In This Issue:

• How's Your Corporate Disconnect? by Tim Connor, CSP
• Archived Articles

Upcoming TeleSeminars:

"Manager's Minute" Tip

(Article Archive)

How's Your Corporate Disconnect?
by Tim Connor, CSP

Words of wisdom for this week.

"I believe half the unhappiness in life comes from people being afraid to go straight at things." William Lock

One of the major challenges facing managers in corporate America today is the disconnect between 40,000 feet employees and 500 feet employees. Let me explain using the analogy of a jet airplane.

Senior management (President, CEO, CFO, CIO etc.) is flying at anywhere from 35,000 to 40,000 feet in their organization. At 40,000 feet in a jet aircraft you can see for miles - you can most likely see several states depending on where you are over the U.S. The problem is that you can't see much detail at that altitude - everything looks pretty much the same - same trees, same mountains, same water same everything. Very little clarity at 40,000 feet but a great view.

Then there is middle management (supervisors, directors, V.P.'s, managers, department heads and so on) who are flying anywhere from 10,000 - 20,000 feet. Using our analogy further, at 20,000 feet you can't see as much of the horizon around you as you could at 40,000 feet but the detail is getting much clearer. You can see houses and swimming pools, you can see homes and buildings and you can see vehicles moving below you - you just can't tell whether they are trucks, cars or cows.

At the 500 feet level is where you find the employees who do the work (salespeople, administrative staff, customer service people, manufacturing staff, drivers and so on). Back to our airplane ride. At 500 feet you don't have a clue what is going on beyond the tress since you are almost ready to land but you can now see that it is a green Cadillac and a red Ford pick-up truck and not a cow.

Let's relate this analogy to everyday challenges managers, executives and employees face.

Top-down decisions from the 40,000 feet level without the knowledge, experience and buy-in from the people at 500 feet. You can imagine the problems that can develop here.

The culture isn't safe for the people at 20,000 feet to send the information they are getting from the 500 feet people to the people at 40,000 feet. Still with me here?

The people at 20,000 feet are insecure or have their own personal agendas so the information they get from the 40,000 feet people is re-packaged before it is sent to the 500 feet people. As a result, the response from the 500 feet people to these mixed messages is: what are we supposed to do, where are we going, who are we and what do we stand for. Sure we have a mission and vision statement and core values etc. etc. etc. but no one behaves as if they have ever read them let alone believe in them. The information that the 20,000 feet people get from the 500 feet people is also re-packaged before they send it to the 40,000 folks.

I could go on for hours with this stuff ( I love talking about it because I believe it is at the core of everything that is either right or wrong in corporations both large and small today. Plus, there are dozens more scenarios that I could share that relate to many of the issues and challenges in organizations today.) - but I am sure you get my point. During my management/leadership seminars I spend an hour or more on this topic.

What's the answer? Well, it is too complicated and multi - dimensional to explain fully here, but I will leave you with a few things to consider.

1) You get the behavior you reward. If you don't like the behavior you are getting - look up the ladder not down the ladder for the causes, reasons or catalysts to your problems or challenges.

2) There are four warning signs in organizations that I have observed over the years. They are: stress, communication, performance or productivity and morale. What I have learned is that when any one of the four are present in an organization, department, division - whatever - the other three are always there as well. For example if people are under a lot of stress - you will tend to have poor communication, inconsistent morale issues and poor performance or productivity. If you have communication issues (top-down, bottom-up or department to department) you will have employees who are stressed out, morale issues and performance or productivity challenges.

3) You can't legislate anything in an organization, oh, you can try, hope and can believe that you can, but in the end you will live with frustration, anxiety and disappointment.

If you feel you have corporate disconnect anywhere in your organization, let's talk soon.

In His service, Tim

About The Author Tim Connor, CSP:

World renowned Speaker, Trainer, best selling author of over 65 titles, Box 397, Davidson, N.C. 28036 USA, 704-895-1230 (voice) - 704-895-1231 (fax) - tim@timconnor.com (email) - www.timconnor.com (Website)

(Article Archive)

"Volume 4" CD Package

Save up to 40 - 50% off! With your purchase we will include the next upcoming live teleseminar as a bonus!

Sales Management Package 4 Includes:

• Building A Sales Plan
• Move Them Up Or Move Them Out
• Common Sense Selling Part I & II
• Conducting Meaningful Sales Meetings

For details, click here.