Learning to Lead
They say honesty is the best policy, and for Charles David Moody, Jr., owning up to his own apprehensions about failure has helped him create a trusting and open working environment for his employees. "I started this business 16 years ago when I was broke and raising a young family," says Moody. "I found myself managing not to lose instead of managing to win."
Today, Moody has built a successful business without debt and now embraces daily challenges. "I have had to fight through the fear of losing what I have built and the results are major clients, new markets and high-dollar, high-caliber employees."
This determination carries over to management, and Moody strongly encourages his employees to "work outside of their comfort zone" and take educated risks. "I measure success by the ability of people to manage bigger projects and lead more people," he says.
For the employees of C.D. Moody Construction Company, teambuilding and open communication go hand-in-hand. And just as Moody himself has strived to improve his own performance, he helps his employees do the same by providing them with the latest resources. After their first year on the job, employees receive an average of 30 hours of training each year in the areas of leadership, software, job performance and even CPR with no stated limit on training.
"An employee can get as much training as he or she needs for growth, knowledge and improvement in job performance," says Moody.
To promote ethical business practices, each employee has a card that identifies company values with Ethics as the No. 1 value. Strong ethics, says Moody, help project an honest image that not only promotes success but also helps make the company a better place for newcomers.
Moody is also a big fan of books, and says avid reading has helped him become a more patient manager and a better listener. His goal is to do the same for employees to help build leaders in the company. For example, in an effort to encourage employees to help make the company more innovative and productive Moody provided each employee with a copy of Jim Collins' "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap ... and Others Don't" (HarperBusiness, 2001). He also provides them with books on teambuilding and puts the words to practice by bringing employee groups together in teambuilding exercises. "He [Moody] has a lot of forums that he invites us to," says Mike Ross, a construction superintendent. "He puts people in a room and simply asks their opinions."
In one teambuilding exercise, Moody got a group together and had them put together a forecasting report that was more user-friendly. More importantly, everyone needed to agree upon the final version before it became used company-wide. As a result, says Moody, the company now can better track costs and forecast success, as well as catch problems earlier in the project cycle.
At C.D. Moody Construction, what constitutes a team player is someone who is dependable and puts the team's success before his or her personal success, says Moody. "They know when the teams wins, everyone wins," he says. "They are rewarded by public acknowledgment among the employees, tickets to games, concerts, and raises and bonuses."
Another way Moody creates a sense of trust and openness with his employees is by giving them full access to the company's profit/loss information each year. By being privy to this critical information, employees feel a greater sense of ownership and involvement with the company. Even in a small company, it's not always easy to get every employee to share in a joint vision. Moody has faced this stumbling block and works continuously to help inspire feelings of cooperation and commitment in his employees. One of the ways Moody has helped encourage his team members to work with a greater sense of enthusiasm is to include everyone in reaching joint objectives.
It's also not just about business. It's about creating a caring environment where employees feel included in efforts to reach company goals. Moody himself sets a good example by meticulously caring for his customers with frequent calls and follow-ups to ensure they are happy with his and his company's performance. This hands-on approach carries over to employees, where he strives to make all 35 people feel like family through employee appreciation days and staff lunches. Additionally, because Moody's is a small company, employees receive individual attention such as personal phone calls and fruit baskets for sick employees and impromptu bonus vacations for a job well done.
Above all, Moody truly sees his organization as one big family – a sentiment that is shared by many. "I enjoy coming to work because it's a small company and it's like a big family. We work together really well, and Charles is the father figure of it all," says David Fragala, a chief estimator. And it's this feeling of family values that makes Moody proud in the knowledge that for his employees, it's not just about having a job, it's about personal fulfillment. "My overall goal is for every employee to become a high performance person. To enjoy life. To enjoy their work. To become a leader," Moody says.
Company: C.D. Moody Construction Company
Web site: www.cdmoodyconstruction.com
Industry: General contracting
Location: Lithonia, Ga.
Employees: 35
Sales: $50 Million
