Dawn and Mark Gibbins

HEAD TO HEAD, Dawn Gibbins, MBE, DBA, founder and chairman Flowcrete Group plc

ORIEL, Spring 2005

Describe your job

I have the most wonderful job in the world.  I am the leader of an innovative flooring company, Flowcrete Group plc.  I am the strategic visionary who sees opportunities and then energizes my team to get up and go for them.  My official title is chairman – but my role covers strategic direction, and leadership, HR (Happy Relations), PR and Marketing (if you are proud about it – should about it).

I adore people, I cannot survive unless I am amongst like minded pearl fishers (positive people).  I see my role as the team builder, the stimulator of harmony, constantly keeping my team up to date with news on our global and local performance and events from around the world of Flowcrete (globally we have 5 manufacturing plants and 20 offices).

My recognition as Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year in 2003/2004 stimulated many demands on my time and over the last two years I have been an evangelical public speaking roadshow, sharing my passion for business and leadership with audiences from military leaders to motor mechanics.

I now sit on the National manufacturing Forum panel which is jointly chaired by the Rt Hon Jackie Smith Minister for Industry and Kevin Smith CEO of GKN.  I am a director of the local Business Link and site on the North West Strategic Board for Women in Enterprise which advises government on how to energize more women to become entrepreneurs./

Of nearly forgot – my other job is a mother of two wonderful teenage daughters, home builder and wife to a sensational man called Mark Greaves.

Describe the career progression that got you to your current position

After two years of travelling around Europe (living in a tent) I came back to the UK and started to work with my father Peter Gibbins.  He was an industrial chemist and his speciality was developing products for companies in the construction sector.  My role with him was technical assistant.  One day an engineer from Mars Confectionary called my father asking him to design an attractive sugar-resistant floor for their factory in Slough, which he did within two weeks.  My father was about to sell the formulation of the system to Mars for a minute sum of money, when my mother suggested that he and I go into business together.

Throughout my father’s career he had been exploited, he shared his ideas with all and never put a commercial price tag on his technical innovations.  So in 1982 my father and I founded what is now Flowcrete Group plc, with him as technical director and me as managing director and chairman.

I stayed as Managing Director up until 1995 when I appointed a high-flying MBA to take Flowcrete to the next phase of growth, which we did by the acquisition of Isocrete Floor Screeds in 1995, Attako Corrosion Protection in 2001 and Perstorp construction Chemicals in 2002.  I am proud of our achievements and I believe and trust my people.

Who or what inspired/inspires you?

Two men.  My dad was my inspiration.  I cam hear him now saying “come on Dawn – go for it girl”.  He was the one who always had so much enthusiasm and gave me the will to succeed.

Man number two was a guy called Edward Sheldrick, a trainer from TMI (Time Manager International).  In 1989 my husband recommended I take a time management course and so I did with TMI.  I was so bowled over by the trainer that I later closed down my company for two days,. Hired a castle and the amazing trainer, and subjected all my staff to the same two days of life-changing inspiration.  So Edward Sheldrick – if you read this – a big warm sincere thank you for changing my whole attitude to management and running a business.

Edward taught us how to become pearl fishers; always look for the good things in people.  He taught us how to eat elephants, ie complete major projects; in small chunks.  He taught us how to balance our lives between, work, rest and play.

How do you inspire other people?

With my enthusiasm for what they are doing, by catching them doing something right, by organising parties to celebrate our success, by ensuring we distribute  our global monthly newsletter full of success stories and profiles on people and their achievements, by being a manic champion of change – challenging them and pushing them to expand their capabilities.  By being creative and surprising them with new ideas.  By communicating our clear vision, goals and strategy and explaining how we are going to win.  By constantly reinforcing the fact that TEAM at Flowcrete stands for Together Everyone Achieves More.  By providing my team with constant feedback, providing them with the excellent Thomas International Personality Profile which takes a good look at them as a person so they can understand what their strengths and weaknesses.  By trusting them to get on with their job and having faith in them to succeed.

What does leadership mean to you?

Leaders need stimulate a dual agenda for their companies to succeed.  First, focus on innovation to make their company unique they need to develop a clear strategic proposition for their company that outshines their competitors.

Second, focus on excellence – operational excellence.  I believe leaders now need to be very holistic leaders and I believe every major player in our industry should join me and apply to become an investor in excellence.

I believe leaders should give clear direction, set clear goals and then support their team to success.

I also believe leaders must

• Dare to be different (surprise their customers – internal and external)
• Date to be better (than their competitors)
• Dare to flaunt it (expose themselves, be visible, get notices – self promotion is not a sin)
• Dare to enjoy it (make friends internally and externally, network)

Let us cast off our grey sombre image and be colourful characters full of ideas which inspire our staff and customers all over the world.

What makes a successful manager?

I suggest all managers should be transformed into leaders.  Managers believe that their job is to push people or drive them, leaders believe that they are there to life and support people.  Managers believe that they should talk at people by telling, directing and lecturing, leaders believe in engaging in dialogue with people by asking, requesting and listening, Managers believe in controlling others through the decisions they make, leaders believe in facilitating others to make decisions and empowering them to implement their own decisions.  A manager believes in doing things right, a leader believes in doing the right things.

A manager believes in focusing on the bottom line; a leader believes in focusing on the people that create the bottom-line results.

Can management skills be learnt?

Yes – our managers in this country have learned from their teachers at school, their parent and their bosses throughout their career.

I believe we need to look at the role of being a manager in a new light.  There is too much dictatorial style of management in our industry and we need to convert this to management through kindness instead of fear.  I believe if you have the right material in the first place (meaning a person with the right attitude and ability to change) then you can develop a manager in to a great leader – but this will take time and lots of coaching.

How have management styles changed over the past ten years?

I believe companies are recognising that autocratic dictatorial style of management is not the way forward.  You only need to use this in the military in times of war or times of severe crisis in a company to survive.  I believe there is a wave of positive change which is being reinforced by our universities and management schools and even government sweeping through industry.  I believe company owners and CEOs are now aware that the greatest assets of their companies are the minds, hearts and attitude of their people and if they don’t inspire their people then their bottom line will be depressed.  I believe the change is “leadership” styles moving from transactional to transformational.

And what changes do you expect to see in the next five years?

More power to our people.  I believe that more and more companies are really focusing on developing and motivating their people.  The biggest problem lies with the little companies, the small to medium sized businesses who do not have access to inspirational management training facilities as they are too busy surviving.  The construction industry has a major issue here.  Small subcontractors are sandwiched between companies who can help them change if we can get them to lists – clients, main contractors and material suppliers (like Flowcrete).  I believe many companies are now focusing on developing their people – but we need to keep this momentum going.

Pride is the key and if we don’t talk about our work and our achievements with pride, we will lose the opportunity to change people’s perceptions of construction.  If we want to attract and retain the best people (especially young people), we need to show them how innovation, forward thinking and exciting the construction industry can be.

I love it.

Editor's note: Inspirational, motivational speaker dawn gibbins can be contacted at dawn@dawngibbins.com