by Chris Banescu –
All of us, at some point in our careers, have probably heard management utter the mantra, “it’s not personal, it’s business.” And if we weren’t the intended recipients of this dreaded phrase, we most likely know someone who was, or we have seen or heard of situations where this has happened. [Read more…]
Human Resources
Human Resources
Southwest Airlines Schools American Airlines on Treating Pilots Fairly and Decently
by Chris Banescu –
The Boeing 737 MAX disaster provides us with an opportunity to evaluate some leadership qualities of top executives at two major U.S. airlines, Southwest and American. The CEOs of these corporations have chosen fundamentally different responses to their pilots and employees who were negatively affected by the extended grounding of the 737 MAX planes.
One CEO shows himself to be a man of character and integrity. The other one not so much. Southwest Airlines’ top leader, Gary Kelly, is treating the company pilots fairly and decently. American Airlines’ CEO, Doug Parker, could care less about the concerns of their pilots. [Read more…]
Esri: Solid Revenues, Conservative and Systematic Growth, No Layoffs, No Downsizing
by Chris Banescu –
“We have 9,000 employees worldwide and $912 million n revenue. In our 43 years, we have never missed a quarter. We’ve never had any layoffs; we’ve never had any downsizing. It’s just been very conservative, systematic growth.” ~ Jack Dangermond
A few years ago Inc.com magazine interviewed Jack Dangermond the co-founder of Esri, a global corporation that supplies geographic information system software, web GIS, and geodatabase management applications. Dangermond highlighted the company’s stellar and systematic growth despite its conservative management style and lack of any layoffs in its 43 years of operation. [Read more…]
Manners, The Lubricating Oil of Organizational Relationships
“Manners are the lubricating oil of an organization. It is a law of nature that two moving bodies in contact with each other create friction. This is as true for human beings as it is for inanimate objects. Manners – simple things like saying “please” and “thank you” and knowing a person’s name or asking after her family – enable two people to work together whether they like each other or not.
Bright people, especially bright young people, often do not understand this. If analysis shows that someone’s brilliant work fails again and again as soon as cooperation from others is required, it probably indicates a lack of courtesy – that is, a lack of manners.” ~ Peter F. Drucker
Employees Are An Organization’s Most Valuable Resource
by Chris Banescu –
Employees are an organization’s most valuable resource. They must be managed fairly and equitably. They must be appreciated and respected. Leaders must strive to build relationships based on integrity, trust, and mutual understanding with the individuals they lead. Management must always remember that employees, especially engaged, loyal, smart, productive, and responsible ones are to be managed with care and concern.
Employees who are treated well, know their jobs are secure and management has their backs, are paid fairly and equitably, and are trusted and respected by their leaders and organizations, will be much more productive and loyal. They will literally give it their all and always strive to go “above-and-beyond,” safe in the knowledge that the company they work for genuinely cares about them and has a vested interest in their success and well-being. [Read more…]
How To Demotivate Employees and Undermine Morale and Productivity
by Chris Banescu –
Here’s a list of dysfunctional, unethical, and destructive organizational practices that I have personally experienced or seen while working with or consulting for various companies, corporations, universities, and non-profit institutions. Each of these will demotivate employees, undermine their morale, and negatively affect their productivity. Each of them will corrode organizational cohesiveness, foment suspicion and resentment of management, and destroy employees’ trust in and respect of their leaders.
Once more than one of these dysfunctional situations become normalized and spread across a company, then employee dissatisfaction and disengagement will increase exponentially. Quality of work will be negatively impacted. Great employees will begin to leave. Then the good ones will quit. The remaining employees will stop caring, stop speaking out, stop trying to address problems or improve anything inside the company. They will “go to gray.” They will do the minimal work required of them and no more.
If this pathology continues over longer periods of time, a human resources crisis will envelop the entire company and disaster (financial, ethical, legal, criminal, etc.) will inevitably follow. [Read more…]