June 2008 Management Insights Newsletter
June 26, 2008
From the Chairman’s desk:
Welcome! The month of May has come and gone and we are back with our June issue of Management Insights. We sincerely appreciate all the favorable feedback and comments we received from several of our subscribers last month. We feel our launch accomplished our goal of providing valuable and useful information. That’s the course we have chosen.
Now on to this month’s issue… Our economy continues to struggle and it would appear we are going to be challenged for quite sometime. But it is in these times when we are forced to take a harder look at our operations and evaluate what we are doing and how we can possibly do it better and more efficiently. That is the good news of a challenging economy. It compels us to question what we do and what value it has to our clients and families. Is there a better way?
The many calls on this subject that come in to us are fairly common: “I know I have to make some changes, but I don’t know where to start or how to go about it.” At Johnson Consulting, we have developed over the years a very thorough and productive tool to help our clients in this area. Our Performance Analysis process identifies the areas of your total operation that need attention and by applying proven techniques can produce amazing results in a very short period of time.
Clients ask us how we differ from our competition. Our answer is simple and straight forward:We fix what is wrong and keep in place what is working well. Our staff is comprised of funeral directors who have been there and done that … Believe me, that is a huge difference.
Call us if we can help…
Regards,
Tom Johnson
Chairman
Best Practices: Management Services
At Johnson Consulting there is no Gray Matter … we leave no Stone unturned… We use an exhaustive pre-site and on site analysis to accurately analyze and measure the client’s current performance and to thoroughly understand their business. Clients receive a Performance Analysis that includes a Customer Service Assessment, Workflow Analysis, Competitive Market Share Assessment, and Financial Analysis. We spend time getting to know the staff and we learn from their insights and experience.
Our philosophy is simple: We fix what is broken, not what is working. We use a bottom up approach where we engage the staff - get their input and build their confidence and trust. Other companies employ top down approaches which results in less staff involvement and a low buy in. This usually results in short term solutions that are not sustainable.
Read the entire description of our Management Services Program here …>>
Solutions to Common Problems: Knowledge Replaces Fear
In this issue of the newsletter is an article by Todd Van Beck on exploring the idea that “Knowledge Replaces Fear.” Van Beck discusses the theme of how operating a funeral home in such complicated time can create a sense of fear concerning the future.
Van Beck laments the fact that the graduate school of funeral service management does not yet exit, and he relays an interesting story concerning a confrontation he witnessed between a government regulator and a courageous funeral director at a large funeral directors convention.
The article ends with identifying Johnson Consulting as being an advocate of funeral service management which is made up of no funeral service “outsiders.” If you have ever gone to work and sat down at the desk and thought “What now?” this article is something to read.
Read the entire article here - - >>
Exceeding Your Expectations:In a time of unprecedented change and challenges for our profession, the Johnson Consulting Group has been invaluable in helping us clearly identify problems and concerns and have helped us develop a clear vision and plan for our future success.
With the ability to draw on the diverse backgrounds of all the Johnson Consulting Group, they are able to address all of our challenges and growing needs.
The advice of the group has been invaluable in providing concrete ideas, new processes and methods of improving and growing our business that propel us strongly into the future. It is our pleasure and privilege to have them as part of our organization.
- Carlos Guerra, of Los Angeles, California
Johnson Consulting was a bright spot in the acquisition process of my funeral home. I was new to the process. JCG took a personal interest in me and my funeral home. Every question was answered and every document was supplied me before I made my bid all in a two week span. They made a hectic time into a somewhat pleasant experience which I am very grateful. The bank was pleased at the information that was provided in a timely fashion. I would recommend that anyone interested in buying or selling use Johnson Consulting for the transaction if nothing else but for the expertise in their field.
- Robert H. Bell of Springfield, Tennessee
Until Next Time:
We hope you found this edition to be interesting and informative. Any suggestions for future issues are always welcome.Glenn Gould, CEO of MKJ Marketing, will share his many years of experience and expertise in marketing in our next issue “Making Better Decisions is a Matter of Having Better Information.”
We leave you with these words of wisdom from two proven business leaders. They apply to all of us that have the desire and objective to maximizing our productivity and achieving superior results:
“The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.” - Peter Drucker
“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion. We know where most of the creativity, the innovation, the stuff that drives productivity lies - in the minds of those closest to the work.” - Jack Welch
At the Johnson Group we ask the right questions and involve the entire staff …
Sincerely,
Jake & Tom Johnson
About Our Management Services
June 26, 2008
Johnson Consulting Group and
Legacy Accounting and Management Services
Our Management Services program is uniquely positioned when comparing alternative programs. We do not sell prepackaged solutions. We customize and craft our programs to fit the specific needs of our clients. Our methods for improving performance are based on proven methods, but our approach to identify what needs attention and how we prioritize the action plans is one of our important and valued qualities that set us apart from the competition.
