PART II
We all know that every
boss is responsible for providing support to the workforce. Support
generally includes such elements as training, discipline, rewards, tools, parts
and materials, technical advice, guidance and direction, planning information,
documentation, procedures, rules and, last but not least, peace of mind.
Each element of support
projects certain value standards. For example, tools can be of high, medium or
low quality. They can be clean or dirty, easily available or hard to get, of
the latest technology or the oldest, always or rarely there when needed, easy
or too difficult to replace, complete with or lacking in adequate
documentation, always or rarely operable, or somewhere in between these
extremes. The same is true for every other element of support. Taken
collectively, they constitute the boss’ leadership, actually the leadership of
all bosses in the chain above the worker. This leadership stares in the face of
every worker every day.
So, now that it’s out
there for all to see, what does a worker do with all this leadership, these
hundreds if not thousands of leadership messages? The vast majority of workers
use these messages to determine how; industriously or lazily, safely or
unsafely, courteously or discourteously, knowledgeably or ignorantly, expertly
or sloppily, cleanly or uncleanly, openly or close to the vest (admit to
errors?), caringly or uncaringly, honestly or dishonestly and so forth to do
their work.
Did I say caringly? Yes,
the worker figures out from the quality of all this support whether or not the
boss cares about the worker. In addition, whatever that standard for caring is,
the worker turns around and uses it to treat the company’s customers and other
people in the workplace.
Did I say honestly? Yes,
if the boss states that a particular tool or piece of equipment is adequate
while the worker knows this is not true, the worker assumes that the boss knows
better and thus concludes that the boss is being dishonest. The message is that
a low standard for honesty is OK. "If you can do it so can I" takes
over from there.
Please stay tuned to tomorrow's article on the Gateway to Superior Leadership.
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