When Is Your Production Team…..Invited….. To Take A Bow…….?

By Sid Chadwick

“Efficiency is doing things right….Effectiveness is doing the right things”…….…Peter Drucker

INTRODUCTION:

Over recent months, I’ve observed company senior management….at more than one organization….. go about their days, criticizing key personnel for…..not accomplishing enough…..making an error in setting priorities……missing an opportunity……..not accomplishing as much as was expected…. or wanted……

In each case, the company was profitable and had a noticeable history…. of revenue growth.

Often….…. those critical comments were directed at highly competent, experienced senior production, sales, and administrative personnel.

In a discrete manner, I asked the critical senior managers, and their subordinate managers --- separately, if they could remember hearing…or giving….a compliment, for what was improved, what had been accomplished, what had been achieved.

None could remember such a compliment of recognition…….

Is there a message here….?

Is this activity pattern at least partly why key, invaluable personnel --- surprisingly…. find other employment…? Is this picture at least partly why performance, and morale…..”hit the rocks”….?

And as you chew on those questions (….hopefully, with a sense of discomfort) --- I acknowledge that such scenarios….. are not limited to our work settings.

SUMMARY:

In the first twenty or so years of my professional career, I was blessed to have Production Teams…that could not do enough for me…….

We.......set lots of records….some of which have not since then been matched…….

What they taught me…. included,

• We love…. that you acknowledge… frequently….…. our contributions.
• We love…when you make us feel like heroes……especially... in front of our customers….…
• If you work with us…. and don’t run us into the ground with too many surprises….we’ll do all we can…….. to never let you down.
• Together, as a Sales and Production Team…. we can accomplish…. almost anything.

Have we temporarily forgotten………something…. that’s very important……?

“Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes….”……………….Peter Drucker