Organizational Development Support for Business Profitability and Sustainability

Since 2018, Growing Leadership LLC has been working with Super Thin Saws, Inc., a Vermont manufacturer that produces specialized saw blades used by companies around the world. This successful business, founded in 1976, has been looking at ways to grow and increase its organizational efficiency and productivity to benefit owners and employees alike and ensure that the business thrives for many years to come.

Recently completed phase III consulting activities included: (1) leadership training for staff; (2) refined simple job descriptions with measurable and observable tasks; (3) an organizational chart based on a bottom-up developmental approach; (4) a simple and clear employee handbook that is practical and usable on an everyday basis; (5) identifying ways to strengthen communication among owners and employees; (6) define key organizational development concepts to move the company forward; and (7) a workshop to embrace proposed changes and develop next steps for further improvement.

Moving forward, recommendations include:

·   Continue to reinforce a climate of continuous improvement

·   Grow current and future leaders

·   Strategic planning to implement identified priorities

·   Strengthen cross-training and demonstrate to employees that this will increase their value to the company and create opportunities for personal growth and salary increases

·   Identify roadblocks to moving forward and develop action steps to overcome them

·   Communicate to employees that their work has meaning and show the positive impacts of their labor.