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Set the benchmark for employees, encourage Lean change in your organization.
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Senior management must provide tactical level employees the skills necessary to succeed in their tasks. But instead, often spend valuable resource's needlessly on a perceived enhanced technology that is simply a waste of resources. Organizations are Socio-Technical, give as much attention to the Socio side of the equation as the Technical to improve your bottom line.
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When I first approached this subject in my newsletter several months ago I suggested an alternate strategy is beneficial to spending capital for unnecessary changes to your technology and you should focus on the people side of the socio-technical equation. As money becomes tighter in a down economic cycle in manufacturing organizations the biggest bang for the spending buck is still on the (Socio) people side. But, before undertaking extensive training for employees to increase their performance, a good start point is to provide the company culture necessary for change. This is a top down-senior management-task to initiate. So, if installing an improved culture in your organization is the start point, what, then, are the benchmarks necessary to define your company culture? How do you want your employees to behave at the workplace? Consider the following.
Company cultures develop from the values people live their lives by. Values are brought into an organization. Your job as a manager, leader, superior is to refine the values and adapt them to the workplace. Refine means that if the value is not desired, weed it out. If the value is desired then adapt it. Fierce competitiveness versus teamwork-you get the point.
It is a new year, a difficult year for many businesses, and remains as an ideal opportunity to adapt good values as benchmarks. Start with your own value for self responsibility. If you want a workforce that embraces responsibility, then lead the way, walk your talk. Say so-long to pointing the finger of blame. You are not the victim of poor tactical level performance. You are the victim of your own decision making, resource allocation, staffing, and lack of controls that makes the poor performance possible. This is a hard value to accept but one that is necessary to grow a successful company, department, etc. Take total responsibility for everything that happens in your area of responsibility, lead the problem solving effort. Your subordinates will follow your example, you are providing a benchmark.
A second, and almost equally important value to self responsibility is projecting a positive attitude. Everyday, in how you present yourself, you are setting the benchmark. How you approach people, your communication, how you greet or neglect people, you are setting a benchmark for behavior and attitude. Listen to what an employee is saying, process what is being said, then respond in a positive manner-no matter how negative the employee might be. If you are ever rude or negative concerning an employee opinion or suggestion, take the time to revisit the worker and make the situation right, same day if possible.
These are only two values that can define a company culture. I suggest that if you truly want a company culture that embraces learning and continuous improvement you should schedule some time to brainstorm what values are evident in your company culture. If possible get together with a good cross section of your company-Manufacturing, Human Resources, Engineering, Finance, the major departments. Define the values for inclusion and exclusion in the company work environment. Publish the list, include the values in a refined mission statement. Improving your company culture will go a long way to building a workforce that looks forward to learning new skills and behaviors.
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Please visit our website emconsultingllc.com for our monthly articles on managing performance. Also, please use our contact information if your organization is interested in obtaining additional information or help for tactical operations problems. Next months newsletter will introduce methods to sustain change in companies.
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Providing Tactical Operations Knowledge to Support Client Partner Strategic Planning
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