Here are some interesting statistics from some recent studies:
only 41% of employees believe their managers listen to the ideas they present to them.
37% (more than a third) felt their company's management was inaccessible to them.
a majority 60% felt their company's suggestion program was ineffective.
But here's the interesting part. According to one research firm, each employee suggestion was worth approximately $6,000 to a company in cost savings, etc.
So why does it sound like hardly anybody is listening?
One reason (and the one close to half of the people participating in the studies mentioned above would probably believe) is that employee suggestion boxes are just there for show. A sop to keep the employees quiet.
The big reason - at least what I would hope - is like so many other well intentioned projects, many (and perhaps most) employee suggestion programs do not have systems in place to handle the incoming suggestions. Is there a central place to accumulate them? Is there staff assigned to review, filter and pass on the most "promising" suggestions?
Hanging out a box for people to put pieces of paper in isn't a system - it is a recipe for further employee frustration and disengagement.
If you want input, then make it possible to listen.
02 September, 2010 | mtomsho | Leave comment - 0
why won't they listen?
A committee of one
When I was a kid, my father had an interesting way of assigning certain kinds of work. He would take you aside, smile, and say "I need something done, you will be a committee of one, of which you shall be chairman." These were the most dreaded tasks, because when he said that, he meant you were on your own; you had to figure out how to get it done, and you alone were responsible for getting it done.
Not everyone claims to desire leadership positions. Not everyone wants to be "in charge". Unfortunately, the fact is we can't escape having to take on leadership, if only sometimes for ourselves.
All of the attributes we look for in leaders we can look for in ourselves. All of the ways a leader can work around their vulnerabilities, we can adapt for ourselves. We don't need to inspire a group, but we do need to inspire ourselves.
A leaderless group gets little done. Why should an individual be any different?
30 April, 2010 | mtomsho | Leave comment - 0
Not everyone claims to desire leadership positions. Not everyone wants to be "in charge". Unfortunately, the fact is we can't escape having to take on leadership, if only sometimes for ourselves.
All of the attributes we look for in leaders we can look for in ourselves. All of the ways a leader can work around their vulnerabilities, we can adapt for ourselves. We don't need to inspire a group, but we do need to inspire ourselves.
A leaderless group gets little done. Why should an individual be any different?
30 April, 2010 | mtomsho | Leave comment - 0
full time leader, part time manager
It isn't about being in charge all the time. Sometimes leading is all about providing the spark to get things going, then letting the managers take over again.
Late one summer, I found myself in some undeveloped part of Kentucky with a bunch of friends. Our youth group had left a rather comfortable campground to finish up the week "roughing" it. As often happens in life, a comedy of errors ensued and the main part of the group found itself alone with the sun approaching the horizon, and the group organizers and adult chaperones off trying to build a bridge of some sort. Everyone was milling around trying to figure out what to do and starting to get a little worried that we would not have a camp. At this point someone approached me and said "do something."
I'll never know why he approached me in particular (I don't remember standing in a particularly heroic pose or anything), but since he had asked, I obliged. I called the group together (about 40 kids), and explained the situation: it was going to be dark soon, we needed places cleaned up so we could lay down sleeping bags, and of course we needed a fire. I found four people who knew had to build a fire from scratch and set them to it; they grabbed some volunteers to collect firewood. Everyone else began staking out spots to sleep and cleaning them out. For the next hour or so, I resolved arguments over proper fire starting technique and appropriate places to lay down a sleeping bag.
By the time the organizers had returned with the adults, we had a nice fire pit blazing and a clean camp site surrounding the fire. I happily returned control over to the "managers" and went back to being just another camper.
Are you afraid to lead because you see yourself getting stuck in the nitty-gritty details? Look for those opportunities that allow you to be the spark, the one who gets things started, get it to a point where others can step in and run with it, then let go. You can be a full time leader and a part time manager.
26 April, 2010 | mtomsho | Leave comment - 0
Late one summer, I found myself in some undeveloped part of Kentucky with a bunch of friends. Our youth group had left a rather comfortable campground to finish up the week "roughing" it. As often happens in life, a comedy of errors ensued and the main part of the group found itself alone with the sun approaching the horizon, and the group organizers and adult chaperones off trying to build a bridge of some sort. Everyone was milling around trying to figure out what to do and starting to get a little worried that we would not have a camp. At this point someone approached me and said "do something."
