On the last day, Brad Cruickshank, the only member of the present group who had been a part of Eldrenkamp's hazing six years before, took the opportunity to reflect on the difference between then and now. Byggmeister in 1989 was "a confused but not new company," Cruickshank told the group, with a "convoluted estimating system," a "communal work atmosphere," and a "liberal-minded benefits plan" it clearly could not afford. Dollars were "gushing out," and the company was in danger of going under. Eldrenkamp was guilty of "failing to be assertive." He appeared to have "a sense of being unworthy of success and its rewards," and showed "discomfort as a leader."
Happily, though, "the bleeding stopped, profitability became routine, systems were put in place, owner's compensation rose to appropriate levels," and it became clear that "Paul was leading." Moreover, Byggmeister had developed a core of able, loyal employees "who are comfortable with their roles and responsibilities."
But now, Cruickshank warned, Eldrenkamp was in danger of "reverting to communal ways." He was appalled that Eldrenkamp seemed to want to share tasks with employees. To Cruickshank, that suggested a desire to "suppress yourself and uplift them." It was "getting past all that" that had allowed Eldrenkamp to turn his company around, Cruickshank said; now he risked "slipping back."
"Well said," offered another member of the group, breaking the silence that followed Cruickshank's speech. All around the conference table, heads nodded in agreement.
* * *
Eldrenkamp didn't get a chance to respond to Cruickshank directly. It was his job that day to listen and absorb. Later, though, he recalled a story Cruickshank had told at dinner one night, about how he comes to work each day and imagines tossing six balls into the air at once and then struggling all day to keep them up; Cruickshank likes it that way.
Eldrenkamp still has those days, too, days when he feels like the proverbial juggler. That's the nature of business. But during the past six years, Eldrenkamp believes he has made a start, at least, toward aligning his business with his own nature in a way that feels right for him. He wouldn't expect it to feel right for Cruickshank. "Half the balls I hand off to other people," Eldrenkamp says, "and the balls are lighter -- like soap bubbles."
Hard work, becoming an owner -- but then, owning the business is not so hard.
THEN AND NOW
Four-year average (1989-1992), when the business owned Eldrenkamp
Sales $550,863
Eldrenkamp's salary $28,925
Profit ($1,063)
Four-year average (1993-1996), after Eldrenkamp owned the business
Sales $830,438
Eldrenkamp's salary $41,567
Profit $46,842
THE 5% DIFFERENCE
Like many small-business owners, Kathy and Gary Wheatley occasionally need to talk to someone who understands. As co-owners of Wheatley Associates, a $1.2-million home-remodeling company in Monkton, Md., they belong to the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB). Both are active in the local NAHB Remodelers Council, and Gary has a friend in town, another remodeler, with whom he gets together periodically to talk shop. Because the two remodelers rarely compete for the same jobs, Gary feels comfortable telling his friend a lot about his business. But a lot is not the same as everything. "I give him about 95%," Gary says.
Invariably, somewhere in that most private 5% lies the truth; keep it a secret, and you may never get the help you need. Providing that help is the idea behind CEO networking groups that promise peer guidance in exchange for a pledge of confidentiality and a willingness to tell all.
Best known is TEC (800-274-2367), an international organization that combines peer counseling and interaction with outside experts. To encourage openness, each local TEC chapter, composed of 12 to 14 noncompeting CEOs, is organized across industries, an approach that lends itself more to the discussion of management issues than operational concerns. Each chapter is led by a professional facilitator who also meets individually with members. (For a listing of other multi-industry CEO peer groups, see the Inc. Network, June 1994, [Article link].)
Business Networks (BN; 800-525-1009) aims for the next level of intimacy, possible only when group members are in the same business but not as competitors. BN groups are geographically diverse and industry-specific, organized around the building trades. (They're for "entrepreneurs too busy to work on their businesses because they're working in their businesses," says BN's founder and roving facilitator, Les Cunningham.) Groups meet twice a year for three days, moving from one member's hometown to the next. The host, whose turn comes up every six years, is the focus of the group's tough love, but no one is ever completely spared. Members share financials, disclose goals (everything from "learn to play the piano" to "increase sales by 20%"), and hold themselves accountable. They offer support, guidance, and constructive criticism.
Between dues and travel expenses, the Wheatleys, BN group members since 1991, spend from $5,500 to $6,000 a year, but that's because Gary likes to go early and stay late. "Every year I've been in it," he says, "I've grossed more and paid myself more."
