Lessons Learned: NGA Auto Glass Conference Management Seminar Opens "Tool Box"

Morning seminars at the National Glass Association's (NGA) Auto Glass Conference last week wrapped up with the rapid-fire presentation "The Manager's Toolkit" by Kraig Kramers of Corporate Partners Inc.

Kramers, whose delivery rivals that of John Moschitta, the mustached fast-talker famous for the late 1980s MICRO MACHINE toy commercials, presented what he refers to as the Seven Step Management Process, as well as the 36 Traits of Successful Managers.

"Appoint yourself a chief fun officer, a CFO, and don't confuse it with the chief financial officer. We don't need any more creativity in accounting. We had enough of that with Enron," he said, one of many quips that kept his audience amused and attentive.

The author of "CEO Tools for Every Manager's Business Success," Kramers also referenced other well-known business success authors, including Steve Covey ("Seven Habits of Highly Effective People") and Ken Blanchard, author of "The One Minute Manager."

"Hope is not a strategy," Kramers told his audience, explaining that people hope things will happen-that sales will increase, that the economy will change, etc., -rather than taking the initiative to change business sooner and control profit, profit loss and overhead. With many attendees returning home before the events end, Kramers held sway over the 25 or 30 people in the room, many of whom lined up to speak with him at the end of his presentation.

The trade show, scheduled to run from noon - 3 p.m. on Friday closed early, and the seminar AGRSS 101 rounded out the event as a whole that afternoon.