At L&P, we’re inspired by our colleagues who go above and beyond to enhance our businesses. In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re sharing stories of women at L&P who have improved our products and processes with their creativity and leadership.
We’d like to recognize Cindy Morrison, Operations Manager!
In 1977, Cindy began working in the Accounting Department of MPI, which was a private flooring company acquired by L&P in 1986. During the acquisition, she became an operations manager.
Throughout her 48 years at L&P, Cindy has been a team leader and strategic thinker, working with diverse groups to ensure our processes and policies work best for our business, colleagues, and customers. She oversees operations for 12 branches within our Flooring Products business, leading teams for logistics, data control, customer service, and special projects.
Uniting Teams and Operations
Cindy has played an instrumental role in our Flooring Products business, helping complete seven major acquisitions. These acquisitions posed many challenges – think conflicting cultures, policies, and processes – but Cindy’s guidance kept them from becoming barriers. Through prioritizing communication and keeping an open mind, Cindy united teams and operations and often found better ways for our business to run.
“We provided documentation and onsite training for the incoming teams. For the new team members, overcoming a fear of the unknown and forging new professional relationships proved to be successful and rewarding,” says Cindy. “We often uncovered best practices and incorporated them into other Flooring Products operations. These were win-win situations.“
Solving Problems Through Consensus
As an operations manager, Cindy is an avid problem solver. And while she holds decades of operational experience to address issues that pop up, she’s always looking for ways to improve. To make meaningful change, she takes a relationship-based approach, building consensus on problems and solutions.
“It’s important to ensure an understanding of the problem and agree on the root cause. It’s also important to get everyone’s input on practical solutions and buy-in on what actions we will take,” says Cindy. “As a team leader, problem resolution is a key component of superior customer service, and the focus should be on identifying responsibility rather than blame. There will always be opportunities for teaching, learning, and/or process improvement.”
“Also, we should be flexible enough to say, ‘That did not work, but we will regroup and implement a successful resolution.’ Our customers demand and pay for results. Winners make it happen, and I am fortunate and blessed to be a member of this winning team!“
We are grateful for Cindy’s dedication and leadership!