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Gaining A Competitive Edge With Sustainable Procurement

The shipping warehouse bustles, workers moving supplies and materials in, sending products and packaging out. Everyone’s rushing to meet tight timelines and keep customers happy. You’re hitting the daily milestones, checking off must-dos on the list. Yet a constant question haunts your thoughts: are operations as efficient as they can be?

It’s not only about cutting costs, not anymore.

It’s about the trash piling mountain high in landfills, the litter clogging up streams, and forests falling to chainsaws and fires. Rising temperatures and oceans too, hurricanes growing stronger.

Sustainable has moved from a high-minded goal for some, to a necessary pursuit for all. Packaging is part of the greater equation. And that means procurement is a vital variable for packaging companies and their clients.

Reduce waste. Increase efficiency. Produce better outcomes. Through optimizing your procurement process, and helping your clients optimize theirs, it’s possible.

It won’t be easy, but great accomplishments rarely are. That’s why we’re going to cover some strategies and concepts that will help you build a sustainable procurement process and create the team buy-in necessary to run an environmentally friendly packaging company.

Gaining A Competitive Edge With Sustainable Procurement

Leveraging Procurement to Champion Sustainability

Sound, effective procurement will allow you to keep costs low and protect your competitive edge. Done right, procurement can also help you become more sustainable.

Writing in FleetOwner, Matt Clark sums up procurement and competitive advantages nicely:

“The fundamental purpose of all sourcing and procurement activity is to utilize the external market and suppliers in an optimal manner in order to gain a competitive advantage. Every item or service being sourced should contribute, directly or indirectly, towards competitive positioning.”

Elsewhere, Mr. Clark discusses the need for strategic sourcing, which we can define as a “systematic approach to purchasing items needed for your business.” He further outlines four key objectives for sourcing in a strategic manner:

  1. Reduce overall costs
  2. Eliminate waste and wasteful processes
  3. Make your organization and yourself more efficient
  4. Provide visibility into what is going on

Accomplishing the above can go a long way towards sustainability. Reducing costs may first pop into the mind of many procurement specialists. With sustainability, however, the other three points are just as crucial.

Reducing waste and increasing efficiency improves your environmental footprint while also increasing competitiveness. Yet cutting waste is easier said than done. Writing for North Carolina State University, Rhonda Sherman, a Solid Waste Specialist, suggests:

“The most direct way to cut your disposal costs is with source reduction: that is, by reducing the amount of waste your business produces. You have less to get rid of if you purchase and discard less material. By analyzing your business’ waste stream, you will probably discover that you can eliminate much of the waste your business produces.”

Picking through your own trash to identify where you generate waste may not sound like much fun, yet it’s a great way to discover opportunities to increase efficiency.

Reducing waste helps improve efficiency, but there are other steps you can take as well. “Lean procurement” -championed by manufacturers like Toyota- can help you reduce waste, encourage efficient procurement processes, and support responsive suppliers. What might this look like? In his article “Applying Lean Thinking to Procurement” Paul A. Myerson writes:

“By applying Lean principles to procurement and purchasing processes, businesses experience multiple benefits throughout the supply chain.”

Akin to lean manufacturing, lean procurement is demand driven. In light of this, Mr. Myerson further suggests that:

“The companies in a supply chain work more closely together to sense and shape market demand by sharing information and collaborating with each other. By doing so, they achieve greater and more timely visibility into demand.”

Remembering Matt Clark’s fourth point -improving visibility- both internally and externally, helps with tracking sustainability campaigns and gleaning insights from your efforts. To increase transparency and thus visibility, Sydney Wess suggests:

“Enveloping sustainability into a formalized procurement policy will provide your company with a foundation of sustainable expectations to guide your decision-making surrounding the supply chain. This policy, once rolled out to your staff, will showcase your transparency on the topic, encouraging all members of the team to take more actionable steps toward sustainability in their roles relating to procurement.”

So far, we’ve talked mostly about how you can reform procurement processes to encourage sustainability. As we see above, however, sustainable procurement also means making environmentally friendly decisions.

Gaining A Competitive Edge With Sustainable Procurement

Instilling a Sustainable Culture Among Your Procurement Team (and Others!)

Your procurement department is people-driven. While artificial intelligence and other technologies enable data-empowered decision making, employees are still making the key choices. And when it comes to procurement, you should never forget the human side.

To encourage sustainable choices, you must establish a strong sustainability culture. As University of Virginia management professor Tom Bateman writes in GreenBiz:

“Your sustainability culture can be strong or weak. A strong one exists if people share a belief in sustainability’s importance and behave in ways that support it — including making decisions that balance long-term considerations with short-term needs.”

Many packaging leaders take sustainability seriously. However, efforts may fall short if other employees fail to buy in. Phillip Barlag warns in “3 Hidden Killers Of Sustainability Programs”:

“Sustainability as a corporate program often finds itself isolated and not true to the core of the business. When this happens, people outside the sustainability group don’t really know what these initiatives are, why they exist, and most importantly–why they should care.”

When it comes to procurement, this could prove especially troublesome since managers and ground staff are often making key choices, not the C-Suite. Your procurement team (among others) needs to embrace the sustainability process.

So how do you build a company culture that encourages everyone to go green? Paul Polman & CB Bhattacharya argue that:

“The key to creating a vibrant and sustainable company is to find ways to get all employees—from top executives to assembly line workers—personally engaged in day-to-day corporate sustainability efforts.”

Mr. Barlag echoes these sentiments:

“Have conversations inside your company and involve as many people as you can. The more input you get, the more likely you are to get buy-in.”

Your company doesn’t have to go it alone either. Discuss sustainability with your suppliers. But also talk sustainability with your competitors! Writing in Fast Company, Phillip Barlag suggests:

“Companies can and should compete in the markets, but as it pertains to sustainability, demonstrating to your people that even your competitors have something useful to say on sustainability will set the tone for a culture of honesty and openness.” Of course, not every competitor will share their secrets. You can encourage openness by sharing sustainability insights yourself first. Sustainability requires leadership, and throughout your procurement process and in the larger market, you can lead by example.

What does sustainable procurement have to do with executive recruiting? EVERYTHING! Leaders who champion sustainability can turn procurement into a strength and ensure buy-in at every level.

Chase & Associates 
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Research and development play a crucial role in innovation, but what drives R&D?

Photo of Research and development play a crucial role in innovation

Twenty years ago, computers were still a niche technology. Now, a computer stares back at you on the desk, another one, your smartphone, buzzes in your pocket. Go to grab your morning coffee, and you may find your cup automatically brewed. Decades of research and development have turned even the humble coffee machine into a simple computer.

The packaging industry also looked quite different 40 years ago. Some of today’s most pressing problems were barely a consideration. Online shopping was all but unheard of as people flocked to malls and big box stores. Scientists discussed sustainability, but urgency was often lacking. And while packaging provided branding opportunities, it wasn’t as  vital a distinguishing factor as it is today.

Now, the biggest brands use packaging to drive home their values and brand story. Apple’s packaging carries the same clean, uncluttered feel as its iPhones and Macs, for example. Head to the company’s website, and their emphasis on sustainability, recycled materials, and cutting waste is laid bare for the whole world to see.

Ultimately, we can view packaging as a strategic asset that empowers companies in pursuit of key values, such as sustainability. Yet progress doesn’t simply occur but is instead something we must strive for. Companies must invest in research today if they’re to develop tomorrow’s advanced packaging materials.

Research and development play a crucial role in innovation
Cut-Throat Competition Demands Enlightened Research

Cut-Throat Competition Demands Enlightened Research

History tells us of the Age of Enlightenment and various other golden eras the world over. Hundreds of years from now, people may look back to today as an Age of Innovation. As Matt Jones points out in Forbes:

“We live in an age of unprecedented innovation. Many of the world’s biggest companies and most ubiquitous technologies were unimaginable a decade or two ago.”

Research and development play a crucial role in innovation, but what drives R&D? Hark back to an Econ 101 class and you might recall markets and how competition drives them. The strong survive and thrive, while the weak perish. Companies don’t invest in R&D as a feel-good exercise but instead to improve their competitiveness.

Writing for McKinsey, Tom Brennan, Philipp Ernst, Joshua Katz, and Erik Roth state:

“At the core, they [companies] hope their R&D investments yield the critical technology from which they can develop new products, services, and business models. But for R&D to deliver genuine value, its role must be woven centrally into the organization’s mission.”

In regards to packaging, many of tomorrow’s most successful packaging firms will be the companies that invest in R&D today. Companies that fail to invest, on the other hand, may stagnate. Tom Brennan, Philipp Ernst, Joshua Katz, and Erik Roth conclude that:

“As organizations mature, innovation-driven growth becomes increasingly important, as their traditional means of organic growth, such as geographic expansion and entry into untapped market segments, diminish.”

