As its name would suggest, TP Mechanical Contractors Inc. started with a Teepe.
But CEO Scott Teepe Sr., son of founder Bill Teepe, says he doesn’t want it to end with one.
“My goal is to have an everlasting company,” he says of the plumbing and mechanical contracting company. “I don’t want it to end with a Teepe, [like] if a Teepe doesn’t run the company, the company doesn’t exist.”
So he’s equipping his managers to think like leaders by prodding them for input and urging them to set their own visions. He narrows the focus by aligning their goals and finding the common ground that can benefit the business, which posted 2007 revenue of $63 million. And Teepe’s leadership is evidenced in his ability to set a single vision from the compiled input of 400 employees.
Smart Business spoke with Teepe about how to use input from your employees to guide your company’s vision.
Push employees for their input. Gather ideas from your executive group or the people that report to you. You want to get their thoughts and get them involved in the decision-making process.
Challenge them beyond their means. I always want to make them think a little bit more outside the box than they’re used to doing.
Their motions will take charge a little bit, and you’ll see their frustration if you push too hard. It’s things they do, it’s how they sit up or if they slump down or they lean back. I have one that I run my fingers through my hair. Everybody knows; they make fun of that. When I do that, that typically means I’m frustrated or not getting my point across. Others will cross their arms. Others will look down; they
won’t look up. You look for those signs of disengagement.
