Introduction
How is your company Really performing?
Employees don't kow - they could care less.
And to add insult to injury, that is how we as manager designed it.
Crisis Management
Many if not most manufacturers are facing some of the most difficult business and market challenges ever faced by American industry. These challenges are not temporary or short term, but rather permanent changes in business fundamentals. Prices that companies sell their goods or services for are being forced down every year by international market place yet the cost of domestic payroll (hourly, salaried and fringe benefits) continue to climb. In short, if selling prices fall five percent and payroll costs climb five percent and you do not respond with significant productivity, quality and cost improvement, you are out of business. It is as simple as that.
July's business news reported that one in four US manufacturing jobs, 5 million in all, no longer exist. Obviously some haven't responded or have been ineffective in their response. Or they simply gave up and the business went to China, literally or figuratively.
Top^The News Gets Worse
In addition to the external challenges above, we are faced with difficult internal challenges as well. The Gallup Organization reports the following from large and comprehensive employee surveys - 19% of US employees (one in five) are "actively disengaged" costing their employers over 300 billion dollars a year in lost productivity...88% of employees said they wanted to do their best, however 50% also said they "do just enough to get by".
Top^The Good News
75% of employees (salaried and hourly) did respond they could be "significantly more effective".... if... If what?
Top^The Challenge
Selling prices are under tremendous pressure, quality and delivery demands go up every day and costs must come down. Yet employees are drifting further and further away from this reality. They are exchanging time for money. Unfortunately your financial statements do not measure time, but rather results. To add insult to injury, we got what we asked for. The typical organization has a cultural divide between senior management and everyone else that is reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. There are those "in the know" and those that know nothing. There are those who have their thumb on the pulse of the business and there are those who have "no pulse". There are those who have a vested financial interest in results and there are those who are "invested elsewhere".
Top^The Fundamental Questions
Do employees truly know every day/week/month what the key business objectives are? Do they care? What does it take to get their employees to perform as though they owned the company?
Top^The Answer
The answer can be found at a comprehensive senior management workshop. Register Now
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