Hans Kissle

Operating within the confines of a small to mid-sized manufacturer often involves strained budgets, tight margins, understaffed teams and constant competing priorities. Exceeding year-end commitments requires a clear understanding of team motivation, behaviors and cross-functional processes in order to define and achieve expected outcomes.

This past year, despite a more challenging economic environment, our team over-delivered on its goals and we are projecting continued positive momentum into the current fiscal year. While we are measured against EBITDA attainment, purchase price variance (PPV) improvement, cost reduction strategies and strategic growth initiatives, the environment we create and the values we uphold serve as the foundation for sustained success over time.

Be curious, not judgmental.

Ego destroys opportunity.

What we know today is only what we know at this moment. Every interaction, whether it is a coffee break conversation or a marketing report on external conditions, is an opportunity to learn. Every voice is important and valuable.

I regularly seek input from my team across a range of topics, from tactical day-to-day operations to more strategic process improvements. In just the past week, for example:

● What would be the best framework for structuring our indirect codes and nomenclature?

● How should an inventory adjustment form be redesigned so finance can review and act more effectively?

● What is working and what is not working in the current MRP format?

The importance here is not the specific questions themselves, but the cultural principle behind them: curiosity. What we do today is based on what we know now and if learning is not happening continuously, outdated thinking limits our ability to adapt and improve.

What we know today is only what we know at this moment. Every interaction, whether it is a coffee break conversation or a marketing report on external conditions, is an opportunity to learn.

If something is not value-added, remove it.

The principle is simple: drop ego, adjust, measure, improve.

Prioritization

Challenging days are common.

Long hours, deadlines, meetings and operational pressures create constant headwinds toward year-end goals. When layered with stagnant systems and incomplete processes across siloed teams, clarity around daily priorities becomes difficult. None of this is unfamiliar to anyone working in a high-turn CPG environment.

Typical weekly demands may include replenishment and supply issues, price increase notifications, contract renewals, internal stakeholder requests, sourcing events, executive reporting, customer bids and supplier follow-ups.

The real question becomes: what is important and just as critically, what is not?

How is importance defined?

Answering this alone is often one of the most critical factors in achieving year-end objectives.

Becoming comfortable with leaving non-urgent or lower-value tasks unresolved in the short term is essential. A triage process should be established to properly evaluate each request:

● What actions are required?

● Who is responsible?

● What is the required timeframe?

● Can this be delegated or handled by someone else?

Attention has become a limited resource and it must be directed toward intentional action.

Intentionality – team attitude and focus

Closely tied to prioritization is the question of team motivation and focus.

Most leaders would agree that their team’s well-being is a priority. However, execution often falls short.

Why?

Actions must align with words and words must reflect actions. Do team members truly believe their well-being is your top priority? More importantly, is it reflected in how time and attention are actually spent?

Over time, actions become habits. Do those habits reflect the needs and priorities of your team? Do you understand those needs at an individual level? Does policy or process ever interfere with the human side of leadership?

Does your team believe you will support them during moments of professional or personal difficulty?

Sustainable success depends on amplifying the strengths of individuals within the team. That is only possible in an environment where people feel safe to share ideas, give feedback, take risks and sometimes fail. That environment is built on trust, where both professional and personal well-being are clearly valued.

Consider this: do you know how many children your direct reports have? Or your manager? Do you know where they grew up, or how they spend their time outside of work?

When a personal challenge arises for a team member, is the immediate reaction concern for the person, or concern about task coverage?

Intentional leadership means consistently prioritizing both performance and people. Success follows naturally when both are aligned.

Kindness and gratitude

I am fortunate to be in a position where I can meaningfully impact the lives of others. If I can help my direct reports and broader team lead more balanced and fulfilling professional lives, that is the most important measure of success.

And somewhat unsurprisingly, success measured by traditional business metrics tends to follow.