Working primarily in insurance restoration and remodeling, Taylored Restoration is a second-generation family-owned business, and it’s a successful one. They have 92 full-time employees and a corner on the market in the Anchorage area. To avoid becoming that second generation that sees the family business begin to dwindle, Trent Taylor was determined to promote growth, starting with implementing lessons from the past. “Our parents taught us early on to not remain the same. You have to be willing to change to be successful.” Many companies that go through a generational shift struggle because of a change in their ideological paradigms — one style of leadership promotes certain philosophies, then new management flips the status quo by implementing different systems. When this happens, employees will either embrace change or cling to comfort zones. But there is a way to prevent animosity and mitigate discomfort. “Our parents taught us that not everything has to be your idea. We took that model into our business. Not all of the ideas that have benefited our business have been from us. They’re from our employees and other professionals,” explains Trent. When you allow employees to have a voice in the forming of new hierarchies, you increase personal investment and overall ownership. The result is happier teammates and a more productive environment. Ownership combats the business-killing thought of “It’s not my job,” so when implementing new systems or transitioning leadership, bringing in internal and external ideas can create a more cohesive team. Transitioning a business to the next generation is an emotional minefield and can often lead to misunderstandings. Trent explained just how intensive it can be. “There was a lot of pain. It was about a 7–8-year buyout. It was a process that forced a lot of growing up and
DISC
understanding of the business.” Pride and lack of trust can rule the day if you let them, and in some cases, that requires mediation; in others, it requires patience. In the case of Taylored Restoration, the latter proved to be beneficial. “It was good my parents made me wait awhile. When we started the process, I was in my early 30s and ready to rule the world. The fact that it was a 7–8-year buyout allowed us to mature a little bit.” Time is the healer of all wounds, but it is also the best way to turn weaknesses into strengths. In Trent’s case, making him wait forced him to go through a process of self- actualization. It helped him recognize one stumbling block many people encounter when taking control. “We all have the mentality that we know what’s right, and now that we have the keys to the car, we know how to drive it better.” This mindset can be beneficial in the short term but lead to long-term complications — taking over is rooted in ambition, but leadership has a foundation in collaboration. To overcome this, Trent looked to the past. “The people in front of us were pretty smart. My parents had different personalities. I needed to learn to appreciate what they did to make the business work and then add my style to it.”
Trent used the DISC assessment for internal communications
to imprint his identity on Taylored Restoration. For those of you who work with us, you know we value the results of this personality profile. We explain it as having a home-court advantage that allows you to improve your company’s communication. It’s crucial to have conversations that allow the other person to engage in the ways they are most comfortable. You can’t bring them into an unfamiliar or hostile environment and expect meaningful dialogue to occur. Discussions need to let the other person feel like they’re the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field, not LeBron James when he first visited Cleveland as a member of the Miami Heat. You can only do this if you understand the natural tendencies of the person you’re communicating with. Much like our president and CEO, Jim Stephens, Trent’s DISC results yielded a high D, meaning he’s a dominant personality. D types tend to be more assertive, headstrong, and authoritative, which often results in them functioning in managerial positions. “The challenge
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