The packaging industry is mature and “traditional means of organic growth” are often hard to come by. Yet through R&D, companies can enjoy innovation-driven growth, standing out even in intensely competitive markets.

Consumers can’t be forgotten amid the churn. Indeed, R&D should aim to satisfy consumers’ wants and needs. In Jenni Spinner’s Packaging Digest article “Consumer research propels packaging innovation,” shopper research expert Caroline Capel notes:

“When it comes to packaging, our overriding message continues to be to start early with consumer research for the best chance of success.  By examining consumer perceptions from the initial stages of development, companies are better able to ensure their strategies are successful; not only meeting consumers’ needs but also ensuring they engage with products more positively and, ultimately, purchase more.”

Markets and consumers will spur R&D, but to what end? Pumping up sales numbers is no longer enough. Now, the scope must be widened to consider the needs of the Earth itself. Fortunately, R&D may help us achieve sustainable aspirations.

Make Sustainable Dreams a Reality Through Innovation and packaging
Make Sustainable Dreams a Reality Through Innovation

Make Sustainable Dreams a Reality Through Innovation

It’s impossible to say where specifically research and development will take the packaging industry. The most innovative packaging products ten years from now may be things no one’s thinking about right now.

Still, it’s a safe bet that sustainability will drive many developments. Why? Quite simply, consumers and indeed our world demand it. Writing for PackHelp, Phil Forbes puts it this way:

“Many of us were brought up with the phrase ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ in our vocabulary. Today, it’s essential to your business that you reflect these same values. Not only to help the environment, but also increase brand loyalty amongst eco-conscious consumers.”

Already, sustainable packaging is a major focus for many organizations. Back in 2019, Rose Shilling sagely noted:

“One after another, food and beverage companies have declared plans to cut waste and move toward the ultimate goal: packaging materials that are reused over and over. Packaging suppliers and designers are engineering solutions to drive this shift without compromising on processors’ other priorities for product quality, manufacturing efficiency and more.”

Take a long walk along a local stream and you may find plastic soda bottles and other packaging bits floating in the water. It’s no surprise then that food packaging companies are investing in more sustainable packaging solutions. Indeed, through the “Paper Bottle Project,” Coca Cola hopes to go plastic free by 2022, an ambitious goal. Thomas Shambler outlines the project:

The initiative aims to develop eco-friendly plastics called PEF – which is made using plant sugars. Those will be used to line compostable cardboard bottles (similar to the plastic inside your take-away coffee cup – but one that biodegrades) and replace the need for regular plastics.

Shambler further states:

Studies have shown that PEF made from plant plastic decomposes almost entirely after just one year in a composter. It would take a few years longer if it was chucked away normally (but, importantly, it will biodegrade).

Biodegradable packaging materials will likely play a major role in the future. That said, “reuse” may also play a crucial part. Right now, many researchers are working towards establishing a circular economy that will eliminate waste and ensure that resources and materials are continuously reused.

Yet the reality today is far from the dream of a circular economy. Writing for Sphera, Sophie Kieselbach notes that countries that accept trash for recycling ultimately:

“…dispose of superfluous waste in endless landfills where part of it ends up as ocean plastic, or they burn it (illegally) in the open air, releasing noxious fumes over local settlements.”

Recycling is heavily promoted, but  it’s an inefficient process that still produces a lot of waste. Reusing materials, rather than recycling them, may offer a more sustainable approach. Regarding “reuse,” Kieselbach notes:

“It [reuse] may also necessitate more robust packaging materials that need to withstand washing and sterilization. It also needs to have well-built infrastructure to collect, wash, sterilize, refill and return the packaging to consumers.”

Reduce, reuse, recycle, indeed. Yet no matter the flavor, sustainability will be a major focus of packaging R&D in the years to come. And the right research and development efforts now could go a long way towards helping us build a greener, more environmentally-friendly global society.

What does research and development have to do with executive recruiting? EVERYTHING! R&D has always been a vital part of the packaging industry. We recruit forward thinkers for our elite clientele, and we’ll do the same for your organization.

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How Artificial Intelligence is Making the Packaging Industry Smarter

Up and down the supply chains that crisscross the country, packaging heroes have put in the sweat needed to keep society humming. Despite shutdowns in global travel and massive disruptions to supply lines, grocery shelves are well stocked, frontline workers now have access to PPE, and businesses are rising to the moment.

Make no mistake, it hasn’t been business as usual; it’s been a Herculean feat on the part of workers bustling across warehouse floors and packaging executives in hectic offices. Let’s tip our hats to those efforts.

All the while, companies are becoming nimbler by leveraging automation and AI to empower workers and help maintain social distancing. Technology adoption has increased in recent months, and packaging heroes will continue to embrace change, including automation and AI, after we beat COVID-19.

Wondering what artificial intelligence and automation could mean for the packaging industry? We wondered the same. That’s why we turned to some of the world’s brightest experts. Let’s see what they have to say.

AI Making the Packaging Industry Smarter

Artificial Intelligence is Making the Packaging Industry Smarter

There’s a good chance you’ve heard “artificial intelligence” (AI) tossed around before. Maybe in your favorite sci-fi flick, or at a tech conference. But what does artificial intelligence actually mean?

One of the foundational pioneers of AI, Dr. Nils J. Nilsson, sheds light:

“Artificial intelligence is that activity devoted to making machines intelligent, and intelligence is that quality that enables an entity to function appropriately and with foresight in its environment”

From: One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence (AI100)

More recently, Brian Ka Chan put it this way:

“It [AI] includes anything that can make a decision and is not a living organism! Notice that this sets a very low bar for intelligence: any decision-making that isn’t simply random will count as intelligent.”

From: What is AI

Decision making is a key takeaway. Traditional software can analyze information on command and produce outputs. But at the end of the day, there’s still a human behind the machine.

AI ultimately aims for autonomous intelligence, or the ability to make decisions without human input. For the packaging industry, this could yield major breakthroughs.

AI delivers measurable improvements by empowering rather than replacing workers. As Ray Chalmers offers:

“AI covers a number of engineering-related goals: better predictive maintenance, the concept of zero downtime, clear traceability related to standards compliance and increased worker engagement. Indeed, “smart” devices—such as motors, controllers, sensors and more imparting improved algorithms to robots, conveyors, checkweighers and entire packaging lines—promise to engage workers rather than replace them.”

From: AI Packaging Defining Terms and Assessing Impact

It’s not just about warehouse floor improvements. Packaging has a huge influence on customers. Saloni Walimbe notes:

“In the retail space, packaging is often the first interaction that customers have with the product. It’s effective not just in attracting the customer’s interest, but also in offering a tangible way to connect with the product and understand its many aspects.”

From: How Automation Will Impact the Global Packaging Landscape

Good thing artificial intelligence can help packaging companies form relationships with consumers as well. Speaking to Kristiana Lalou at Packaging Insights, Alexandre Carvalho states:

“Thanks to smart packaging technology, every package sold can now carry a unique digital identifier, creating the opportunity for direct one-to-one conversations with consumers, as well as helping drive efficiencies across the entire supply chain.”

From: AI in Packaging: How artificial intelligence is driving the packaging industry forward

Many packaging companies rely on their sales team to drum up revenues. In the past, sales often felt like shooting in the dark, but AI can pull back the curtain, as John Boitnott notes:

“Using machine learning, these platforms analyze a variety of variables like word choice, or the ratio of time spent talking versus listening. The tools help analyze performance and coach salespeople to communicate more like your most successful sellers.”

From: 4 Ways Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) Can Transform Your Small Business

AI could also help when packaging is thrown out. Many packaging products can be recycled but sorting recyclables has proven difficult. Writing in Materials, Handling, & Logistics, Derric Brown says:

“AMP, which stands for Autonomous Manipulation and Perception, creates scalable robotic systems designed to reduce the cost of recycling while enabling “smart” recycling facilities by providing information on the efficiency of equipment and flow of materials.”

From: AI Offers a Smarter Path to Sustainable Packaging

Much of AI’s potential is tied up with automation, another important technological trend that could shake up the packaging industry. Let’s take a gander.

Making the Packaging Industry Smarter

Automation is Empowering Workers and Improving Productivity

You may be familiar with automation. It’s been disrupting packaging for years. Need a catch up? Saloni Walimbe offers a succinct summary:

“In the modern era, technology is evolving at breakneck speed. Automation refers to the creation and application of technology toward monitoring and controlling activities associated with goods and services, from production to delivery. In essence, it refers to the digitization of tasks previously performed by human workers.”

From: How Automation Will Impact the Global Packaging Landscape

Automation holds a lot of promise for the packaging industry. Nathan Dube says:

“Fully automated packaging lines have recently been implemented more frequently due to several benefits. These reasons have historically revolved around cost savings, key performance indicators, and the streamlining and optimization of production.”

