Consulting 102: Re-Engaging and Re-Energizing Workers to obtain breakthrough, sustainable improvements
Why are so many employees disengaged?
This post started out as a discussion on my ideas on the value of engaged listening in energizing idea generation throughout a business, but most especially outside of the management ranks. That focus shifted somewhat after I read Victor Lipman’s Jan 18, ’13 Forbes article “Why are so many employees disengaged?”
In that article, Lipman references a recent national study by Dale Carnegie Training that shows that less than 75% of all workers are “fully engaged”(aka productive), with 26% being “disengaged”. As Lipman states “the number one factor the study cited influencing engagement and disengagement was ‘relationship with immediate supervisor.’”
Further into the article he identifies those qualities that are “more useful in fostering engaged, productive employees…in building positive manager-employee relationships.” And that “...the most effective managers and executives...shared.”
What follows are my thoughts on the importance of each of these qualities to (re)engaging employees to generate breakthrough, sustainable improvements using examples from my own managing and consulting experiences:
Lipman:“They were good listeners – less focused on imposing their own will than on hearing what others had to say.”
My take: This is a skill that I have worked to develop over the years and obviously one that I believe is paramount to success in management and consulting. It is not easy to do because the tendency is often to think about your response rather than actively listening for the cues and train of your colleagues’ thoughts. Being diligent in your efforts, however, will generally pay large dividends.
Results: After completing a successful Plant Maintenance transformation at a global chemical manufacturer, I was asked to take on their broken Risk Reduction process. The current process while critical to the environmental, health and safety of the plant, its personnel and the surrounding area, had been put together by a management team with little involvement from the people actually doing the work. It was wholly inefficient and marginally effective, using multiple inspections and re-inspections as a substitute for a trust-based and effective risk assessment and reduction process. Subsequent management edicts failed to produce any meaningful improvement.
For this process improvement effort, we set up a series of weekly supervisor-free (a prescient Director of Operations mandate) process development workshops with Maintenance Technicians from all crafts at the plant. The thought was to build a safe zone for open and honest communication concerning what the technicians thought were the “real” reasons for this broken process, not what supervisors and middle managers were communicating to senior management. I was cautioned by several people not to expect much, that I would either get glorified gripe sessions, or in the case of one particular technician, little to no participation at all.
What transpired over the course of the next several weeks however was inspiring and gratifying in its confirmation of the power of engaged listening and value expectation. While the sessions started out somewhat slow, they livened up considerably once the techs trusted that it was truly a “what happens in the workshop, stays in the workshop” environment. The energy and idea generation really exploded when they realized that their ideas were actually being listened to, acknowledged to have value and were acted upon, even if they were not all ultimately implemented. The discussions and debates that followed were animated, honest and open with the biggest contributor of potential ideas and solutions being the technician I was told would not say a word.
In the end, the final process we developed, built on a shared trust and increased tech responsibility, was much more efficient and effective, with fewer inspections, and was ultimately much safer for all involved. But it all started with engaged listening and truly showing that their ideas mattered.
Lipman:“They were perceptive – able to understand the sometimes subtle issues their direct reports were dealing with… as well as what motivated them and what didn’t.”
My take: I would agree with this, as it speaks to having a healthy level of empathy supporting that perception, which allows one to generate the understanding required for correct and caring action
Results: Riding the rails of a major passenger service, talking to Conductors, Food Service and Logistics People, and Engineers, I found a genuine level of caring about delivering high quality customer service mixed with frustration that their service improvement ideas seemed to be dismissed. It was those gems of wisdom that directed me to do further analysis drawing on my previous experiences in Symbol Technologies to identify root causes for the issues in the Food Supply and Delivery Management process, as well as a potential solution.
Yes, I saw the obvious lack of real time point of sale data capture devices, and the pattern in the numbers, once I started analyzing data on food deliveries, transferals back to the warehouse, and resupply. But it was observing, listening and getting the anecdotal evidence and tidbits of knowledge from the people running the operations that made a huge difference. And once they saw that I was not just another “Suit”, that I really empathized with their issues, listened to their ideas, and actually gave voice to several of those ideas, they opened up more and more.
The result was the blue print for a project to develop a new technology driven end to end process for Food Supply and Delivery management that was certain to provide significant benefits in revenue generation, optimized food supply and increased customer satisfaction.
Lipman: “They were open communicators – approachable, candid, easy to talk to, available when needed.”
My take: An absolute requirement, as I believe that open, straight-forward communication with no hidden agendas is a requisite for developing trust.( I will address this more in depth in another post about the importance of operating with candor.)
Results: At a major gun manufacturer, I was brought in with two other consultants to bring about a 50% increase in production output in the company’s signature gun line in less than 16 weeks, an extremely ambitious goal. My colleagues and I took a very big picture view of the project building a Value Stream Map (VSM) of the entire process, as well as analyzing the Material Supply Chain, looking for bottlenecks, single point of failures, underutilized/over utilized assets and/or resources. Just as importantly however, as we did this production assessment process, we spoke with the people running each of the specific work centers, going to the “experts, if you will.
