| Many managers and executives sabotage employee | | | | perceptions are in line with reality.a) create an |
| performance systematically and regularly. | | | | organizational environment where it is safe to share |
| Why would they consciously or unconsciously | | | | openly problems, issuesand concerns without the fear |
| sabotage organization success with this destructive | | | | of retribution.b) don't edit the information you receive |
| management style? Change can be either a curse or | | | | regardless of the source.c) remember disagreement |
| a blessing. Most people fear, dislike and resist any | | | | doesn't mean disloyalty.d) encourage disagreement.e) |
| change that they perceive threatens their security, | | | | don't criticize, punish or discipline employees for bringing |
| future success or well being. | | | | reality to you.f) some of your best employees will be |
| Regardless of the best corporate intentions or | | | | the most outspoken. They may be difficult tomanage |
| agendas surrounding any change in policy, procedure, | | | | but they are worth their weight in gold, if you want to |
| re-organization or expansion, employees from the | | | | survive.g. pay attention to your "gut" feelings, they will |
| boardroom to the lunchroom tend to think the worst | | | | be right more than they are wrong,regardless of what |
| when change appears on the scene. Regardless of its | | | | you hear or are told. |
| purpose, need or anticipated outcome change is often | | | | Ego. |
| a saboteur of individual performance and organization | | | | Would you rather be happy or right? Uncontrolled egos |
| productivity and profits. | | | | have destroyed more enterprises than any other single |
| In order to maintain and or increase market share, | | | | ingredient. It takes a certain amount of ego to be |
| competitive posture, or long term financial stability, while | | | | successful when running a business, regardless of its |
| keeping customer satisfaction high and turnover to a | | | | size, but too much will earn people's wrath, contempt |
| minimum, it is essential that the perceptions, attitudes, | | | | and scorn. None of these make for a healthy |
| values and expectations of your human resources be | | | | corporate environment. I recommend the following:a) |
| taken seriously into account. In my thirty plus years of | | | | does your need for power, fame, control ever get in |
| experience as a trainer, speaker and consultant to a | | | | the way of sound practical business decisions?b) are |
| wide variety and size organizations worldwide I have | | | | you more concerned with getting vs. giving credit?c) |
| discovered there are twelve key issues that sabotage | | | | are you more interested in being right than the health |
| employee performance and productivity. | | | | or success of a project, activity or your organization |
| They are, | | | | as a whole?d) do you spend more time talking or |
| 1.Arrogance | | | | listening?e) do you tend to over power, intimidate or |
| 2. Ignorance | | | | manipulate people toward your opinion, answer or |
| 3. Poor or no coaching | | | | method? |
| 4. Poor hiring practices | | | | Management style. |
| 5. Isolation | | | | It is easy to determine; if your overall management |
| 6. Clouded perceptions | | | | style is positive or negative, if it contributes to |
| 7. Ego, Management style | | | | increased or decreased market share, greater or |
| 8. Inconsistent communication patterns | | | | lesser profits and increasing or decreasing customer |
| 9. Inadequate human resource development and | | | | base, if it contributes to improved employee |
| training | | | | performance or increased stress and employee |
| 10. Negative motivational climate | | | | turnover. There are six questions to ask yourself:a) is |
| 11. Poorly communicated corporate direction and goals | | | | your organization a fun place to work?b) do people |
| 12. Not in touch with reality | | | | look forward to coming to work?c) do your people |
| 13. Inconsistent feedback mechanisms | | | | love their work?d) are people waiting in line to join your |
| 14. Corporate Culture. | | | | organization or do many of your employees have their |
| Let's look at a few of these briefly. | | | | resumes on the street?e) do people trust and respect |
| Arrogance. This is the general attitude that the | | | | each other or is mistrust rampant?f) do your people |
| organization is invincible regardless of its abuses of | | | | take ownership of department and corporate |
| customers, employees, the environment, vendors or | | | | outcomes or do they showup, do their job and go |
| competitors. | | | | home? |
| Ignorance. This is often related to arrogance, but it | | | | Your answers to these questions will give you a |
| goes even deeper. It is being out of touch with the | | | | reasonably accurate assessment as to whether you |
| realities that exist within the organization as well as | | | | need to modify your management style or if you are |
| those outside the organization. It includes but is not | | | | on the right track. |
| limited to: a lack of effective understanding and/or use | | | | Communication patterns. |
| of technology, a lack of awareness of customer | | | | Do your people have to be in the right place at the |
| attitudes or perceptions, a lack of interest in employee | | | | right time to know what is going on in your |
| position needs, desires, concerns or problems, a lack of | | | | organization? Are all your employees kept informed in |
| understanding of marketing or consumer shifts or | | | | a timely manner on key corporate decisions that |
| trends, a lack of awareness of competitor activities, | | | | affect them? Is there excessive redundancy |
| objectives or agendas, and a lack of empathy for | | | | anywhere in the organization? Are there mini kingdoms |
| supplier issues, problems, needs, or desires. | | | | where people have circled the wagons and edit |
| Isolation. This is the approach of keeping employees, | | | | information before it leaves or enters a department? |
| customers and suppliers at a safe distance so that | | | | Do you have excess employee turnover? Are stress |
