Page 124 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

The Real Job of Managers C111

: “Everyone here knows they can : “The call center people get
make an impact and works toward praised on the number of calls
a unified goal every day.” they handle per hour. Yeah, they
: “I always feel as though the work answer the phone and then pass
that I am doing is truly contribut- the call on to another department
ing to the company’s success.” or give them wrong information
: “The upper-management team (instead of taking the time to ask
keeps the entire organization for help) just to get the member
informed (atrium meetings at least off the phone and answer another
quarterly) so that there is total call! Then people like me have
alignment on corporate strategy, to fix all of their mistakes, and it
key performance indicators, takes away from the possible time
shortfalls/risks, and new business we could have to make our loan
opportunities. Objectives are goals!!”
well-defined. Progress is mea- : “Though the company does an
sured and reported. Successes excellent job of communicating
are celebrated.” the overall company vision and
goals, we could probably do better
at relating those goals directly to
what individuals do and how that
contributes to our success.”

: EMPLOYEES VENT THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT BAD MANAGERS

If the continuing popularity of the Dilbert comic strip is any indica-
tion, employee cynicism about bad bosses has reached new depths.
Workplace studies appear to confirm this. In one study, 24 percent of
U.S. employees said they would fire their bosses if given the chance.
Only 6 percent of engaged workers said they would do so, while 51 percent
of actively disengaged workers said they would fire their bosses. The
1
CEO of the Gallup Organization has stated that “only one in 10 em-
ployees considers their managers capable.” 2
As usual, the words of employees provide insights deeper than
numbers can reveal. The comments employees enter at the end of
the Best-Places-to-Work survey are not prompted or categorized. They
come “straight from the gut,” revealing wellsprings of emotion, both