I once took over a role where my predecessor had a reputation for being consistently inconsistent. “We never knew what kind of day we were going to have until they said Good Morning. Based on the tone we knew what was coming and it could be great, but if there was a fight at home the night before, it was going to be bad!”
Having heard that, I immediately knew that most of the employee’s time was spent reading the managers/executives mood. You spend an enormous amount of time figuring out if it is a “good” time to bring up an issue. That time is not beneficial to the business, it does not add to the productivity, it robs from it!
If you ever saw the movie “The Emperor’s New Groove” there is a scene where the characters are in a restaurant and the orders keep coming in while the cook tries to keep up. Then, the orders start changing and the cook gets fed up and leaves. That scene gets played out a lot in companies. The owner/boss is constantly changing the rules, the goal post, the vision and the team can’t keep up.
Some say the best way to keep consistency in the workplace is by establishing a set of values for the company. “This is what we stand for and this is why!” is a good place to start. Most of us don’t realize it, but successful families are based on a shared set of values and standards. They are usually established by the “family” elders, maybe it is a Grandmother of Grandfather that everyone looks up to and for good reason because if you did not do it their way there would be trouble.
I am not suggesting that the owner of a company be looked at as the “elder” of the family with rules that you don’t break or else, but simply that if there are a consistent set of rules, most people are happier. Maybe some of those rules make some people uncomfortable, but they all know how to operate within the framework of those rules and overall the rules are good for everyone.
Values will lead to a vision of what the company, its products or services should be and how each member of the team should contribute. In many cases, it eliminates the doubts of who does what or finger pointing when things don’t get done. That alone would eliminate 30% of the waste that a company sees on a daily basis.
In racing, you hear that “smooth is fast” because you don’t lose time or energy on unnecessary things. Making the work environment as “smooth” as possible works in the same way.
So, do you keep a consistent work environment? Do you as the owner/manager get up every day and make sure that your personal state of mind does not affect your team and your company?
If you want to discuss how to make sure you have a workplace that keeps it consistent, reach out – rick@gramatges.com
Gramatges Consulting 