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, automation is even more important, as Nathan Dube further elucidates:

“However, today the biggest motivation for automating your packaging line is something else entirely. Putting a bold and extreme focus on protecting the health and safety of your people.”

From: Packaging Automation: A New Weapon In The War Against COVID

As machines play a bigger role in the workplace, some worry about declining craftsmanship. There’s a reason hand-made products often command a higher price. Still, David Roberge argues:

“Production line automation allows companies to leverage ingenuity and efficiency without sacrificing craftsmanship or quality. With an automated production line, you never have to worry about employees getting sick, you can rest assured that production levels will remain high, and you can feel confident knowing that the end product will be made to a consistently high standard.”

From: Why Robotic Packaging Automation is the Future

One specific automation technology, motion control, long a mainstay in manufacturing, is now among the most promising technologies for packaging. That’s why Mark Howard states in Packaging Strategies that:

“Packaging multiple products together requires synchronizing the incoming product, collating and grouping it, before transferring the product to a cartoning machine.  All of this is expected at high throughput. The efficiency of rapid changeover is one of the key advantages of motion control.”

From: Integrating Automation for Packaging Processes

We’re just beginning to understand the full impact of AI and automation. The technologies we use today may seem primitive in twenty years. Circling back to AI, Mike Thomas quotes venture capitalist Dr. Kai-Fu Lee, who believes:

“[AI] is going to change the world more than anything in the history of mankind. More than electricity.”

From: 7 ways AI can change the world for better … or worse

We can’t say for certain what lies ahead. Still, automation and AI are already empowering our workforce, increasing productivity, and making it easier to maintain social distancing. In the future, these technologies may have even more profound impacts on how we lead our lives and do business.

What does this have to do with recruiting? EVERYTHING! AI is disrupting the packaging industry, and the future promises even more change. When applicable, we find the disruptors that your organization needs to go to the next level.

Chase & Associates 
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Mental Well Being Starts with Prioritizing Yourself

Mental Well-Being Starts with Prioritizing Yourself

You’re in the middle of a long week, dark bags hang under your eyes. You need to finish a big project but a new hire needs help with a complex deliverable. Then the phone rings. You’re roped into a client call, troubleshooting problems and planning future endeavors. Finished, you’re out of one oven but into another frying pan. 

Hours later, you clock out, run some errands, and head home. In the living room, the kids are wrapping up remote classes and need help with their homework. Back to work you go. The sun sets. Dinner is served. Then the little ones are tucked in. Lights out, you find yourself tossing and turning through the night.

Endless problems and things to do, yet only so many hours in the day. If only you had some time for yourself. But team and family needs come before personal needs, right? Thinking about yourself is selfish, isn’t it? Wrong!

We must go above and beyond as the COVID-19 pandemic rages and other challenges arise. Yet to put in our best effort, we have to find our best selves. And that begins with taking care of ourselves.

Mental Well Being Starts with Prioritizing Yourself

Mental Well-Being Starts with Prioritizing Yourself

Many leaders are quick to put their company and team first. Even thinking about yourself may seem selfish, but you’re not going to perform at your best if you don’t take care of yourself. Writing on Medium.com, Clinical Psychologist Claire Nicogossian points out:

“Self-care is taking time to nurture yourself through activities which replenish energy and help manage stress. It is different than self-pampering: getting manicures, pedicures, taking baths or having a massage are nice activities, but it is not self-care. Self-care is taking care of your physical, emotional, social, mental/cognitive and spiritual parts of yourself.”

Dr. Nicogossian also notes that “Self-care is neither optional nor selfish, it is necessary…” Executive leadership coach Lolly Daskal goes even further, arguing that you must prioritize yourself.

“Regard yourself as priority number one. When people are stressed, they let themselves go and forget how important it is to make themselves a priority. But if you don’t, it becomes progressively harder to replenish your physical and mental energy. When that happens, you lose clarity and focus—and that, in turn, further depletes your well-being. It’s an unhealthy cycle, but it’s one you can end. If you want to stop feeling exhausted, start treating yourself as your own top priority”

Breaking the cycle is easier said than done, but you can take meaningful steps to reduce stress. Meditation has become a go-to for many people looking to reduce stress and improve well-being. Mindful meditation is especially promising as it’s relatively easy and you can perform it at your desk. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Julie Corliss states:

“The practice of mindful meditation involves sitting comfortably, focusing on your breathing, and then bringing your mind’s attention to the present without drifting into concerns about the past or future.”

Elsewhere, Corliss points out that mindful meditation:

“…helps you break the train of your everyday thoughts to evoke the relaxation response, using whatever technique feels right to you.”

Physical exercise offers another excellent way to improve mental well-being. Of course, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and a busy career, hitting the gym is easier said than done. In Psychology Today, Dr. Patricia Harteneck suggests:

“Your body releases stress-relieving and mood-boosting endorphins before and after you work out, which is why exercise is a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and depression. Look for small ways to add activity to your day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going on a short walk.’

Even a quick trip to the water cooler may help you reset and recharge. Another way to improve your mental health is reducing negative thoughts. If you’re constantly putting yourself down, negativity can snowball into an avalanche. Psychotherapist Amy Morin says:

“Identify and replace overly negative thoughts with thoughts that are more productive. Productive thoughts don’t need to be extremely positive, but should be realistic. A more balanced thought may be, ‘I have some weaknesses, but I also have plenty of strengths.’ Changing your thoughts requires constant monitoring, but the process can be instrumental in helping you become your best self.”

Once you become your best self, you’ll be in a better position to lead. And when it comes to your coworkers, remember their mental well-being is important too.

By taking care of your mental well-being, you’ll be better positioned to aid family, coworkers, clients, and others. A well-rested and focused leader can more easily cope with stress and is better equipped to share burdens and help employees care for themselves.

So how do you support your employees’ mental well-being? Start by sharing your own experiences and challenges. As Kelly Greenwood and Natasha Krol put it in the Harvard Business Review:

“One silver lining of the pandemic is that it is normalizing mental health challenges. Almost everyone has experienced some level of discomfort. But the universality of the experience will translate into a decrease in stigma only if people, especially people in power, share their experiences.”

Kelly Greenwood and Natasha Krol also urge employers to check in with their employees. While checking in has always been important, it’s even more so now given how many people are working remotely and maintaining social distance. They suggest that you:

“Go beyond a simple “How are you?” and ask specific questions about what supports would be helpful. Wait for the full answer. Really listen, and encourage questions and concerns. Of course, be careful not to be overbearing; that could signal a lack of trust or a desire to micromanage.”

Elsewhere, Kelly Greenwood writes with Jen Porter and Bernie Wong to suggest that employers should establish mental health employee resource groups (ERGs) where people can share their stories and experiences.

“ERGs are created to build community among people with shared identities or experiences at work. When done thoughtfully, those that focus on mental health promote diversity and inclusion and provide support for employees managing symptoms of mental health conditions.”

Just remember, as you help others, you must continuously circle back and take care of yourself. Finding your best self will make it easier for you to lead others to a mentally healthier place. As Sharmishta Sivaramakrishnan and Peter Varnum point out:

“This moment calls for a new type of leadership: one in which leaders show strength through embracing vulnerability, and exercise wisdom through creating spaces in which their teams can be psychologically safe, innovative and open about their mental health – if they so choose.”

These days, many extraordinary leaders are going to great lengths to help others and society at large. That’s awesome! But don’t lose yourself in the shuffle.

What does this have to do with recruiting? Everything! We’ve been recruiting in the packaging industry for half a century. Over the years, one thing remains true, effective recruiting is about relationships, people, real human beings with real needs.

Chase & Associates 
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Becoming A Stalwart Leader Amid Upheaval

As your cup of coffee steams on the table, you eye the front page of the newspaper and are immediately bombarded by conflicting headlines.

Stock markets are up, but the Gross Domestic Product contracted by 10% last month. And while the government is working on stimulus packages,  the unemployment rate remains high. As the pandemic rages, schools are closed, hospitals are full, the economy is uncertain, and you’re trying to make sense of it all.

Even the world’s leading economists can’t say what the future holds. So what are you supposed to tell your team? That the economy is fine, conditions will improve? Or it’s time to batten down the hatches and prepare for a downturn? There’s no easy answer.

Yet your company is going to look to you for direction, if not answers. And you’ll help your team come hell or high water. Excellent packaging leaders adapt to emerging challenges, and while they may not have all the solutions, they can effectively lead and communicate no matter the circumstances.

Easier said than done. While effective management is often enough during normal times, organizations need leaders to step forward.

Becoming A Stalwart Leader Amid Upheaval

Uncertainty Demands Leadership, Not Management

Effective management does not a leader make. A manager can use checklists, processes, and more to ensure projects are on track. And good management is often enough for “business as usual.” Yet the COVID-19 pandemic has forced decision makers to toss out their plans, and managers must now rise to become leaders.

