Women in Industry: Jennifer Dickson

April 1, 2018

COMPANY: Springer Equipment Company YEARS ON JOB: 7 Years At Springer Equipment, we are a very large, small business. We have a lot going on but we’re still a small company, so most of us wear multiple hats. And that’s something that I definitely do. I primarily work with Human Resources, keeping my finger on the pulse of what our employees want and need to do their best work. I’m very mindful that our employees are the lifeblood of the company and without good employees, we wouldn’t have anything. I also have marketing responsibilities including strategic planning and executing monthly marketing programs. And I also do the majority of accounts receivable. At the end of the day, I just try to do my part to make decisions that move the ball forward for our company.

Practical Experience

I joined Springer 7 years ago. We’re a family-owned business and at the time we had some transitioning personnel and my skill set fit with some of the openings that needed to be filled. I came in and worked in the shipping and parts department. It provided me an opportunity to really learn the forklift business as well as get familiar with the machine itself. From there, I spent a little bit of time working in each department and getting a broad scope of what a dealership does and what we are capable of doing. Having worked in each department lends some credence to my suggestions. It gives me the confidence to speak on an array of topics knowledgably. And the more you can get familiar with the business and each aspect of the equipment and the department, it makes you look so much more competent to the people you’re selling to.

Organization

With so many responsibilities, staying organized is a priority. Without being organized and able to plan, the train would just run off the tracks. I tend to have a working to-do list every day. I try to keep myself very organized with Microsoft Outlook, but I’m also a bit old school in that I really appreciate pen and paper. I’m much more comfortable having something in-hand than on a screen.

Communication

Communication is critical. People can’t understand what your end goal is if you can’t communicate effectively. How you communicate to people has everything to do with how they receive the information and its success. So it’s both being knowledgeable in what you’re talking about but also being able to make sure that the person you’re communicating with can easily understand. Everybody knows how important communication is but oftentimes we do a terrible job of communicating. One thing that I try to do when I’m talking to our team, I try to relate information as if it were an important package, a package that has to be handed off and never dropped. It’s helped others understand how to communicate more effectively, and it’s vital to make good communication a priority in getting things done.