Part 2 – Problem identification
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When reviewing a scenario we ask a few questions like: who are the players? What are the primary / secondary issues here – root causes? What could happen? And what are the possible solutions to the problem? (Not unlike doing a corrective action plan)

Players; Bob – Shipping supervisor, Graham – Bobs boss and Manufacturing manager, Mark – company founder, Andrea – CEO, Other employees, the Company itself.

On the surface the issues /challenge here appears to be based around a few themes:

1. The company has grown in size and complexity – does the old structure and culture support this growth?
2. A new leader is making changes to the organizations culture – perhaps trying to instill a culture that they are more familiar with?
3. What should an employee do when being asked to do something that they are not in agreement with.
4. How does effective communication occur in complex, siloed organization?

As is the case with most challenges, this case touches on a couple of key issues around communication, culture, formal vs informal company structure and leadership style.

What could possibly happen? What is at stake for the company and for the players?

How an organization communicates is a reflection of its culture and organizational structure. An ill thought out initiative can impact an organizations ability in ways that are unexpected. In this case, Andrea the new CEO feels that the company needs to reinforce its formal structure in order to become more professional. Unfortunately, she may have given the wrong message to her managers and they feel that they need to formalize communication thus limiting the informal communication structure. 

Corporate Silos; Many organizations due to the nature of the business they are in naturally develop silos. These silos exist where groups of employees work together on shared work. The challenge with a silo is that communication between silos can be a challenge yet these silos and the people within the silos must work together to achieve corporate objectives. The classic aviation silo being the flight crew vs the maintenance crew – these two groups need to work together to achieve corporate objectives but sometimes conflict can occur when the groups focus on their own individual objectives such as on time performance vs the challenges associated with troubleshooting a complex aircraft.

Unfortunately, shutting down informal communication between groups reinforces silos and leads to reduced corporate effectiveness. In this case the monthly supervisor lunch is a great opportunity for these supervisors to share information in an informal forum but more importantly it reinforces relationships across work groups.  The result on the bottom line could be very detrimental if work units fail to work together to achieve corporate objectives.

Formal communication and Informal communications, and Formal structure vs the informal structure

Formal communication is necessary but managers that forget the informal communication channels and the informal structure do so at their peril. In the old days it was the chat around the coffee machine where information really flowed in organizations – now its through social media. A wise manager knows who are the informal leaders are and ensures that they are an important part of any communications strategy.
 
Part 3 Building a Solution

We have reviewed the scenario, identified the players, what is at stake, and proposed a couple possible issues. Now what should Bob, Graham or the leadership group do at this point / and in the long term to correct the current challenge?

Bob’s first reaction to Grahams request to avoid discussing work over lunch should not be discounted. But what should he do, a failure to follow a directive from your supervisor is insubordination? As with any problem Bob needs to step back and asses the situation and look at the options, he has available.

Bob really sees three main options,

• Ignore Graham – Bob ends up being insubordinate
• Comply – which in all reality would mean not attending the lunch
• Or speak to Graham about the request – this is probably the best option

Questioning your supervisor’s direction is something which should be handled delicately. But that being said a good manager will listen to the concern. This is a sign of leadership – listening to your people when they have a concern. Engaged employees are ones who think critically and ask questions – a wise leader will take the time to listen to concerns. If Bob takes the time to remind Graham of the benefits of sharing information with his fellow supervisors, Graham will probably see the benefit.
 
Summary:
This case is designed to illustrate a few managerial realities around structure, communication, culture and how these areas are linked together. Any organization is as complex as those who work in it, the wise leader is aware of the constant balance that any organization needs to meet to survive. The other message in this story is around the need for managers to develop a culture which supports critical thinking and corporate growth. In a world which is changing rapidly we need to develop strategies which ensure everyone is engaged in thinking about how to do what they do better. We need people that question why we do what we do, as opposed to accepting the status quo.

Hierarchies by nature are designed to maintain the status quo – in a world of constant change we need to remove barriers to change – what structure will allow your organization to adapt to a changing world. 

