It is time to replace “stupid”

Culture eats strategy for breakfast

Perhaps you have heard the title as a comment in a business; I know I have. Each time it has been a manager or owner saying this after their witnessing an employee perform poorly at a task; “stupid” being the new nickname for the underperforming employee.

“Success is simple tasks that basic low paid employees can perform”.

“The employees needed will possess lowest possible level of skills necessary”.

Of the two statements, one comes from one of the greatest minds in economics while the other comes from a contemporary business guru.
To some these two statements are their strategy for how they utilize their employees. Collectively they are a strategy of “dumbing down” any task and hiring an employee with minimal skills. Others will see these two statements as to why the problem of “stupid” exists.

Then we can look at the comment of another business management guru, Peter Drucker who said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”.
How do these apply to us?

Think about the story of the cashier who dumps the change and receipt in the customer’s hand; the story of the cashier who asks if you found everything you need and then does not listen for an answer; both tales of poor customer service are legend. Most of us have experienced them.

Perhaps you will agree that the concept taught in the first two statements has not been working very well for small business. Regardless of profitability, we are challenged to say we frequently experience great customer service.

The third statement; what if we were to adopt a different culture? A culture that requires staff to think and act accordingly. Perhaps this culture would have a breakfast of eating the strategy of going for minimum skills and minimum qualifications.

An example is the business removing the “amount tendered” option on the point of sale system. Multiple employees were challenged by this change. One even asked, “how do you expect me to count change?”
Perhaps we should decide it is time to stop “dumbing down” things and start allowing and expecting employees to think.

Is this a move of desperation? Does it happen on the day when the owner is just so overwhelmed by problems that the thought process becomes, “It sure can’t get any worse”?

Without arguing that last question, we should look at the repercussion for you of requiring people to think and act. When we hire someone, during the interview process we hopefully saw indicators of the individual’s ability to think. Too frequently, we are asking the individual to put that ability aside and do only as they are told.

The first challenge is an employee doing something differently than the way you would do it. Unfortunately, too many subscribe to the thought that the best ideas only filter down from the top. A related challenge is that of an employee taking the initiative of doing something for the business or for a customer. Can you handle either of these challenges?

There is a definite benefit to your considering taking the risk of adopting a new culture that replaces the strategy that seems to yet be successful; you will have a business that actually delivers what most people claim – great customer service. You will also find yourself spending less time overseeing every employee and having to make so many decisions that are minute as compared to all your other responsibilities.

We want to leave you with two ideas; books that can give you some great insight to implementing this change. The first is, “Flight of the buffalo” by James A. Belasco and Ralph Stayer. The second is, “Please don’t just do what I ask. Do what needs to be done” by Bob Nelson.

The books, and your employees, will both be a wise investment of your time.

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