Roll International Co-Chair Lynda Resnick talks about ways to stay nimble in an ever-changing world and how to find and retain the best talent.

Question:rnHow can a big company stay nimble?

LyndarnResnick:            Well,rnfirst of all, each division has its own president.  They’re a stand along company.  So FIJI has a president, POM has a… and so forth and so on.  Although we use the parent company forrnlegal, we have an in-house advertising agency called the Fire Station.  And they serve all the groups.  And the PR is central but then, theyrnhave people assigned and so forth. rnBut each company runs in a very entrepreneurial way. 

Andrnone of the things that’s rewarded at our companies is the entrepreneurialrnspirit.  So they know that that’srnhow you do well by coming up with the big ideas and being entrepreneurial. 

Question:rnWhat kind of manager are you?

LyndarnResnick:            Well,rnat this point, what I do is I have meetings with each group once a week or morernif necessary. I talked to them everyday but I go in and review the work and sornforth with some companies. rnCompanies are like people. rnThey have a life cycle.  Andrnso, POM is just getting out of their toddler stage right now.  But Teleflora’s mature.  And I just had to reinvent thatrncompany.  So I am more involvedrnwith Teleflora, let’s say.  I usernto be the president of Teleflora, like, 24 years ago, 25 years ago. 

ButrnI have a great president, a great staff there but right now, they need me arnlittle more.  The nut business,rndoesn’t do as much advertising and marketing as the other businesses.  And so… And I’ve a very strong guidernthere.  And he’s much more salesrnorientated and does a lot with the international expansion.  So he’s fine.  He doesn’t need me so much.  And so, I go where I’m needed.  And I tend to have very big meetings, these days, at thisrnpoint in my life, with a lot of people on board so they all get the message andrnwe go through the agenda.  And I’mrnvery detail orientated.  My god isrnin the details.  It’s awful.  I can’t help.  But everything has the same importance.  I tried… That’s why, sometimes, myrnengine runs down.  People say to myrnhusband, “Oh, Linda has so much energy.” rnHe says, “You should see her at 9:30 at night.” 

Question:rnWhat’s the secret to effective hiring?

LyndarnResnick:            Well,rnit’s very important that we can work together, obviously.  But I have learned the hard way.  That you can spend 6 monthsrninterviewing somebody and you’ll know more the first 3 hours they’re at workrnthan you will ever know from these interviews.  And so, you try to do your due diligence.  It’s very hard for people to tell yournthe truth where they work before but there are ways to find out how successfulrnthey were because it’s a small world and you know and thank God forrnGoogle.  And you just go with yourrninstinct, I’m afraid, in the end. rnYou just do. 

Recordedrnon: March 17, 2009