Company meeting = success!

Good evening,

We recently had a meeting with all of the employees, and we went out to BD’s Mongolian Grill to relax, get away, and spend a little time to talk about a lot of business “stuff”.

Watching these guys fry your food in front of you works up an appetite!

We were able to occupy the entire grill together and it was obvious that there was somewhat of a “silent” competition on who would eat the most hot chili oil, and therefore have the spiciest dish. I know that my mouth was on fire and my sinuses were clear!

It’s a chance for us to get together and get on the same page…of course that’s what a meeting is for. But it’s also a chance for us to get together and spend a little personal time outside of the office so we understand one another.

There’s no question that managing and working with people brings out the best and the worst. My father once told me that when he was a young up-and-coming Silicon Valley hopeful, he went to his boss for some advice. Being a new executive, he figured that his boss would have some insightful tips on how to manage employees. What he got was what most mangers think but never say: “if it were not for the people, my job would be easy.”

I believe that out of all of the management challenges, nothing comes close to managing people. It’s good to get together once in a while and do what’s right. Pay attention, listen, and get some stir fry.

The busy season is upon us, and we are heading into the Holidays this year with a smile. We will see you soon!

Take care, Ryan

Human Resources…

Good morning everyone,

It’s a fine Tuesday morning, and I’ve sent our Administration Manager Lennie out to a seminar for the day to learn a little more about being the administrator of Mission Repair’s Human Resource Department.

Since we are a small business of less than 50 employees, I’ve never really seen the need to have this be a full-time position, but of course there is hiring, discipline, coaching and record keeping that need to be done so Lennie has the privilege of adding this to his list of duties.

Employee salaries and benefits comprise the vast majority of Mission Repair’s operating expenses. More importantly, the business is, in a very real sense, nothing more than its employees. The label of “human resources,” now the norm in most workplaces, designating a broad involvement and strategic role in the organization.

Hopefully today he’ll touch on:

► Managing job recruitment, selection and promotion of employees;
► Developing and overseeing employee benefits and wellness programs;
► Developing and promoting appropriate personnel policies and enforces those policies;
► Fostering a positive work environment and effective employee-employer relations;
► Managing our pay-for-performance system;
► Promoting employee career development and job training;
► Providing an orientation class for new employees;
► Providing guidance on disciplinary actions; and
► Serving as primary contact for work-site injuries and accidents; to date, we’ve only had one in the last 8 years, and it was Lennie! He jabbed a screwdriver through his finger…but that’s a whole story in itself.

You can’t be an expert in the field after a one-day seminar, but since we’ve got a good foothold and understanding of how things work at Mission Repair, I think this will help round him out. So if you’re looking for him today – please be patient. He’ll be back in the office tomorrow. He’s making a better Mission Repair for everyone!

Take care, Ryan

We’re giving the All-Star Game the Royal treatment…

Well this is a bit of a short personal blog, but since I live in the Kansas City area, it’s big news to us here in the vicinity!

Kanasas City Royals players and coaches joined All-Star manager Ned Yost on the field last Saturday with their 2015 All-Star jerseys.

Look, the Royals will be heavily represented. As the single best story of the 2014 season, making the World Series after missing the playoffs every year since the George Brett era, they deserve lots of representation. They particularly deserve All-Star recognition in 2015 because the 2015 Royals are the best team in the AL with an impressive winning record.

Not into baseball? I can understand that, not everyone is. But I’ll tell you that more people know more about baseball in this city that they have since the mid-1980’s. It’s a fun time, and with the All-Star game tomorrow- I can already feel some of my employees wanting to get out of the office early to get a good seat at the local sports bar. Don’t worry guys, you’ll make it, I’ll save you a seat 😉

Have a great day, Ryan