As a manager, you can “guarantee” performance. Think about these practices common in unionized organizations and even the public sector…
A “high performing unionized organization” is an oxymoron and the exception, not the rule. Joining the words “high performance” with a union is a contradiction. There is good reason for this—actually three.
1. Union employees are not held accountable.
There is no accountability for high performance. They not only get by with mediocre performance, they can freely perform poorly.
2. Union employees are not rewarded for performance.
Rewards are dished out according to seniority, and are most times the same for everyone. The longer you’ve been there, the more privileged you are, period.
3. Union employees don’t’ get fired.
As long as there’s a pulse, you‘ve got a job. That’s the culture, long entrenched.
4. Manage like the unions, and you’ll get poor performance, guaranteed.
All you have to do is (1) avoid accountability, (2) reward for seniority not performance, and (3) never fire anybody. This is a formula that always works…to get poor performance.
Martha Forlines and Thad Green
Tags: employee engagement, employee motivation, employee performance, leadership, leadership success, leadership training, performance
