#projectlogistics #supplychain #logistics #freightforwarding Shared #habits and realities of career love
Looking back on my 40 year career journey there are some things I've learned and things I've seen that have stood out that are sometimes lost in the speed of the current workplace environment and not shared.
#education & #learning through pain & failure doesn't need to be that way.
Sharing these #workplace #habits that I have picked up over the years in hopes that these ideas will assist and evoke positive energy and spirit amongst my followers, colleagues and industry friends.
Your finish line; a long long way to go in the logistics race!
A few important habits to focus on as we grow and learn,
#communication has become both easier and more difficult ---- verbal versus technology based. Email versus phone, virtual versus face 2 face. However you communicate it's critical & required without fail. Without communication learning is not possible, interaction is the fuel of the engine. I have a tendency to over communicate but in times of assumption and in a world of confusion it's better to have a clear understanding than an incorrect notion with no map in hand to the final destination.
Become a keen and enthusiastic observer --- learn everywhere you go, every task, every role or job makes you more valuable (to yourself firstly and to your employer) I've always offered to take on added tasks, more responsibility, more learning - it will be remembered - by you (hopefully) and by those around you adding extreme value to the journey called your career.
Learn the systems & try to become a super-user of operational systems, their features & their reporting capabilities. Learn about the internal systems being offered to the customers. As I.T. solutions become important add-ons, do you understand systems being used by customers & your capabilities to offer and communicate with intelligence about them? Systems are uber-important to drive efficiency, oversight and speed into new environments and functions. A must to block time for learning these no matter the age or difficultly.
Your words and ability to articulate and explain are the memorable branding behind your intention, your understanding and your value to the client and to your team - be clear, ask questions and aim to understand and learn more. If it doesn't sound right, ask again as sometimes it takes a few sentences to get the answers you need in today's global environment communicating internationally. The communication you provide are the footprints you leave, make them memorable.
Become a thinker & rethinker at work and in life. Looking at all challenges with different angles, plans and goals. As every challenge is different and should be taken on head strong to foster and develop a mental ability to take them on with ease, intention and a calm nature. Reduce the noise, focus and do. A critical task to work through the day, the noise and the complexity of the modern supply chain - speed of task completion will increase with time - I promise it will.
Customer #knowledge and differences - everyone is different, diverse with different levels of stresses & individually learned nuance. Communicate with specific intention, empathy & understanding. Find the commonalities and connect with all internal and external members and influencers of the process.
It's sometimes difficult to think #empathetically but with this tool in hand one can sometimes understand the basics and sometimes these basics are all that you need to move the dialogue forward increasing clarity of issue a little bit more every day - adding to the foundation you build.
The days of an autocratic micromanager manager who is overly focused on discipline are over. #ownership and #discipline are a given now for most; this is a function of all tasks taken on in supply chain as a freight forwarder at any level - no escaping the KPI and self discipline needed now to succeed. Embrace it tightly in knowing it will make you stronger.
Ownership of a task, ownership of a process, ownership of a relationship and ownership of the goal - you shape the result on a case by case basis.
Connect with those in the industry - the task is global not local.
You can learn so much from other parts of the world. For me one of my favorite past experiences?
From an agent in Afghanistan many years ago regarding some 40 HC containers of wheelchairs for the rural community which were seized due to local "formalities". I had wonderful communication with our agent with my main takeaway being that people are the same everywhere, the quote which resonated with me that was shared that was certainly a generational quote from my new found friend about business (shared by his father to him) which I still apply today...
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"Earn a dime in dignity rather than a dollar in disgrace"
In our industry, #connections are #global . We can learn so much and do every day. Profit in one country is pennies in another country.
When working in a global environment important things to remember:
Work together to elevate, it's easier that way!
In sharing the above it's critical that communication flows in an understandable manner and that everyone's goals are known across the process. The logistics provider knows what the client is looking to achieve, the client communicates this with clarity.
Additionally and critically important is the ability to provide insight, reality and integrity/honesty to the process by all. No hidden agendas, working together.
After all, it's about long term relationships based on partnership, communication, transparency and honesty.
I've always been transparent and open regarding the value that myself and our team bring to the table, the evident cost of experience and the resulting successes driven by this methodology.
I challenge customers/ freight forwarders & service providers to speak openly and honestly about #price , #value , #reality and their teams' bringing all to a common ground to execute each task successfully with winning result for everyone.
ABOUT:?Mike is a 4 decade career logistics business executive & business observer focusing on collaborative, transparent & simple solutions for regional and global stakeholders, EPCs and equipment manufacturers.
He is adding personal, creative, fresh, simple strategy and innovative solutions & project management perspectives to a complex market through customer focused discussion and review. He is an outlier in the usage of social media, connecting and creating massive value for customers.