| your perceptions, opinions, philosophy and /or opinions | | | | levels throughout the organization increasing? Is your |
| are not challenged. | | | | corporate culture defined by, "you better get it in |
| Clouded Perceptions. This is being unwilling to see past | | | | writing?" These are just a few of the symptoms of |
| the visible and the evident to the underlying causes, | | | | poor communication. I recommend the following ideas |
| symptoms or contributors. | | | | for your consideration:a) remove any layers or blocks |
| Ego. This is the desire to be right, control, manipulate, | | | | between employees and/or departments that may |
| hold on to rather than delegate power, authority and | | | | bepreventing "real world" information getting to the |
| responsibility beyond your office door or trusted inner | | | | people that need it.b) bypass your direct reports, and |
| circle. It is having an open door policy, but a closed | | | | talk with support staff to test the integrity of the |
| mind when people walk through it. | | | | messages that are getting through to your organization |
| Management Style. This is the style in which | | | | or department.c) ensure that there are no duel or |
| management staff interact on a routine basis with | | | | mixed messages that are penetrating the |
| other managers, support staff, customers and | | | | organization.d) correct destructive rumors that may be |
| suppliers. | | | | creating incorrect perceptions.e) encourage the |
| Communication patterns. This is the manner in which | | | | upward flow of unedited information.f) listen and read |
| information flows throughout the organization. From top | | | | between the lines of all communication.g) listen for the |
| down, bottom up, department to department, inside the | | | | emotion and feeling behind conversations.h) weigh truth |
| organization to outside and how outside-in information | | | | on truth scales and sincerity on sincerity scales. |
| is distributed. | | | | Human resource development. |
| Human resource development. Simply stated, this is the | | | | The investment you make in your people's skills and |
| overall philosophy about how much of your corporate | | | | attitudes will come back again and again to your |
| resources should be invested in the skill development | | | | bottom line. It may not always be evident directly but it |
| and attitude management of your people. | | | | will show up in improved loyalty, morale, ability and |
| Lack of clear communicated direction. One of the | | | | overall performance. Training is an investment in a |
| greatest obstacles to effective employee | | | | secure future not a cost. There is never a bad time to |
| performance is when your employees haven't a clue | | | | train and educate people. Training should be on-going |
| as to who you are trying to become, where you are | | | | and relevant. I recommend the following:a) use inside |
| going and why. | | | | resources for technical and industry training and |
| Poor feedback mechanisms. One of the biggest | | | | out-source general skills and attitude training.b) off the |
| weaknesses of managers today is the ability to give | | | | shelf training programs have limited benefit, consider |
| both positive and negative feedback. Negative | | | | only custom designed in-house programs when |
| feedback should not be designed to punish, but modify | | | | out-sourcing this activity.c) training must be regularly |
| behavior. Positive feedback is to insure that people | | | | reinforced. You can not change behavior for the long |
| know and understand the expectations and standards | | | | haul with a half day public or in-house seminar or |
| under which they are to function. | | | | video.d) prior to developing a training or human |
| Culture. Corporate culture is the personality of an | | | | resource development program survey the real needs, |
| organization. It is the written and unwritten rules and | | | | issues, problems and opportunities that are present |
| expectations of behavior, interaction, and performance. | | | | with the group that will participate.e) have clear |
| It is the rites and rituals that govern peoples attitudes | | | | focused objectives for any program and develop |
| and activities. It is the corporate paradigm that | | | | some form of measurement device no matter how |
| permeates every strategy, action, and decision. | | | | simple or unsophisticated. |
| Let's go into a little more detail on the above items. | | | | Lack of clear communicated direction. |
| Arrogance. | | | | Do your people, all of them, know where you are |
| To succeed in today's competitive ever-changing | | | | going, and do they care? One of the biggest obstacles |
| global environment will require:a) a willingness to admit | | | | to effective employee performance is a lack of |
| defeat and wrong decisions.b) humilityc) flexibilityd) | | | | awareness as to the direction or mission of the |
| compromisee) a willingness to let go of people, | | | | organization. Your mission is your general statement of |
| products, policies or procedures, regardless | | | | purpose. What you stand for and believe in. It is your |
| whosupported them, created them, hired them that are | | | | corporate identity. There is a right and need to know |
| no longer in the best interestsof the organization as a | | | | when it comes to corporate information. Not every |
| whole. There will be a greater emphasis on what is | | | | employee needs to understand your financial |
| best forthe health and welfare of the organization | | | | statement, the details of future growth plans or |
| rather than who said it, decided it,or supported it.f) | | | | acquisitions, however, every employee has a need and |
| adapting to change regardless of how uncomfortable | | | | right to be privy to your general direction, and how |
| or challenging the new environmentmay seem. | | | | they will fit into the new picture. |
| Ignorance. | | | | I recommend the following ideas for your |
| The use of information is power. However, if you lack | | | | consideration:a) if you have not written a corporate |
| current information on market trends, competitor | | | | mission statement, I encourage you to do so. When |
