Lessons From The Floor

We all know the value of good leadership and management. It can inspire people and bring out the best in them. It keeps employees engaged at work and keeps them from leaving because they feel valued.

What about employees? What is their take on management? From my experience, most employees don’t think very highly of their bosses. A recent study has put job dissatisfaction rates higher than sixty percent. That’s a lot of unhappy employees.

There are numerous ways for management to fail in the eyes of its employees. This blog is about the “Ivory Tower” manager. You know the kind, they sit in their office all day, sort of an enigma. Everyone knows they are there but sightings are rarer than those of Bigfoot. The only real evidence of their existence is the odd correspondence on the lunch room bulletin board with their signature on the bottom.

These types of managers have no concept of the true value of knowing their front line people. At company functions they fumble through names, mix up employees or just stick to themselves. I have seen this enough times now, where a manager approaches a group of employees and gets acknowledged instead of welcomed into the conversation. They float from clique to clique hoping to be recognized but in the end they end up with the other managers. They have truly reaped what they have sown. They didn’t take the time to earn the respect of their employees by simply making “face time” for them. They didn’t take the time to get to know their people. In turn, the employees don’t respect their boss and can’t be bothered to make time for them.

What this results in is poor communication and employee morale. Employees that don’t feel connected to the company or valued at their jobs either move on to other companies or continue to do only as much as they need to to collect a paycheck. Minds are like hearts, they will go where they are most appreciated.

It only takes an hour or so a week to wander through the factory with a smile on your face to change attitudes. A smile and a kind word to an employee can change the image of a manager almost instantly. you don’t have to speak to every employee, but when even a few know that you care, it doesn’t take long for news to spread. Once a week have lunch with your people on their turf. Go to the employee lunch room to see how things are going, they will be more receptive in the comfort and safety of their environment.

Your employees are your most important commodity, and your front line workers know more about your product and production than anyone else. Listen to what they have to say, but listen intently, they know when you’re sincere.

If you can’t make time for the most important part of your business, than what will you make time for?

Next up is the “Political Manager”

Chris Eh Young