THINKING Ahead
By Kyle Little
Fluid mindset pays off during pandemic he lumber and building materials industry is much different than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and, in my opinion, it’s changed for the better. We’re continually in motion, and the entity that doesn’t acknowledge the evolution is the one that gets left behind. That being said, the crisis brought with it many unknowns. Despite lacking full awareness of what’s next, it’s important to recognize that in a fluid environment, plans and strategies may have to be adjusted. Your vision or strategy might still be sound and might still be where you want to go, but the route you take to get there may need to be tweaked. Instead of becoming a victim of the environment, you have to get out there and be a facilitator of the change that is happening. That’s how you survive—no, excel—in this new world, and that’s exactly what Sherwood Lumber did. In particular, we pivoted in ways that have actually fortified our company’s culture and have allowed us to grow an enviable virtual presence.
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Communication Feeds Culture
Sherwood had a healthy corporate culture ahead of the pandemic, which ironically enough brought teams closer together despite distance and despite the hardships and challenges of the time.
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The issue: Our senior-level management team was not meeting even on a weekly basis prior to COVID, then the pandemic made it impossible for in-person meetings to take place at all. However, close contact with regard to communication was a priority in order to keep the Sherwood family safe and secure as well as to foster trust. The pivot: We started scheduling a bi-weekly management call to share status updates and any specific situations that required immediate attention. Day-to-day volatility forced us to communicate on a high level virtually and to talk about tough subject matter that nobody really wanted to discuss but that had to be addressed so that we could stay as proactive as possible in an environment fraught with uncertainties. T h e re s u l t : We w e r e a b l e to address situations quickly, implement change, and provide a
n Building Products Digest n December 2021
culture of flexibility very quickly. (A full transition to remote work, for instance, was completed in just five business days!) Our team adapted very well, to the point where you could throw a curveball at a Sherwood associate and they’re definitely getting on base; and in some cases, they’re going to hit it out of the ball park. We created a resilient culture that’s able to handle crisis at a high level, and it’s served us well. We felt like if we were able to maintain and expand our culture in this environment, we’d get a high level of performance—which, in fact, we’ve seen.
High Touch, From a Distance
Prior to the crisis, Sherwood also was already on track to become a thought leader in the industry. We were strategizing ways to influence behavior at a high level; but COVID dictated a change in approach. Building-Products.com
