WANT STRONG TEAMS? DON'T BE A WIMPY LEADER

by Everest Consulting Group

Roger, we've got a mutiny on our hands," said Pete as he burst through the door.

Roger swiveled in his chair to face him. "A what?" he asked.

"A mutiny, I'm telling you," said Pete. "This teaming thing is backfiring on us. I told you it would, and now it has."

"Easy there, Pete," said Roger. "Tell me what happened."

Pete took a deep breath then explained, "Remember when you told us next time we had a quality problem to stop the whole assembly line?"

"Right," agreed Roger. "do you remember why?"

"Sure," Pete said, "so we don't make more junk. That would mean more rework and customer complaints. We don't need any more of either."

"So once you stop the line, what are you supposed to do next?" Pete nodded. "I know, I'm supposed to get my team together and ask them to develop a permanent solution to the problem, so we don't keep having the same problems over and over again. That's what I did."

"And?"

"A few people thought of ideas, but other people disagreed with them," Pete explained. "Then they told me it isn't their job to solve problems and that they either wanted me to tell them what to do, or just let them go back to work."

"What did you tell them?"

"To stay where they were and that I was going to find you," Pete said. "Here I am. What do we do?"

"I'll talk to them," said Roger. They walked quickly to the meeting room near the shop floor where the team was waiting. "I understand you had a problem on the line, and you want Pete to solve it for you," said Roger to the group. "Is that right?"

"Yeah," said Bruce, a tall, skinny employee. "We're paid to do the work, not to do the thinking. That's what supervisors and engineers are for."

Roger let silence fill the room as he looked into the faces of each team member. Finally he said, "It's true that your previous managers didn't expect you to think. I do. We have too many problems in this plant that need to be solved too quickly, and our supervisors and engineers don't have the time to handle them all. We can't survive without depending on you to think. Do you remember me explaining all that?"

Bruce looked at the ground. A few of the others nodded slowly. "I've explained this many times before," continued Roger, "At this point it is not a matter of confusion over my expectations of you. You now have two choices. You can either stay in this room until you think of a solution to the problem on your line, or you can get off the property. Any questions?"

The team members stared at him wide-eyed. "We'll give you a few minutes to think about your decision," said Roger as he turned and walked out of the room. Pete followed behind.

They walked halfway back to Roger's office and stopped. "Most of your team wants the challenge of solving problems, and they know it's the right thing to do to help the company," explained Roger. "But you've got a few that are dragging everyone else down with their poor attitudes, and they're testing me to see if I'm serious. Now they know. If they continue to hold your team back, we'll start progressive discipline. For now let's see if they take the hint."

"That was some hint," said Pete.

"Subtlety is overrated," said Roger.

The next day in Roger's office:

"So, how are things going?" asked Roger. "Much better," said a smiling Pete. "Bruce has been quiet, and several people told me it's about time someone confronted him like that. The team thought of a great solution to the quality problem, and I don't think we'll be seeing it again." "I think you've turned a corner," said Roger. "Our last plant manager was a wimp," said Pete. "He believed in teams, but he let the troublemakers step all over him and the supervisors. Now we're building real teams that are making a difference. Thanks to your leadership." "Any time," said Roger.

Conclusion: Authority is not a bad word. I am not suggesting that you become a drill-sergeant and use it to solve every problem. If the issue with your people is lack of understanding, you should use reason and logic to convince them to move in the right direction. However, if your resolve is being tested (as it will be), authority is necessary. I see many managers who are far too patient with people who understand what is required of them, but who are clearly trying to avoid having to change. Some people need a dramatic statement to shake them out of their old ways of thinking (or force them to make a decision about their future with your organization).

All change is painful, and most people want to avoid it. If your people figure out there are no consequences for refusing to change, you won't get the change you want.

© 2010 Everest Consulting Group, Inc. 703-433-2021.