The two-faced manager

On the face of it our continuous improvement initiative is going from strength to strength. We've cut our lead times after removing some hugely wasteful processes from the shopfloor and tightening up our processes. Our employees have been champing at the bit to get involved and share their ideas. Thanks to their enthusiasm in coming forward with suggestions, we've unblocked bottleneck after bottleneck. Progress has been linked to a hoshin planning system. Whereas once we chased around like headless chickens fighting fires, now everyone now works to clear added value activity that helps us hit targets. We've embraced 5S, Six Sigma and every day begins with a gemba meeting on the shopfloor. We've really worked hard on our CI programme. I'm not claiming everything is perfect, but, on the whole, it's a happier, more efficient factory to work in than it was a year ago when we began the process. However, despite the obvious benefits, behind closed doors I've been shocked by the attitude of a fellow manager who, for the purposes of anonymity, I will call Mr X. Mr X gives out all the right messages when he's on the factory floor talking to his team. He says the right things about focusing on improvements when he's going around the shopfloor. His reports generally meet production targets and display the strong commitment, innovation and upbeat attitude we demand as a management team. He toes the corporate line. Yet, when the door closes he often remarks to me that he's "glad that Japanese bull s**t is over for another day". He's also made some derisory comments about "needing to feed my shopfloor chimps the lean mumbo jumbo to keep their brains off the mundane reality of the job". I was so taking aback when he first said this that I said nothing. A couple of the other managers have laughed at his comments, but I get the feeling that they may have done so out of shock as much as anything. As far as I'm aware nobody on the shopfloor is aware of his seditious behaviour. But, I feel that I can't just ignore his open dissent towards what we're trying to do as a team. It's left me deliberating over whether or not I?should confront my colleague? I don't want to pick a fight and, playing devil's advocate, you might argue that his team still perform their improvement activity and meet targets. But I'm seriously worried that his attitude, if left unchecked, could have a toxic effect on other managers, the shopfloor and, ultimately, success of our improvement activity. What's your advice? -Solution- Dennis McCarthy of DAK Consulting gives the expert view... The first thing to say about the attitude of Mr X is that his true motives will almost certainly be known by those who work for him. It is very difficult not to give away clues about true motives despite best efforts because relationships work at an emotional level. His response to events will be instinctive so he will make choices which give away his true intentions. At the very least he will send mixed signals about his intentions. It's unlikely, therefore, that he will have the trust and respect of his team. The next point to consider is why does he use the term Japanese bullshit? Does he have a point? Introducing new ideas will always mean introducing or changing language to communicate those ideas. Once an idea is understood and associated with a word or phrase it is a way of communicating meaning quickly. If the term is not understood it is simply jargon. Is the reality behind the Japanese terms your organisation uses understood or have they become Jargon? If they have, it may mean that your company has not communicated what it wants to achieve (vision), what it need to change to achieve that (mission) and the how it will overcome the barriers on the way (values). If these things had been clear, your instinctive response would have been to challenge Mr X because his values were different from yours (and the company's). You could have discussed the benefits of the mission so far and how this will deliver a much better future for the organisation. It could be that Mr X is never going to be convinced, but, if you don't challenge him, this will reinforce his belief that others too are relieved when the "bullshit" is over for another day. Ultimately, if he does not want to change, he may have to be made to succumb to the FIFO principle. Fit In or F*** Off. The sooner the better! Do you agree with our expert??If not, what would you have done differently? Send us your views and your opinion could appear here next month. Email mgosney@findlay.co.uk