These articles may only be used for used for not-for-profit educational purposes.
Copyright © 2020.​

This is the third of a series of articles which focus on managerial challenges in the aviation and aerospace industries. The following brief scenario / case study which is meant to illustrate the problems associated with employee evaluations – why we would use them how they should be used. Part 1 will outline the problem Part 2 will discuss the issues and possible solutions.

Part 1 – the scenario

Hassan’s first thought upon reading the email from Shawn, the Production Manager who was Hassan’s boss at HeavyFlight International (HFI) was – oh no “its that time of the year again”. The last time he had gone through the performance review with is boss the whole episode was almost enough for Hassan to quit.

As the senior lead in the coatings shop Hassan took his job seriously. He did his best to ensure that a quality product always exited his area. He worked with three other painters and they all got along quite well most of the time, but as with any group there was friction from time to time. But overall Hassan and his co workers took pride in their work and did a good job – or at least that is what they thought.

How performance reviews worked at HFI:

• The HR dept tracked all performance reviews and would notify each department head or manager 3 weeks before the due date of the performance review
• Performance reviews were conducted annually and coincided with the employee’s date of hire
• A standard performance review form was prepared by HR and submitted to the manager to complete prior to the official performance review meeting with the employee
• Employees were required to sign off that they had received their review with the signed copy going to HR for insertion in the employee’s HR file
• Managers would receive a letter on their file if any of the performance reviews were late

The last performance review

As it turned out Hassan’s last performance review coincided with what was the busiest time of the production cycle. Although the production line was always busy there were times of increased activity such as just before or after major holidays or when the sales group just overcommitted and projects collided. Further to this was the fact that Shawn the production manger was really unsure why he was even doing these performance reviews. Recently Shawn has made the statement to a fellow manager that regarding his feelings about performance reviews.

 “I don’t know about you, but why is it that we are letting HR dictate how we do our jobs as managers? We know our people need a bit of a prodding from time to time – this whole performance review stuff just gets in the way and delays giving the needed jolt”

Due to the production pressures, the last performance review had been done in a hurry. Basically, what had happened was Shawn tracked down Hassan during his Friday lunch and said “we need to get through this performance review thing today – are you free right now?” As it was a busy time there really was no where for a private meeting so they held the review in the lunchroom with everyone coming and going. Shawn started with “As you know you are required to participate in performance reviews in order to ensure that you know where you have not been living up to expectations” This opening line had already put Hassan at unease. Shawn then went on and touched on a number of minor issues which had taken place in the Coatings Shop over the last 12 months. It was obvious that Shawn had been collecting a list of any deficiencies and had been saving them up for this meeting. He even noted a time when Hassan had been late for work 6 months earlier. (As it turned out Hassan had had a flat tire on his car that morning) Some of the problems that Shawn brought up involved issues which were out of Hassan’s control – for instance Hassan was reprimanded for a late delivery on one aircraft (the customer had made a last-minute colour change). Hassan came from a culture where respect for your superiors was important, but these allegations were untrue and Hassan wanted to speak up. Unfortunately, Shawn said he was already late for another meeting as he thrust the review at Hassan and told him to sign it so he could submit the report into HR before the Friday afternoon timeline.

That last performance review was so badly handled, Hassan had seriously considered quitting – it was only his co workers who had convinced him that Shawn wasn’t that bad and that he should stay – after all they all said he did a good job. Hassan wondered what is the purpose of this performance review system anyway. Shawn also walked away from the last review feeling like this exercise was not really achieving anything other than checking off a box – could there be a better way to approach these reviews?
 
What would you do if you were in Hassan or Shawn’s shoes?
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When reviewing a scenario we ask a few questions like: who are the players? What are the primary / secondary issues here? What could happen? And what are the possible solutions to the problem? Take some time to write down some of the challenges and ideas for correcting the challenges.

Part 2 – Problem identification

When reviewing a scenario we ask a few questions like: who are the players? What are the primary / secondary issues here – root causes? What could happen? And what are the possible solutions to the problem? (Not unlike doing a corrective action plan)

Players; Hassan – Coating shop lead, primary subject 1 Shawn – Production Manager, Primary subject 2, Other employees in the coating shop, The HR department, the Company itself.