What’s the difference? On his insightful blog, leadership coach Dave Stachowiak recalls a flight rerouted due to a blizzard, forcing the pilot to quickly shift from managing the flight, to leading it. Stachowiak points out:

“Management is following all the checklists and getting the plane safely to the destination, as planned. Leadership is determining what to do and where to go in an uncertain situation.”

Mattson Newell, from Partners in Leadership, sheds more light on the differences between a manager and leader. When it comes to managing, Newell argues:

“Effective management is a means to an end: it requires optimizing processes within an organization to generate favorable business outcomes. For the most part, doing so depends on leveraging proven skills and adhering to established policies to get the job done– in other words, working within the status quo to increase operational efficiencies and thereby generate better results.”

Unfortunately, “status quo” has been thrown out the window and effective management is no longer enough. Besides making tough choices and reacting to changing circumstances, leaders must unite people and strengthen relationships. As Newell puts it:

“Creating sustained alignment among employees is a hallmark of effective leadership — in fact, the fundamental difference between management and leadership is that leadership is necessarily human-centric. While managers build systems and processes, leaders build relationships.”

Right now, teams need leaders, not managers, who can act as guiding voices and who can respond to fast changing circumstances. This may mean setting aside plans, ignoring KPIs, and otherwise improvising. Writing for McKinsey, Andrea Alexander, Aaron De Smet, and Leigh Weiss put it this way:

“Leaders with the right temperament and character are necessary during times of uncertainty. They stay curious and flexible but can still make the tough calls, even if that makes them unpopular. They gather differing perspectives and then make the decisions, with the best interests of the organization (not their careers) in mind, without needing a full consensus.”

Okay, you understand leadership is important, but how do you identify leaders on your team? Alexander,  De Smet, and Weiss suggest looking for three traits:

  • Lived through a crisis (personal or professional) and shown their mettle and personal resilience.
  • Made a tough, unpopular decision because it was the right thing to do, despite the fact that they took heat for it and potentially burned bridges or spent social capital.
  • Willingly given bad news up the chain of command to leaders who didn’t want to hear it.

You may not find employees who currently check all the boxes, but many leaders are emerging and adapting to the crises besetting the packaging industry. And the last trait, effective communication, is something every organization can leverage to cope with the times.

Becoming A Stalwart Leader Amid Upheaval

Honest and Timely Communication Lights the Way

Leadership during times of uncertainty isn’t “just” about strategic decisions and navigating markets. Uncertainty is emotionally draining and stressful for leaders, employees, and external partners alike. Yet clear and effective communication can settle nerves.

A great leader can be a beacon of light,  guiding team members with reliable, clear, and honest communication. And given the state of the world today, constant communication is a must. As journalist and leadership guru Rebecca Knight states:

“As the coronavirus pandemic escalates and disruptions to business-as-usual continue, managers are grappling with the unknown. You don’t know when your employees will be able to return to the office or how different things will be when they do. Regardless, you need to be in constant communication with your team.”

Right now, many of your employees are worried about the future. Could your company be hit by layoffs? Will benefits or hours be cut? Building trust and rapport is important, and that means being open and honest with your team.

You may not always bear good news, and you may not have all the answers. That’s okay, communications extraordinaire Jennifer Benz puts it this way:

“You’re allowed to tell employees what you don’t know along with what you do know. Do acknowledge issues that you know are top-of-mind for employees (like layoffs or salary increases), but don’t delay communicating until you know every last detail—that’s how rumors get started and why employees start feeling like decisions are being made without them.”

Honesty and open communication will tamp down on rumors. By opening up communication, you can take charge of the message. And you can use the moment to drive home your company’s core values. Communication Studies and Organizational Science professor Cliff Scott suggests:

“Employees pay more attention to the messages they receive from supervisors and leaders in times of crisis. They’re also more likely to remember them. In this moment of crisis, there is an opportunity to remind them of core organizational values and communicate supportiveness as we all work through the current situation.”

It’s hard to find silver linings in a hurricane of uncertainty. We don’t know what’s on the horizon. Perhaps more storms, or maybe a welcomed reprieve. Either way, with steady leadership and effective communication, you can help your team and organization navigate what lies ahead.

What does this have to do with recruiting? Everything! The global economy and the packaging industry are experiencing upheaval. We recruit the type of leaders that have a proven track record of rising to the moment.

Chase & Associates 
We Have Your Back

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Leveraging Remote Leadership Amid Extraordinary Times

It’s early morning and you’re arguing with the coffee machine ahead of the team meeting. Finally —caffeine in hand— you go over talking points in your mind as you rush to the conference room. Only, the “conference” room is your living room, and the meeting is taking place entirely online.

You’ve had nightmares in the past about showing up to meetings, pants off. Now, you do a double take. After fighting with your laptop over updates, you finally login but find the meeting room empty. Everyone’s out of sorts, but you take a deep breath. Now’s not the time to stumble, it’s a moment to prove your mettle.

Many of us haven’t seen our teams in-person for weeks. Even those venturing into offices and warehouses are keeping their social distance, hidden behind masks and gloves. Business and personal challenges pile up by the day, and the risk of falling ill is ever present.

With great leadership, the challenges and settings change, but the underlying keys to success often remain constant. As thought leader John Eades says in his timely article How Great Managers Successfully Lead Remote Teams:

“Our businesses and their financial stability are on the line during this critical economic period. The best way for them to continue to thrive is for people to work hard in the face of adversity. Each person is now responsible for their results more than ever, and the mindset of working remotely versus a passive mindset is paramount.”

So how can packaging experts maintain momentum in the face of adversity? Let’s find out, together.

Leveraging Remote Leadership Amid Extraordinary Times

The Foundations for Exemplary Remote Leadership

Whether Work-From-Home (WFM) is a temporary solution or a direction your company moves in permanently, the key to success rests on sound foundational principles. Remote leadership guru Kevin Eikenberry defines this foundation as the Three O’s. Speaking to Deanna deBara at Trello, a leading project management software provider, Eikenberry notes:

“As leaders, there are three O’s that everything about the role revolves around; Outcomes, Others, and Ourselves.”

In his cornerstone book, The Long Distance Leader, Eikenberry dives deeper, noting:

“To lead at your best, you must think of the Outcomes and Others components first. Although the Ourselves component sits in the center of our model, this doesn’t imply that you are the center of leadership, nor the purpose for it. You are at the core, not the center. Leadership doesn’t revolve around you; rather, you bring who you are and how you lead to bear on creating better outcomes for others.”

In another well-regarded book, From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership, Eikenberry says:

“Recognizing and accepting both the responsibilities and the opportunities leadership offers you is a significant step in your development as a leader.”

Remote work and a pandemic-defined world forces leaders to step up and shoulder more responsibility, while also remembering that others and outcomes are vital. Yet leadership is more difficult now because you can’t simply walk down to someone’s workspace to check in. Effective communication is necessary for you to connect with others.

With communications strained, it’s important to establish regular, effective check-ins with your workers. Clear communication keeps employees on task. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Barbara Z. Larson , Susan R. Vroman and Erin E. Makarius say:

“The important feature is that the calls are regular and predictable, and that they are a forum in which employees know that they can consult with you, and that their concerns and questions will be heard.”

Speaking of concerns, remember that just as your business is facing down many challenges, your employees, or “others,” are facing a myriad of challenges. As a leader, you need to provide relief whenever possible.

If you’re looking for more guidance on remote management as a leader, check out this article from Recamov.

Remote Leadership Amid Extraordinary Times

Championing Your Employees During a Crisis

A single illness is a tragedy, but a million cases is a statistic. It’s easy to lose our grounding given how so many people are facing their own personal crises. As a leader, you must keep the needs and challenges of your employees front and center.

Remote work may have seemed a blessing at first, but offices provide many benefits. A well set up and managed workspace cuts down on distractions. Home provides benefits, including comfort, but also produces drawbacks. Barbara Z. Larson , Susan R. Vroman and Erin E. Makarius note:

“Typically, we encourage employers to ensure that their remote workers have both dedicated workspace and adequate childcare before allowing them to work remotely.”

Space is a tough to tackle challenge, especially overnight. Childcare, however, is a more pressing issue for many employees. Moms and dads aren’t just remote workers amid this pandemic, they’re teachers too. On Linkedin, remote leadership guru John Eades reflects:

“When my seven-year-old son found out two weeks of school were canceled yesterday, he beamed with excitement. He didn’t realize he would be doing his schoolwork from home, not taking an extended break.”

Parents are shouldering some burdens of teaching. We should applaud those efforts, but leaders need to keep these difficulties in mind. Your employees are often wearing two or more hats, packaging superstar and home-schooling teacher extraordinaire. So don’t be surprised if your employees are frazzled.

