Thomas R. Beug

For more than 30 years, Tom has been actively involved in virtually all aspects of strategic organizational development, management and marketing. He began his career as a marketing manager with McDonald's Systems Inc. He has owned and operated five restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area. He has also served as a senior officer with Rosenfeld, Sirowitz and Lawson, Advertising Inc. (New York), Steak 'n' Shake Restaurants, and Elaine Powers Fitness Centers.

Along with being a Summit Group principal and president of the group, Tom is also an owner of Auto Driveaway, which transports vehicles, primarily for companies. For more information on this service, visit http:/Auto Driveaway.net.

His practice focuses on strategic organizational development. He helps senior management identify the need for organizational change and implement it. He also helps with corporate strategic planning; marketing plans, management development programs, team building and internal communications.

Some of his recent and current client projects include:

• Assessment of internal communications plan for the U.S. Postal Service
• Team building for a cellular phone service
• Strategic needs assessment for a a risk management and benefits consulting firm
• Acquisition implementation for a privately held investment firm
• Strategic planning, management development and team building for the City of South Bend, Ind.
• Strategic planning for a consumer products manufacturing company
• Strategic planning and succession planning for a computer consulting firm
• Management team building for a law firm.
• Strategic planning for a wholesale distributor
• Strategic planning and executive recruiting for a consulting engineering firm
• Management development and employee turnover reduction for a franchised chain of fitness centers
• Strategic planning for an architectural design firm
• Strategic planning for a publishing company affiliations
• Summit Group Associates, Ltd., strategic alliance of management consultants,  Founder/President
• Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce CEO Round Table
• Milwaukee Athletic Club Board of Directors — chair and  Membership Development Committee
• Registered by the State of Wisconsin as an executive recruiter
• Frequent presenter for CEO groups on goal setting and management development

Tom’s 10 Tips on how CEOs can bring about strategic change within organizations:

1. Decide if you are willing to change your role, responsibilities and position in your organization. Consider what this will mean to you on a personal level. You must do this before you contemplate going any further.
   
2. Get an outside, impartial, independent assessment of your organization.
   
3. Gather a group that you respect and trust to put together the change plan, and follow up weekly on the status of the plan.
   
4. Remember that control is an illusion. People will follow you because they want to, not because they have to.
   
5. Make sure that everyone in the organization understands your strategic objectives.
   
6. Make sure your compensation plan rewards employees for doing things that help you to achieve the organizations mission.
   
7. Hire only people whose values are consistent with yours.
   
8. Be aware of the danger signs that suggest the need for change:
   • You aren’t excited about going to work
   • High employee turn over rate
   • Politicized groups warring within the organization
   • Consistent failure to meet financial or operational objectives
     
9. Get an impartial assessment of your customers’ satisfaction with your product and service and react to it.
   
10. Change.

Tom Beug on the biggest change in the consulting business in the last 10 years:

"The personal computer, coupled with the Internet, has made it possible for relatively small companies like The Summit Group to compete with the giants. Things are moving a lot faster. Our clients need to quickly respond to the needs of their employees and customers.  And they expect us to react to their needs quicker than ever."

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