What could possibly happen? What is at stake for the company and for the players?

Regardless of size, organizations require employees to do their job. But if employees do not feel valued their contributions to the organization can suffer. In this case a management tool is being used incorrectly with the potential results being a workforce who is not engaged or worse. The company could lose highly skilled employees. The loss of enough employees can result in an organization which cannot earn enough revenue to survive.

On the surface the issues /challenge here appears to be based around a few themes:
1.Lack of training for managers regarding performance reviews
2.An inflexible compliance-based performance review system
3.Lack of a strategic HR plan?

Performance reviews have earned a bad reputation in many organizations for good reason – this case illustrates an extreme case where a performance review has gone off the rails. Many of us have seen or been party to poorly conceived performance review systems – the next section looks at the purpose behind performance reviews and suggests some ideas for how they can be effectively used.
 
Part 3 - Building a Solution

We have reviewed the scenario, identified the players, what is at stake, and proposed a couple possible causes. Now what should Hassan, Shawn or the leadership group do at this point / and in the long term to correct the current challenge?

When troubleshooting any problem, the first action should always be to take a step back and assess the situation. Leaping into action without fully understanding the situation or having all the information could result in doing more damage.

First action that should be taken by both Hassan and Shawn in this case if they are feeling that the performance review process is not working is to get all the information. Do some research and find out the purpose of a performance review is. Instead of complaining about a process, equip yourself with knowledge. So here we go.

Purpose of a performance review system – Every organization is made up of individuals. (bit of an obvious statement) So, for an organization to grow and move forward in capability or knowledge the individual members of the organization need to grow and move forward. The performance review system is actually a part of a systemic means of moving the entire organization forward – one person at a time.

Performance review systems are meant to give feedback to employees on what they doing well and where they need to improve – thus allowing the entire organization to improve.  Any performance review system should work on the following 4 principals

1. The primary role of any manager is to develop their staff so that each employee contributes their best to the organization
2. Managers who only give positive feedback, hold back their staff by not letting them know where they employees need to improve
3. Performance reviews are DEVELOPMENTAL tools NOT Discipline tools
4. Mutually agreed upon measurable goals are a key component of a performance review

Performance Review Best Practices

1. Include the employee in the process – share the performance review documents with the employee ahead of the formal meeting and ask them to take the time to do a self review. This is an indicator of whether the manager and employee are on the same page. In most situations the employee will rate themselves harder than the manager. If not, this may be an indication that expectations have not been clearly communicated to the employee. Don’t assume – be clear
2. Customize the performance review process based on the job description – Take the time to ensure that the review documents are appropriate for the job characteristics. Asking questions in a review that are not relevant to the position discredit the process. Not asking the right questions may not guide improvement.
3. Don’t save up problems for the performance review – remember performance appraisal programs are DEVELOPMENTAL not Discipline. If there is a problem with an employee let them know when the event happens. For instance, if you see someone showing up for work late – ask them at the time, don’t wait months to find out. Negative behavior or performance need to be addressed when it occurs.
4. Demonstrate the importance of this process – As a manager the best way to demonstrate your commitment to the employee evaluation is to set time aside with the employee. Silence your phone, turn off the computer screen, let the employee know that this time is focused on them and their development.
5. Be respectful of the employee – Remember that most employees want to do a good job. As long as you equip them with the tools to do their job they will do it to the best of their ability. Managers must remember that most people’s identity is tied to what they do – self identity and self worth are closely linked. The manager who fails to recognize this will do so at their own peril.
6. Improvement is an ongoing process – As with any continuous improvement process performance evaluations should be part of an ongoing process. Although an annual review is important there should be scheduled opportunities to touch base on the progress of the employee throughout the year. Touch base monthly or quarterly depending upon your needs but always schedule the meetings – otherwise they won’t happen. Celebrate the successes and offer a nudge or a reminder to the employee when needed.
7. Agreed upon and measurable suggestions for improvement should be part of the performance review – without measurable goals we cannot build a strategy for achieving. These goals need to be agreed upon but more importantly they should challenge while still being achievable.

