Tightening Up Discipline -- by Professor Bill White (McC61)

I was hired nine months ago at a small, privately owned company with about 100 employees. When I arrived I found a total lack of discipline, which I had expected because I had done my homework and the owner was very candid about the challenges I would face. Since coming on board, I have put in a standard set of policies and instituted several disciplinary actions.

Over the past five months, I’ve sent no less than 10 memos and I’ve held mandatory meetings on the policies. What frustrates me is that employees are still lackadaisical in their attitudes. None of my policies or memos has convinced them things have really changed. When I speak to the employees, they tell me “Yes, we know this is important,” but I can tell that they are starting to resent my presence here. Have I done too much too fast? My sense of urgency comes from the fact that we’re expanding and our customers expect more from us. To realize that opportunity, we have to become a disciplined company.

The problem as I see it is not moving too fast, but not involving the employees in the process. The more you can engage them in the decision-making the sooner you’ll get their buy-in. But remember, it’s a process. Pick an issue — for example absenteeism or how to get a particular project back on track — and put together a task force, whether within a department or cross-departments. You can suggest a task force leader or let the group choose.

When the task force convenes you should not be in the meetings. Rather, let them come to you with their recommendations. The task force should know in advance that while you will consider their recommendations, there is no guarantee you will implement them. The final decision on any decision will be yours, although you certainly want to consider their input.

When the recommendations are presented, implement as many as possible as you institute new policies and procedures. When the changes are announced, the task force should be part of the announcement in order to acknowledge their input.

As a next step, you can start in another area with a second task force, which should include members of the first group for continuity. From here the process should start to accelerate.

Most importantly, you’ll begin to see more cohesion and discipline in the group as they buy in to the policies and procedures that they’ve helped to create. A change in behavior will soon be very noticeable.

Questions? Bill@FromDayOne.com

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Your Extraordinary Career features proven success strategies and advice for recent graduates and young professionals from William J. White, who draws upon a successful corporate career, including as Chairman and CEO of a New York Stock Exchange-traded company. Bill is now Professor at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University, and author of the career book for young professionals, From Day One: CEO Advice to Launch an Extraordinary Career.

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Posted July 1, 2009.