From Driver’s Ed to the C-Suite: Using the Smith System to Steer Your HVAC Company’s Growth

Get the Big Picture

In driving, the big picture involves looking ahead to understand where one is going and what’s happening in the surrounding environment in order to anticipate risks or hazards.

In business, it means keeping sight of where the organization is headed. Strategic and annual planning help chart the course for how a company will compete and what objectives it aims to achieve in the short term. The structure of the organization, including the positions in place and the people filling them, is a critical component of success.

The big picture also includes envisioning what the structure should look like in the future. For example, a $2 million business needs to consider what structure will support it at $5 million. A $10 million company heading toward $20 million must identify which key positions need to be added to support that growth.

This view out the windshield of a business is one that leaders must revisit from time to time. As the remaining four keys of the Smith System will illustrate, leadership involves ensuring that people and organizational design support, not hinder, business growth.

Aim High in Steering

One of the responsibilities of a business owner or manager is to provide opportunities for employees to reach their full potential. For some, this aspiration may even define the mission—the very reason for the business’s existence.

Evaluating and understanding people’s goals, dreams, and capabilities is vital to motivation. A continual focus on aligning the right people with the right roles helps position everyone for success.

When the regular conversations leaders have with their teams include questions like “How are you doing?”, “What’s holding you back?” and “Where do you see yourself in the future?”, they’re taking essential steps toward helping both individuals and the organization fulfill their potential.

It’s important to acknowledge that achieving personal goals may eventually involve an employee leaving the company. Not every hire is destined to remain long-term. The leader’s role is to retain team members for as long as there’s a strong fit between their skills and the organization’s needs. When that alignment ends, parting ways may be in the best interest of both and can still represent a successful outcome for the individual.

Keep Your Eyes Moving

Just as drivers must stay alert to changing conditions and dashboard indicators, business leaders must remain vigilant to what’s happening in and around their organization.

This includes monitoring financial reports, customer feedback, SWOT analyses, competitor activity, and strategic models like Michael Porter’s Five Forces. These tools help leaders stay informed and make sound decisions.

The same principle applies to talent. Leaders should always be watching for strong potential hires. Like successful sports teams that draft the best athletes rather than only filling open positions, wise business leaders remain open to bringing in great people.

I’ve had numerous experiences where a server with a fantastic attitude or a contractor with a strong work ethic made me think, “You’re the kind of person I’m looking for in my business. Would you be interested in joining my company?” Even if there’s no current opening, the right person is always worth making room for.

Leave Yourself an “Out”

Leaving oneself an “out” in driving means staying out of situations where there’s no room to react or avoid danger. In business, it means planning for the loss of a key employee.

As employees earn promotions and take on more responsibility, they often become indispensable. Leaders must protect against risk by planning for succession. This involves identifying potential replacements, assessing their development needs, and addressing those needs through consistent performance reviews and training.

Sometimes, no successor exists within the organization. In such cases, it’s crucial to define the experience, knowledge, and traits required for the role and to identify strong candidates outside the business. Staying connected with those individuals through professional networks or associations makes future transitions easier when the time comes.

Make Sure They See You

Safe driving involves being visible to others and signaling intentions. In business, this applies to leadership’s ability to help people see their future within the company.

As an organization grows, so do opportunities for advancement. Communicating career paths clearly helps employees recognize that they’re building more than a job. They’re building a career. They can see what roles are available and how they can work toward them.

Growth or turnover inevitably opens new roles. Promoting from within is a strong motivator, especially for team members eager to move beyond their current responsibilities. Leaders should help their people understand what opportunities exist and how to prepare to seize them.

The Smith 5 Keys were developed to help drivers arrive safely at their destinations. Applied to business, they serve as a powerful framework for focusing on people, planning, and organizational structure. By staying attentive to these principles, leaders increase the odds that their organizations will arrive safely at their long-term vision.