// PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP
Kim Sweers
aspirations , put God first . Lead your family well before trying to lead at work . Focus on getting better every day . Use the time that you have been blessed with wisely , focusing on things that only you can do and things that you are talented at . Do hard things . Leading isn ’ t just doing the things you want to do or the things that are easy .” – Paul Kuck , Chief Operating Officer , Regal Boats
“ Show up every day with your game face on , saying “ Put me in the game , coach !” I look for team members I can count on , who arrive on time , finish their tasks , take responsibility for their assignments and meet deadlines . I look for people who want to be part of the solution , not the problem . Rather than being told what to do , I urge my team to be proactive and look for opportunities to contribute . Be curious and ask questions . If you ’ re not a team player , find another profession . I look for people who engage with teammates , customers and vendors . They must be supportive , respectful and , most importantly , inclusive . I look for people who can resolve conflict , communicate clearly - early and often . Strong communication skills and being a good listener are vital to success .” – Kim Sweers , BOAT BOSS , FB Marine
“ Every dealership should be actively involved in growing our next generation of technicians . Get involved with your local schools , offer job shadowing and apprenticeships . You must grow your techs for tomorrow . Unfortunately , not enough of us in the industry are doing enough now to ensure we have young people ready as our current skilled techs age out and retire . Don ’ t let the wisdom of these career marine technicians go out the door when they wheel their tools out for the final time .” – Valerie Ziebron , Owner , VRZ Consulting
“ Typically , people will only leave their employment if two things are in place : desire and opportunity . You cannot control the opportunity , but you can have influence over the desire . Create an environment where people want to come to work . Try to match talent with the tasks : match personalities with the right kind of jobs . I recommend using Omnia Profiles for this . Another important suggestion : work hard yet have fun doing it . If people love their jobs , they will not consider it work . Have social functions where employees can get to know each other . I ’ m aware of one business that has employees exchange jobs for a short time … it gives everyone a renewed respect for one another ’ s positions . Train , train , train your employees ! Henry Ford once said long ago : The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay .” – David Parker , President , Parker Business Planning
Poster child for boating
“ I am the poster child for living the boating lifestyle , so I am completely happy when I am on or around boats . We own multiple boats , both sail and power , and we use them all , so working in this industry is a perfect match for me .
Anne
I get paid to go to boat shows , AND
Dunbar talk about boats and boating .” – Anne Dunbar , IBEX Show Director
www . boatingindustry . com october 2023
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