RPG Vault Soapbox - Bill Roper

[nobbie]

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[Occhidiangela]

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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

[whyBish]

Or the daft nature of rewards at my current place. They will waste money on buying people a coffee (which many people do not drink), but they just buy it, hand it out and take off... Result? People that drink coffee get one coffee at a price that could have supplied them coffee for a couple months, people that don't drink coffee feel duped, and no interaction ... Same thing with celebratory BBQs or meals out, when managers forget that about a third of our workers are Indian following vegetarian regimes ... good morale requires more than just lip-service and bribes.

Just to illustrate with yesterdays banking Christmas present. It was left on our desks overnight, so no personal contact or group interaction. Contents:
1 bottle of wine Price: $50? Value to me $0 (I don't drink)
1 250g pack of shortbread Price $5? Value to me $2 (I could buy a plain packet of choc. biscuits for $2)
1 400g pack of fudge price $10? Value to me $4 (Equivalent price of a pack of same weight chocolate)

Fancy packaging Price $3 materials +$2 labour? Value to me $0 (already in the bin)

I am not trying to look a gift horse in the mouth, but my point is that they spent $70 to get a $6 response. They could have given us all 2-3hrs off 'real' work to talk with different staff for the same price ...

But then again maybe I'm just too young and daft.

[jahcs]

A "Good Job" or "Well Done" every now and then goes a lot farther than an enrollment in the Jam of the Month club. A benefits package goes even farther. <_<

[Occhidiangela]

People that drink coffee get one coffee at a price that could have supplied them coffee for a couple months, people that don't drink coffee feel duped, and no interaction ... Same thing with celebratory BBQs or meals out, when managers forget that about a third of our workers are Indian following vegetarian regimes ... good morale requires more than just lip-service and bribes.

Just to illustrate with yesterdays banking Christmas present. It was left on our desks overnight, so no personal contact or group interaction. Contents:
1 bottle of wine Price: $50? Value to me $0 (I don't drink)
1 250g pack of shortbread Price $5? Value to me $2 (I could buy a plain packet of choc. biscuits for $2)
1 400g pack of fudge price $10? Value to me $4 (Equivalent price of a pack of same weight chocolate)

Fancy packaging Price $3 materials +$2 labour? Value to me $0 (already in the bin)

I am not trying to look a gift horse in the mouth, but my point is that they spent $70 to get a $6 response. They could have given us all 2-3hrs off 'real' work to talk with different staff for the same price ...
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Here's a question for you: Would a letter dropped in management's suggestion box outlining your point make a difference? How receptive to input are they? As for the bar b q, why not suggest they include grilled veggies (zucchini, peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc) in the menu. I've hosted a couple of all vegetable bar b q's and can only say that when even a modicum of imagination is used . . . yummy! Still prefer flamed meat, if push comes to shove, or better yet, a combo of both.

On the other hand, "bosses" seem to be required to display a "style." Style does matter, to a certain extent. The problem is, as you so incisively point out, if the present is devoid of the human touch, of warmth, even a gem is a cold gift.

My favorite Christmas gift, ever, was a spontaneous idea generated by my then-six-year-old daughter. She told my wife: I know what Daddy would like. Christmas AM, I opened a box, wrapped by her, which contained a box of Captain Crunch cereal and a fourpack of Heineken beer. That one came from the heart, and went straight to mine. :w00t:

Occhi

[jahcs]

My favorite Christmas gift, ever, was a spontaneous idea generated by my then-six-year-old daughter.&nbsp; She told my wife:&nbsp; I know what Daddy would like.&nbsp; Christmas AM, I opened a box, wrapped by her, which contained a box of Captain Crunch cereal and a fourpack of Heineken beer.&nbsp; That one came from the heart, and went straight to mine.&nbsp; :w00t:

Occhi
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You train them right, and you train them young. I salute your parenting skills! :P
Beer and cereal may be the perfect gift.

[Occhidiangela]

You train them right, and you train them young.&nbsp; I salute your parenting skills! :P
Beer and cereal may be the perfect gift.
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What is beautiful is that is was completely unintentional, six year old logic. She did not envision the beer on the Captain Crunch, which by the way is a bad idea, she picked two unrelated "things Daddy Likes." Perfect juxtaposition!

Occhi

[whyBish]

What is beautiful is that is was completely unintentional, six year old logic.&nbsp; She did not envision the beer on the Captain Crunch, which by the way is a bad idea, she picked two unrelated "things Daddy Likes."&nbsp; Perfect juxtaposition!

Occhi
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Wow, your kid is smart. I know squat about human development, but the skill of knowing to give a present that contains something that the reciever rather than the sender wants is (from the above thread) obviously a hard one to grasp.