Communication: Managements Responsibility
I've just watched, again, an episode in the Back to the Floor television series, which aired on the BBC (United Kingdom) and PBS (United States). Once more, communication turned out to be a key issue, as it often does in business stories.
If you're not familiar with the series, it features real-life CEOs who leave their comfortable offices (well sort of comfortable, these days) and go work on the front lines of their organizations for a week. Cameras follow the CEOs and record their interactions with staff, and their responses to those interactions.
In this episode, the managing director of London's Heathrow Airport took the plunge and worked in customer service for five days. That meant facing customers and dealing with their problems, including problems created by the airport.
Once more, we saw a CEO suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, so to speak. This CEO was rebuked by employees on the front lines, as well as customers. Employees tried to convey to him the difficulties they experience because no one at head office listens to them.
And, that's a fairly constant refrain in all episodes, as one CEO after another finds out he or she doesn't know much about what happens when the organization comes face-to-face with real customers and their needs.
As most of us know, this is no anomaly. In many organizations, employees feel management doesn't know what's going on in the real world, and perhaps what's worse, feel that management doesn't care.
In some senses, this perception reflects a divide in the abstract-concrete spectrum. Workers deal in very concrete situations and matters; management deals in abstractions. That's both logical and appropriate, even if it does keep each side from understanding the other.
Management simply can't function effectively if it gets bogged down in details or specifics. Nor can it make important decisions if it stops to consider how each decision will affect individual persons in the organization.
Still, there's much management can do to bridge the divide. And the first step in that process is for management to accept responsibility for better communication. Unless management takes the initiative, there's no way for communication up and down the hierarchy to take place.
After all, employees can -- and often do -- express their ideas and emotions. But nothing can happen unless someone in management allows it to happen.
For example, in the Heathrow program, the managing director spots some trash in an out-of-the-way spot and calls in a cleanup crew. The customer service manager, who supervised the managing director for the week, chastised him for incurring an expense that wasn't in the budget (an appropriate response because the customer service manager would be chastised by his immediate superior if he had done that). The CEO responded by making an important policy change on the spot, yet what he really needed was a mechanism to get and give information about such problems, and a policy about when exceptions could be made.
By creating a mechanism that allowed workers at the front lines to communicate about that kind of problem (trash), he would get both results and greater employee loyalty.
About The Author
Robert F. Abbott offers unique and useful business communication ideas in the complimentary online ezine, Abbott's Communication Letter http://www.abbottletter.com; abbottr@managersguide.com
Latest News
PAR Technology Corporation Releases Next Version of SpaSoft(R) Spa ... MarketWatch - With a unique booking engine, advanced resource inventory, scheduling, yield management and reporting tools, SpaSoft is the system of choice for today's ... |
Founders & Former Executive Management Team of LCA-Vision Seek ... MarketWatch - The three of them worked together as the executive management team of LCAV to grow the market capitalization of the Company in excess of 1000% from ... LCA-Vision Names Michael J. Celebrezze CFO |
MassMutual Announces Promotions for Two Co-Chief Operating Officers MarketWatch - Bill has also proven his exceptional capabilities as a leader in the asset management business and in building strong financial services organizations," Mr. ... OppenheimerFunds Names CEO Mass Mutual promotes COOs Babson Capital Names Finke as Chairman & CEO, Noreen as President |
Angiotech Terminates Note Repurchase Agreement With Ares ... RTT News, NY - TO) said it terminated the note purchase agreement with Ares Management and New Leaf Venture Partners. Earlier, Angiotech said it had notified Ares and New ... Private equity firms pull out of Angiotech financing agreement Firms pull out of Angiotech agreement Angiotech announces termination of note purchase agreement with ... |
 AFP | Treasury to Buy Reserve Government Fund's Holdings (Update3) Bloomberg - 3, according to statements today by the department and New York- based Reserve Management Corp., the fund's owner. Shareholders can expect their money by ... Treasury Will Help Liquidate Reserve Fund Treasury to Support a Frozen Money Fund Treasury to backstop mutual fund |
NTN Buzztime, Inc. Announces Management and Board Changes MarketWatch - ... will be comprised of Terry Bateman, Kendra Berger, the company's chief financial officer and other members of the management team. ... Wi-LAN Appoints New Chairman of the Board |
Innerscope Research Strengthens Management Team With Three ... MarketWatch - ... healthcare and service sectors, brings to Innerscope significant experience in marketing, customer relationship management and operations. ... |
 Miami Daily Business Review | US Sugar Corp. Statement Regarding The Lawrence Group MarketWatch - As would be the case with any such proposal, our Board of Directors will carefully review it with its professional advisors and the Company's management ... Florida's Everglades Deal With US Sugar Faces Challenge From New Bid Nashville firm wants to purchase US Sugar land Florida Gets a Rival in Effort to Buy Everglades Land (Update2) |
Davidson Kempner Capital Management LLC Files Preliminary Consent ... MarketWatch - NEW YORK, Nov 20, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Davidson Kempner Capital Management LLC today reported that it has filed with the Securities and Exchange ... Davidson Kempner Capital Management LLC Files Preliminary Consent ... |
 The Associated Press | Citigroup's options dwindle as shares under $4 The Associated Press - ... an equity analyst at Optique Capital Management Inc. And raising more cash from outside investors or the government would be "a Band-aid. ... Citigroup board could consider selling off units as stock plunges Citigroup's cost cuts may not bring 2009 profit |
Resources
-
AdWords | Google AdWords | 21 Ways to Maximize ROI by Andrew Goodman
Get the original Google AdWords handbook by Andrew Goodman. This 155-page e-book is packed with advanced tips to help you maximize your AdWords campaigns. Download and get free December 2005 update.
-
Reservation software for Hotels, Motels, Bed and breakfast
Reservation software for Hotels, Motels, Bed and breakfast
-
Restaurant Checklists: restaurant menu design, cafe training, business plans, restaurant marketing a
Full package of restaurant information including restaurant menu design, training, restaurant business plans, restaurant marketing and Management forms and templates
-
Castlemelody.com: Web design and creative design of graphics
Web design with content Management system for dynamic and flexible websites.
-
...MySoftwareTemplates.com high-quality Microsoft Word templates for Software
Development, Proposal
Write successful Proposals, White Papers, Case Studies with slick templates, checklist and forms.
-
Living Within Your Means - The Easy Way!
"
-
PARENTING TOOLS to design the family of your dreams! What does your dream family look like?
Powerful tools for parenting, anger Management, and creative blocks!
-
Productivity. Improve business productivity through work measurement and method study.
Set of resources to improve worker, workplace and office productivity. Learn to measure productivity, calculate a productivity index and construct a total factor productivity index. Resources include team productivity and employee productivity.
-
Construction Information Services - Construction Management
Construction Information Services include Construction Management ebooks - Construction Software - Articles - Firm directories - Forecasting and Trends of the building industry
-
Landlord Property Management Rental Guide
Looking to manage your own rental property? Use our beginners guide for landlords and rental property investors!