Of all the things present in our society that might have a negative effect on our future generations and their ability to relate to one another; social networking (I don’t have to ask you, “How was your day?” I can just look at your facebook page), texting (I don’t have to live with the consequences of what I say because you can’t respond immediately), etc… one of the things that is more disconcerting than any of these is that this ability to relate without relationship is creating a disconnect between employers and employees, teachers and students, parents and children, siblings, friends, etc...

This is a symptom of our “disposable” society where we don’t replace “parts”, we replace components.  Where technology is “one-use” and so we don’t upgrade computers, we replace them with newer computers and throw the old ones out.  That is a sign of progress technologically speaking however when we translate that same regard, or disregard, for outdated or obsolete hardware to the way we regard, or disregard, the people in our lives, whether close to us or on the periphery; then we have a problem. 

I see it in business all the time; manpower is disposable.  The right people are right for as long as the new shine is still on them, when the novelty wears off it is time to replace them with newer models rather than upgrade them through training, nurturing, motivating…in a word, “caring”.  We are too busy looking for a “better fit” and consequently we don’t see the value in developing and shaping the people we have.  There is a reason that the people who are in “power” spend so much time riding the people under them, they don’t have the skills to develop them.  They don’t even have the desire to develop them because they are afraid they might be training their replacement.  There was a time when that was a virtue, now it is a curse because this culture that thrives on having the “latest and greatest” more than likely is looking to replace that manager rather than develop him; and so the self-fulfilling prophecy rolls on and on down a slippery slope.

I can remember not being eligible for a promotion until I trained the person who would replace me when I was gone.  It was like a trial by fire, a test.  “If you can develop a person to man the position and do the job that you are currently doing, as well or better than you are doing it, then we will make a spot for you up the ladder. “  That person that I would train, nurture and develop that would at some point be the new “me” in my old position, that person in their latest incarnation was, and is, my badge of honor.  Their success was proof of my merit; that success did not eclipse my ability and my value to the company, it exposed it. 

Yet we have a culture of managers that are the de-evolution of the craft; generations of managers that have been “trained” by the previous generations of manager, many of whom had no management skills themselves,  but they were the last man standing, the longest tenured employee when their manager left so they assumed the role, and more often than not they assumed that role as accurately as you can imagine mimicking the most recent role-model they have had; the manager before them that was fired for lack of production. 

And you know why employers tolerate this?  Because our culture tells us that there is something new and better coming around the corner.  So rather than maximize what we have, working hard to improve the lives of our subordinates, managers and loyal employees, we tell ourselves, “Unemployment is at 10%.  There is someone out there that can do this the way I want it done.”  To people not really paying attention that is what progress teaches us and so, we don’t work hard to develop our people, our resources; instead we just bide our time till something new comes around.   

All the while these companies spend millions of dollars advertising all the ways their products or services improve the lives of their customers, and yet they don’t really care about their customers as seen in the way they treat their employees…

As if something better is coming right around the corner.

In my career I have trained hundreds of people within one organization or another, and the people who I have spent that time with I am careful to stay in contact with because, I know no matter how well I prepared them for what was expected of them right then I know that I could not have prepared them for everything coming down the line as they have made their way up the ladder of success.  One of my "kids" calls me the "Suicide-hotline" for sales people.  And, watching these young people grow and develop, live and learn and succeed, is a matter of pride to me.  I wonder if  bosses, managers, coaches, teachers and even parents took a more constructive (as in "building, work in progress" rather than "positive and uplifting" although that applies as well) approach to the way we manage and develop our relationships with a positive end in mind, how much more competitive does the market place get?  How many customers would raise their expectations of all of the companies with which they did business if they got to actually experience the difference? 

We know travelers make choices based on how they are treated, that is why Southwest Airlines is one of the most profitable airlines in history and, that is a product of their desire to create an atmosphere where their employees are satisfied.  Harley Davidson, Google, SAS...all of these companies are ranked highest for their job growth, compensation packages and perks.  All these things sound like expenses, unnecssary and manageable expenses, except that these companies don't see it that way.  The higher-than-market compensation and benefits packages aren't just the cost of doing business, these dollars are an investment in market growth, customer loyalty and satisfaction, and overall employment expense because the only thing more expensive than having the wrong person in the wrong position is having a different person there every 9-12 months. 

Invest in training.  I know you expect your managers to train but, let me ask you, who trained your managers?  When was the last time your managers read a book on managing, relationships,communication, developing people, being a more effective leader...?  I talk to managers all the time that feel as if they don't need to grow and improve in their management function because they are either, a.)  Better than their predecessor or, b.)  Better than their competition.  That is a house built on sand. 

Spend the money to make your "key employees" accountable for improvement.  They will thank you for it and it might turn out that instead of waiting for the next "shiny and new" manager to come waltzing through your door (having just been fired from their previous position for a "newer model") you find a diamond in the rough.  Marry yourself to the manager who you identified at some point as having the right stuff to be your guy.  When you get involved in their improvement and invested in their success you'll see that under that dingy exterior that you have been looking at in disgust for the past 120 days there is a fire-breathing leader of men waiting to come out and take your business to the next level.