Category Archives: Culture

Environment of Distrust

My next meeting was to hear the other side of the story.

“I hear you are re-thinking your productivity bonus for the production crew?” I asked.

“You bet we are,” Ralph stated flatly. “I know you just met with them. You have no idea what kind of havoc they created. It’s bad enough we had to scrap an entire day’s production run. Then they pulled all the inventory and re-ran everything, so I have a full crew here today with nothing to do. We are trying to get some more raw materials in, but we are having to pay a 30 percent rush charge. And to top it off, they knew they weren’t supposed to work overtime, so they punched out. Now I have someone complaining to the Department of Labor that we forced them to work off the clock. What a mess.”

“See what you started?”

“What are you talking about?” Ralph stepped back.

“That bonus you created,” I replied.

“Nothing wrong with a bonus, I just can’t believe what the crew did, just to get it,” he defended.

“So, you set up an environment of distrust and now you can’t believe how your game backfired.”

“What do you mean distrust?”

“You decided to withhold $100 of their pay, because you didn’t trust your team to do their best.”

Ralph looked puzzled. “No, the $100 was a bonus.”

“No, you were holding $100 of their pay, because you didn’t trust your team to do their best,” I repeated. “You set up the game, they were just playing it and you didn’t like the outcome. By the way, they earned their bonus according to your rules, so you are obligated to pay it.”

Ralph just stared.

Not a Question of Balance

From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:
I am trying to balance between when to fire someone and when to keep them on, because they know so much and it would take awhile to train someone new. It seems easier to keep them than to pray the new person will pick up what they need to know to do the position. Or if I know I am going to fire that person, how do I get them to impart the knowledge they have, into system write ups, without them thinking I am going to fire them? I hope this makes sense.

Response:
It makes perfect sense. The perfect sense is that you have a low trust environment and there are a lot of games going on.

First. When did you allow your methods and processes to be developed and not documented? Standard operating procedures are created for the reason you describe. Don’t wait until you have a problem. Start now. Involve your team in the process. You might see changes in behavior when you focus them on “best practices.”

Second. When did you decide that new team members should just “pick up” what they need to know? What happened to your orientation and training program?

This is not a question of balance. This is a question of appropriate managerial leadership practices. The good news is that you can start today, to make the necessary changes.

Next Monday is the Labor Day holiday in the US. See you all next Tuesday. -TF

What Do You Look For?

“I understand that it would be helpful to know about Julio’s value system,” Nelson pushed back. “But what am I supposed to ask him. Are you honest?

“My guess is that he would say, yes. Yes and no questions seldom give us much information that’s really useful. And remember, this would be most helpful if it’s about the work he is doing.”

Nelson was still puzzled. “I am supposed to ask him how he values the work?”

“He won’t understand the question if you ask it that way. Try these questions.

  • Before we ship this product to the customer, what is the most important thing we have to remember?
  • When the customer receives this product, what is the most important thing they look for?
  • When we show up at the customer’s location, what do you think the customer expects from us?
  • Before we leave a customer location, what is the most important thing we have to remember?
  • When you look around at your team mates, thinking about their work, what do you find most helpful to you?
  • What do you look for in a new person joining the team?

“All these questions will give you insight into Julio’s value system related to the work.” -TF

Working Against Ourselves

“What’s at stake here?” I asked. “You seem disturbed by this growing divide in your company, this sense of distrust. Though you may blame it on the economy, the seeds were sown long ago. You didn’t see them, but the trust between managers and team members has always been troublesome. That’s why there are so many consultants and books on management.”

Lindsey grinned. “So, what can I say? What can I do, as a Manager, to create a higher level of trust?”

“I want to drive this discussion deeper,” I started. “Because I am not sure if there is anything you can say that speaks louder than the managerial systems in your company.”

“What do you mean, managerial systems? I mean, I know what a system is. But, do you mean we have systems that create distrust?”

“It’s possible,” I nodded. “Many companies, with the best of intentions, create people systems that work against, precisely, what they are trying to achieve.”

Breaking the Divide

“With this economy, I feel there is a growing lack of trust inside our company. There seems to be a growing divide between management and everyone else,” Lindsey described.

