RPG Vault Soapbox - Bill Roper

[Occhidiangela]

Clicky! --> http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/569/569053p1.html
[right][snapback]62028[/snapback][/right]

Roper makes passing mention of an issue that is still lost on any number of "bosses" in mid sized and large organizations. I blame this on folks who continue to refer to their workforce as "a resource" and not "my people." Mind set is important.

At a very large company with employees worldwide, you may never actually meet the big boss. Heck, you might not even get to meet a mid-sized boss, which means if you have issues that are negatively affecting your morale, it gets easier and easier to think that nothing is ever going to be done about it because the people who could really make the changes don't even know who you are.

That situation is not all that hard to change. The Navy calls is "deckplate leadership" or "getting out of the office and onto the deckplates." Some of the management gurus of corporate America call it "go around, looking for folks doing things well."

Given how tight calendars can be in the management world, one has to budget one's time, as in block off from outside influences, so one can get the heck out of the prison/office and go meet and talk to -- not talk at -- the people working at the deck plate level. Most of that conversation is spent listening. I noticed some years ago, while still in the dating game, that the more I listened, the better a conversationalist I was assessed to be.

It is an easy to say, but somewhat challenging now and again, method that pays off immensely two ways. You get to know your folks as people, not as "resources." That is huge, in my experience. Your folks get a better sense of you (for better and for worse) but more importantly, if you have any personal warmth at all, the boss becomes "people" also. That too is huge.

Unless, of course, one is a complete arse, in which case, is there much hope for you as a leader in the firstplace? :wacko:

Occhi