[Boston Crone]

Our company is beginning to post individual non-exempt production employee performance metrics by the coffee machine, ostensibly to stimulate competition among workers. A consultant recommended this as a performance enhancement to get more from the workers than the pseudonyms our managers were using when posting stack rankings in performance quantity and quality. The employees' reactions have ranged from angry at perceived dignity and respect violation to demotivated and embarrassed (not just under-performers.) There is mega-intensive focus on driving enormous efficiency improvements, and this is the latest in a series of changes determined to realize those. Other than not looking at the lists, rendering it ineffective, is there anything you can recommend that would drive improved results without the plummet of morale and disengagement? Thanks for any input!

[twinkiedooter]

Take the lists down immediately as they are definitely counter productive.

Would highly recommend a meeting with the workers and having a "think" session with them and get their input on just how they can improve themselves and their production. Who best to give the answers than the workers themselves? Management sometimes has no clue as to just exactly what the workers actually do and how to improve their performance. Other than asking the workers for their honest input, you're just kidding yourself. Using highfalutin words is just a smoke screen on your part. No matter how lofty and $10 words you use, it still boils down to ask the workers themselves. You need to get your head out of the clouds and get down to reality or you will never succeed at your goal.

You seem to have forgotten that these are adults and not children that are working there as you are treating them as if they are still in grade school.

[Boston Crone]

Oh, my... frame of reference check... I managed successfully for 25 years, but after a 7-year absence to run my own real estate company, I had to go back... and the only job I can get is this non-exempt production gig, analyzing fraud for an international payment system. These 20- and 30-somethings are my freakin' bosses.. . and you've got to know it takes every ounce of strength I can muster to deal with this. I came here for a perspective check!

But thanks for the support... I have formulated a sound counter-suggestion, but when these folks have paid a handsome sum to get this kind of advice, it's a prejudiced discussion, at best!!

[Boston Crone]

And adding insult to injury, the consultant is said to have gotten extensive employee feedback. I don't know anyone who was asked for input.

[twinkiedooter]

Well, the expensive consultant is probably making up his "feedback" if you ask me. I've seen this happen before so I wouldn't believe him to predict a rainy day.

The 20 and 30 something's are the future... and at that rate, I think the future is bleak to put it mildly if they believe the overpaid consultant.

Someone needs to definitely talk to the workers or the workers will just quit and go elsewhere. No one who works hard likes to be demeaned about their work.

Also, another tought on this topic... has the overpaid consultant actually released the names of his so called feedback sources and has anyone else gone and actually spoken with these feedback sources about their opinions and/or suggestions? Probably not as they are all in his head.

[twinkiedooter]

P.S. I also forgot to mention that usually a paid consultant 9 times out of 10 are usually a relative and/or good friend of someone in management who is either unemployed or their company is not making any money and the consultant is hired for the job regardless of the outcome of the "project". Seen it happen first hand many times so I do know what I am talking about.

[Boston Crone]

Feedback is only valued when it supports the newest, latest and greatest knee jerk reaction. I have posted for 5 open management positions, got down to finalist position, to get an HR letter stating, "The position is not going to be filled at this time." FIVE in the past few months. So... decisions are made, and changed, on the fly and the concept of "respect" is totally missing from all equations.

I thought if I could get back into leadership, I could offer some rational insights into managing performance and driving efficiency. For two decades, my business opinions mattered. Sadly, in this leading edge company, they "know better" and this John List mentality prevails.

Thanks for letting me vent while getting a grip on this.

[twinkiedooter]

Yes, I have seen the same thing over the years myself about the "position is not going to be filled". I have even gone to interviews, all but told I had the job, and then get the similar Dear John letter myself. This hasn't happened to me lately, but it has in the past. Sometimes companies haven't the faintest clue how to run a company properly. Most HR people haven't a clue how to properly hire anyone either (and I am definitely giving them the benefit of the doubt on this one).

Don't feel bad about this as just about everyone is going through what you are going through in this country right now.

My opinion of the "leading edge companies" is not of the highest either. Most are run/owned by complete morons/jackasses.

[Boston Crone]

If you can say jackass, can I say asshat?

I appreciate your support and insights, even if you made fun of my stuffy language when I was quoting the asshats.

This company's been #1 best place to work in our city, and is so high profile across the globe, the DOL could not believe when I called to ask whether the Fair Labor Standards Act was still being upheld under a Federal court decision that employees set up their working tools and communicate required information updates on company time before engaging in production. A memo recently cited non-production update time as a revocable privilege. It threatened disciplinary action for setting up production tools on time identified only for updating knowledge - which is already severely limited - and stated one must have tools up and running before entering production status... so there's only one time the line workers can load their electronic tools (takes 3 - 7 minutes)... on their own time, before clocking into the system, in violation of federal law! That's a few hundred minutes of administrative whooparse in Federal Court each shift, if they insist on flexing muscles over it. But hey, I just crank out fraud savings and wait for a chance to climb back into my own skin.

I escalated to my sup and he went to his manager - who asked me to clarify a few things... and that memo has not been rescinded. *sigh* They think it's a business efficiency to have employees work off the clock. I asked, "What non-productive time stamp will be used if you revoke "Update", so we can legally prepare to work? Will it include "load tools" or will there be another approved time stamp to cover that legally protected job function?" They decided "update" with no additional time, would work after all. Whacked, I'm tellin' you. *screams, sighs, reaches for a drink*

[twinkiedooter]

Ok, your company wins the Stupid Award for the year. I quite agree that they are breaking the law by requiring the workers to prepare their tools on their time and not getting paid for it. Just because someone deemed them the best company to work for in the area is meaningless (and you know this I'm sure as well). Remember WalMart got their tit in the wringer over not paying for the workers breaks and/or not giving the workers lunch breaks (unpaid) and having to pay a small fortune for their stubbornness? Well, you can happily sit back and wait for it to hit your company's fan and laugh yourself silly. It's on it's way, I'm sure of that. Just wait until some worker contacts his attorney and asks the attorney an "innocent" question and the whole mountainside results in an avalanche all over the company. I wonder if saving a few dollars is going to "pay" the company in the end. Probably not. Why don't they just get with the program and pay the employees for their time. Preparing tools IS company work. What are these guys smoking?

I once worked for a cracked company who insisted I write down what I did every 15 minutes. Swell. I ended up leaving that lopsided mess within 6 months or less.

At a job interview I was on a few years ago, this laughable chiropractor wanted the "job candidate" to come into work one hour early on their own time to prepare the patient files for the day. This guy was a real comedian to put it mildly. One hour? That guy couldn't pay me enough to even want to work there even if I wanted to.

My son had a job at a truck stop where he had to show up 30 minutes early, work for free and at the appointed "start" time officially clock in. All the employees had to do this every day or they didn't have a job.

Honey, just keep plugging away, keep your nose clean and try not to drink too much until you can bail out of the SS Titanic. I see the iceberg looming ahead. All hands on deck!