Telling Your Story: A Key to Success
A Mutual Definition of Success
So what’s the key? If it’s a tough world out there and executives don’t have time to really understand the in-plant manager’s issues, what’s the solution? I think it is imperative that the in-plant manager and the executive agree on a mutual definition of success.
The key question is defining what success looks like and how you will know when you get there. To an administrator, success might be no bad news, no surprises and financial stability. To the in-plant manager, success might be satisfied customers, on-time delivery, a positive climate and equipment that works. Somehow you have to blend these two approaches and form a common agreement about what a successful in-plant would look like at your organization.
Ray Chambers, CGCM, MBA, has invested over 30 years managing and directing printing plants, copy centers, mail centers and award-winning document management facilities in higher education and government.
Most recently, Chambers served as vice president and chief information officer at Juniata College. Chambers is currently a doctoral candidate studying Higher Education Administration at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU). His research interests include outsourcing in higher education and its impact on support services in higher education and managing support services. He also consults (Chambers Management Group) with leaders in both the public and private sectors to help them understand and improve in-plant printing and document services operations.
