My fellow employees,
As you know, the slow days of summer are upon us. As our agricultural customers prepare their fields for harvest, we too must take time to prepare for the fall busy season. Before long, the phones will once again be ringing off the hook with sales and customer service calls, the warehouse will be flooded with new orders to manufacture, and the credit department will be working to get every last order approved for financing.
With the ongoing implementation of the Net Promoter Score customer satisfaction initiative and the M.O.R.E. manufacturing efficiency program, it is time we all step back and collectively focus on getting these programs running at full speed before the busy season arrives. Sales and customer service, now is the time to start building customer relationships that will thrive come harvest time. Manufacturing and shipping, now is the time to perfect our efficiency program and catch up on the backlog so that new orders will flow smoothly through the system. Our goal is to fulfill the agricultural, horticultural, equine, and building needs of our customer base; and, with a renewed customer focus and streamlined manufacturing we can achieve unparalleled success over the coming months.
In a seasonal business like yours, timing is probably one of the more important aspects of internal communication. A memo like this should be sent to employees well before things start to ramp up. The last thing you'd want to see is somebody trying to rally the troops to get ready when it's already busy!
ReplyDeleteWell written Dave. Your direct statements regarding the goals of your organization and the tasks the workforce needs to accomplish provide great direction and information. The memo engages the workforce well. As D'Aprix writes, using communication to inform and engage the workforce is a key component to achieving successful business operations.
ReplyDeleteRyan, I agree wholeheartedly. The impact of such a message would be minimized if it came too late. At present, we are about one and a half to two months away from when business really starts to pick up, so if management at my company were to come out with this memo today, I think the timing would be good. If they waited another couple weeks, it would be too little to late, but as of right now the timing would not be an issue.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I need to do something... nice.
ReplyDeleteNice message to rally the troops prior to the busy season. As an agricultural organization, it's an interesting coincidence that your memo is "farming" ie. planting the seeds in preparation for the harvest in the fall.
ReplyDeleteGreat memo, Dave. You demonstrated clear awareness of the seasonal market, specific action steps for right now and the promise of increased activity with the coming harvest. Well done!!
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