Another issue great leaders need to watch for is isolation. Many people are avoiding not just the office, but their family, friends, and more. Coworkers used to socializing with their fellows may now be entirely on their own, which will tax mental health.

Speaking to News@Northeastern, professor Barbara Larson notes:

“…Working from home also creates a social challenge. It separates people from their coworkers (for companies trying to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, this is the goal)—a shift that can create a sense of isolation for some people.”

Larson further points out:

“For a lot of people, it can be emotionally taxing because you’re not getting the interaction with coworkers that you normally do. Although, for people who are more introverted, this can be a dream.”

How can you combat isolation? Larson notes that some companies are holding virtual pizza lunches and other social events. As a leader, consider hosting your own social (distancing) events. Also, make sure you check in with your employees and if there’s anything you can do to help.

We’re all climbing our own mountains, trying to overcome personal struggles. As a packaging leader, you must help your team members confront today’s difficulties while also preparing your company for tomorrow’s opportunities.

What does this have to do with recruiting ? EVERYTHING! The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing many packaging companies to radically reorganize operations. We have had to do the same at Chase. Being there for our clients, our team, the industry as a whole is central to our values. Change is never easy but with dedication, we will make it to other side – together.

Chase & Associates 
We Have Your Back

 

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A Time For Reflection

There are times in life when you just need to pull into a rest stop and grab your breath. As an industry, as human beings, we have a lot on our minds. We need time to ponder and process. We need a break from the noise that is social media. 

In respect to this need, the pressing issues our world is working through, Chase will not publish a blog post this month (June 2020), nor will we be on social media with marketing posts. Our regular publishing schedule will resume on July 7th. 

Best wishes to you and your loved ones during this time of contemplation, 

Chase & Associates

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Surviving and Thriving as the Packaging Industry Is Turned Upside Down by COVID-19

All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.

—Walt Disney

No one wants to get kicked in the teeth. Yet over the last few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has hammered many businesses and leaders. Multibillion-dollar industries have ground to a halt as supply chains have shut down, Disney World is a ghost town, and localized outbreaks have closed essential food processing plants.

Despite a global effort to shut down society and arrest the spread of the deadly coronavirus, many continue to contract the disease. Unfortunately, some will perish. It’s hard to find silver linings in a hurricane of pain and suffering.

Someday, you might look back on the actions you took amid the outbreak and realize that they made your company stronger and helped you grow personally. Humanity proves its mettle in the face of adversity. Yet right now, many skilled business leaders are struggling just to keep their heads above water.

The COVID-19 outbreak is having a dramatic impact on how companies operate day to day. And the crisis may permanently reshape the packaging industry. Decision-makers need to react to short-term disruptions, such as switching to remote work, while also preparing for long-term structural changes.

Let’s take a look at what the experts have to say about the industry and leadership amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Surviving and Thriving as the Packaging Industry

Seismic Change Reverberates Through the Packaging Industry

Every day is a fresh challenge. Just a few months ago, stock markets were at all-time highs and the unemployment rate was historically low. Many businesses thrived.

Now, decision-makers are trying to coordinate staff working from home while keeping necessary facilities open. Some packaging companies have been classified as essential businesses on the frontline. It’s not only your firm but society that’s depending on you.

Writing for McKinsey, David Feber, Oskar Lingqvist, and Daniel Nordigården note:

“As the coronavirus outbreak has spread and its humanitarian impact has grown, industries that help provide for essential needs, such as getting food and required supplies safely to consumers, are increasingly affected.”

The outbreak has also pushed some serious concerns, like sustainability, into the background. To reduce the mountains of trash piling up in landfills, many experts have been shifting to minimalist packaging.

Yet now, hygiene and protecting products, including food, from contamination have moved to the forefront of concerns. Extensive packaging is back in style. Speaking to Ink World, Dr. Manfred Tacker argues:

“…where the retail sector had been eliminating packaging, it is now being reintroduced in order to protect food from contamination, make its safe transportation possible and guarantee optimum product shelf lives.”

Dr. Tacker acknowledges that the trend towards sustainability will continue, even if the pandemic slows progress. Fundamental, lasting change in the industry is possible. Dr. Tacker notes:

“Governments and businesses will increasingly look at how supply chains can be made more resilient to crises. Who could have imagined closed borders across the European Union just a few weeks ago? This speaks in favor of local production and regional partnerships.”

Feber, Lingqvist, and Nordigården echo this sentiment, stating that:

“…border closures are leading to challenges for companies with extended supply chains and those that rely on teams to be able to move internationally to overhaul equipment.”

China has emerged as a vital supplier for numerous industries and the world in general. But should the world be so reliant on one country? The ongoing pandemic is forcing leaders to ask tough questions. Some companies and nations may look to diversify supply lines in the future.

Globalization has been a major force over the past few decades.

Yet the epidemic may encourage firms to diversify their supply chains or bring production closer to home. American companies may look to expand production in the U.S. or Mexico, for example.

No one can predict the future, but it’s a safe bet that the packaging industry and the global economy will undergo permanent, lasting change after the crisis abates. For now, decision-makers need to make sound leadership a predictable constant.

Thriving as the Packaging Industry

Steady Leadership In The Face of Adversity

Every leader is being tested. And no b-school or on-the-job training could fully prepare you for a once in a century calamity of this magnitude. The first step for navigating this pandemic is honesty, both with yourself and your staff. Writing for the Harvard Business Review, Professor Amy Edmondson notes:

“Few problems improve with age, and public health crises are no exception. Transparency is “job one” for leaders in a crisis. Be clear what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’re doing to learn more. You can’t manage a secret, as the old saying goes.”

In a moment of adversity, you may feel overwhelmed or believe that you lack the skills to succeed. Self-doubt is natural, but remember, many people are struggling right now. You’re not alone.

There’s always a temptation to deflect bad news. Why not wait until you get your feet under you before sharing anything negative? Unfortunately, that doesn’t work in a fast-moving crisis. Edmondson further elaborates:

“Taking the reputational hit today from the release of bad news is likely to earn — for leaders, organizations, and nations alike — dividends in the form of future reputational gain, bringing the benefits that come when internal and external constituents trust what you say and have confidence in your commitment to solving the problems that lie ahead.”

Most companies have reduced or eliminated face-to-face time. Many managers and employees are learning to work remotely, which involves high levels of trust. Transparent communication may help you keep far-flung teams on track for success.

Remember that your coworkers will face personal challenges. That’s why career expert Roberta Matuson argues in Forbes that leaders must be flexible:

“The workers you’re sending home have lives that may not be conducive to working remotely. They might have kids who’ve been sent home from daycare or school, or a spouse who works remotely. Be less concerned about the hours they work and more concerned about the results.”

And as always, lead by example and let your strength shine through. Matuson offers further wisdom for these trying times:

“Right now, it feels like the sky is falling, but this too shall pass. Your employees are counting on you to stay strong. Feeding into their anxiety will only make matters worse. Allow employees to express what’s on their mind and acknowledge their feelings. Then try to shift the conversation to something they can control, like the quality of their work.”

Mother nature, government policies, and random luck can all have a huge impact on our lives and businesses. What should we do? Rise to the occasion. For years, packaging experts have overcome countless challenges, using innovative products to increase safety, protect health, reduce pollution, and more. COVID-19 is yet another challenge, but one we will conquer.

What does this have to do with executive recruiting? EVERYTHING! How can we find the best innovators unless we know what they look like? It’s also how we built Chase. Authenticity. A strong company culture. Innovation.

Chase & Associates

We Have Your Back

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Scaling A Family Owned Business In Packaging – A Deep Dive Conversation With Michael Chase

In March of 2020, Chase & Associates’ long-time business consultant sat down with Michael Chase to talk about COVID-19, and scaling a family owned business. The result was a deep dive conversation filled with heartfelt wisdom and insights.

Enjoy!

CONSULTANT: We’re doing this interview amid the most severe pandemic in a hundred years. The world is experiencing a loss of life unseen in a generation. 

Before we explore the topic of scaling a family-owned business in packaging, let’s spend a little time talking about the impact of COVID-19. What it’s like to go through a pandemic as a family-owned business? 

MICHAEL: Very humbling. Very heartfelt. We already had a few people working remotely, but in our Austin office, everybody went home three weeks ago. 

If someone felt more comfortable being at home, I told them to bunker down with their family, bring your equipment home. We’ll do what we have to do to keep the business going, where you’re safe, and with your family. 

We do daily calls, Zoom calls, so we’re seeing everybody’s face. It’s not just talking business, it’s making sure everybody is okay as human beings.

In a way, it has brought us closer together in an extremely challenging time. The pandemic is interrupting everybody’s lives. It’s been a very difficult situation.

CONSULTANT: That is leadership per your values; relationships, integrity, that’s how you and Alexis (Michael’s sister and business partner) are wired. 

