Management / Leadership

Over the years I, and many others, have written in depth articles on management and in particular, management of a drycleaning business. We talked about hiring employees and what to look for. We talked about payroll, deductions, fringe benefits, insurance, pieces per hour and even the hours the store was open. We talked about processing, equipment, chemicals, procedures and how to classify garments to be cleaned, and a whole lot more.

Today we are greatly lacking in leadership throughout all facets of our lives, and that is one of the two keys to running a successful business. Management tends to work with things where leadership tends to work with people. Living, breathing, human beings with feelings, in addition to needing to make enough money to survive, and most employees need some kind of leadership in their work lives.

The question of why we are lacking leadership qualities is complex yet very simple. There are a few plants in which I have come into contact with over the years that exhibit good to excellent leadership qualities and it is very evident when you see it. It is as much a feeling of the plant’s pulse as it is anything else. The plant or business that has a true leader in charge is a happy plant and much more efficient than what is usually seen.

I will attempt to describe the employees that are fortunate enough to work for a company with a real leader. The employees are glad to go to work everyday. They know their jobs and are eager to do them to the very best of their abilities. The employees do not look at the leader (management) as the enemy and someone to fear but one that will help them improve their finished product (garment). They tend to come to work on time with a pride that shows in their appearance and confidence. Confident in knowing that they will not be yelled at, looked down upon, embarrassed or lied to. The employees feel they are part of the overall team and that their job is important to the welfare and growth of the plant.

The happy employee that is part of a team will be updated frequently and reminded what the goal of the business is and how they can grow with the business without fear that they will have ever increasing work without due compensation. They know that their leader is interested in their quality of work life and enjoys seeing them grow into a better human being through increased job satisfaction and a feeling of belonging to something that is bigger than they are, yet they are a part of it.

Frequently the employee’s dedication is fostered through recognition of birthdays, learning more about the technical aspects of their jobs, uniforms or a dress code and being treated as an equal and knowing that management sees in them more than just a warm body. They know they are regarded as a friend in addition to being a company employee.

The owners I have known to be true leaders are compassionate people who are also excellent business people that respect their employees and know that the business would not exist without them. They have also learned that friends will do a lot more for a friend than they will for someone that does not respect them. These leaders also realize that good people cannot do good work with bad equipment that is not maintained properly and promptly. True leaders are the ones who run plants that are immaculately clean and well organized, and very little is left to chance. The leader is always on the lookout for equipment, supplies or procedures that will make the employee’s jobs easier and more professional. One of the most important aspects of being a leader is in knowing how to listen to the employees. Without listening there can be no understanding or true communication of what is important to the employees. Without understanding, there can be no solution to their problems. And without understanding there can be no positive plan devised to make the work life productive for the employee and the business. It is virtually impossible to separate work life and family life as they are too firmly intertwined.

When the leaders need to hire new people the first thing they do is ask their employees if they know of someone who would like a job and someone that they would like to work with. Frequently there are friends or relatives of good employees that would love to go to work for the company simply because they know how they treat their employees. Once a new person is hired, time is spent with them in order to get them started on the right foot and to make sure they know what is expected of them and also how they can grow and progress with the company. There may be several days to a week or more of training and under the watchful eye of a trusted employee that can teach and correct without the new employee feeling they are inferior or without being offended. This will show the employee that they are worth spending money on in order to get them started correctly and answer any questions that may arise. Employees will usually raise to the expectations placed on them.

Even after the new employee has been assigned a job they are checked upon frequently by the leader and encouraged during this time when they are wondering if they have made the right decision in their choice of employment. This is like a courtship when the leader and the employee are feeling each other out. If this critical time goes well then the marriage will continue to need maintenance in order to succeed. During the tenure of employment there will be continual conversation not only about work but also about the individual. A good leader is also a good mentor and friend. This does not mean that the employee will be coming to dinner every night but it does mean that once the courtship is over there will still be an open door to the leaders office and they are still approachable.

If the leader is nice to the employees does this mean that he is an ineffective manager? No, just the opposite. The employer has set the rules, made the guidelines, perfected the team to work within the rules and guidelines and encourages the employees to better them selves through higher pay, better working conditions and pride in themselves. All of this needs constant attention and the employees need the encouragement that frequently they cannot get anywhere else in their lives.

I have always been of the opinion that anyone can be a manager but very few people can be a leader. Most every university offers degrees in management but too frequently leadership training is lacking or completely non-existent. Management tends to be a mechanical undertaking while leadership encompasses a lot of disciplines and can only be done correctly by a small percentage of the population.

Every McDonalds, Burger King or any other fast food business, Seven-Elevens, Jiffy Marts and thousands of other businesses have on-site managers but true leadership always comes from the home office and the person that has the leadership also has the big picture of the organization. They are the ones who realize that the employees are the ones to make or break a customer oriented business. Unfortunately there is a high turnover among store employees simply because upper management has not hired managers with leadership qualities or abilities.

Leadership shows itself in many small ways that are hard to define but easy for an employee to recognize. Perhaps a small note at the time clock to encourage the employee to learn something new today or a thank you note in with a paycheck or even a paid personal day occasionally is showing the employee that they are regarded as a person and have needs and wants just like everybody else. Sometimes a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen with is all that a leader needs in order to convey the message that the employee is important.

If you would like to become a leader instead of a manager start to look around at the business the same way your employees look at it. Make sure they have a comfortable and clean place to work and equipment that functions the way it was designed. Look at the lighting so they are not trying to work in the dark and do not allow odors in the plant from smoking or solvents. When you begin seeing the workplace as the employees do and how they view the management they work under, then you are on your way to becoming a leader.

In the workplace there needs to be rules and regulations and they need to be enforced. The leader/manager is the one who is ultimately in charge and responsible for the business to remain healthy by enforcing the company policies and rules. Once the employees know the rules and know they need to abide by them it actually takes a lot of pressure off of them in that they know what they are to do and what the leader/management will do. When everybody knows what to do, how to do it, and what to expect at work then the rules are defined and everybody can get to work to produce the finest product possible.