Though Kliethermes Homes & Remodeling’s vision statement is “On time, on budget, happy customers, happy employees,” owner Dan Kliethermes didn’t know if his Columbia, Mo., company was consistently delivering those four elements. Four years ago, he and his team created a matrix to measure and improve goals that support the vision statement, and they update those goals every year.
During the annual companywide meeting, employees list department tasks that relate to the vision statement and rate the importance of those tasks to both customers and employees. For each task, Kliethermes says, we “ask how we are doing at it, and if we’re doing it poorly, how to make it better.” The management team prioritizes the tasks. “The most important with the lowest rating are addressed first,” he says.
The company also identifies the person responsible for improving the rating on that task, and the employees discuss obstacles, strategies, and the time frame.
A business coach meets with the company each year to update the matrix. He meets each month with Kliethermes and meets quarterly with the company to hold employees accountable for their tasks. Employees also review the tasks on a biweekly and monthly basis.
“It keeps employees engaged,” Kliethermes says. “They want to be part of the solution.” He says that the matrix also helps staff make decisions during the course of a typical day because they are able to consider which solution best contributes to a goal or the company’s overall vision statement.
—Nina Patel, senior editor, REMODELING.
