Any promotion or transition into a senior leadership role is both exciting and an honor. It is an indication of success. However, taking on a senior leadership role is not always a seamless process. There are many challenges that a candidate can experience during the transition and while executing the role.
Mark Kelly, Safety Marking Inc.’s Founder and President, knows a lot about what it takes to excel in a senior leadership role. As a business leader, Mark Kelly has learned the appropriate way to motivate his staff and lead the organization by sticking to his companies’ principles of innovation, accountability, integrity, and teamwork. Below, he shares five tips on transitioning into a senior leadership role and how to position key staff members for ultimate success.
Tip #1. Maintain Focus on the Big Picture
Safety Marking Inc. was started by Mark Kelly in 1973 as a small, family-owned striping business in Bridgeport, Connecticut. As the founder, Mark Kelly focused on the big picture: planning for expansion and driving growth for the future. His vision included diversifying with eight major types of services and offices in three different states, developing from Connecticut to Rhode Island and New York.
Tip #2. Improve Collaboration
Striving to improve collaboration in a senior leadership role will benefit a company greatly when it comes to marketing, networking, and even building solid partnerships. Safety Marking Inc. collaborates with suppliers to continually expand its services through building strategic partnerships with companies like Sherwin-Williams®, MRL Equipment Company Inc., Potters Industries LLC, Epoplex, 3M, Hog Technologies Inc, and more. The company also works with charitable organizations in its community to give back locally, such as The Thomas Merton Center, and the Wakeman Boys and Girls Club.
Tip #3. Develop a Proactive Approach to Problems
In every company, problems arise, and the best way a senior business leader can address any problem is through a proactive approach. Safety is primary in the Heavy Highway Construction industry. To remain proactive, Safety Marking Inc. has established the Safety Marking Academy, an internal Learning and Development site, that trains its workforce on the safe and effective use of equipment and machinery.
Tip #4. Always Ask for Feedback
Growth in a senior business leader position is not a one-way street. It is essential for company leaders to regularly seek feedback from both employees and customers. Information is key to ensuring efforts and priorities are in line with the needs of the team and the overall mission, vision, and values of the company. Outstanding service is based on understanding performance and how to improve over time.
Tip #5. Create a Positive Workplace Culture
Safety Marking Inc. instills a positive workplace culture with its focus on hard work, longevity, learning and development, and professionalism. Management believes in positive reinforcement and recognizes hard workers and team members who go above and beyond their job description. Creating a positive workplace culture is probably one of the most important and often most challenging for any business leader.
“We at Safety Marking Inc. think it is critical to recognize employees for their dedication and hard work and to instill a positive workplace culture. We were proud to recognize Warren Thomas for reaching the milestone of thirty years of service recently, as well as celebrating the women on our team in honor of women’s history month. It is our goal to uplift our employees positively so that they feel appreciated by the company they work so hard for,” said Mark Kelly, Safety Marking President.
About Mark Kelly
Mark Kelly is the Founder and President of Safety Marking, Inc. He started the company in 1973 as a small family-owned striping business servicing Fairfield County, Connecticut. He instilled in it his values of accountability, teamwork, and integrity and managed to redefine the marketplace by setting the industry standard with premium products and services. Mark Kelly’s dedication resulted in Safety Marking Inc. becoming a pavement marking leader, providing top-notch services in New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.