When I started as CEO of Nordic Bulk, we set some clear goals. We not only wanted to grow, but we wanted to find new and sustainable solutions that can meet the needs of the future. We didn’t just want to be competitive, we wanted to be five steps ahead of the competition. Here’s a summary of what we’ve done to achieve those goals.
Understood that we didn’t know everything
The untraditional business leader Petter Stordalen says in his latest book that he assumes that he is the dumbest person in the room. He is open to listening and learning from those around him. Now, Petter Stordalen is not necessarily the yardstick for everything that is good, but he has a good point.
If we as leaders always assume that our methods are the best and that our own companies are always right, then we cannot be better.
Veidekke Dept. Milling
Digital crusher
In our digital initiative, success lies in a diverse team. Hands-on experience from quarries, people from subsea in the oil sector, and people who have worked with automation compliment each other.
With open doors and an open mindset, we learn from customers. By walking a facility at the seams, we can specifically look at what’s working, and what’s not. Then we listen, learn and improve where necessary.
Interaction with the customer is immensely important. Those who use the equipment out in the field have input that can make us go from having a good product to an outstanding product.
Built a younger team
Knowledge, specific industry understanding and experience are the cornerstones of a company, but what about all the other stones that form a foundation?
We have Karstein who co-founded Norstone, we have Jone who has been operator and sales manager in Oster crushed stone and sand, and operations manager in Norstone Askøy. We even had Olav “professor pukk” Gilje who started working in quarries when he was 12 years old.
We had more than enough knowledge from the crushed stone and gravel world. The cornerstones of the foundation had been set. Now it was a matter of filling the rest of the line with people who thought differently.
To do that, we hired graduates and apprentices. These bring in new mindsets, either from school, or simply by virtue of them being younger and thinking innovatively. When this is mixed with specific insights into our industry, we get a diverse foundation. For us, it was absolutely essential for a future-oriented development.
Everything on one level
We have experienced that new development reaches the finish line when it happens at one level. With everyone around the same table, we correct each other and understand each other’s point of view as intended. Then we can move forward with the best solution together.
The alternative is that development should go through many isolated stages, where everyone has suggestions that seem good to them even at the moment. Through joint discussion, we see that many proposals are not necessarily appropriate in a larger context.
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In addition, we get to mix different knowledge together. With isolated joints, silos of knowledge are formed between different departments. By dismantling hierarchy and gathering knowledge, we form the basis for innovative solutions.
We looked outside the resume
A comprehensive CV with a long education has not been the most important criterion when we are recruiting new members to Team Nordic. For us, it’s more important to have people who fit into the organization; People who give a good feeling, who are jovial, positive, and honest.
Do you combine that with the will to learn, and give the iron when needed; Then you have winners.
Those who use the equipment out in the field have the input that makes us go from developing a perfectly good product – to an outstanding product.
Winners are needed in an innovation process, because it has a lot to do with ability to execute. Without implementation, it becomes just an idea, a sketch on a piece of paper. Innovation becomes an empty word.
Types of people who make innovation successful:
- Earthy
- honest
- positive
- Seeing opportunities
- gives the iron
When we try new things, it is equally important to keep our feet firmly planted on the ground. If there is a culture of building castles in the air, we have gone in the wrong direction. There’s no point in making things that look nice, but don’t work and hold up over time out in the field.
In an innovation process, it is important to disregard one’s own ego, and above all to be honest with oneself and the team. Therefore, we believe that down-to-earth and honesty are just as important as the ability to break down a problem and piece it together in a way that no one has done before.
Culture is everything
Some say product is everything. We believe culture is everything. How is it possible to create a product that stands out in the market without people contributing ideas and efforts?
Without an open culture where new input and experience are juxtaposed, the best solutions are left in people’s minds. Business leaders have a responsibility to build a place where ideas are not swollen down by experience and “this is how we’ve always done it” attitudes.
If employees are heard, they take ownership of the tasks, and are given the impetus to overcome any obstacle. As people grow to their full potential, so will your business.
I myself have experienced that an open and honest culture results in a forward-looking development; Existing solutions are improved and new solutions that no one has thought of before emerge. It’s not just driving us, but the industry as a whole forward. And most important of all; We have a work environment where people feel good.