We acquired a great deal of valuable information, but it was one of those resources in particular, one of the Manufacturing Leads, who provided the most value and actionable ideas. Through our conversations with him, we learned that he had been trying to get many of his ideas implemented to correct bottlenecks and throughput issues on his lines for years with little success. After working closely with him on our VSM then doing a sample time study and higher level confirming analysis, it was clear he knew what the majority of the issues in his area were and potential ways to fix them. With those ideas, the VSM and the analytical backup, including anticipated throughput improvements by work center, we built a management presentation and recommended all of the changes be implemented. Plant management agreed and that same Manufacturing Lead led the change initiative with a great deal of verve and enthusiasm. We didn’t invent the ideas just allowed the voice of the worker to be heard above the noise.
Lipman:“They were of calm demeanor – not prone to excitability, able to remain cool under stress. (Nothing erodes loyalty quicker than humiliation on the wrong end of a hot temper.)”
My take: During my years as a young, first time manager, and even for some years beyond, calm demeanor was Not a personality descriptor for me, as I had a fiery disposition, and a fierce passion for getting the job done. Unfortunately, that fire and passion would sometimes lead to full blown arguments with my direct reports. My intensity was however tempered by a fairness and egalitarian approach, i.e. if I was allowed to argue vociferously, then so were my reports, with no consequences. Passion for doing the job right and fighting for your ideas are not limited by your place in the hierarchy. Their ideas always got a fair hearing, and if their reasoning and logic made sense, I was happy to follow their lead.
The intensity and fierce passion for results have not diminished, but maturity and a bit of wisdom has mellowed the fiery disposition into more of a controlled burn. Augmenting this maturity and wisdom by taking the time to actively listen and engage with those I consult with, and sometimes just taking a step back, has moved me toward a calmer approach to dealing with issues.
Results: As a fiery young manager, my teams delivered tremendous results. One of those transformations was turning a 2000 sq ft lab with limited capability into a 20,000 sq ft world class, self-sustaining, fully functional environmental test, qualification, and failure analysis lab that operated 7 x 24 with a single shift staff. It was accomplished through the hard work, innovation and perseverance of an exceptional staff of technicians and engineers; however, looking back I would probably opt for a bit less drama.
In my later management and consulting roles, I have still obtained transformational results, but they have been more collaborative, more about listening and observing. My operational mode remains “Ready, Fire, Aim, then Reload, Adjust and Fire for Effect” because that is a process that is based on trust, and if anything, I operate with a greater level of trust than I ever have.
Lipman:“They were genuinely concerned about their direct reports’ well-being – men and women of integrity who cared about their employees and could be trusted to keep their word.”
My Take: This is an absolute foundational element for building a trust-based relationship with anyone, not just your direct reports. I have found that genuinely caring about your associates, letting them know they matter, and backing it up with action, will motivate them to go through walls for you.
Results: Leading the Quality Reliability Lab at Symbol Tech, my first managing gig, I had an excellent group of technicians who I trusted and treated like responsible professionals. Yes, technically they were on the clock, and while there was an expectation to get the work done, it was also understood that their personal lives and growth mattered, and often took precedence. So, there were early outs for school plays and recitals, family events, the pursuit of a college education with classes that were only available during the day, and for general malaise, as I am a firm believer in the value of mental health days.
Other supervisors would have blanched at these doings, but for me I felt that a very important part of a manager’s role was to see to the growth of their people. I wasn’t completely benevolent, however, because with this level of support, I expected a similar return. That is, when I needed their help for a burning project or other lab need, they would be there to perform that work. And I was rewarded ten times over, as they worked harder, took on higher levels of responsibilities, and were very innovative in finding solutions whenever problems would arise. The majority of these technicians went on to much bigger and better things, becoming Program Managers and Directors, Lab Managers, Sr Quality Engineers, and so on, and I confess that one of my greatest satisfactions, and yes, accomplishments, was to have played a part in their success.
WIIFM – What’s In It For Me?
In the final analysis I believe that worker disengagement does not have to be a foregone conclusion as that has not been my experience, whether as a manager or as a consultant. While it is true that there were those in the workforce I could not seem to reach, they were the exception and not the rule. However, that did not mean I gave up trying, as I always tried to find the WIIFM, the What’s In It For Me?, for the people I was working with. And while I was not always successful, the effort was generally appreciated, and allowed a rapport to develop. That rapport more often than not resulted in them helping the cause simply because I had shown concern for them and their situation. While I am not being naïve and saying that this happens 100% of the time, I do believe that once again it comes back to Active Engagement and Listening with Purpose and Empathy.
Whether it is a 50% increase in product output in a single shift or a 25% reduction in Maintenance costs with a 50% increase in Productive output, or delivering better customer service, it is all driven by people. Valuing and giving voice to people’s ideas on an equal plane with your own, showing empathy and caring for them and their situation, and sometimes simply listening, generates the positive energy and momentum that keeps them and the process moving forward. Putting into practice these ideas in my management and consulting assignments has continued to yield breakthrough, but more importantly, sustainable results throughout my career.