I think for me, someone that’s been in the consulting game for as long as I have been, your response immediately tells me that even during your toughest moments as a family-owned business, your values hold when it matters the most. 

What are the big takeaways, going through a crisis like this as a business? 

MICHAEL: Knowing we will persevere, we will meet the challenge and come out the other side stronger and better, as I said earlier. 

I hope that everybody learns to do everything in their power not to let something like this happen again.

CONSULTANT: What advice would you give a family-owned business that is struggling? Knowing how to deal with this pandemic while keeping your family business alive is a real issue for people. 

MICHAEL: Take care of your family and your loved ones. Take care of your people. Assure them that this will pass, and we’re going to get through this together. 

Make sure that they have a place to come back to when the pandemic passes. They have to be confident that you’re not going to run and protect your interest. You’re protecting the business and you’re protecting your extended family.

CONSULTANT: What are you saying to executives in the packaging industry that are not doing well? How are you reassuring them, or your client base? 

MICHAEL: Our communication approach is heavy with empathy right now, understanding what they’re going through. Most of our clients are considered essential businesses because they support food, medical-type applications. 

But the ones that I have the most respect for are taking care of their people; their office staff is working from home, their essential staff and production floors are set up with social distancing in mind. 

They continue to provide packaging to put food on the table for the whole country, if not the world, but they’re doing what’s right for their people. They’re adjusting their processes internally to create a safe environment. 

CONSULTANT:  I spent about 40 minutes in line at Trader Joe’s yesterday, and it hits me that every single thing I bought is packaged. Packaging has unsung heroes that we never hear about in the media.

MICHAEL:  I feel that every day with my wife being in healthcare. I know the sacrifices and the situations they’re putting themselves in, but the same is true in manufacturing, the products we use. Our clients are supporting those companies. 

There’s a lot of essentials that you and I need as consumers, and to be a part of that and feel that pain on a daily basis, is very powerful. 

Clients that show concern for their employees, their health, while at the same time doing what’s necessary to keep food in our refrigerators, it’s powerful.

Scaling A Family Owned Business In Packaging - A Deep Dive Conversation With Michael Chase
Alexis Chase & Michael Chase

CONSULTANT: When did you decide to jump into the family business? 

MICHAEL: It was back in 2000, shortly after the internet crash. Our father was going through some health issues, and the future of Chase & Associates was at risk. 

I was living in Chicago, the internet company I worked with was not doing well, so I decided to get involved with the family business. It was the right time. The rest is history.

CONSULTANT: It’s like you were intuitively aware that the legacy of the family business was on the line, and you stepped up to keep that legacy going. Is that how you would characterize it? 

MICHAEL: I think back to 1998 when my father broke away from the business he had initially founded, sold it, and started Chase & Associates. He did not intend to create a legacy business, but in the back of his mind, he was absolutely hoping for that outcome.

When the time was right, and the need was there for the business, it fell into place that I would join the business, and I took to it quickly.  I didn’t know that I would eventually co-own the business with my sister. A lot was unknown at the time. It’s worked out well, now it truly feels like a legacy business. We commonly refer to our father as the legend within our company.

“I will give up today’s transaction for tomorrow’s relationship.”

CONSULTANT: What has owning a business with your sister been like over the years? 

MICHAEL: We complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses in a very positive way. Alexis is hyper-focused; she gets that trait from our father. My success comes from a mix of that tenacity and the connection I make with people. 

I couldn’t pick a better partner. We push each other in different ways; we fill the gaps for each other’s weaknesses. There are times where we’ll debate, but it never gets acrimonious. There’s a lot of mutual respect.

CONSULTANT: What advice would you give someone going into business with a sibling? 

MICHAEL: Patience. Hold firm to your beliefs, challenge each other, debate, and then get aligned. Because when you’ve got employees, you need to have a unified front.

CONSULTANT: The family business dynamic seems intrinsic to your values as a brand?

MICHAEL: We have helped employees with family health issues, with first time home buying, personal tragedies. That’s the culture we’ve built. Alexis has been a major driver of creating that culture. 

Our business is about much more than the name on the door, it’s creating an organization with an extended family. We care about our people. We want them to succeed.

CONSULTANT: How is owning a family business a competitive edge? 

MICHAEL: If you’re part of a large recruiting business, I think it’s a lot more transactional, it’s short-term. When we recruit, or when we hire, we’re building long-term relationships. 

I think to own a family business, and to think long-term, the value sets we bring, is valuable.

I often tell my clients, “you’re not gonna get twenty people thrown against the wall to see what sticks, you’re gonna get the best four to five candidates we could find.”

We try to impart that philosophy with our employees; recruiting is not just a job.

Scaling A Family Owned Business In Packaging - A Deep Dive Conversation With Michael Chase

CONSULTANT: What is the thing that you’re the proudest of as a family-owned business? 

MICHAEL: Taking our business to the next level. Our core business has expanded into other high-level positions such as operations, finance, executive leadership, quality. It has helped us go to the next level as a firm.

CONSULTANT: What motivates you to be a strong business owner? 

MICHAEL: I’m driven to provide for my family and to give them the options that I’ve had growing up, but it’s about more than Alexis and me being successful. It’s about our whole team being successful.

Employees feeling empowered, feeling successful, feeling like they’re a part of the whole, that drives our success.

CONSULTANT: When you look out to the next ten years, what do you see as the big challenges facing the packaging industry.

MICHAEL: Packaging is not a sexy business for the 20 and 30-year-olds. We need to get back to developing young talent, recruiting them early, and supporting that with robust training and personal development programs. 

There is a severe talent shortage between the ages of 25 and 40.

Another big opportunity is developing sustainable materials that still protect the food and the items that are packaged. Packaging companies thinking about the end of life will do well.

CONSULTANT: It sounds like the industry needs to evolve in the coming years?

MICHAEL: Recruiting the younger generations will be difficult if you don’t have a sustainability value set. The next generation’s view of the environment very differently than 50 to 60-year-olds. 

Obviously, there are plenty of folks in their 50s and 60s that are very involved in environmental issues. But people in their mid-20s to 30s are incredibly focused on that issue.

If you don’t have a strategy, they’re going to see that and not be interested. We hear it every day.

CONSULTANT: Over our many years working together, the thing that most stands out for me is your willingness to learn and grow. 

MICHAEL: I don’t know everything. I can always learn something from people, whether it’s friends, business colleagues, our employees, our clients, I’m always willing to learn or hear things from a different angle. 

My first intuition is not always right, and I know that. I don’t argue for the sake of arguing, just to be heard or feel that I’m right.

CONSULTANT: The profession of recruiting doesn’t always enjoy the best reputation, and yet Chase & Associates seems to be at the polar opposite of that stereotype. Your firm seems deeply committed to this idea of high integrity recruiting? 

MICHAEL: Absolutely, and that goes back to my statement about the transaction is not what’s important, it’s the relationship. 

If we place a high-level person but didn’t do the due diligence, it wasn’t a great fit, that’s not going to get Chase repeat business.  

It’s very much about finding the right fit to create a win-win with everybody involved in the process.

CONSULTANT: What was your reaction to my interview with Alexis, reading her words, the fact it took off on social media?

MICHAEL: Pride. The topic of Women In Packaging has been a passion of hers over the last few years. Our industry is very male-dominated. Alexis has developed nice relationships with women in the industry. 

I am extremely proud that an idea that had been discussed over a couple of years has come to fruition. I have to get the numbers out, but 30% to 40% of our placements are women, so we’re very cognizant of diversity within the workforce.

CONSULTANT: Thanks for spending time with me today, especially when so much is going on with COVID. I think the thing that stood out the most is your firm’s passion for people. I’m sure a lot of people will benefit from our time together. 

MICHAEL: I enjoyed it. I Iook forward to seeing it on our website.  

What does this have to do with executive recruiting? EVERYTHING! The owners of Chase & Associates bring a great deal more to the table than their exceptional recruiting skills. You cannot recruit visionary leaders without being a visionary leader. 

Chase & Associates 
We Have Your Back

 

 

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Recruit Packaging Superheroes Increases Market Share

COVID-19 | This blog post was written prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. It’s a scary time for all of us. While the future is uncertain, our industry will survive these challenging times. It is in that spirit that we have chosen to publish the original version of this blog post. Our prayers go out to the readers of our blog posts, their families, our industry – we’re right there with you, taking this one step at time.

The sun has gone down and you’re unwinding at home. You’re in the living room, sipping on a glass of scotch or cup of chamomile tea. A fire is roasting in the fireplace, your favorite pet is curled up at your feet, and you’re trying to relax while the latest superhero movie plays on the TV.

Only, you can’t. Another team member retired, riding off into that golden sunset, taking their skills with them and leaving yet another hole to fill. That means yet another talent search, sifting through resumes and conducting who knows how many interviews.