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Summary

As with any tool, employee evaluations can be used correctly or they can be misused. Employee evaluations are an essential tool for organizations who want to grow and become more adaptable. Integrating employee evaluation programs must be done for the right reason – it should not be used as a proxy for managing non-performance.  What it should be used for is, developing your employees -which will benefit your organization in the long run. Integration of an effective evaluation program starts with a plan for getting the management team on board.  Take the time to explain and get buy in from your managers – without support, the program will be doomed. Senior management need to start by mentoring those who report directly to them, then expand the program through the ranks. 

Remember – an organization grows when the individuals within it grow – support growth and learning of your team members and you will reap the rewards of a more resilient organization.

​These articles may only be used for used for not-for-profit educational purposes.
Copyright © 2020.​

This is the second of a series of articles which focus on managerial challenges in the aviation and aerospace industries. The following brief scenario / case study which is meant to illustrate the problems associated with succession planning, career development and a changing workforce. Part 1 will outline the problem Part 2 will discuss the issues and possible solutions.

Part 1 – The Scenario

Bob was beside himself, Marnie, the sales manager for the organization had just reminded Bob that a potential client’s auditing team would be on site next week.  This was part of a standard pre-qualification audit to determine if the company would be approved as a qualified vendor for an upcoming multimillion dollar RFP (Request for Proposal). The company was trying to secure the contract to supply the air transportation needs for an upcoming multibillion dollar resource project.

As the maintenance manager for the air carrier, Bob had delegated Suzanne, one of the crew chiefs to ensure that the facility would be ready for the inspection. But the reality was that the external audit could not be scheduled for a more inconvenient time. A heavy check was in progress on one aircraft and the company had recently started operating another aircraft type which was causing some unexpected challenges – diverting Suzanne’s attention during her shifts. Add to this, the fact that it was summer and a number of key personnel had taken vacation.

Bob was done – he wanted to throw his hands up in despair – he was busy enough managing the maintenance department, fulfilling his primary responsibility of keeping the aircraft in the air – Why was he now having to pander to the requests from the sales manager? As he looked around the facility he realized that Suzanne had not managed to make any progress on getting the hangar ready for the external audit. Well it looked like the family would have to take a back seat again – As usual, I will have to organize the job myself, and Bob muttered “delegation never works!” - As he stormed back to his office.
 
What would you do if you were in Bob’s shoes or in a senior management role?
​
When reviewing a scenario we ask a few questions like: who are the players? What are the primary / secondary issues here? What could happen? And what are the possible solutions to the problem? Take some time to write down some of the challenges and ideas for correcting the challenges.

Part 2 – Problem identification
​
When reviewing a scenario we ask a few questions like: who are the players? What are the primary / secondary issues here – root causes? What could happen? And what are the possible solutions to the problem? (Not unlike doing a corrective action plan)
 
 
Players; Bob – Maintenance Manager -primary subject. Suzanne – Crew chief, Marnie – Sales manager, The Company itself, the potential customer, and the management and employees of the company would be seen as the primary players.

What could possibly happen? What is at stake for the company and for the players?
At the macro level, all companies’ need to generate revenue in order to at least stand a chance of making a profit. An inability to secure work through a competitive bidding process puts everyone’s job at stake. At the personal level Bob’s reputation and reputation of the maintenance department is at stake from both internal and external customers. In a relatively tightly knit but highly competitive industry such as aviation, the reputation of the company and its employees is critical to its long term success.  What about Bob’s Personal wellbeing – if he continues to try to personally solve every challenge?

On the surface the issues /challenge here appears to be based around a few themes:

1. Workload / Resource Management (Project Management) and,  
2. Leadership / Management in regards to Bob’s perceived need to step forward and take control
3. Organizational silos / perhaps this site visit is not seen as a priority by Bob
4. A lack of an integrated quality culture?

