Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1436421
14 PalletCentral • November-December 2021 palletcentral.com 14 PalletCentral • November-December 2021 palletcentral.com (ability to effectively engage with employees). is manager might be burnt out or disengaged for other reasons. e Bunny Manager is low on standards and high on connection. is manager might be worried about being liked more than respected. e Controller Manager is high on standards and low on connection, being old school in style which creates an atmosphere of rebellion. e last type he indicated was the Mentor Manager – which, from its name, indicated the most effective one – is high on standards and connection. "No significant loyalty will ever happen without significant connection," says Pulver. "ey remember and have time to reflect on how you treat them in times like the pandemic. ey remember how you made them feel," which builds or tears at loyalty. "Are you the person who is helping your employees get to their goals and dreams?" He says you can turn the tide at your organization through offering recognition through vocal praise or perks, developing a plan of action for each employee that is mutually developed and beneficial, and providing adequate follow-up to show you are invested in them as a person. With 60% of employees currently looking for another job, time invested in a plan of action with your current workforce is a significantly better than time spent searching, interviewing, hiring, and hoping that new employee will show up and then stay. Industry Meets Innovation e need for industry innovation and technology were buzzwords that weaved its way into all discussions. Crystal Gavin, Sr. Economist, Forest Economic Advisors, spoke on the condition of the overall lumber supply chain. "2020 and 2021 were pretty crazy times," Gavin stated. Lumber quadrupled because of the lack of labor to harvest it from the forests fast enough to meet the spike in demand from residential and commercial construction. During the recession, consumers turned to home projects and buying new homes. "Lumber dropped 7% but consumer spending went up 10%," she said. Gavin noted the lumber mill production, technology constraints in the lumber industry and curtailments in British Columbia and the U.S. West are concerns for the future. "COVID was a massive wake up call to the supply chain," she said, and moving forward is a mixed bag of consequences to watch. Continuing the discussion, Gavin was joined by panelists Jay Reese, AHMI chairman and president Bill MacCauley