They Just Don't Get It!

It sounded like he didn't get it. Arguing was clearly not an option. I simply said: "That's not possible---but we will find a way to increase output. I'll need your support." Back at the plant, I gathered my leadership team and laid out the challenge. We collaborated to develop a plan to unite the workforce, explain the situation clearly, and set production targets that would dig us out of the hole. There was no time for new equipment or process upgrades---this would have to be pure discretionary effort and brute force. Using principles from Jack Stack's The Great Game of Business, we designed a "small game" to reward employees for hitting the "critical number"--- production targets that supported schedule attainment goals. The team rallied. They worked smarter, pushed harder, and found a way to deliver on commitments. The lesson: When leaders from different worlds stop talking past each other and start working together, the magic happens. The executives got their results. The plant got the support it needed. And the employees got clarity on why their effort mattered.

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