I'll never know why he approached me in particular (I don't remember standing in a particularly heroic pose or anything), but since he had asked, I obliged. I called the group together (about 40 kids), and explained the situation: it was going to be dark soon, we needed places cleaned up so we could lay down sleeping bags, and of course we needed a fire. I found four people who knew had to build a fire from scratch and set them to it; they grabbed some volunteers to collect firewood. Everyone else began staking out spots to sleep and cleaning them out. For the next hour or so, I resolved arguments over proper fire starting technique and appropriate places to lay down a sleeping bag.
By the time the organizers had returned with the adults, we had a nice fire pit blazing and a clean camp site surrounding the fire. I happily returned control over to the "managers" and went back to being just another camper.
Are you afraid to lead because you see yourself getting stuck in the nitty-gritty details? Look for those opportunities that allow you to be the spark, the one who gets things started, get it to a point where others can step in and run with it, then let go. You can be a full time leader and a part time manager.
26 April, 2010 | mtomsho | Leave comment - 0
an important lesson
Much as we would like to believe that our experience, knowledge, or just plain amazing ability ensures that our judgment is flawless, we all make mistakes. I remember one that I made very vividly, and the lesson that I learned from it.
One of the departments I oversaw as an executive for an Internet company was Customer Service. The manager of the group was highly competent and extremely outspoken (my favorite kind of person to work with!). We were recruiting for a new service representative, and I was involved in the interview process. One candidate came through that was experienced, competent, but a little reserved. I felt I saw a little of myself in them. In a review of candidates the manager rejected that particular candidate. Up until then, I had only acted as a sounding board for the manager, asking questions to ensure that the decisions made had considered as many variables as possible. In this case I overruled the manager, saying that I felt this candidate had enormous potential, and would be a great asset to the team. We argued over the hire for a bit, but since I was "the boss" I prevailed.
The person "I" hired lasted three months. They did poorly in the training, and after a couple of months they missed work without notifying the manager. We tried to make things work, but we were forced to terminate them.
The mistake I feel I made may not be the one you think though. Yes, I let my judgment be clouded by feeling a connection with this person because of a trait I felt we shared, and maybe I should have been/be more of a hard-nose, but being a hard-nose is not my nature (perhaps it is a vulnerability?) and I suspect the same type of thing would happen again. No, the mistake I made was overruling someone who I had entrusted with the job of running the day-to-day operations of the Customer Service department, for a personal reason. Someone who had earned my trust, someone who was willing to question my judgment. I made it personal. I forgot my own rules about leadership and management; I became an obstacle.
The manager happily accepted my apology and of course teased me mercilessly about it for quite some time. I deserved it.
22 April, 2010 | mtomsho | Leave comment - 0
One of the departments I oversaw as an executive for an Internet company was Customer Service. The manager of the group was highly competent and extremely outspoken (my favorite kind of person to work with!). We were recruiting for a new service representative, and I was involved in the interview process. One candidate came through that was experienced, competent, but a little reserved. I felt I saw a little of myself in them. In a review of candidates the manager rejected that particular candidate. Up until then, I had only acted as a sounding board for the manager, asking questions to ensure that the decisions made had considered as many variables as possible. In this case I overruled the manager, saying that I felt this candidate had enormous potential, and would be a great asset to the team. We argued over the hire for a bit, but since I was "the boss" I prevailed.
The person "I" hired lasted three months. They did poorly in the training, and after a couple of months they missed work without notifying the manager. We tried to make things work, but we were forced to terminate them.
The mistake I feel I made may not be the one you think though. Yes, I let my judgment be clouded by feeling a connection with this person because of a trait I felt we shared, and maybe I should have been/be more of a hard-nose, but being a hard-nose is not my nature (perhaps it is a vulnerability?) and I suspect the same type of thing would happen again. No, the mistake I made was overruling someone who I had entrusted with the job of running the day-to-day operations of the Customer Service department, for a personal reason. Someone who had earned my trust, someone who was willing to question my judgment. I made it personal. I forgot my own rules about leadership and management; I became an obstacle.