Suddenly, Captain Marvel blasts across the screen as Thor drops the hammer and Spider-Man tangles the latest baddie up in his webs. Everything goes according to script with each superhero contributing his or her skills to take down the seemingly unstoppable villains.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could build a team of packaging superheroes? Fiction, right? The real world is messier than the latest silver screen doomsday. Yet with a team of packaging superheroes you could save the world secure market dominance.

If you want to gain market share you need to be surrounded by high-performing employees. Writing for McKinsey, Scott Keller and Mary Meaney point out that:

“A recent study of more than 600,000 researchers, entertainers, politicians, and athletes found that high performers are 400 percent more productive than average ones.”

You can build your own super team. Packaging superheroes are already out there but you need to unmask them. By attracting and identifying the best talent, you’ll be in a prime position to take on the biggest challenges and dominate the market.

Recruit Packaging Superheroes Increases Market Share

Attracting Packaging Superheroes

Writing back in 1998, Pat Reynolds made this astute observation:

“Today’s tight labor market has launched a talent war. Winning in this war means attracting and retaining enough skilled people at all levels to keep a packaging department humming. Losing means stagnation.”

More than two decades later, this sage insight remains every bit as true. The labor market is tight and talent is still the key to success. Over the years, tactics and opportunities have changed but the challenge remains the same: there’s not enough talent to go around.

Transformational change gurus Scott Keller and Mary Meaney note that:

“Failure to attract and retain top talent” was the number-one issue in the Conference Board’s 2016 survey of global CEOs—before economic growth and competitive intensity.”

If you want to attract the best talent, you need to be authentic. In another post, Scott Keller and Bill Schaninger argue that companies should:

“Create a strong and distinctive employee value proposition that authentically represents workplace reality. Creating false expectations can lead to negative reviews on JobAdvisor and Glassdoor.”

Attracting top talent also means making your company a more attractive place to work. The best employees want to work for companies that put employees first and provide a great work environment. Jim Molis points out:

“Today’s workers want to feel valued, too. Show your appreciation for them through employee-recognition programs, performance bonuses and comfortable work environments.”

You need to make your company easier to work for as well. In years past, work was 9-to-5, while the boss commanded without question. Now, employees want more flexibility and input. This is especially true if you want to attract younger workers. Speaking to Packaging World, Jeff Mansfield, Senior Vice President of Proactive Worldwide, urged companies to:

“…Think about the types of policies in place that cater to a more adaptive workforce—such as work at home options, flexible work schedules, incentive programs and providing a way for millennials to engage with leadership through monthly town halls or lunch and learn gatherings.”

Never overlook women either. While Superman might dominate the big screen, finding your own “Superwoman” is a great way to beef up talent and diversity. Women remain underrepresented in the packaging and manufacturing industries yet are a prime pool of talent. Attracting highly qualified women, however, requires a different approach. Stephanie Neil writes in Automation World that:

“Manufacturing companies need a different approach to recruiting, retaining, and advancing women in the workplace. And, that directly translates to a company’s culture as well as the industry as whole.”

Recruit Packaging Superheroes

Finding Super-Powered Packaging Talent Should be Reviewed

Have you built a world-class company that attracts talent from across the industry? As applications come in, you’ll face the next challenge: How do you identify the best talent in a pool of applicants? Start with your own needs. In the Harvard Business Review, Peter Cappelli advises companies to:

“Whittle down the list of attributes you want to those that you are willing to pay for, whether with money or with intangibles.”

Focus on the skills, talents, and other attributes that your company needs right now. You might need a talented leader. Maybe you require a materials science expert or data whiz. Either way, your first step is prioritizing the attributes your company needs.

Still, you might think that finding the right employee is like reading tea leaves. In the Harvard Business Review, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic , Seymour Adler, and Robert B. Kaiser argue that three key traits define high-performance recruits: ability, social skills, and drive. Find recruits with these skills and you’re off to a good start. As the authors point out:

“Not many employees are highly able, socially skilled, and driven — but if you bet on those who are, which involves evaluating these qualities as accurately as you can, you will end up with a higher proportion of future stars who will contribute disproportionately to the organization.”

When evaluating packaging executives for leadership positions, however, dig deeper. Seymour Adler urges companies to uncover “engaging leaders,” who have intangibles outside of strategic thinking and the like. While monitoring leaders at the New York City Port Authority, Adler found:

“…the employees who went on to be great leaders a decade later had all learned the value of hope in the face of adversity, persistence in the face of obstacles, humility even when achieving great things, and forging caring, supportive, and authentic relationships.”

Keep in mind that you don’t need to find packaging experts that already have all the skills. Instead, find heroes that you can cultivate into performers. As Jeff Mansfield put it:

“It’s not about recruiting talent that knows all of the information. The new mindset is to target people who you can train to do the job.”

Either way, by focusing on the key attributes your company needs right now and indicators of high performers, you can identify great future employees at every level. As you make your company more attractive to work for, you’ll be able to poach more talent as well. And the team of packaging superheroes you assemble will be in the prime position to dominate the market.

What does this have to do with executive recruiting? EVERYTHING! Superhero employees don’t appear out of thin air. You need to know what to look for before a person becomes a superhero and that is what we do best!

Chase & Associates 
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The Modern Packaging Expert Must Be a Sustainability Guru

Australia is burning. The snow is melting in Siberia. Up to 200 species go extinct each day. Landfills are overflowing. And packaging is contributing to all of the above. Our disposable economy produces a lot of waste, which has been linked to global warming, decreased forest coverage, and mountains of trash.

As a packaging expert, you’re in a prime position to make an impact. If you can reduce waste, adopt biodegradable alternatives, or otherwise become more sustainable, you might save lives and contribute to a more prosperous future.

Sound pie in the sky? It’s not! We’re going to share 3 strategies that you can leverage to make your packaging more sustainable. But first,  let’s examine why packaging experts must become sustainability experts.

There’s a famous Native American proverb:

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.”

When we use up finite resources today, we could deny future generations access to those resources. And if we pollute the environment now, someone else will eventually have to clean it up.

For the packaging industry, this is a serious challenge. Writing for Thinkstep, Sophie Kieselbach and Flora D’Souza point out:

The media floods us with images of once beautiful beaches, now resembling landfills, and vulnerable ocean animals dying after swallowing plastic packaging. Our immense consumption of packaging also depletes non-renewable resources.

The packaging industry catches a lot of flak for pollution. Packaging experts who want to fend off bad press will have to become sustainability experts. Sustainability isn’t something packaging experts can ignore. Writing for Greener Package, Mike Ross puts it this way:

“A packaging professional once held a more strictly technical role, mainly focused on product development and product protection. The modern professional’s role has greatly expanded to include expertise in sustainability.”

Regarding packaging project management, Ross notes:

“Before considering materials, dimensions, tolerances, specifications, etc., it is crucial to first understand what exactly the business is requiring.”

Businesses are requiring more sustainable packaging. This could be due to enlightened leadership, consumer pressure, government regulations, or a mix of all of the above.

Modern Packaging Expert Must Be a Sustainability Guru

Strategy #1- Sustainability Will Require A Systematic Approach

So how can we achieve genuinely sustainable packaging? The first step towards sustainable packaging is understanding that it’s a collective effort. As Bryan Shova writes in Packaging Digest:

“True solutions will come through “systems thinking” that requires the material supplier, manufacture, retailer, consumer and the municipality to share in the premium costs and labor required to design, collect and recycle packaged materials.”

You can’t shoulder the burden alone. Your employees, suppliers, customers, and end users all need to pitch in. Start building systems and making allies now. Even if you can’t pivot to sustainability right away, you can lay the foundation for future success.

“End of life” is a consideration for any packaging expert. Too much packaging is making its way into landfills, or worse, the environment. Writing for The Die Line, Shova argues:

“The sustainability payoff for some of these technologies has more to do with end-of-life recovery than actual materials, so the consumer would ultimately need to understand his or her role in recycling or composting.”

Consumers must play a vital role in sustainability. The wasteful consumers of today need to become enlightened sustainability gurus. Likewise, recycling plants will need to become more efficient. In the same blog post, Shova notes that sustainable packaging often ends up in the landfill anyway. The reason?

“Many recyclable and compostable products and packages look too similar to non-sustainable items and can’t easily be differentiated by workers sorting the recycling streams.”

Even organizations trying to reduce waste fall short. Packaging experts can help by making their sustainable products more distinguishable.

Strategy #2- Don’t Dream About Tomorrow, Do What You Can Today

Could futuristic materials provide the answers? Sustainable, biodegradable plastics, recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), and other technologies may solve a lot of headaches. Unfortunately, these materials aren’t ready for commercial use.