The reality is that you probably have seen a situation like this occur or you have played one of the roles in this classic workplace challenge. We are often asked to do more with less, within a time constraint set by others. Companies exist in order to make a profit and have finite resources. (Trying not to sound too much like the master of the obvious here.)  WE know this, then why are these workplace challenges common – why does it seem like organizations go from one crisis to another?

Part 3 Building a Solution

We have reviewed the scenario, identified the players, what is at stake, and proposed a couple possible causes. Now what should Bob / or the leadership group do at this point / and in the long term to correct the current challenge?

Short term action

 n this particular scenario the timeline is relatively short – the external auditors will be here in the next week – at this point we have no choice but an immediate call to action. A sense of urgency needs to be communicated to the front line. In a situation like this where the stakes are this high, be truthful. Bob needs to let the team know what is at stake here.  If everyone understands that this inspection could lead to an important contract they will probably come together and get the work done. Don’t just tell people to do something – engage them – take the time to explain why this is important.
 
Longer term corrective action

Is it possible to build an organization that is able to withstand commercial pressures while thriving in an environment of constant change? There is a direct link between a resilient culture and a culture which supports a quality mandate. The connection is an engaged workforce.  But what does it mean to have an engaged workforce? For the purpose of this case engagement means a workforce which shows up physically, mentally, and emotionally. Meaning they actually are showing up for more than just a pay cheque.
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Although not foolproof, the following suggestion may assist your organization and your people to be more resilient and engaged when the inevitable happens and projects collide.

• Build organizations which support teams - Teams are much more resilient than individuals. How you organize and reward your work groups can contribute to the team effectiveness. Ask yourself are you rewarding individual effort or team effort. (The classic example being the commission sales person who is focused on one objective alone)
• Build a culture which supports innovative thinking – listen to front line staff, reward ideas, celebrate new ideas, remember that innovation can sometimes involve taking a chance – not all ideas succeed – don’t dwell on failure
• Every member of your organization needs to know what their role is in the organization and how their input can affect others – this helps break down barriers and silos within organizations – Silo’s detract from teamwork. 
• Encourage initiative within your work groups but  beware of the lone ranger 
• Model the behavior you want to see – managers need to work collaboratively
• Set clear expectations  - Then hold individuals and groups accountable to agreed expectations
• Remember motivated people and teams will achieve more – and more importantly - learn how intrinsic motivators work.
• Set goals that are measurable and have an agreed completion time – then hold the group or the individual accountable ( a goal that is not measurable is not a goal it is an aspiration)
• Celebrate the group successes
• Trust your people
• Say thanks – a lot

These are all great points but without buy in from the leadership team any initiatives will be doomed – The first step would probably be determining if Bob is willing to change his approach to management. Senior management will have to make a decision based on what they know about Bob. Perhaps the first step would be set up a mentoring program for Bob. Or alternately removing Bob.

Summary

In a rapidly changing world where market conditions and competition is constantly shifting, organizations need to be able to adapt. Managers need to sharpen their leadership skills. The traditional management role was seen as maintaining the “Status Quo” – this approach does not support a resilient organization that can rapidly adapt to changing market conditions nor support a quality focused culture.

Building the organizational culture that you desire or changing an existing organizational culture does not just happen. Management needs to be very deliberate and disciplined when developing the organization which meets the organizations objectives.

Remember: “Nature abhors a Vacuum” an organizational culture will form in any organization. If management is not deliberate, the organizations cultural vacuum will be filled with something – unfortunately it may not be the culture that supports your organizational objectives. 

Part 2 – Problem Identification

When reviewing a scenario we ask a few questions like: who are the players? What are the primary / secondary issues here – root causes? What could happen? And what are the possible solutions to the problem? (Not unlike doing a corrective action plan)
Players; Terry – outgoing QA manager, Peter – Incoming QA manager, The Company itself including senior management and other employees, Transport Canada, Internal and external customers

What could possibly happen if Peter fails in this position?
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The reality is a fully functioning QA department is critical to a modern aerospace entity. The results could be catastrophic for the organization, starting with the loss of reputation right through to the suspension of a licence by Transport Canada – this is a big deal!

