Chris Nook understood how much knowledge his father, Joe Nook Jr., had imparted to him and his brother, Joe III, to put them in a position to eventually run Nook Industries Inc. What he didn’t realize was that the need for that coaching did not end when he became CEO and Joe III became chief operating officer in 1999.
“No matter what level you are on, if you’re not getting some sort of honest feedback day to day or on a frequent basis, you’re missing an opportunity to develop yourself,” Nook says. “That change left a void.”
Nook’s understanding of the need for continuous improvement helped him then, and it has helped him over the past two years as his 135-employee manufacturing company continues to battle the tough economy.
“I don’t care whether you’re the CEO of a 10-person company or a 10,000-person company, there’s room to develop,” Nook says. “The thinking that there is no room for improvement and not committing to it are two different issues. You’ve got to make time for it.”
Nook began working on himself by giving his work schedule the same discipline that he gave to his athletic endeavors.
“I’m a triathlete, and I work with a coach and I have for four years,” Nook says. “That model works for me. It just hit me one day, ‘Why aren’t I doing this in my professional life? Why aren’t I sitting down and setting goals like I would identify a race I wanted to compete in? What are the steps I need to take to make sure I’m ready when I get to the start line of that race?’
“I can apply the same model here at my business. ‘Here are the goals for the company and here are my personal goals. What are the milestones I need to hit to make sure when I get to the end of the year, I’ve done what I wanted to accomplish?’”
When you figure out what your personal goals are for your own growth, share them with your direct reports.