Our philosophy is simple: We fix what is broken, not what is working. We use a bottom up approach where we engage the staff – get their input and build their confidence and trust. Other programs employ top down approach which results in less staff involvement and a low buy in rate. This results in short term solutions that are not sustainable.
The most valued asset any business has is what we refer to as “Intellectual Capital”. We define that as the ideas, knowledge and experiences your staff has about your business. Unfortunately, this very valuable asset depreciates rapidly because the people that do the work everyday are often left out of the process.
At Johnson Consulting we use an exhaustive pre-site and on-site analysis to accurately measure client’s current operating performance and to thoroughly understand client’s business. Clients receive a Performance Analysis that includes a Customer Service Assessment; Workflow Analysis; Competitive Market Share Assessment; and Financial Analysis. Most of this information is gathered through interviews with the staff.
We are committed to using our extensive industry knowledge and experience to assist our clients to achieve unprecedented levels of customer service, an optimum workplace environment, recognition as the marketplace leader and maximum financial performance. We strive to build long term relationships with our clients as trusted strategic partners to create superior operating performance results ensuring the highest business value.
Our JCG Management Services Approach
Our JCG Management Services Focus
- Customer service - consistently deliver exceptional service to your customers;
- Workplace - provide an optimum workplace filled with opportunity for employee development;
- Marketplace - actively contribute to the marketplace you serve; and
- Financial Management - master the best financial management practices available.
Our Clients
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”
Successful funeral and cemetery companies from large to small who have historically excelled in each of the four success steps yet face new and different challenges in customer service, an increasingly complex workplace, a more competitive marketplace and a greater need for precise financial management due to eroding operating margins.
We value our client relationships and truly care about their business. JCG Management Services offers a practical approach to improving productivity that is designed to build on our client’s many years of success. We provide each client a carefully customized engagement that specifically addresses their greatest business needs with programs that are both effective and affordable.
Our Commitment
Before beginning any new program, we validate our strategy by asking these three basic fundamental questions:
- Is it good for the customer?
- Is it good for the employee?
- Is it good for the company?
At Johnson Consulting Group, we commit to provide our clients training and performance improvement programs that each benefits the customer, the employee and the company.
Our Team
Johnson Consulting Group is comprised of funeral and cemetery operations and financial experts who have over 400 years of combined experience in the death care industry. They have spent their careers owning, operating and managing funeral home and cemetery operations large and small. We are operations specialists who have faced virtually every conceivable funeral business challenge in operating literally thousands of funeral homes and cemeteries throughout the country
JCG is the only Total Solutions Company in the Funeral Industry
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Business Valuations
- Web-based Accounting
- Management Services
Today’s business challenges in overall funeral operations have never been more prevalent and the need for outside expertise is paramount for achieving optimal levels of performance and productivity. “Single Source” supplying of funeral products has become more of the norm and a standard pertaining to funeral business’s purchasing policies and practices.
This same value of “single sourcing” in consulting services has not been previously available to the family owned funeral businesses. Enter Johnson Consulting Group, a Total Solutions Company. Now all of a funeral business’s operational needs can be addressed and productivity improvements made by employing JCG services.
JCG Pledge to Our Clients
At Johnson Consulting, we believe in forming a true partnership relationship with our clients. Total Client Satisfaction is always our ultimate goal. A true partnership means that one partner should never profit at the expense of the other. We price our services fairly and employ a simple straight forward guarantee. It’s called “Pay for Performance”. Here’s how it works:
After we complete our Performance Analysis, we identify the areas that need improvement. We then prioritize those areas for highest impact and probability for success. We set the mutual benchmarks we want to achieve. We then ask for full and total support from the ownership.
If we achieve our goals, we get paid. If we do not, we will continue to work to achieve the desired results. If we do not produce the results, we don’t bill the client for that initiative. It’s as simple as that…
Return to the June 2008 Management Insights Newsletter
Carlos Guerra says:
June 24, 2008
In a time of unprecedented change and challenges for our profession, the Johnson Consulting Group has been invaluable in helping us clearly identify problems and concerns and have helped us develop a clear vision and plan for our future success.
