Customers, employees or investors – who takes precedence?
February 1, 2009 By Carl Hughes
Customers, employees or investors – which one should take precedence?
Read More A little help playing hooky
September 1, 2007 By Patrick Hyland
Asurvey by the Web-based company careerbuilder.com revealed that one-third of workers admitted calling in sick when they felt fine at least once in 2006.
Read More Successful companies hire competency
January 1, 2007 By Carl Hughes
The most successful propane companies are comprised of highly competent people who work together towards a common objective. But what do we mean by competency and how do we discern the traits of a potential employee regarding their level of competence? What competencies are most important?
Read More Focus on contribution, not effort
October 1, 2006 By Carl Hughes
This is the eighth in a series on business topics inspired by the 20th century business management icon Peter Drucker.
Read More Get a handle on hiring and promoting
April 1, 2006 By Carl Hughes
This is the second in a series of columns inspired by the late management guru Peter Drucker. This month, we apply Drucker’s thoughts on the hiring and promotion process to the retail propane company.
Read More How do you lead the best?
December 1, 2005 By Carl Hughes
Over the past four months I have offered an approach on how to hire the best employees possible for your propane company, establishing high expectations for the qualities we seek in our workers.
Read More The gift of good employees
December 1, 2005 By Patrick Hyland
The arrival of the Christmas season begs the question that hounds Santa-loving kids from 1 to 92: Have you been naughty or nice?
Read More 2005 State of the Industry
December 1, 2005 By LP Gas
Slightly over 35 percent of the participants in this year’s State of the Industry survey offered comments beyond the questions asked. It would be an understatement to say the comments implied that the situation was nearly untenable, and that no improvement was in sight.
Read More Hiring the best in the propane industry
August 1, 2005 By Carl Hughes
The most successful companies seem to recruit the very best talent, retain top producing individuals and get the most out of their employees. Weak ones often have high turnover, can’t keep positions filled and make mistake after mistake in their hiring process.
Read More Sharp focus makes business effective
August 1, 2005 By Randy Doyle
In my 20-plus years of experience in the retail propane industry, working with one major and many independent marketers, I have seen many different ways to operate a propane company. So, what distinguishes the better operators that produce superior financial results and organic market growth from the laggards?
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