Lexington, KY - There are many systems and different ways of being organized. Bud Ratliff has chosen project management as his method of choice and has built a business around it. His company, Solarity Group, helps business owners enhance their skills through tools and techniques to meet the objectives of any project.
"There are so many things you could do," he said, "but what should you do? Project management is selecting the right things." A gadget geek by nature, Ratliff appreciates technology, but he knows it's not the be-all and end-all. "It's not the technology or the systems, it's the culture: the way people operate with each other." Ratliff's approach to project management, both in his training and consulting work, is to focus on helping people improve their systems.
A native of Flint, Mich., and childhood resident of Florida, Ratliff anticipated a fencing scholarship to Duke (he competed in the Junior Olympic Games), but wound up at Asbury College studying pre-med. Until the organic chemistry course, that is. "I figured I was not going to be good at doctoring," he said. Ratliff earned a degree in English secondary education in 1991, then attended grad school at UK. In 1996 he taught English at Tates Creek High School for a year, but when summer came there were no teaching jobs available. "I had just gotten married and needed to pay the bills," he said. A friend at a temp agency got him a gig working the help desk at Toyota. What a turning point.
"I was obsessive about documenting things," he said. He loved online research and sharing new information. Throughout his seven years at Toyota as a contractor, he worked on the Y2K initiative and other projects. He became a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Project Management Professional (PMP). He gained an appreciation for Toyota's consensus-based model of decision-making, known as "hoshin."
"No one person made a decision," he explained. Managers and individuals could craft their own way of achieving strategic objectives set by the parent company.
"The first proposal I put together was an eye-opening experience," he said. Being an English major, it made sense to Ratliff to type 10 pages on 8.5" x 11" paper. The manager said it was good, but it wouldn't get through. Seems there was a specific format for proposals, starting with A3 paper (approximately 11" x 17") and including graphics and bullet points. Ratliff also learned about continuous improvement, a process called "kaizen."
"It's a proven system of planning, doing, checking, acting: PDCA," he said. It's not about achieving perfection, but constantly improving and being adaptable to the current environment. Kaizen is also the underlying principle of project management.
"They never have a presumption of success," said Ratliff of the Toyota philosophy. "They are striving toward what's next, with an awareness that conditions change, and that systems must change to accommodate new realities. It's a good lesson for business, and life in general."
In 2003, Ratliff ventured out on his own, doing IT service work and training for companies. The following year he brought in a partner from Louisville; they increased revenue 500 percent and hired employees. Ratliff became very involved with administrative work, which he describes as "honorable work, noble work, work that must be done well for a business to thrive." But he didn't enjoy it as much as interacting with people, so he sold his share of the business to his partner and kept the name Solarity Group. Today he has one employee for administrative work and several subcontractors on hand for training and consulting. "I'm flexible enough to meet the needs of the market," he said. "When conditions change, I can scale back or expand when I need to." He has developed strategic partnerships with companies in Louisville, Indianapolis, Ind., and Rockford, Ill., to provide project management training. He also offers virtual training classes.
"One of the seductive influences today is the call of more: being asked to do more and be more, 24 hours a day," he said. "With the speed of new technology and the amount of information available, it's easy to feel overwhelmed." Ratliff's answer is to be ambitious and realistic at the same time, and not try to be all things to all people. "Limit is not a four-letter word," he said. Ah yes, we are seeing the consequences of trying to exceed our limits, as a nation and as individuals.
"Focus on what you do well," he said. "Delight your customers. Ultimately the people and organizations that succeed are those that help others achieve their goals."
To learn more about Solarity Group visit www.solarity.com.
Kathie Stamps is the co-founder of www.ISBO.biz, an online directory of independent/small business owners.