With the ability to draw on the diverse backgrounds of all the Johnson Consulting Group, they are able to address all of our challenges and growing needs.
The advice of the group has been invaluable in providing concrete ideas, new processes and methods of improving and growing our business that propel us strongly into the future. It is our pleasure and privilege to have them as part of our organization.
- Carlos Guerra, Guerra Gutierrez Mortuaries, Los Angeles, California
Knowledge Replaces Fear - Todd Van Beck
June 24, 2008
A wise mentor of mine once said that “knowledge replaces fear.” As the years of my career in funeral service has passed from 10 to 20 to 30 to now 40 years, I have witnessed the movement of funeral service going from a fairly simple day to day operation to the present day environment which is complicated and yes, at times, fearful and filled with uncertainty.
No one enjoys rapid constant change. In fact psychologists almost uniformly agree that the human being cannot handle rapid change over a sustainable period of time. Rapid change usually creates fear of the unknown. Everywhere I travel in my speaking and seminar sessions, I listen to funeral director after funeral director tell me of the concerns, fears, and worry that they have these days in the day to day operation of the funeral home.
Too bad there is not a “graduate” school in funeral home management. In fact the curriculum of the mortuary school system really does not spend an inordinate amount of time on such matters as business management, people management, community outreach, alternative services, etc. The curriculum of the mortuary schools is, basically upon graduation, to give the successful student more of a learner’s permit than an academic degree. Where does most of the learning in funeral operations happen – on the floor of the funeral home where hour by hour challenges are faced and coped with.
Not long ago, I spoke at a large state convention. The speaker before me was a representative of some state watchdog agency and the assignment was to speak on the state of funeral service’s relationship to government regulation. It was a merciless in assault on funeral service. This person went on and on and I could see that the attendees were moving quickly from tolerate respect, to fear and then to anger.
One funeral director stood up and took umbrage with the speaker who had basically indicted to the entire audience that they were not in compliance with much. There was an audible gasp in the room when the speaker expressed that sentiment. Now, it was this funeral directors opportunity to set the record straight. In a nut shell this is what he said: “On a day to day basis this is what I deal with: State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, I pay the fees, I renew licenses, I participate in required continuing education and I open my door for an annual inspection. Then I deal with my cities ordinances which range from parking regulations to regulations concerning the placement of my sign. On top of that I work with the State Department of Taxation, the State Department of Motor Vehicles, and the State Department of Environmental Protection. Then I have to make sure the payroll is taken care of and taxes paid, the accounts payable and receivable are monitored and that I offer a good health and retirement plan. Now I am not finished. I deal with the Internal Revenue Service, the State Revenue Service, the Federal Trade Commission, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Social Security Administration, the Veterans Administration.” Finally he was out of breath, but he received a standing ovation.
I thought that funeral director showed manifest courage and laid out the complex environment that even the smallest funeral operation works under in these complicated and challenging times.
In the past several months, I have been involved with an organization called Johnson Consulting. I, the reader, look at the company’s information one can readily see that a team of exceptionally qualified people have been assembled to do one thing and one thing only – assist funeral homes in improving day to day operations.
Already Johnson Consulting has developed an impressive analysis system. Tom Johnson says it best. “Our approach is simple and straight forward: We fix what is wrong and keep in place what is working well.”
I attended 27 seminars in my life which were conducted by the legendary Dr. W. Edwards Deming (the American who taught the Japanese about quality service) and he was firmly convinced that in order to improve services to a community one had to be constantly on alert as to what was not working properly within the organization. Then after identifying the weaknesses the organization was in the highly advantageous position of fixing them. Identifying the weaknesses is the key. This is what Johnson Consulting does, from internal analysis of daily operations, to telephone mystery shopping analysis to business consulting issues. It’s a very thorough and comprehensive “Performance Analysis”.
Might I share a private sentiment with the reader? My entire career I have worked with individuals, good individuals, who get involved with funeral service – but they do not understand funeral service. They present the attitude “Well if I was able to sell a lot of Fig Newtons selling a funeral will be a snap.” Rarely have I seen these people move forward or the programs they present relative to the funeral profession.
For me, one of the great attractions of getting associated with Johnson Consulting was that everyone, and I mean everyone, possesses great knowledge and experience in day to day funeral work. This is a tremendous asset for any client of Johnson Consulting. We know the secret handshake! We have been there and done it all.
So for time such as these, with all the day to day complications in funeral work, Johnson Consulting is a resource well worth exploring. Johnson Consulting truly believes in and nay say loves the funeral service profession.
~ Todd Van Beck