All of You Are In This Boat Together

July 2008

When I organized my thoughts for this month’s Special Ops, I realized that the different articles I had in mind all boiled back down to one point: all of you are in this boat together. Bear with me...

If anyone’s been watching the stock market or economy lately, you’ve no doubt seen the downward trend. But as a bit of an “economics” enthusiast, I pay attention to everything in business. With that said, I was listening to CNBC (business news channel) and everyone scrambling to talk about where to invest now, what businesses are successful and how they manage to continue to grow in this climate.

It became clear that all of the really successful companies share something in common. They share a philosophy about shared responsibilities and ownership, meaning that everyone from senior management to the guy pushing the broom in the warehouse are responsible for the success of the company.

I’m not suggesting that these ideas I’m about to share are workable for all businesses, but if you get the concept, you can easily adapt programs and ideas that better suit your style and comfort.

When everyone understands the financial bottom line, everyone understands how important their role is. The CEO of a specialized container manufacturing company explained that all employees sign a confidentiality agreement when hired, and in turn, he shares the financial records with them. When the employees actually see their new chairs, office supplies, payroll, taxes, insurance, inventory, and line of credit payments on the books, they feel empowered and informed. It provides a realistic baseline to work from. They see where every dollar goes and how important it is to hang onto every dollar they can. Okay, I admit, it’s a bit of a shocker, but they’ve created the right environment with good people for years to make this idea work.

Now, when they’re asked to do a 12% increase over last year, they have “real world” numbers to work from. They can see the expenses against sales and find ways of saving money and generating money. Afterall, they’re all in the same boat together!

A Vice President of another firm commented that management and employees foster strong communication. There is no “elitist” mentality or “us against them” rapport. Management “gets in there” with the employees, asks them how things are working, what things aren’t, and what areas do they think they can improve on. He mentioned how human nature often makes employees suspicious and cautious of management and how management often looks at employees as paranoid drones. The Vice President made clear that breaking down these walls of fear, apprehension, and “bad ju-ju” (karma/energy) brought everyone together to share a common goal. “Let’s face it, when you’re not walking on eggshells, you can focus on things that matter. They need to know they’re in their position because we trust them to do their job.”

Every crew member on a submarine has to know how to stop flooding. Every crew member on an aircraft carrier goes through fire fighting training. This type of training insures that all persons are capable of responding to a crisis. It removes fear and instills confidence. Hopefully, none of us will have to patch a sub or save an aircraft carrier, but for sake of brevity, I think the point is made. Everyone shares knowledge and everyone is empowered to act.

LOOK BOTH WAYS

MANAGEMENT • Have you empowered your employees with information and the ability to make decisions or do you have them mindlessly doing the same thing day after day? • Have you taken the time to know your employees? Do you know what makes them happy or what their hobbies are? If you know them, you may discover hidden potential in other areas that will benefit the company. • Have you fostered an environment to allow creative input from your staff? A suggestion box? An online form they can fill out and submit anonymously? What about just a one-on-one lunch with each employee from time to time to break down walls and build a “family”? • What examples are you setting? It’s been often said that a commander should never ask his troops to do something he wouldn’t do himself. Do you ever “get in the trenches” with your troops? You need to really know what they go through so you can best understand how to lead. • What do you spend on payroll every year? What about insurance, workman’s comp, or other state benefit programs? When you start looking at these numbers, you should realize you don’t just have employees. You have investments. What are you going to do to maximize your work force to a cohesive group, all sharing the same goal of success? It’s not enough to cut a paycheck every week. You have to be invested in your investment.		EMPLOYEES • Have you really understood the challenges that management faces or do you only think about your position? Do you share the same goals? • How often have you seen a character assassination on someone at work. Let’s be honest, employees see this more than managers. Are you part of tearing someone down or can you step back, be objective and be a constructive and positive influence on this negative energy? Are you gonna be a drone, or be a better person? • If things aren’t working out, have you taken any personal responsibility to improve the situation or do you sit there and complain about it? • Every employee wants to excel to new positions and make more money, so what are you doing to improve your worth? Nobody moves forward “just because.” You have to bring something to the party, so what can you do to make yourself valuable? What other responsibilities are you willing to assume for growth? • The word “lead” is a verb which means action. Thinking about making a difference isn’t “leading”. We all think. But it’s those who lead through action that make a difference. We’ve all worked with bad managers and bad employees. It happens. Hopefully, you weed those out. But — the important thing is that all of you are in this boat together. It’s not enough that you hear these words, it’s important that you KNOW it and each individual takes personal responsibility to improve every aspect of your operation. I could spend days talking on this concept. The success of your business literally falls on every individual. You have to row together, maintain the ship, and communicate. If one part breaks on the engine, your motor ain’t runnin’. Empower yourself and those around you with knowledge and tools to fix the engine, making better individuals, better employees, and better management. Happy sailing! It’s good business!