“Leadership in Communication” series
Making the Supply Chain - Stu Reed, executive vice president, Integrated Supply Chain, Motorola[1]
Communication Challenge:
The transformation within the company to develop a One Motorola ISC organization posed key questions about how to establish and reinforce rapid culture change. A focused, sustained communications effort played a critical role.
#1 Supply Chain … How We’ll Get There: Communications Framework
 Striving for a #1-ranked position is rather daunting. That said, the ISC Communication team worked with Stu to create a framework from which employees could have a context for information that they would receive from Stu – and that he would receive from them during the transformation process. This was significant, given the accelerated pace at which changes were occurring – and the challenges posed by communicating in countries where English was a second language. The framework and messaging had to be simple and consistent. The graphic to the right pictorially demonstrates the vision of being a #1 Supply Chain. The ISC would achieve this vision by focusing on the organization’s Top 6 Priorities and creating a high performance culture by constantly modeling 4 Key Behaviors until they simply became a way of life.
Care was taken to always ensure that the ISC’s strategies dovetailed with Motorola’s company-wide “i’MOTO” values. In fact, the ISC serves as a great example, if not the best example within Motorola, of the “One Motorola” concept – which is a key component of i’MOTO. For example, ISC managers work on alignment with each individual employee to ensure that his/her goals synchronize with the supply chain vision to become #1.
“Stu approaches the communication needs of the business like any other challenge/need we have: with a clear strategy and plan that we march to. He knows that it takes constant communication and repetition of key messages to move a large organization.”
Tim Cawley, senior vice president, global logistics, ISC
Focus Areas – The Top 6 Priorities
The ISC undertook a strategic analysis of Motorola’s supply chain functions and identified the Top 6 Priorities that would lead to the success of the organization. Working across all Motorola businesses, the Integrated Supply Chain is focused on:
- Execution Excellence
- Deep Supplier Relationships
- Manufacturing and Logistics Optimization
- Quality Renewal
- Common, Leveraged IT Solutions
- Organization Efficiency
4 Key Behaviors of a High Performance Culture
The ISC’s 4 Key Behaviors are part of a high performance work environment. As supply chain employees regularly model each behavior, it enables the ISC to become a best-in-class organization.
Employee Examples of Our 4 Key Behaviors
"Straight Talk" is simply honest, open and timely communication. It means establishing a “no-fear” culture so people will surface issues when they appear. It also means raising and resolving issues no matter how difficult the topic. Straight Talk helps remove complication so everyone knows what to do for Motorola's customers.
Unbridled Enthusiasm is having an energized, can-do attitude and a real passion to get things done every day. It is the ability to generate fresh ideas to change things, enabling Motorola to deliver great results in record time. It means coming into work every day super-enthusiastic and talking to people to ensure they know the ISC is the place to be.
Righteous Indignation means challenging all to avoid being content with the way things have been done in the past. It is being totally committed to finding or developing something new and better, taking calculated risks and not being content to let old ways prevail.
Innovation is focusing on change for the better, especially when the result is a compelling solution for the customer. It means putting in brand-new approaches across all of the businesses and bringing it all together. It's also about being really creative and quickly capitalizing on the great minds in the ISC to meet objectives faster.
Demonstration of the 4 Key Behaviors begins at the top. Below is some Straight Talk from one of Stu’s former direct reports on this topic.
“No one ‘walks the talk’ like Stu. Every day he demonstrates the 4 Key Behaviors that guide the organization. When it comes to Straight Talk, he allows employees at every level to speak their minds without overreacting to negative feedback or news … this is truly impressive.”
Greg Fern, vice president, Mobile Devices, ISC
Motorola i’MOTO Values
The ISC aligns its communication efforts with Motorola’s i’MOTO values. To transform multiple supply chains into one integrated organization, the ISC’s efforts serve as tangible proof of the importance of operating as One Motorola.
The ISC’s Top 6 Priorities and 4 Key Behaviors represent logical, organization-specific extensions of i’MOTO values.
[1] Since Stu Reed was named the IABC 2007 EXCEL Award winner he has transitioned from his previous role as executive vice president of Motorola’s Integrated Supply Chain to a new role as president of Motorola’s Mobile Devices business.
“Leadership in Communication” series – Table of Contents
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