I'm not sure how to weave these three principles together into one beautiful tapestry, but they're what I've been thinking about and what I want to share with you this month.
Principle #1: Keep the lights on to combat the cockroaches
Organizations keep looking for that magical elixir that will eliminate discontentment, gossip, backbiting, and stirring the pot. Good luck with that. As long as you are working with people they will talk behind one another's backs and there will be drama of the sort easily mistaken for a high school play.
There are ways to combat office unrest, but it's more like the constant battle with weeds that populate our gardens each year than a once-for-all thermonuclear solution. Of course, sticking with the metaphor just a bit longer, the problem with the thermonuclear solution is that it renders ground zero uninhabitable for generations, so persistent weeding is preferable, if tiring.
One way to keep office unrest to a minimum is to keep the lights on - effectively keeping the cockroaches at bay. They are waiting for the darkness to reemerge. So manage by walking around. Be visible. Talk with employees regularly. Show up in the lunchroom. Use the employee restroom. You're not going to get rid of the cockroaches, but you can keep them at bay. [Just so we are clear - cockroaches represent office unrest, not your employees.]
Principle #2: Do business right rather than making things right
Recently I stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn - normally a place I enjoy while traveling on business. There were five annoyances during my stay. No one of them was a significant issue, but cumulatively they made for a less-than-satisfactory experience.
1) My room was 57° when I arrived. I know that those who clean the rooms often turn the temperature down while they are doing their work, but they are supposed to remember to turn the thermostat back up when they leave. 2) When I left my room after the first night there was no newspaper by my door. 3) When I returned to my room that evening there were fresh towels, but the bed hadn't been made up and the trash had not been emptied. Housekeeping had left for the day so the man with rubber gloves sent to my room to empty the trash wasn't all that helpful. 4) The manager offered free room service to make up for the mistake. I had a great meal and the next morning as I reviewed my bill I was charged handsomely for it. 5) And there was no newspaper, again.
The manager's question: "What can I do to make it right?" This was the third time I had heard this during my stay.
My thought: You need to do business right rather than having to make it right.
Principle #3: Grove leaders need to translate between forest and tree
I refer to middle managers as "grove leaders" with top-level leaders being the forest and front-line personnel being trees. Your best middle managers think at the grove level - they deal naturally with aggregated portions of the organization rather than focusing just on the individuals being served (that's the role of trees). They must be able to translate from forest to tree and from tree to forest. Their ultimate loyalty must be to the organization and its leadership, because if their ultimate loyalty is to the trees it won't be long until they are leading a rebellion.
Three principles meant to encourage your continuing success. At Julian Consulting we come alongside you to help you keep the lights on, to do business right, and to identify and train your key grove leaders. Call us TODAY to find out more.