Ask Kiverco is a new, regular feature. For each issue, Kiverco’s team will address questions about world-class engineering and how, by thinking big, we can all make big things happen.
Ask Kiverco is useful and insightful. Lessons learned; challenges overcome. And real-world stories that spotlight the ups and downs of a business that went ‘From Garage to Global’ over 30 years.
Paul has been Kiverco’s General Manager for five years. Here, he answers questions on how only sincere Communication bonds the people in and around Kiverco.
Question 1. What part does ‘communication’ play in your world Paul, as one of Kiverco’s Senior Team?
As General Manager at Kiverco, I meet a lot of people. Colleagues. Customers. Suppliers.
If how I communicate and build the relationship isn’t done with sincerity, whatever we try to achieve together gets a lot harder.
With colleagues, I listen hard. I communicate to make sure we’re on the same page. So we get the job done quickly and well. So that, whatever it is we’re doing, we do it once – and right.
With customers, it is particularly important to communicate with sincerity. I know it’s an overused phrase, but we only promise what we can deliver. It’s fundamental. When Kiverco builds any one famously tough recycling plant, it can take months. But Kiverco’s reputation for creating The World’s Toughest Recycling Plant has taken over 30 years to build.
We won’t jeopardise that reputation by over-promising when we communicate with customers.
With suppliers, communicating that we are – genuinely – looking for the win-win is important. So that we build long-term relationships, they’re the best kind.
Question 2. You mention sincerity as an important part of how we communicate in business. What do you mean?
I’m talking about trust. If you’re not sincere, trust won’t happen. And the relationship breaks down.
The customer relationship, for example. It’s not unusual for Kiverco to conceive and hone a recycling plant solution, with a customer, for a couple of years. That’s a long time. We invest time and energy in the early part of any customer relationship. If we weren’t sincere, genuine and consistent, trust wouldn’t grow. Kiverco wouldn’t get chosen. And as 500 Kiverco plants have been chosen over the years, we’re communicating sincerely and well.
Question 3. When has communication gone wrong? Do you have an example of how communication – in your world – could be better?
There is such a thing as over-communication. Both inside the Kiverco business and around the Kiverco business. Over-communicating can muddy relationships with colleagues, customers and suppliers. Here’s an example: – It’s taken us a while, but Kiverco has distilled what we’re really selling down to three specific things. More Uptime. Higher Sustained Purity. Longer Useful Life. Of course, Kiverco designs and builds recycling plants. But it is these three things that customers most want.
And the funny thing is, when we add to or embellish these things too much – and we do do that from time to time – it makes what makes Kiverco different and better than the rest. Less clear. Less memorable.
Over-communication is real. Because sometimes, the more we say…, the less we say.
And on that note… I’ll stop!
Final thoughts.
“When Kiverco builds any one famously tough recycling plant, it can take months. Kiverco’s reputation has taken 30 years to build. We won’t jeopardise that reputation by over-promising when communicating with customers.”
