June 2011

Dash to the finish line

Dominick Morizio Jr, COO and general manager of Dash Brands, opens his diary


In the past 1.5 years that I've been working at Dash Brands, my role has constantly been changing. It's particularly exciting now, as the company is going through a major expansion. I'm a very high-energy person, so I am really enjoying it. What helps is that I've been doing martial arts for 20 years; I need that type of physical stamina to keep going.


It's no secret that many companies in China face human resources challenges and experience difficulties with finding the right talent. Since our firm has been growing rapidly lately, bringing in the right people and ensuring that they integrate into the team smoothly hasn't been easy. There is also an uphill battle in terms of training employees with diverse backgrounds to understand and integrate into Dash's company culture.  Many younger Chinese employees who may not have worked with major brands don't understand what creating a "brand experience" is all about. Although we still need to find a few more pieces before this puzzle is complete, the team is coming together well. That's given me a real sense of achievement.


The brands we operate have also been growing and seeing improvements. Subway, for example, had a breakthrough this year: In our mystery shopper program, which is scored out of 100 points, the sandwich chain has improved 10-15 points in terms of its customer service. While the company is seeing rewards, the next big question for Subway is, "How are we going to keep building on this momentum?"


Observing trends in Chinese consumer attitudes is one of the most interesting aspects of my job. Particularly in Shanghai, people are always on the lookout for new things to try. We often see people from older generations coming into stores like Subway and asking, "Hey, what's this?" There's a perception that Chinese people are attracted to new brands that are Western and therefore, more "fashionable." But this belief is wrong and dated. Locals don't care if you're the biggest brand – all they want to know is, is the price right and does it taste good?


New marketing methods keep emerging, particularly on the internet. It's a challenge maintaining relevancy as a leader in the face of such rapid industry changes, especially in China. It can feel like the sand is slipping through your fingers – you've got to keep scooping pretty fast. To avoid feeling outdated, I'm constantly reading. I recently finished a textbook titled Essentials of Organizational Behavior by Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge, which covers topics such as motivation and leadership, and also interesting issues like trust, work-life balance, workplace spirituality and knowledge management.


One of the most important things I've learned as a leader is that you have to design a work environment where people can make mistakes. At the same time, you have to be relentless in maintaining standards. I often discuss problems that I see at stores with our brands' general managers. Even though I am passionate about the business, I'm not going to get angry – that just de-motivates people. Instead, I will take the manager to the store, point out problems and ask: "How will you address this problem? Let's resolve it together." You have to sweat the small stuff; but, at the same time, don't get too bogged down in details. Finding a balance between these two things is something you learn with time.