Shoulda Told Me #3

As I listened to the ebb and flow of conversations at various holiday gatherings, I heard a lot about work. Not surprising since most of us spend the majority of our waking time at work. What did surprise me was the how the conversation, time and again, turned to bad bosses. It got me to thinking about my own career, how I operated as a boss, and what I observed about other people as bosses. So I need to take a side trip down the “someone shoulda told me” bunny trail once again…….

I have had the opportunity to move around a lot, from position to position, in my career (when you have a job attention span of about 2 years, that is a GOOD thing). I’ve tried to make it my policy that, when I move to a new area, I never judge my predecessor (or my successor, for that matter). But there are times…….

As many times before, I moved to a new area of the factory as senior manager. When I move to an area that is new to me, I make a point to spend a significant amount of time out in the shops, for many reasons…… I have never (nor will I ever get the chance) to actually build an airplane with my hands, so how will I learn about it if I don’t spend time with the people that actually do the jobs? Another reason? It is how I get to know people. Another? It is WAY more interesting that sitting in a meeting!

Anyway, in most cases, the mechanics were welcoming. They wanted to learn about me and they were thrilled to show me the intricacies of their jobs. But this new area was different. When I walked through the shops, the mechanics didn’t look up from their work table or machine. They didn't call out to me to say hello. They would answer questions, if asked, but never volunteered information. For a couple of weeks, I made my several times daily trip around the factory and the response was the same. People were polite, they answered my questions, but I was never encouraged to stay long or learn more. I was completely baffled. And while this may sound corny, there just wasn’t any joy in this workplace. I hate that. We all spend WAY too much time at work not to have joy or fun while we are at it.

So I started asking some discrete questions of the shop managers and my peer directors to see what I could come up with. And what I came up with absolutely appalled me.

You have to understand that in the old days in a manufacturing environment, fear and intimidation was often the way employees were managed. Unfortunately, that management style has sometimes carried over to today’s environment. Employees are loudly and publicly berated for being away from their work station….. even if it was to go to the crib to get needed supplies! And if they try to come up with ways to improve their environment, they are roundly criticized. They are generally talked down to and made to feel as if they are only retained if they turn off their brains when they walk in the door. After a while, people in this situation respond by putting their heads down and doing their work -- albeit slowly and grudgingly. Also, after a while, they will develop a finely-tuned early warning system to alert them when the boss is going to be in the area….. Allowing them time to adopt the eyes-downcast, docile mien that their boss seemed to crave.

My subtle questioning of others led me to believe that the previous management team was this type of team. Sheesh. Thank goodness that hadn't been the norm for other areas I was posted to.

I learned, by listening to the shop radio, that my route through the shops was always preceded by subtle announcements on the air. If you have never worked in a place that uses shop radios (basically a walkie-talkie system for a group of shops), you don’t realize that this is a well-tended early warning system that will outshine any tornado or fire alarm that I’ve heard. The radio would crackle to life as I moved from shop to shop. By the time I would get to an area, the employees were ready to display a docile attitude that they thought I wanted. Why wouldn’t they? That’s what was expected of them by a previous regime!

Gad, I wish that someone would have told me that this type of fear and intimidation still existed in today’s environment!

How do you overcome it? For me, it was patience (not usually my strong suit, but definitely required for this area). And showing my mechanics that I supported them and truly wanted to know about their jobs, their ideas, their status. And by never, and I mean NEVER, talking down to them nor publicly embarrassing them regardless of the situation.

Did it work? Well, yeah, but it wasn’t overnight. It takes time to build a trusting relationship with one person, let alone with an entire factory area. But, over time, we came to trust each other. How do I know that? On my last day in that area, as I walked through the shops, I was greeted with smiles, hand shakes, hugs, and waves. That alone is worth the patience it required.

Next time (I promise), how the conceptual model for executive skills and traits morphed.

Cheers!