I was at an establishment Friday night and I sat next to one conversation and overheard another at the table next to me when a person was talking very loudly about his frustration with two automakers headquartered in Detroit.
It seems this person travels to many plants and was shocked to see the amount of scrap and defects piling up in the corners and being hauled away. He said he had talked to a number of workers who were disgusted and frustrated that execs are pushing quantity instead of quality so that it looks like we are selling cars. Here we go again playing the short term numbers game. Is this still being taught in our MBA programs or is it bean counters running the auto companies again? AHA, I bet Management By Objectives (MBO) is alive and well and Short Term Goals and Planning are right behind MBO!
I have written for years that execs need to get out of their offices and go to where the workers are interfacing with customers and to where the work is being done. I guess it is not as glamorous as going to international auto shows. However, it is more important.
I have written for years that execs need to get out of their offices and go to where the workers are interfacing with customers and to where the work is being done. I guess it is not as glamorous as going to international auto shows. However, it is more important.
Like most things people know the what to do but are not trained in
HOW TO DO IT CORRECTLY
The workers are concerned for their jobs and they know this is not a game the automakers can win since we have lost many times before in the 1970’s and 1980’s…
WHO WILL STAND UP?
Will It Be You
Will It Be You
How can worker do his/her job when they are not enabled with the appropriate tools to do the job correctly? I’m not talking about the autoworkers; I’m talking about school teachers.
School administrators in many cases are as clueless as auto execs when it comes to non-value added work. Or maybe they just don’t have the time or will not admit they don’t know how to do something or they are just incompetent. Perhaps they just want a job and go home because they want to make it to retirement without change and stress regardless how many students go grade to grade without being given a chance.
Schools like every other industry must find ways to cut cost and trim budgets. Instead of doing a complete feasibility and process check of current work efforts and what is actually being done someone in authority makes has decisions that look good on paper but have long lasting dangerous effects on the outcome results (our students).
Here is an actual example: Teachers may no longer want use copy paper or toner. Supply cabinets are run like Fort Knox and the basics like pencils, folders, erasers and staples must be guarded like the missiles at NORAD.
The best part is when the educational leaders of nothing send in those so-called financial/accounting experts who are told to improve the bottom line in a hurry. It's easy to take away the obvious but it takes talent and expertise with application of knowledge to remove non-value work from administrators or a staff department in the education setting.
Just look at your school board offices and see how many people work there are still pushing papers instead of automating and removing work that does not bring value to students, parents or teachers. They hide behind non-value added work and make excuses how busy they are day in and day out and worse yet their administrative bosses believe them because they are afraid of confrontation and make excuses how bust they are handling problems. Most of the problems are a result of taking away the enablement and tools of the teachers (workers) to do their jobs. No wonder you have problems within the process (school room) and results (parents).
Educational Leaders have no idea what their staff do on a given day let alone a week or month, most don't even have tangible objectives except for the "scheduled" observations that do no more good than Management By Objectives (MBO) or Annual Goals that are written by the worker (boss request) and then turned in to their boss for approval.
WHO WILL STAND UP?
Will It Be You
Will It Be You
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