One of the danger signs in an organization is when all of the good ideas come from the top. It is a sure sign of stagnation or premature
aging. The biggest waste in almost every company is not scrap, utilities, or computer cost. It is the absolute waste of the human resource! Employees want to have some creative input into their jobs. They hire in expecting to be heard, to suggest improvements, to have some control over their job. What they get is a deaf ear to their ideas, told to just do and not think, and supervisors who are referees and not coaches. Amazingly then, the owners and plant managers and other executives blame the workers for leaving, not working hard and having an indifferent attitude at work. The real culprit is the management practices of the company. And that starts at the top of the organization. The owner or senior executive on site sets the example. Remember, the other managers follow the lead of their leader. If their ideas aren’t heard, why should they listen to the workers? Workers leave because they are not valued, not heard and abused by management.

Managers are often selected for poor reasons (been here the longest, best technician or salesperson, can’t find anyone else). Then they receive little if any training in understanding how and why people work. Remember, these new supervisors are following the lead of their leaders. Is it any wonder that some companies do well at all? I am watching to see the poor performing companies start having major problems now that the economy has slowed. The time to prepare and train is in good times not bad times. But if a company finds itself hurting,look to invest in your managers. Your employees work for that first-line supervisor and will leave because the supervisor can’t lead or manage.

The Models for Management Seminar

is an excellent way to get started on understanding why people work and how you view them.