Time With The Boss: Kevin Drollinger

Kevin Drollinger
EPWORTH CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES

What is your mission?

As my grandmother always told me, leave the world a better place than you found it. And each day I strive to do just that through the youth and families served by Epworth, our wonderful staff and volunteers, and most of all my family. That is my personal mission, which aligns nicely with Epworth’s: To help youth and families find strengths, break through obstacles, and build brighter futures.

What was your first job?
My first “real” job in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, was as a therapist for youth with intellectual and behavioral challenges. During my first week a youngster tried to urinate on me to get my attention … it worked!

What was your worst job?
My worst job was working at Stop-n-Go, the Wisconsin equivalent of a corner convenience store. I worked from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and was robbed twice during the summer that I worked there.

What led you to your industry?
I always had a soft spot for those who seemed quirky or different. Some of my best friends in school were those who weren’t among the most popular or athletic; I admired how they discovered their unique gifts and wanted to help others do the same. Psychology and social work seemed like a natural way to help achieve that goal.

What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
That’s a tough one. Certainly one of the smartest things we did was begin to embrace a philosophy called “top grading.” The basic premise is that instead of spending your management time on the lowest-performing members of your staff, you instead devote additional resources to your “stars”… your “A” players. It’s really having a positive impact on our culture and performance overall.

Who is your industry role model?
I have several. In particular, I admire area nonprofits that have a clear vision to “reinvent” themselves to match current needs. Three great examples of that are Youth In Need, the Wyman Center and Children’s Home Society. And the support Epworth receives from the United Way allows us to meet the current needs of the youth and families we serve.

How do you try to differentiate your business from others in your industry?
We have several principles that undergird everything we do: 1) Shine the light on mistakes and find ways to fix them now and in the future, 2) Always, always be truthful and keep our promises, and 3) Celebrate at least once every day!

What’s the hardest part of your job?
For me, the toughest part is when you need to make and implement tough staff decisions. I never lose sight of the fact that my decisions directly impact people’s lives in a big way.

What’s the best part?
One of my very favorite things is when one of our youth achieves success after working through all kinds of obstacles. A close second would be celebrating organizational successes by our board, our volunteers and staff as they carry our mission forward. These are also just a couple reasons why I have been with Epworth for 20 years.

What best advice would you share with new entrepreneurs?
Know what you do well, and even more importantly, know what you don’t do well. Then make sure you surround yourself with those who mitigate your weaknesses and have talents that exceed your own.