Empowerment

Read the following excerpt from an e-mail sent by a CEO to 400 company managers at a high-technology company called Cerner. Reflect on the eight attributes of supportive communication and detail how you might apply those over the next 30 days in your job to avoid some of the problems associated with this communication. 

“We are getting less than 40 hours of work from a large number of our K.C.-based EMPLOYEES. The parking lot is sparsely used at 8:00 A.M.; likewise at 5 P.M. As managers – you either do not know what your EMPLOYEES are doing, or you do not CARE. You have created expectations on the work effort that allowed this to happen inside Cerner, creating a very unhealthy environment. In either case, you have a problem and you will fix it or I will replace you. NEVER in my career have I allowed a team that worked for me to think they had a 40-hour job. I have allowed YOU to create a culture that is permitting this. NO LONGER.”

 

This topic is especially relevant in today’s modern business environment.  The issue of remote working and flexible schedules tend to make such traditional metrics as the number of available parking lot spaces not as reliable as they may once have been.  Further, how does this CEO measure actual output and production?  Butts in seats or deadlines met? 

The other issue is the idea that a 40 hour work week is somehow not enough for the liking of this CEO.  If the terms of employment that hours are to be determined by the CEO, then he may have a point.  But we all know that’s not the case.

As far as comparing this note to the 8 attributes of effective listening, this may be the worst note since the Zimmerman Telegram.  Or as the young kids may say these days, there’s a lot to unpack here. 

There is NO responsibility taken by the CEO OF the culture HE has created, not allowed the managers to create.  He was not very specific as to how often he views this condition in the parking lot, nor is he terribly specific regarding the productivity of the workforce and if there’s a correlation between the two.

Nowhere in this memo is any hint of supportive listening, or that he even approached or queried his managers on such issues of parking lot spaces or productivity.  He simply launches into an anger filled threat that will likely prompt his managers to polish up their resumes when they get home from work.  I’m sure the company Christmas party will be a joy. 

From personal experience, having seen a similar email from a former company CEO that actually utilized varying font sizes, liberal underlining, and bold highlighting elicited more chuckles at first due to the high marks for creativity, but groans later due to the subsequent babysitting needed.  Needless to say, these types of emails tend to lessen the credibility of the CEO and only sour an already unmotivated workforce. 

Although a risky proposition, one would love for the managers to call the CEO’s bluff by daring him to fire all of them at once, thereby leaving the company basically rudderless.

One can dream…

From a personal practice perspective, I don’t think I could ever write such a strongly worded and threatening letter to subordinates and expect any productive change in behavior.  To me, when things are going sideways organizationally, a manager has to discuss these matters face to face with employees to get the full story, meaning body language, eye contact, language and attitude of the speaker, to completely comprehend the situation.  It is the only way to solve problems (not attack people), find solutions and move forward.