CBS Reviews: Turned Weakness Into Strength

Situation

Even before the start of this Corporate Business Solutions engagement, it was necessary for the CBS representative to cross the rifts that had formed between the three owners of this well established (over 40 years) manufacturer of commercial signage. He “held up under hours of uncomfortable dialogue between the owners … until we finally agreed to hire CBS.” The second generation owners direly needed training on how to work together and balance out each other’s strengths and weaknesses as a management team in order to keep the business running.

“As our company was entering the fourth quarter, we found ourselves working harder than we ever had in the past and not making a profit. The owners spent much of the time blaming each other for the lack of profit. All three of us felt like we were the one who did all the work. The relationship between the three partners was very stressful as it would be expected in a dysfunctional organization…

We all laid awake nights, pondering what it was we should do about our situation. It seemed that there was no viable answer in any of the solutions that we considered. Even splitting up and each going on our own was not an option, because of our debt. We even talked about downsizing to make our company more manageable.

I was beaten down and barely had the will to come in every day and deal with the issues. I felt deep down, if we could somehow get the three owners on the same page with a clear direction of the company, it would become, yet, again, a successful business.”

Process

“There wasn’t one day that our CBS consultant hasn’t impressed me, since he stepped foot into the building. It was hard for me to believe that anyone could be so passionate and caring about fixing our business.

Week after week, he has systematically addressed all aspects of our business and showed us how to measure and react off the metrics and not our gut feelings (as we were used to doing). He has given us the tools and map for success, because of him and CBS, our whole business philosophy and direction has been changed. Forty years of measuring incorrectly, thinking that we were doing things right and feeling good about what we did wrong, has changed.

In 4 months, CBS has helped us do things that we could not accomplish ourselves in the past 8 years. We have turned weaknesses into strengths and our goals are in sight. We have turned a low morale situation to a high energy team atmosphere.

My employees were the first to benefit, which is what I have always wanted. Higher pay and more benefits is what they deserved, but we did not have the means to do it. This process has allowed my dreams to come true and showed me how to dream bigger!”

Result

“CBS and its staff have successfully accomplished everything that they promised that they would do in the beginning and we have gone from ‘the business running us’ to ‘us running the business.’ This process has changed both our business and our personal lives. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to our consultant, who has become a friend, and to CBS for the direction given to our company!”   Brian, President