Scenario: Barry has noticed that Pinnacle Custom Homes Case isn’t the cheerful, pleasant Al place it used to be. Back when he was building six homes a year, everyone appeared to be dedicated to meeting deadlines, controlling costs, and keeping customers highly satisfied. But over the past two years the company has grown to 15 houses and added two new employees. Now it seems like everything is falling through the cracks: Deadlines are missed, mistakes are made on the houses, and work has to be redone. In addition, no one wants to accept responsibility for mistakes, and everyone blames someone else. Barry has also noticed that tempers are shorter, and he even has found himself arbitrating territorial disputes between departmental functions.
Yes, people may have become burned out from the increased work, but Barry had hired additional help in both the office and the field, and had increased salaries to keep pace with the market. But a lot of the fun and spark has gone out of the work, and Barry feels a distinct lack of enthusiasm or camaraderie in the ranks. What is going wrong?
Solution: Most organizations are a reflection of the people in charge. If the top is disorganized, frazzled, and dispirited, then so is the rest of the operation. In addition, the law of entropy ensures that all organizations tend to run down over time and need a periodic rejuvenation. And, like everything else, such rejuvenation has to start at the top.
Barry first needs to ask himself some hard questions. When was the last time he got everyone together to communicate his vision of the company, where it was going, and where it needed to shift resources? Is he good at two-way communication, listening as well as talking? Or has he become so wrapped up in day-to-day operations that he doesn’t have time to pay close attention to the needs of his staff?
When Barry hired the two new employees, did he hire them as assistants to the existing personnel, or did he simply toss them into the frying pan to see if they could swim in the hot oil? Did the way he hired them make the existing employees feel insecure about their place in the organization? Does he have a mentoring program in place, where more-experienced employees can assist the new hires and inculcate corporate values and acceptable office procedures?
Most likely, Barry has not done a good job of communicating his expectations to employees. He can’t expect employees to read his mind. He needs written job descriptions, a procedures manual, training, constant supervision, and lots of praise for good work to get outstanding results from employees. Barry needs to learn how to delegate responsibility, not simply assign tasks and then ride herd on everyone to ensure it’s done the way he would do it.
A recent survey of managers and employees across the country provides an interesting insight into the changing work environment. Employees were asked to rank 10 factors that affect job satisfaction, in order of importance to them. Managers were asked to rank the same factors. The managers responded as you might expect; they rated good wages as the most important criterion, followed by job security. But the employees’ responses were surprising. The most important factor was “work that keeps you interested.” The second most important factor was “appreciation of work done.” Good wages was rated eighth out of 10 factors.
If Barry’s employees are less than enthusiastic, the first person Barry needs to work on is himself. He needs to understand the role he plays in setting the agenda and attitudes of the entire organization. Once he’s dealt with his own role in creating this problem, then he can address the attitudes and participation of others.
Al Trellis, a co-founder of Home Builders Network, has more than 25 years of experience as a custom builder, speaker, and consultant.
