Looking to the Future with Our People in Sight


January 29, 2019
Ray L. Chambers - Chairman, CEO & President

Featured in Muncie Power Quarterly, Issue 1, 2019

Looking back on your wins and losses can be really fun and a good tool to help set the course for the next year. Looking forward five to 10 years and imagining the future can be even better. Many economists are citing one of the reasons for the good economy in the U.S. today is that CEOs are once again focused on the future rather than just how to make a profit today and survive. I can’t validate this notion, but it certainly makes sense to me.

I like to end the year with a healthy dose of reviewing the most important success metrics in our business — engagement scores, employee turnover, promotions and accidents. Let’s not forget profitability, sales growth, market share and new product introductions. Lastly, I like to evaluate our cultural initiatives — things like sales processes, manufacturing innovation, Lean initiatives, IT initiatives — all that improve our overall ability to communicate and function in an ever changing business climate.

All of these things have real and purposeful value. However, I think looking five to 10 years out has even more purpose. Try looking with a new set of business lenses and with your dashboard of traditional metrics in your rearview mirror. Let’s consider what you might want to contemplate for creating value for your company for many years to come. Here’s a few ideas:

Do you have the tools in place to:
• Recruit the best people in the industry?
• Train your people on not only the best methods to do their job but also live a balanced, healthy and financially successful life?
• Have a plan for growth for each and every person in your company?
• Ensure you are providing a great physical environment for your employees?
• Develop great leaders to ensure maximum engagement of your people?
• Compensate your people for their contribution?
• Ensure that while people come and go, your culture remains strong? 

Once you run through this checklist, you will have a much better feel for what life will be like in your company in five to 10 years. The mechanics of sales techniques, manufacturing processes, supply chain initiatives and product development will always be preceded by hiring, training and taking care of your people. We all already know it – the company with the best people wins! We just need to continue to prioritize our thought process to make certain that our people come first in all of our decision making processes.


Ray L. Chambers - Chairman, CEO & President

Ray Chambers joined Muncie Power Products as Vice President of the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Division in 2004. He became President of the company in 2009, and was named to his current position in January 2012. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Wesleyan University and a master’s degree from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma. He is a thought leader and visionary within the industry.






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