Attitudes - Communication Break Down at the management level and Apathetic Employees

E

energy

#11
Good job

Great post, Andy.

You have described our situation to a tee. Unfortunately for us, our Consultant comes in for a day every 5 to 6 weeks. This will go on until we achieved certification. Unless, he walks. The homework assignments are structured so that we hit all sections of the standard in the course of a year. Problem? The homework I’m assigned gets done. Very little input by others. We average about 7/8 assignments per session. The list of assignments that are still outstanding number 22. We’re going backwards. The Consultant sees it. He politely reminds everybody these things are important and they have to get done if we are to follow our Milestone Plan. For that whole day, everybody is on the same page. Each one demonstrating their profound knowledge of the Standard and, generally blowing smoke. When the Consultant leaves, back to business as usual. CEO pep talks, Steering Committee promises to seriously attack the growing list of assignments and Training Presentations with accent on employee involvement, doesn’t mean a thing. It will take a strong, disciplined Top Manager who knows it will not happen until everybody pitches in, to take the reins on our ISO effort. As we have a new company president coming here in about three weeks, maybe I’ll get lucky. As my boss, he must know the status of our ISO effort. Right? He will hear what I posted here and a lot more. I have my fingers crossed. A Consultant, I feel, is powerless in some cases to get non-believers to believe. Ours finally got paid and now just gets expenses to come here. I get the feeling that he would rather be somewhere else and can’t say that I blame him.:rolleyes: :ko: :smokin:
 
Elsmar Forum Sponsor
#12
Hope you get lucky

It will take a strong, disciplined Top Manager who knows it will not happen until everybody pitches in, to take the reins on our ISO effort. As we have a new company president coming here in about three weeks, maybe I’ll get lucky.
Here's hoping you'll get lucky Energy. The current situation sounds really frustrating...

/Claes
 
E

energy

#13
Re: Hope you get lucky

Originally posted by Claes Gefvenberg
Here's hoping you'll get lucky Energy. The current situation sounds really frustrating...

/Claes
Thanks Claes,

It's always been like that for me. Management that practice Lip service, deceipt and only doing what you have to do. Hey, not me!:biglaugh: You can say, well you're part of the problem if you aren't the answer. True. But, that's how I have stayed gainfully employed. Unfortunately, it's a little late in my career for another move. And, the few moves I have made, it's the same old thing. We just have to keep banging away, hoping for the best.
:ko: :smokin:
 

barb butrym

Quite Involved in Discussions
#14
those **** consultants

Companies choose consultants based on what they think they want, when in reality the consultant that sometimes gets hired is not what they need (not a match)......then they end up with someone that would rather be somewhere else and is not effective. I still say (for the nth time!!) hiring a consultant is like a marriage......do you want to listen to this person nag at you? Or will this person not be a nagger? Do we need a nagger or someone that pops in and says "ok guys this is what i need you to do....." and go then away for 5 weeks and you loose 5 weeks if everyone doesn't finish their assignments????????

Methodology and personalities play such an important part in this communication loop..........this consultant/company relationship. Every sales call gets this same lecture....I typically get the deer in the headlights response until I elaborate. Then I really confuse them.........probably would get more work if i didn't BUT i don't want to be a drop in every 5 weeks type of consultant, unless i am confident that its the right method for that company......to me its a waste of my time and their money reflecting on my job performance.

that said...Andy, communicate with them both, be the conduit. An external expert (even one with less knowledge than an internal one!!!) will always command more respect.....as does a person with a foreign accent. when I travel to the UK to train auditors, my accent gains me instant credibality, and visa-versa my colleagues who travel here...when in fact we are quite equal.
 
R

Randy Stewart

#15
My experience has been that the consultant, whatever their expertise, is used as a crutch and as an excuse for failure. I'm not bashing cosultants, I've never seen them utilized properly. Nor have I experienced a management team working totaly together towards a common goal since I left the Navy. They have all seemed to do the hit and miss stuff - flavor of the month. I have tried to tie everything to our operating profit margin, not only do you peak an interest from the bean counters but the upper management guys understand the impact.
Andy, what you list as consultants being used for is right on IMO.
A. Provide an external perspective.
1) But no one from outside can tell me how to operate my business/department, etc.
B. Provide the push/energy to implement something that full-time mangers simply dont have.
1) Once you're gone the push/energy goes with you "glad that's over"
C. Create the image that 'because we are paying this consutlant so much money he must be right'.
1) Which causes a problem in itself - I could have done this, why don't they pay me?
D. Implement something from a neutral stand-point without being burdened by the inevitable intercompany rivalry and time-worn paradigms
1) He doesn't understand what I'm up against he's doesn't have to deal with it.
 
A

Atul Khandekar

#16
My 2c

IMHO 'Company Development Project' is a bit vague description.

What were the agreed deliverables and what were the measurables? What KPIs were considered?How was improvement demonstrated? Was there a consensus about methods of measurement? Was the project planned and tracked against a timeline (Gantt chart)? Were positive and negative stakeholders identified? How were bottlenecks identified? Who was responsible for motivating the employees (not just the managers)?

Balanced Scorecard can be a very good tool if used properly. The single most important factor for its success is absolute commitment from the top management. Short term tactics and long term strategies have to be properly communicated to all concerned. I believe an external consultant can play a key role here, suggesting the right approaches appropriate for the size of the company.

I will quote from the Executive Summary of an article Arthur Schneiderman - 'Why Balanced Scorecards Fail' ( complete article is available on Schneiderman.com)

-The Balanced Scorecard concept has intrinsic executive appeal.
-To be successful the Balanced Score-card must be viewed as the tip of the improvement iceberg.
-Less visible, but equally essential, are processes to assure that the scorecard contains the
right things and that support systems are in place to maximize the chances of them being done
right.
-External factors or impatience may overpower the long-term positive financial consequences of
significant non-financial improvements.
-Tenacity and faith may be the most important CEO attributes for successful Balanced Scorecard
implementation.

Just my 2c.

-Atul.
 
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