On the surface the issues /challenge here appears to be twofold: retention and replacement but there is another issue around assisting Peter to be successful in this new position.

This scenario is not that uncommon, many of us have either witnessed or been part of a situation like this. The reality is people come and go all the time in organizations, Terry is no exception. One thing that may be different in today’s world may be the level of loyalty and devotion to the company.  Today’s workforce tends to be more focused on work life balance along with life experiences. Another consideration, in most families both partners are working. The traditional 1950’s family model is long gone. Although it is doubtful that there is anything specific that could have been done to persuade Terry to stay, as a manager what are some of the things you can do to enhance retention among your staff.

• building a culture where all employees matter (this is a case study all in itself)
• Each member of your team has a development plan in place
• Ensure you have a clear set of objectives for your group and celebrate every success
• As a manager be authentic! do what you say, and say what you do  
• And remember, pay is only one reason why people work

If you develop a culture where people feel they are part of the team and they feel that their contributions matter, you will reduce but not eliminate turnover. So onto the other challenge - replacement.

Traditionally in many small to medium enterprises the process of employee replacement does not start until the employee announces their pending departure. This is not good enough and we need to do better. Here are some best practices that should be adopted to ensure that your organization is better prepared for employee turnover.

• Have a current job description for every position within the organization – the description should include job duties and key attributes necessary to be successful in that position
• Transparency in hiring and posting – linking hiring decisions back to the job description – this assists employees to know what they need to do to move forward in the organization ( helps retention)
• Identify key positions and ensure that a succession plan is in place for each – this may include who else in the organization has the ability to assume the role in an interim basis (Very important for positions which require the regulators’ approval) A 30 day notice of suspension goes by very quickly
• Every employee needs to have a development plan in place – these could be tied to positions within the company that the employee would like to aim for
• Keep employee profiles updated – this helps you identify possible internal candidates
• Ensure that you have a robust recruitment and selection policy which ensures that employees are selected with a balance of technical skills, and attributes that are in alignment with your company values

We just touched on some long term strategies for helping to build an organization which is more proactive around retention and replacement. A company with a strong Human resources strategy will be more resilient when the unexpected departure occurs. 

But, what do we do now that Peter is in a situation in which he feels unqualified for? 

In reviewing the case we see that Peter has strong technical skills but lacks experience in managing a team. Now what sometimes happens in a situation like this is the new manager without training tries to emulate the managers that he has experienced in the past. Well, if Peter has had experienced good management he may do fine, but alternately – you see where this is going. Leaving Peters’ management training up to chance is not an option. Managerial training should be consistent across an organization and for this reason HR is a good starting point when creating a development plan for a new manager.
A couple suggestions that could be considered in Peter’s case:

• Identify a managerial mentor – preferably someone from within who understands your organizations unique culture.  Schedule regular mentoring session’s offsite otherwise work gets in the way – and if you don’t actually schedule the session they don’t actually happen.
• Work with Peter to do a bit of a personal reflection and managerial gap analysis then build a plan which focuses on identifying the managerial skills that Peter needs to focus on first, second, etc.
• Based on the exercise above have Peter research some managerial courses he could take – avoid the one day managerial course – look to courses from public institutions with a bit more rigour.
• Sign up for some managerial podcasts such as Harvard idea casts or Manager tools
• Read some management books by recognized management experts such as Henry Mintzberg, Michael Porter, or Dan Pink – and set some time aside to actually read and digest the information.
• Ensure regular check-ins occur with the managerial mentor and with Peter’s direct supervisor –feedback is essential.

 
Summary
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People are not usually born as good managers. Management is a skill or a craft, and as with any craft it takes practice and hard work to learn it well. A good manager is one whose main focus is on developing their team while meeting organizational goals in a positive manner. Preparing someone for a managerial position takes time and effort – if left to chance the outcomes can be disastrous. Our current workforce is aging rapidly, companies need to embrace strategic Human Resource policies which will provide for the recruitment and selection of solid candidates.
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A quick analogy – Every essential system on a modern transport category aircraft has redundancy built in – ask yourself – What is my redundancy system for key positions in our company? ​