My summer internship at Pro Tapes & Specialties, Inc.® gave me a firsthand look at the key aspects of running a successful business. Pro Tapes® 150,000 sq. ft. facility holds a massive production floor which is where I started as a packer. I advanced to a machine assistant, and then spent my remaining time working in the marketing department, where I worked on a variety of projects. I was provided a unique prospective, having worked in both the production and marketing department. These are the 5 key lessons my time at Pro Tapes® taught me about what it takes to make an organization successful.
1. Company Transparency
Company transparency is absolutely essential for the climb to success and more importantly to maintain that success. It was very clear that each employee here is fully aware of where they and the company stand in terms of its performance. The management team at Pro Tapes® does a great job of communicating the company’s financial results and performance to the entire organization. In doing so, all personal and company-wide goals and objectives are clearly understood. A lack of transparency can be detrimental to the strength of the company, leaving employees asking questions and wondering what it is they are working towards. Having a transparent work environment demonstrated that there is a strong sense of understanding and trust, vital for success.
2. High Energy Accompanied By a Strong Work Ethic
There’s an extremely high level of energy throughout Pro Tapes®. Whether it’s in the warehouse, production floor, or in the administrative offices, there is a companywide sense of urgency that you can feel in the atmosphere. As a former wrestler, I was able to relate to what is referred to as a “high attack rate”. A high attack rate is used to describe a wrestler who is constantly looking for different opportunities to score. Pro Tapes® can be considered a company with a high attack rate, as they are constantly looking for ways to succeed and accomplish their goals. Naturally, I noticed that this high energy level comes with a strong work ethic. It only makes sense that the Pro Tapes® team excels in the integrity of their work because they bring a sense of urgency to succeed each day to the table. This is a recipe to achieve success.
3. Clear Processes, Clear Communication
In order to complete a task in the most efficient way, it is essential for that process to be clear to all parties involved. Employees need to understand how their job is interconnected within the organization, and how their task impacts other processes within the organization. At Pro Tapes® there are daily meetings and exchanges that help to eliminate miscommunication within the process. With a clear understanding, it makes attaining task completion much easier. Pro Tapes® makes it a priority to stress that all staff members know their processes, and more importantly, understand them.
4. Understanding The Why
Knowing how to perform a certain task or job function is one thing, but understanding “the why” is every bit as important as knowing how to do something. In order to have a truly efficient organization, it’s important to know why certain procedures and policies were developed so that each employee understands the ultimate objective that the organization is working towards. At Pro Tapes® I found that everyone not only understood how each function was to be performed, but also why it was being performed.
5. Customer Satisfaction & Employee Engagement
Customer satisfaction is the main focus in most companies, as it is clear without satisfying your customer there won’t be any business at the end of the day. At Pro Tapes® customer satisfaction is linked to employee engagement. This is truly something that can separate a good company from a great one. It is clear that Pro Tapes® believes that if their employees are fully engaged, it creates an improved environment for ensuring customer satisfaction. Having employees who feel they are listened to and have a say in creating processes and procedures, rather than simply being told what to do, helps develop an environment that values employees as much as it values its customers. At Pro Tapes®, employees know that customer satisfaction is the number one priority and they continuously look for ways to exceed their customers’ expectations.
Closing:
My time at Pro Tapes® was a tremendous learning experience that I am waking away from with a much better understanding of what it takes to be successful in business. I truly appreciate the lessons that the Pro Tapes® team taught me, they are lessons that I will carry with me throughout my entire career.
