The State of Georgia’s Employees

Most articles reporting improvement-effort results focus on quantifiable measurements, such as on-time delivery, rate of defects, and capacity. The importance of these types of metrics should not be minimized, of course, but it was refreshing to read Craig Newmark’s (the founder of Craigslist.org) overview of Georgia state employees improved work environment. It appears the initiative hopes to change behavior and morale by transforming the culture. Most importantly, the goals are to instill a sense of pride in employee accomplishments and build team work through trust.

Note the most revealing description of the longstanding outmoded culture: employees opinions were “never solicited or if asked, not acted on. Therefore, many government employees have given up trying to go the extra mile, since no one (in management) cared. “ How many times how you read or heard about a successful lean initiative in which the leaders state that, at the beginning of the journey, the main complaint of the front-line employees was alienation and disfranchisement? Why do so many organizations continue to foster the mentality that those paid to do the job should not participate in improving the job?

A crucial aspect of Toyota culture is the belief that employees do indeed want to improve their work environments and participate in the process. What do you think ultimately drives long-term satisfaction in ones’ work? Is it merely the amount of the paycheck or the amount of ownership of the process?