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Let’s Give People Back Their Work
By Bill Catlette and Richard Hadden
Last night on the way home from Colorado, I read with interest the current issue of Continental Airlines' in-flight magazine. It contained a well written, heart warming story about the efforts of several of the airline's employees who really extended themselves in order to look out for passengers and get planes back in the air after the 9/11 attack.
Mentioned, for example, were the deeds of a veteran Boeing 757 captain whose Europe-US bound aircraft was diverted to Canada. Although it probably wasn't in his job description, this guy used his credit card to guarantee hotel rooms for every one of his passengers, and then made it a point to meet with them regularly over the course of the 3-day ordeal to provide informational briefings. The article went on to detail the unselfish efforts of several others, to include a flight attendant who personally fed, cared for, and provided much needed emotional support (and entertainment) for a young child who was traveling alone aboard her flight.
The article you're reading is not about Continental, or any airline for that matter, but about the fact that, in the face of unprecedented adversity, employees who were presumed to be mature adults when hired, then trained as professionals, managed to see their way clear to do the right thing for customers and the business, in the absence (and in some cases in spite) of specific operational policies. And yet, when the emergency subsides, we seem hell-bent to revert to a state where these very same people are once again deemed incapable of rational thought or behavior.
Ironically, just 2 weeks ago, prior to beginning the Colorado trip, I e-mailed Northwest Airlines' customer service folks to get guidance on whether or not heightened security restrictions would allow me to carry cased travel fly fishing rods aboard their aircraft. Though the rods met the airline's carry-on size restrictions and are dangerous only to unsuspecting fish, they were deemed unsuitable for transport in the passenger compartment. So, I packed all the fishing gear in with my luggage to be checked.
When I checked in, I was advised that my bag was 3 pounds over the airline's weight limit, and I would be assessed an additional US$80 to cover the transport of the excess weight. When I explained what had already transpired to the counter agent, and the fact that at least 3 pounds of material would otherwise have been transported as carry-on, his response was to the effect that company policy did not permit him the luxury of using his judgment, and I could either remove 3 pounds of stuff, or pay up. With a momentary thought about a little revenge down the road, I whipped out my AMEX card.
Our use of a couple of airlines to illustrate a point is but happenstance, and based on the fact that we spend a lot of time in their space. The fact is, most of us are guilty of the very same infractions. How so? We do it by:
- Shoving a job description in someone's face whenever we want them to do something unpleasant, and they balk. And then we wonder why we hear the words "that's not my job" whenever we ask them to do something not listed on the description.
2. Having the audacity to run around telling our people they are "empowered" to do their work, and then placing ridiculous limits on their ability to fix problems and satisfy customers. Upon checking in at a hotel recently, I was greeted by a desk clerk wearing a button that said "I'm Empowered." I learned that that means "I can give you a coupon for a free drink, or take up to $10 off the cost of your stay if you aren't happy about something." Does it mean you have the responsibility and authority to fix the problem, I asked? You know what the answer was as well as I do.
3. Having a 'supervisor' for every 6 or 7 worker bees. Come on; are your people really that incompetent?
4. Insisting that we personally review or approve any information, recommendations, or reports that are destined for points north of us in the food chain.
5. Burdening well-intentioned adults who usually demonstrate exceptionally good judgment with a 'To-Don't List' of policies and procedures that causes them to lose any appetite they may have once had for using their brains. I once heard a Senior VP of a well-respected company explain (with a straight face) to an employee that absent a policy statement, which granted the use of discretion in any given matter, there was no room for discretion.
6. Keeping on the payroll those who consistently demonstrate that they require the kind of supervisory oversight spelled out in items 1-5 (above).
The list could go on forever, but I trust the point has been made. It is our fervent hope that each of us can see fit to re-examine our employment policies and practices for the kinds of obstacles that serve to grind otherwise well intentioned and capable people down. In other words, let's give them their work back.
Oh, and about that fishing trip. It turned out rather well. Of the several fish caught, one weighed just about 3 pounds. Maybe someday it'll turn up with a baggage tag still attached.
Please print the following attribution for this article: Bill Catlette and Richard Hadden, co-authors of Contented Cows Give Better Milk, help clients clobber the competition by having a focused, fired up, and capably led workforce. They deliver powerful conference keynotes and leadership training. They can be reached at 800-940-7006 (+1-904-720-0870 from outside North America) or www.ContentedCows.com.