Politically Speaking - 10 Reasons Why American (Business) is Failing!!!

Politically Speaking - 10 Reasons Why American (Business) is Failing!!!

ATS Team, Good Day!

Here are my humble thoughts on 10 issues that have contributed to the current American Business Crisis. This list is certainly not comprehensive, but it should get the discussion started.

Hey Politicians and Corporate Leaders, there was once a time when we were the envy of the world…do you think we can ever get that back?

Readers, How you seen these where you work?

Readers, How should we address these where we work?

Readers, Why do these 10 things happen?

Well, here goes…thoughts?

OT’s Top Ten:

1-Lack of Nimble, Global Leadership (narrow personality-based supervision,)
To be personality-based in leadership is to check common sense at the door. It is relying on your default mode. It is taking the easy way out...the way with the least amount of effort or forethought. For a domineering, control-oriented manager it would be to settle into the old-school style of management and never give your employees the benefit of the doubt.

2-Incongruent & Ineffective Development Strategies (& poor worker placement,)
Too many corporations rely on mere 'cognitive' training. That is, the dumping of information into the heads of workers. This narrow approach to training is short-lived, and very hard on a budget. It is no wonder that many organizations are streamlining their training resources. Another evidence of a poor training department is the misplacement of workers with potential in menial jobs with little or no challenge. The toll on a business is immeasurable.

3-High Turnover (and associated costs,)
To hire, train, place, and lead an employee is an investment (if done right?)
To do it over and over, because of dysfunction is…waste!

4-Low Group Morale (pervasive poor attitude,)
There are many reasons for low worker motivation. Only individuals can motivate themselves...but successful managers realize their role is creating an environment conducive for worker growth and self-actualization.

5-No Teamwork (too much individualism causing process redundancies,)
It is true that the cream always rises to the top; however, when 'up and comers' because of selfish ambition, wonder off from the direction of the companies' vision…and other key stakeholders are ignored; the result is clouded, politically-based decisions which are compromises at best, and in most cases, detrimental to the health of a company.


6-Poor Communication (no closure, failing to close the loop,)
How many times have you sat in a meeting, discussed an issue round and round still to do it again the next week with little or no improvement on the issue?
Policy deployment must be on a cross-functional basis to avoid redundancies, reduce confusion, and to track required follow-up items for timely closure.

7-No Sense of Career Direction (foggy vision and advancement,)
It has been said, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time!” For thousands of well-meaning, competent workers across the country this has become a declaration for their career advancement. It is the responsibility of corporations today to provide employees with business acumen. That is, workers have the right to know what employers expect, as well as the proper response to industry-wide trends. Performance appraisal-specifics should not be a surprise. Developmental issues should be reviewed on a regular basis to give workers the best chance for success.

8-No Sense of Balance (poor delegation/minimal empowerment /no ownership,)
The 80/20-rule applies here. Twenty percent of the workers do eighty percent of the real value-added work. While office politics allow so many others to waste a company's time, money, and resources.

9-Raising Costs (would total cost please stand up?)
Many companies (especially in manufacturing) go after personnel reductions year after year like trying to bleed a turnip, and give mid-level managers large financial rewards to trim the numbers of the verge of chaos. These same companies allow literally millions of dollars in inventory to sit on the shop floor as work in process. Incentive bonuses, in and of themselves, are good; however, to mask efficiency with annual manpower tasks is shortsighted, out of balance and misses real opportunities to cut waste.

10-Complex Management/Measurement Systems (latest buzzwords)
Many companies spend more resources trying to learn the latest management program than applying the principles of their current approach. Those systems are often complicated, tend to be from the world of academia, and are not relevant to front-line workers. Companies’ also waste years on complicated metrics measuring everything...all that really matters are customer satisfaction, profits, and quality.