In the short run, we can’t wait for technological progress to solve our woes. Our grandchildren might never see plastic bags clogging up streams because of biodegradable plastic. However, right now pollution remains a huge problem.

With a smart approach to design, you can create sustainable packaging that uses less materials. The less material you use, the better, even if those materials are plastics.

Writing for the Pakfactory blog, Mark Velarga notes:

“The primary goal of minimalist packaging is to save raw materials and eliminate waste without compromising the durability or functionality of the packaging.

The packaging should be able to perform its duty of protecting the products and conveying the message of the brand.”

Even materials with a bad rep may have a sustainable future. In Packaging Digest, Trina Matta makes a strong case that plastic can be part of sustainable strategies, arguing:

“A plastic bottle made of recycled content is an example of sustainable sourcing of plastic. Would it really be better to shift this particular package to aluminum or glass? Most likely not. In this case, plastic (and in particular recycled-content plastic) appears to be the most sustainable option available.”

In the future, biodegradable plastics and other materials might make the traditional plastic bottle obsolete. Right now, if you can identify sustainable sources for plastic and also ensure that end of life means recycling, plastic could be a sustainable option.

Strategy #3- Your Rock Star Packaging Employees May Be Your Most Sustainable Asset

Sustainability isn’t just about technologies and organizations but also individuals and company culture. Writing for Forbes, William Craig claims:

“When sustainable work culture is nurtured, employees arise to actively steer the company toward its mission with passion and innovation, promoting its longevity and success.”

Your employees may be your greatest sustainable asset. Green technology may not yet be ready or commercially viable. Yet your employees can reduce waste, design packaging that uses less material, cut down on energy use, and take other measures to reduce your company’s impact on the environment.

Some companies are now turning to internal “green teams” to drive change. Everyone wants to go green, but there’s often no unifying vision or process. By setting up internal teams that regularly meet and tackle sustainability together, you can amplify results.

As Deborah Fleischer explains in Greenbiz:

“Green teams are self-organized, grassroots and cross-functional groups of employees who voluntarily come together to educate, inspire and empower employees around sustainability. They identify and implement specific solutions to help their organization operate in a more environmentally sustainable fashion.”

While many green teams are internally driven, evolving market conditions will increase pressure on companies to become more sustainable. Writing elsewhere, William Craig says:

“Customers are wise to the fact that they can deserve something more from companies in return for brand loyalty: things like cleaner supply chains, fairer working conditions, community give-backs, more inclusiveness and constructive participation in social issues.”

Sustainability may be inevitable as consumer demand for green products grows. This is going to have a huge impact on the packaging industry. How about your company? Do you have rock stars on staff who can lead the charge? Sustainability doesn’t have to be a hassle or a burden. It can be a passion that drives engagement.

What does this have to do with executive recruiting? EVERYTHING! Recruiting sustainable talent that takes your brand to the next level is a niche all its own. If you’ve read our Top Talent white paper, you know this is a crucial passion for our firm. 

Chase & Associates 
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Key Insights From 2019 That Every Packaging Executive Must Know

Your heart is beating a bit faster. It’s your first team meeting of the new year, 2020 has arrived. Thoughts are racing through your head and across the whiteboard. A new year brings new opportunities, but also new challenges.

The packaging industry is evolving. Around the office you’ll hear artificial intelligence, polymeric nanofibers, machine learning, and more tossed around. Next, dollop on big concepts like global warming, the circular economy, and sustainability.

Suddenly, the packaging industry -long a steady ship- could be tossed into a sea of change.

Yet where challenges exist, opportunities exist. How do you turn disruption into opportunity? Don’t worry, we have assembled thoughts from the packaging industry’s best and brightest.

Key Insights That Every Packaging Executive Must Know

Prepare For the Next Wave of Disruptive Technology

The ancient Greek Philosopher Heraclitus argued that “change is the only constant.” That’s true in the packaging industry with disruptive technologies set to spur innovation. Investment guru Tim Smith says:

“A disruptive technology sweeps away the systems or habits it replaces because it has attributes that are recognizably superior.”

From: Disruptive Technology

Already, artificial intelligence is enabling faster, better, and more reliable automation. A new AI-empowered automated inspection system for packaging hints at the future. In Packaging Digest, Rick Lingle notes:

“AI enables the CapQ system to ignore water droplets and plastic fragment shedding that can skew measurement results, leading to false rejects. This software advancement and the easy-to-use operator touch screen interface make the CapQ system a pioneering quality inspection device.”

From: Artificial intelligence in packaging: CapQ vision inspection

Another technology with immense disruption potential is digital printing. Writing for LEAD Innovation Management, Angela Hengsberger argues:

“Digital printing will therefore no longer be used only for limited editions and individual products, but will also increasingly focus on the economic and speed-to-market advantages for the design of mainstream packaging.”

From: 5 market influencing trends in the packaging industry

Even less bleeding edge technologies will continue to disrupt the market. Speaking to Packaging Insights, Tetra Pak Marketing Services Director Alexandre Carvalho claims:

“Thanks to smart packaging technology, every package sold can now carry a unique digital identifier, creating the opportunity for direct one-to-one conversations with consumers, as well as helping drive efficiencies across the entire supply chain.”

Makes you wonder if we will soon talk about “genius” packaging instead of smart packaging.

From: AI in Packaging: How artificial intelligence is driving the packaging industry forward

Soren Kaplan sums up the coming tech disruptions nicely:

“Opportunities for packaging innovation will only grow as new technologies like blockchain, intelligent inks and printable circuits and sensors evolve… These technology and design innovations will fuel new “data-as-a-service” business models tied to traceability across the supply chain, consumer product usage, and overall market insight.”

From: The Packaging Industry is Massive, and It’s About to Be Disrupted

These technological disruptions are arriving as society itself experiences immense change. Sustainability is now one of the biggest challenges -and opportunities- for the packaging industry.

Key Insights That Every Packaging Executive Must Know

Sustainability Can Be a Threat or Competitive Advantage

Sustainability is no longer an option, it’s inevitable. Consumers will force the packaging industry’s hands. As Alex Jordan puts it:

“More people are readily refusing to use plastic straws and single-use bags in favor of reusable items – owning their social responsibility for seeking out greener products. Therefore, it’s essential for retailers and manufacturers to keep up with public opinion…”

From: The Future of Packaging: Where the Industry is Headed in 2020 and Beyond

So are you the greener product that gets found or the fossil-fueled dinosaur destined for extinction? Not that plastic has no future in packaging, but that future must be sustainable. Trina Matta argues:

“A plastic bottle made of recycled content is an example of sustainable sourcing of plastic. Would it really be better to shift this particular package to aluminum or glass? Most likely not.”

For Matta, creating sustainable packaging means:

“…considering questions of sourcing, efficiency, recovery, health and safety—all key pieces of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s definition of sustainable packaging.”

And sometimes, the best answer to those concerns is plastic.

From: Non-plastic packaging isn’t the only sustainable solution

Materials are changing with the times. Biodegradable biopolymers are more sustainable than traditional plastics and could be a hot growth industry.

“According to a new report from Smithers Pira, bioplastics for packaging currently represent a very small share of the global plastic packaging market value. But, it estimates, the bioplastic market will more than double in value from 2017 to 2022, growing at an average rate of 17% per year, to a market value of $7.2 billion.”

From: Biopolymer Materials and Technologies Flourish

Many companies are reducing the amount of packaging material used. Can you do that without cutting corners? Sophie Kieselbach and Flora D’Souza suggest:

“Keep working to reduce packaging material within the limits allowed by its purpose. And if, as with some initiatives, you start a new product line with reduced packaging and therefore reduced product shelf-life, loudly communicate it to customers and continue to help them understand the reasoning behind the changes to make sure that the net benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Life cycle thinking, as always, helps.”

From: The Top 9 Sustainable Packaging Trends in 2019

Better yet, less can be more. Global procurement powerhouse GEP argues in their company blog that:

“Focusing only on the essential parts during packaging enables designers to multiply the impact of the visual story they are trying to narrate for the brand. Simplified packaging designs also help brands to pay attention to small details and can improve overall quality.”

From: Less is More with Minimalist Packaging

 If we’re to preserve this planet, the packaging industry and other industries will have to pivot to become sustainable. In an open letter from the Governor of Bank of England Mark Carney, Governor of Banque de France François Villeroy de Galhau and Chair of the Network for Greening the Financial Services Frank Elderson argued:

“If some companies and industries fail to adjust to this new world, they will fail to exist.”

So how about you? Are you going to adjust and not only exist, but excel? Or are you going to fall to the wayside?

What does this have to do with executive recruiting? EVERYTHING! Equipping our clients and candidates with everything they need to achieve success is how we do business. Anything less, and we’re just another recruiting firm. Thought leadership plays a pivotal role in the value we provide to the packaging industry.

Chase & Associates 
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