“What do you see, that makes you say that?” I asked.

“Sometimes I think it is just grumbling in the hallway, conversations in the breakroom. I think people are withdrawing, looking out for themselves.”

“People are always governed by their own self-interest. What is different now?”

“It’s just an uneasy feeling I have,” Lindsey replied. “I mean, I know we have had to make some adjustments, some layoffs, some of us, including me, have even taken pay cuts. It’s been a tough time.”

“What can we do, intentionally, consistently, to create an environment where trust can have a chance?” -TF

Give Thanks

“And what do you say, to those who remain?”

“Be kind,” Lydia replied. “For those who remain, be kind. Be kind to those who have to leave. Be kind to those around you.

“Be grateful,” she continued. “Give thanks.”
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Tomorrow, the US celebrates the holiday of Thanksgiving. The holiday commemorates a meal of the harvest. Its origin may have been a meal in 1565 in St. Augustine Florida, or another in 1621, Plymouth Plantation. It is a time when families and friends come together to celebrate and give thanks for the world we live in.

Management Skills Blog will return next Monday, December 1, 2008.

Reasons People Work?

From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Hassan writes:

Good day Mr. Tom. I really appreciate the service you are providing. I’ve got a business studies assignment to create 20 reasons why people work. Could you please help me out with some reasons?

In response to Hassan’s request, think about why it is important for people to work. Hint: It’s not for the money. Please post your comments and we will debrief tomorrow.

To view comments as they are posted, please visit the site www.managementblog.org.

What is Work?

“Perhaps we should define the word, work. That might help us better understand why people need to work. What is work?” I asked.

“This is going to be a trick question,” Vicki replied.

I nodded. I had known Vicki for a couple of years. She was used to my trick questions. “It’s only a trick question because you really have to think about the answer,” I agreed.

“If you caught me at my office,” I continued, “leaning back in my chair, arms folded behind my head, feet up on the desk, how would you describe my activity at that moment?”

Vicki grinned, “I could say that you were goofing off, but I know better. You would be thinking.”

“And what would I be thinking about?”

“I don’t know, your next project, how to solve a problem, perhaps thinking about a decision that needed to be made?” she floated.

“Yes, so would you call that work?” I stopped as Vicki nodded in agreement. “And if one of your technicians goes outside to the picnic area for a break, and he isn’t goofing off, what would he be doing?”

I could see Vicki looking for the trick in the question. “Okay, if he is not goofing off, then he is probably thinking.”

“And what is he thinking about?” I asked.

“Well, he is probably thinking about his next project, how to solve a problem.”

“Yes, and so, would you call that work?” -TF

A Deeper Need

“They work because they have to,” Vicki repeated.

“Let me change a word,” I replied. “They work because they need to.”

“Well, yeah, same thing.”

“Only if we can talk about the need. What is the need that requires people to work?”

“They have to work, I mean, they need to work because they need the money to survive, to pay their mortgage, make their car payment.”

I shook my head from side to side. “It’s a noble attempt, but there is a deeper need. If you only see the benefit of work as a paycheck, as a Manager, you will be led down the wrong path. For a Manager, that path is miserable and unproductive. As a Manager, that path will cause you to create systems that breed unproductive behavior. So let’s try again. What is the need that requires people to work?” -TF

Contribution

“Why does your boss work?” I asked Vicki. “He doesn’t need the money, not anymore.”

“Well, yeah,” Vicki stammered. “He works because that’s who he is. I mean, he has power.” She stopped and chuckled. “He gets to tell people what to do.”

“So, it’s different for your boss, than it is for you?”

“Well, of course it is. If I made as much money as he does, I would come to work because, because.” Her voice trailed off.

“So, the only way you could be happy in your job, is if you made as much money as your boss? The only way your team members could be happy in their jobs is if they made as much money as your boss?”

Vicki was unsure of her response. “I could never make as much money as my boss,” she finally replied. “What I do isn’t worth that much money. What I do has value, but, but. But I am paid, about right, for what I do, for the value I bring to the company.”

“You are paid, about right? Then why do you work? Part of it is money, it is a symbolic trade for your contribution. And, what is the other part, why do you work?”