​Leading a branch-based service business is different than working in a single location company.  You discover that there’s something unique about each market and the team who serves it.  While the company’s service offering may be consistent, there is lots of inconsistency in how it’s served up from place to place.

To have a strong brand, which develops from a vibrant culture, requires that some things are absolutely consistent across the business.  The organization’s core values and beliefs must be meaningful and understood; so must the company’s purpose in the market.  Those things comprise the organizational DNA that defines what the company looks like and how it operates.

Built upon this foundation, successful companies define areas of focus that are essential to success.  There are certain elements here that benefit from consistency. For example:

• Human Factors. Things like Safety practices must be clearly defined and consistently taught. Inconsistency here spells incidents.
• Systems. A common business language, wired together by financial and business information tools, is essential.
• Customer Interactions.  Having a common way to communicate, which enhances listening, understanding, adapting and then delivering services, provides a consistent way to customize the service offering. This is the “How”, or the service process, but the outcomes are as different as the customers and their respective needs

​From this point, the way things happen becomes much more variable.  What training is offered, how it’s delivered and when it occurs is different according to needs, priorities and skill levels of team members. The information mined from business systems has certain consistent components, but many unique applications as well. Then there are customers; we’ve all learned that one size does not fit all!

With a clear set of foundational elements and versatile tools, a company can embrace the diversity that makes growing a business possible and fun. Consistent Inconsistency doesn’t sound like such a conflicting idea after all.  Enjoy the Journey!