CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
I was hired for my first management position, overseeing aconference center in the mountains of Southern California.About two days after starting the job, after I had settled intomy office and gotten the lay of the land, I closed my office doorand sat down at my desk as a startling revelation came over me:I was in charge. The buck stopped with me. I had the final say.There was no one to go to when the stuff hit the fan. It was allon my shoulders.
I made it through my first weeksand months as the new managerand facility administrator. I hadmy share of successes and failures.I wish I had had someone to comealongside me in that moment ofpanic and assure me everythingwould work out all right. The hopein writing this book is to provideyou – the new manager – with theadvice that I wish I had receivedduring that first week on the job.
As a new manager, you are faced with the prospects ofestablishing a position of authority, developing creditability,mastering technical skills, and earning the respect of theemployees who will be reporting to you. And, you haveapproximately one week to accomplish all this.
Before you get started, we have one strong caution: do nottry to be a friend to the employees. They have friends; they wantyou to be their leader. The buck stops with you. If you have apanic attack, have it out of sight of the employees. Do not tellthe employees your troubles; as far as they are concerned youhave no troubles. If you need to talk with someone, talk witha peer, or better yet, a spouse or a close friend. If you have anunresolved personal issues, see a counselor and get them fixed.Do not share your personal issues with the employees!
If you do not have high moral standards, develop them. Asyou rise toward the top of the organization, more and more ofyour behavior will become public. Leaders are often toppled by asecret vice. If a behavior cannot stand the light of day, do not doit. Using recreational drugs, imbibing too much alcohol, or havingaffairs with fellow employees can never be considered acceptablebehavior. Whether man or woman, you are a leader of truth andsoberness. Plus, integrity and honesty will forever prosper.
Devalue personal standards and you will fail; there isno going back. White-collar criminals in prison are ofteninterviewed about their misdeeds. They start out by saying "Iam an honest person; I do not know how I got here." We do,if you break one legal or moral rule you will break another.However, it may appear that the organization is rewardingyou for cutting corners and breaking a few rules, and theysing praises of your exceptional performance. But as soon astrouble hits, when questionable practices are exposed and theinvestigations begin, they will cut you off and even testifyagainst you to save themselves. There is an old saying; "If theywill cheat with you, they will cheat on you." Or put a differentway, "Never risk yourself morally or ethically for the team."
As you practice good leadership, you may discover thatyour organization's ethics do not line up with your standard.You have to make a choice, doyou stay or go? Do not deludeyourself into thinking that youcan change the organization bysetting the good example. Theorganization will more thanlikely change you into its likenessrather than the other way around.To maintain personal values youwill have to move on. Thesooner you move, the sooner lifewill be back on track and yourown Code of Conduct reestablished.
Enough philosophizing, let's get started and work throughthe first week:
As a new manager, two tasks need to be placed on the firstweek's calendar for execution: The first is to evaluate and createa clean and organized work environment. The second task isto get to know your employees.
Step 1: Building a clean andorganized work environment
Applying the 5S Principles
In the wild, the alpha male of the pack must assert and maintainhis dominance. He marks his territory and shows the rest ofthe pack that he is in charge. He sets the tone for the rest ofthe pack. As a new manager, you must establish your territoryby creating clean and organized workspaces for the employees.Accomplish this task using the 5S principles shown below.The term "5S" derives from the Japanese words for the fivepractices leading to a clean and manageable work area.
This author once observed a new department managerthat came in the weekend before he was due to start work andspent hours cleaning his new office, establishing his territoryand setting the tone for the start of his tenure. Then upon thearrival of the employees on Monday he provided the simpledescription of creating a 5S work environment using the newlycleaned office as an example.
You as the new manager have to establish your territory andset a 5S example for the employees. The next step is to give theemployees the chance to own this new approach to organizingtheir workspaces. Each step, when followed, produces a newpride in the work place. Once 5S is implemented and sustained,the employees find their daily tasks easier and they work moreefficient. The clutter is gone and all the tools and supplies arereadily accessible.
Sorting – Keep what is needed
Decide what is needed in the workspace to accomplish thedaily tasks.
Definition: To separate the necessary from the unnecessaryitems.
• Store often-used items in the work area.
• Move infrequently used items away from the workarea and dispose of the remainder unused materials orsupplies.
• Discuss removal of items with all employees to ensurethat you and they see the value in the discardingprocess.
Benefits: Creates a safer work area. Gains space. It becomeseasier for you to visualize the workflow and for employees tofind often-used tools and supplies.
Straightening – Arrange necessary items
Arrange what is needed to accomplish the daily tasks.
Definition: To arrange all necessary items.
• Create a designated place for everything and puteverything in its place.
• Arrange items...