The manager happily accepted my apology and of course teased me mercilessly about it for quite some time. I deserved it.
22 April, 2010 | mtomsho | Leave comment - 0
you can't fake it
I have a love/hate relationship with motivational posters. I love the often amazing photography. I usually love the sentiment they express. I hate that so often they espouse values and ideals that are not expressed anywhere in the environment.
I know that everyone is told to have an inspiring mission statement, and that hanging those motivational posters around will "inspire" your people. Unfortunately, unless your actions match your words, you won't motivate much of anybody. A company I worked for a while back had a very eloquent mission statement. It talked about the commitment to the employees, etc., etc. Shortly after a new marketing director started, she stalked into the president's office and informed him that the mission statement was bunk. When he asked why she thought that, she held up the page of the employee manual that reviewed benefits and time off policies in her left hand, the mission statement in her right, and explained: "Because what is on this, does not reflect what is on this," nodding first to her left hand then her right.
If you think the workplace will be brightened up by some attractive artwork, go for it. But leave the motivational words off, unless you are serious about really implementing them.
21 April, 2010 | mtomsho | Leave comment - 0
I know that everyone is told to have an inspiring mission statement, and that hanging those motivational posters around will "inspire" your people. Unfortunately, unless your actions match your words, you won't motivate much of anybody. A company I worked for a while back had a very eloquent mission statement. It talked about the commitment to the employees, etc., etc. Shortly after a new marketing director started, she stalked into the president's office and informed him that the mission statement was bunk. When he asked why she thought that, she held up the page of the employee manual that reviewed benefits and time off policies in her left hand, the mission statement in her right, and explained: "Because what is on this, does not reflect what is on this," nodding first to her left hand then her right.
If you think the workplace will be brightened up by some attractive artwork, go for it. But leave the motivational words off, unless you are serious about really implementing them.
21 April, 2010 | mtomsho | Leave comment - 0
when leaders pitch in
We like to think of leaders as being above the day to day work on their project or goal. They do the "vision thing". Perhaps. Occasionally though there may be a situation where another set of hands might not only be welcome, but required.
Back when I was an IT Director, I ran into such a situation. My project was building a computer room from scratch. I won't go into all of the technical details, but it was a large undertaking. The "go live" weekend arrived, and my team started putting everything together. There was a lot of highly technical work going on, configuring computers and network devices, but there was one decidedly low tech piece of work that also needed to be done: running miles of cable underneath the floor to all of the various pieces of equipment. Who could be spared to get down on their hands and knees and run cable? Me. Actually, me and my boss, the Chief Information Officer.
I had hired some of the best computer and networking engineers I could find, people with a far higher skill level than mine. Taking one of those highly skilled professionals away from the technical work could very well have meant failure. So the two leaders, my boss and I, got down on our hands and knees and ran cable all night long. Monday morning we went live.
Leaders determine the right things to do, but they may be called upon to decide who is the best to do something (often described as managing). Sometimes the "leader" is the best person to do the lowest job. A real leader accepts that and jumps in without hesitation.
16 April, 2010 | mtomsho | Leave comment - 1
Back when I was an IT Director, I ran into such a situation. My project was building a computer room from scratch. I won't go into all of the technical details, but it was a large undertaking. The "go live" weekend arrived, and my team started putting everything together. There was a lot of highly technical work going on, configuring computers and network devices, but there was one decidedly low tech piece of work that also needed to be done: running miles of cable underneath the floor to all of the various pieces of equipment. Who could be spared to get down on their hands and knees and run cable? Me. Actually, me and my boss, the Chief Information Officer.
I had hired some of the best computer and networking engineers I could find, people with a far higher skill level than mine. Taking one of those highly skilled professionals away from the technical work could very well have meant failure. So the two leaders, my boss and I, got down on our hands and knees and ran cable all night long. Monday morning we went live.
Leaders determine the right things to do, but they may be called upon to decide who is the best to do something (often described as managing). Sometimes the "leader" is the best person to do the lowest job. A real leader accepts that and jumps in without hesitation.
16 April, 2010 | mtomsho | Leave comment - 1
