The company was losing its best and brightest young people.
The pay was competitive, the hours not onerous, yet after
two or three years, resignations.
After a long investigation I realized the problem;
a nineteenth century management structure.
Although business practices may have been tweaked in 1950,
a Victorian could feel at home.
To complain about a supervisor requires one complain
to that supervisor.
What is the point?
To gain special consideration requires a step by step
meander through levels.
Why bother?
As all aspects of the business are covered by "policy"
(probably formulated in 1860) an employee must bring
him or herself into conformity.
A Typical Example
The engineer wished to attend his brother's wedding and
needed a week off. It was decided that as he had taken
leave within the past twelve months he was ineligible.
The engineer took the week.
It was knee jerk he be fired as soon as he walked back
into the building.
Exploring his work history one found a man who arrived early,
left late, did overtime, was available twenty four hours a
day seven days a week.
He was denied leave because it was "company policy" that no
one could take leave twice in one year.
Company Policy
Not the needs of this employee, nor his particular
reason, but a writ in stone "company policy" that
applies "equally", regardless of the facts, to all
employees.
It was no longer a mystery why ambitious young people
resigned from this company?
When one examines the newest, most dynamic companies one
discerns they are often headed by someone who never worked
before, hasn't a clue what "company policy" is, and
believes in making it up as he goes along.
As the new billionaire has no idea what the nineteenth
century modus is, he is not setting up hierarchies,
procedures and forms in triplicate.
Stop and Think About It
Think of all the time you waste with nineteenth century
'procedures' when an office wide email suffices.
Further, recognize an employee is not a slave nor an
indentured laborer. If one wishes to not pay him for
the week he doesn't work, that is the extent of the
employer's sanction. To decree he can not attend his
brother's wedding will be met by his walking off the job.
If you are losing workers, it is probably your "system"
which is at fault. Move into the twenty first century.?
