APRIL 2024LOGISTICSTRANSPORTATIONREVIEW8 OPINIONIN MYThree areas of emphasis have helped us navigate today's ongoing constraints. We revisit these areas regularly and consider them friendly tips and reminders.The concept of tips and reminders came to me from a college football coach. Before games, Coach Mike Drake would script, summarize, and highlight key points to victory. The highlights captured the preceding week of practice, film study, and scouting reports. Amid a large body of available information, Coach Drake's tips and reminders helped his players condense large volumes of work into a digestible format.From an organizational standpoint, our team uses tips and reminders in a similar way. Within the broader context of logistics, tips, and reminders help us narrow the focus and improve outcomes. We find they are relevant in our trucking and distribution setting. We also believe they are relevant to other sectors of industry. The following tips and reminders guide us at a high level, connect us, and help us progress practically. This is not a comprehensive list. We also recognize that our tips and reminders evolve with business needs. Focus on the MissionThe mission should serve a specific purpose regardless of business type or size. The mission is the main theme that aligns organizational behavior and culture. A clear mission is a direction to follow and a purpose to serve. We aspire to uphold our company's mission while attending to the challenges at hand. On occasion, we find that revisiting our mission is helpful. This process returns our focus to the `significant few' actions that enable success. It also helps us to avoid the `many insignificant' distractions that get in the way. On the other hand, if the mission is or has become unclear, it complicates operations. In fairness, it can be difficult to see how a business unit fits into the broader, more complex whole. It can be done, but it requires discussion, discovery, and a desire to gain clarity. Simply put, a clear mission is important because it enables results. Focusing on the mission also allows people to maximize resources, time, and human capital. A clear mission provides the direction necessary for lasting achievement.Focus on PeoplePeople gravitate to a clear mission that serves a specific purpose. Once connected, people become the lifeblood that brings the mission to life. Human action, communication, coordination, teamwork, etc., are building blocks of mission success. For leaders, it is By Andrew (Drew) Thompson, Director of Fleet Management, Ben E. Keith BeveragesFLEET MANAGEMENT:TIPS & REMINDERS FOR INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALSAndrew (Drew) Thompson
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