Management behaves insanely by devoting its time in micro
managing employees. The belief in the corporate corridors of power is that
employees who are in middle management and below do not think. They do not use
their mental faculties at work. They bring their bodies but do not apply their
mind in executing their work and delivering exceptional service to customers. Due
to this notion what do management do? They apply policies and procedures that
detail how employees should act when they are in contact with customers. This reduces
employees to behaving like robots. That is ludicrous.
What is unknown by most senior executives is that their
employees are actually respectable decision makers at home. They successfully
run their homes; have a beautiful garden they look after where they demonstrate
their creativity. Some of them engage in social activities where they hold
leadership roles and their input in these circles is sort after. Take the concept of running an extended family and the
example of Alfred the Messenger.
At work everyone looks down upon him and they
view him merely as a messenger. No one turns to him for advice on human
relations at the workplace. The intriguing
part is the roles that Alfred occupies outside of work. He is the first born in
an extended family which gives him leadership of the entire family. No decisions
are made in the family without his input and everyone seeks his advice and
direction in their family affairs. He sits in the community development
committee which spearheads development of his local community. To spice it up
he is the chairman of his local burial society. The society is thriving and
funeral parlours are looking at partnering them as they see potential in its
membership ranks. Alfred can actually add more value to his employer through
his creativity, wisdom and insight developed because of his leadership roles outside
of his employment. But why is the business not taping into such a resource.
To the business the traditional hierarchy prevails. Senior management
believes the low level employees do not have a brain; they cannot contribute to
matters that affect them at work. How so wrong! Alfred and his colleagues at
work share vital information that can help the company every day. They do it
during lunch time in the canteen. The whole business is dissected there and
solutions that actual work offered during these sessions. Why are these ideas
not harnessed and used in the company? Because management is absent from the
canteen! Management does not interact with low level employees. How do expect
to gain from the knowledge of your staff if you do not interact with them?
The companies that will win the war on customers are the
ones that harness the intellectual capabilities of all of their employees. They do not merely expect their employees to
be obedient but expect them to apply their mental faculties in solving business
problems in order to serve customers well. Alfred exists in any business. The next
time he brings you coffee, engage him about what you can do to add value to the
customer experiences that your company offers. His answer will amaze and thrill
you.
