looking for the best players, Craig. I’m looking for the right ones.”

Herb Brooks, Coach 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team

This is simply one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies.

I’m not looking for the best players, I’m looking for the right ones.

Each day as we sit and consider our business and all that we have to do to get ready for peach season, I’m constantly thinking about how we’re going to give more people the opportunity to taste and purchase the best peaches in America. We’ve got to reach so many people. People in Nashville and all the surrounding areas, small towns throughout Tennessee, Kentucky and beyond. Students, Parents, Grandparents, Singles, Toddlers. . . It’s a huge undertaking!

As I consider all of this, it always brings me back to what I have learned to be the #1 value I can add to a company. Whatever I may be leading, I can think of no more important contribution I can make than finding great people. At the end of the day I am only as good as the people I can enlist and motivate to do work with me day in and day out.

I love our little company, The Peach Truck. I have the best product and get to work with 2 great people everyday. When I first visited the farm, I saw all the opportunities of this business. I immediately began thinking of how to grow the business (I can’t help myself) and 2 names popped into my head. I stepped out on the porch and called one of those people that night.

His name is Rick Haley.

I’ve known Rick and his family for a little over 3 years. Rick has always had his day job and excelled in that but I knew him b/c he always would take extra work as our handyman. Anything we needed done. Rick would do it. He worked really hard, made himself available to us, showed up on time, did what he was supposed to do and did it with excellence. . . Everytime. Rick is honest and trustworthy. He’s also hungry. Devouring books that I would recommend.

As we talked about people that we needed on board, I immediately thought of Rick. We needed people that needed little supervision who we could 100% trust and would value the opportunities of a commissioned sales job. I knew he’d get the vision. I literally stepped out on the porch and called him that evening. Rick is now on board, committing any available time he has to The Peach Truck and will be a huge reason for our growth this year.

Another reason I love having Rick on our team is that he figures out a way to make something happen. He’s a plain old, blue collar hustler. I always prefer working with people like this. Rick is one of the best people I know at building relationships and serving those relationships by offering our product to them. I needed a great salesperson so I called Rick.

BTW, while this isn’t a post about salespeople, I want to take a second to remind you of this tip. . .

You know what the best thing you can do with a great saleperson? Give them a few (very few) boundaries and LET THEM RUN! I would much rather have to pull the reigns than kick them in the butt to get them going. Let those dogs RUN! Guys. . . show your team the goal and then let them go get it. Period. The worst thing you can do as a leader is to try and make them all look, sell and sound just the same. You’ll destroy them. Get out of their way and support them when needed.

Ok. . .rant over. . .back to the main point of this post.

I needed a great team member who could catch the vision and sell. Whose integrity I would never question. I knew who to call. I called Rick.

As a leader do you have those people in your life? The ones that you know you’ll call when the right need presents itself? If not, get looking! Your success depends upon finding the right people.

I told you earlier that I immediately thought of 2 people. I’ve told you about Rick. The other person deserves a post all of her own so I’ll save that for another time. I haven’t figured out a way to get her on board yet but I can assure you, the moment I do I’ll be calling. It’s all about assembling the right team.