Keith Cowan wants proof of my assertion that
> >..Our experience with a specific tool set (which achieve what Rol does)
> >indicates that the matter of different outcomes can be averted. In
> >other words, significant variations will not occur...
You are asking for something which may not be possible to provide. My
associate who developed this tool set as a manager/executive over a
30+ year career, proved them in four different positions, 2 military
and 2 business. His last was the only one which provided a specific
comparison of before and after measured productivity per person, that
achievement being over 300%. People went from hating to come to work
to loving it, from dissension and disrespect to teamwork and respect
for all, from a lack of new ideas to a profusion of them. This place
started from a state which sounded similar to what Stephen Weed
related in a separate post.
The only other proof we have consists of one company and one
organization within a company which have started on the road to
excellence through people, but are less than one third of the way
after about a year. They are using my associate's book (one for each
manager and executive) and some coaching/training provided by him. It
is apparent that they intend to continue since they seem amazed at
the results. They are not willing to share with you at this juncture.
For anyone who wants to see the proof, my associate would be willing
to attempt to arrange a visit at his last company, an electric
utility in New York. Please email me if you are interested, but we
don't guarantee a visit.
> Joan continues:
> >...I admit that these tools must
> >be taught to all bosses and that a consistent attempt to enforce
> >their use is necessary, but that is no different than any management
> >effort such as TQM or BPR.
>
> The conversation that Rol and I were having was about how "enforcement"
> is not practical in our worlds (your world may be different) and that
> "enforcement" is the antithesis of empowerment and learning....
As concerns enforcement, semantics may a difficulty. By it, I do not
mean anything more than what any HR person would not recommend in
order to back up basic rules of conduct. For instance, my associate
used discipline for moral turpitude problems and violations of
federal and state regulations, promotions and pay raises to enforce
behavoral guidelines such as not degrading or disrespecting people
only after considerable effort to convince that leader of what was
expected by way of right conduct and why. Enforcement is a necessary
adjunct to empowerment and learning and without reasonable
enforcement they will wither.
My associate's guidelines are based on a belief that outstanding
leadership can only be founded on the enduring power of character.
For that reason and from what I have heard from both Keith and Rol,
this would not be far from their beliefs so I doubt that enforcement
as I use the term would be offensive to them. Drawing a line in the
sand, otherwise known as setting the standard and protecting it, is
one of the most basic functions of any boss.
In a separate post, Keith asked -
>Joan is this the exception that proves the rule? I have seen major
>shifts in behaviour and have even caused some to happen. I have
>never seen a fundamental culture shift that did not take 5 years.
>The first 2 years were the erosion in performance that lead to the
>need to change, then 2 years of heavy slogging to turn things around,
>then a year to monitor and ensure that backsliding did not take place
>once the "crisis" was in hand...
I would contend that if you will do as my associate recommends, you
will experience the same results as many other managers already have.
I am not certain what rule you were referring to, but there is little
doubt that current authoritarian based management practices produce
lots of problems.
Managing people is just as much a science and the results are just as
predictable as those of any science. Cause and effect are what occur
regardless of what we think or believe. We can either take advantage
of the science of the way people respond to bosses and their
surroundings or not. My associate teaches the system knowledge or the
"whys" before teaching the "whats and hows".
Hope that this helps to answer your concerns.
Regards, Joan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joan Pomo The Finest Tools for Managing People
Simonton Associates Based on the book
jpomo@gate.net "How to Unleash the Power of People"
--"jpomo@gate.net" <jpomo@gate.net>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>