| strategies and activities, customer attitudes and | | | | developing it, ensure that it is consistent with who your |
| employee perceptions you will be operating in a | | | | organization really is not who or what you believe it to |
| vacuum. I recommend the following to ensure you are | | | | be.b) once written share it with every employee to |
| making the best possible decisions on strategy, finance, | | | | ensure both understanding and acceptance.c) put your |
| marketing, manufacturing and distribution:a) use your | | | | top three goals in writing and see that every employee |
| field sales people as an information gathering | | | | gets a copy.d) constantly re-evaluate to determine if |
| resource.b) conduct regular employee surveys to | | | | your activities, communication, tasks, objectives and |
| discover department, product/service, employeeand | | | | agendas are consistent with your mission statement. |
| procedure strengths, weaknesses, and needs. These | | | | Poor feedback mechanisms. |
| surveys should be conductedconfidentially and | | | | Everyone wants and needs to know if what they are |
| evaluated by an outside resource.c) conduct regular | | | | doing is correct and how they are doing it is |
| customer audits to evaluate perceptions, needs, trends, | | | | acceptable. Negative feedback should not be designed |
| attitudes,problems and produce usage profiles.d) meet | | | | to punish, but modify behavior. Feedback both positive |
| regularly with suppliers to determine where the | | | | and negative can dramatically improve performance |
| relationship could be improvede) network with other | | | | and results. I recommend the following:a) praise in public |
| business leaders both in and out of your industry.f) | | | | and private.b) criticize in private.c) don't ignore negative |
| become a voracious reader of business and industry | | | | behavior. It sends the message that it is acceptable or |
| publications that directly orindirectly impact on your | | | | tolerable.d) annual reviews are generally a waste of |
| present or future.g) bypass your direct reports and | | | | time. Most are conducted poorly. Besides, if you have |
| regularly meet with support personnel to | | | | behavior that needs changing you don't want to wait a |
| discoverprejudices, judgments, problems and | | | | year to correct it. I suggest quarterly informal |
| opportunities that are being missed.h) use your outside | | | | discussions on: expectations, needs, problems and |
| resources as information centers to fill in the gaps | | | | issues either from the perspective of the supervisor or |
| where yourprejudices or the prejudices of your | | | | the employee.e) feedback should be immediate and |
| employees may be jaded. | | | | delivered in a manner to ensure |
| Isolation. | | | | understanding,acceptance and ownership.f) ask your |
| You can't run your organization successfully from | | | | employees to give you a review every time you give |
| behind your desk or locked in the boardroom. The job | | | | them one. If you think you are perfect or they don't |
| of management is to manage not hide. If I have heard | | | | know your weaknesses you are living in fantasyland. |
| it once I have heard it hundreds of times. "We have | | | | Culture. |
| too many meetings at the upper level of this | | | | Culture is the personality style of the organization. It is |
| organization that are generally a waste of time." I | | | | the unwritten rules, rights and rituals that act as a filter |
| concede that meetings are necessary but evaluation, | | | | through which every decision, project, task, goal and |
| implementation, execution and directed purposeful | | | | activity must pass. Corporate culture has its stamp on |
| action takes place on the street, on the shop floor, in | | | | every person, policy and procedure. There can also be |
| the distribution center not in the meeting room. I | | | | department, division and group cultures within the |
| recommend the following:a) start your day with a | | | | overall corporate culture. The impact of culture on the |
| "walk-about". get to know your people. Be visible | | | | health, success and longevity of an organization can |
| andinterested.b) end your day with another | | | | not be denied. I suggest the following:a) conduct an |
| "walk-about" for the same reason.c) be accessible for | | | | employee culture audit. This can be done either |
| people when they need information, decisions, | | | | formally or informally. It can be written or verbal. It can |
| feedback, counsel, tovent, share, learn, grow, help with | | | | be confidential or public.b) see if your culture is |
| your insight, experience, knowledge and sense | | | | consistent with your mission statements' premises and |
| ofhistory.d) have an open door as well as an open | | | | philosophy.c) is your culture changing? If so how? How |
| mind when people get there.e) learn to listen between | | | | fast? In the direction you would like?d) remember all |
| the lines.f) ask lots of questions.g) never be too busy | | | | culture is top down. It flows down from the senior |
| to coach an employee who asks for help, advice or | | | | person in the group,department or organization. You |
| guidance. | | | | must take full responsibility for it regardless of its |
| Clouded perceptions. | | | | nature or description.e) if you want to change your |
| Perceptions become reality. What is believed to be | | | | culture it will take time, lots of time. |
| true regardless of whether it is true or not is acted | | | | Well there you have it. Woven in the above concepts |
| upon as if it was true. When you make a decision, any | | | | are the seeds of improved employee and organization |
| decision, or form a judgment with less than a clear | | | | productivity or the seeds of destruction. I challenge you |
| vision of what is really true, you are bound to make | | | | to reflect on these ideas to determine in which areas |
| mistakes. Some mistakes at the top cost organizations | | | | you, one of your executives or managers or the |
| very little, while others have put organizations out to | | | | organization as a whole needs modification or |
| pasture. There is only one way to ensure that your | | | | improvement. |