Let someone else have the glory…
Had a conversation with a Facility Manager the other day.
He told me he was in a hurry to get the areas cleaned up because the president of the company was coming to visit next week. I asked what was involved with this clean up method.
His reply was to paint a couple areas, remove some trash, etc. Nothing that cost too much.
He sort of explained like this…
You typically keep your house in order. But when you have the family over for the holiday dinner, you take it up a notch. That is what what we are doing here.
I next asked who would be meeting with the president. His comments were well the Staff of course.
Now here is where my challenge question…
How about letting one of your hourly workforce give the tour.
And now even the bigger item…
Don’t go on the tour.
If I was standing next to the Manager… I am sure that could have pushed him over with a feather.
Why as Managers are we so insecure with what our people are going to say?
Get over it. You may be able to fool the president the first time… but you are not going to fool him every time he comes. He is going to figure it out. So if you are trying to hide something… the only person that you are hiding anything from is yourself.
Share the glory with the hourly person. Let him boast about the great things happening in the facility.
He just may surprise you.
In addition, if you always kept this approach in the back of your mind, your approach, communication style, and direction may take a different (and better) approach.
