There are no formal theories, yet companies have been shifting towards what is now known as Corporate Liberation.
A liberated company allows employees freedom and responsibility to take actions that they, not their managers, decide are best for their company’s vision.
That doesn’t mean the company is not managed. It simply shifts the hierarchical role of the manager to one of leader and coach, developing and guiding their people towards personal and company success.
A specific case study that RdL facilitated in Melbourne Australia is a prime example of how this can work and can turn a business around from not performing to delivering ahead of budget.
At the start of the shift the team would gather around a large whiteboard on the shop floor and the teams determined what workstation they would work at. On the whiteboard were the Engineering targets as prepared through a time in motion study, so everyone knew what needed to be done.
The team would then proceed to their stations and complete their shift. At the end of the shift the individuals would all document their outputs on the whiteboard and there was a team meeting to discuss the success of some, and the problems of others.
Rather than the manager telling the staff what needed to be done differently when someone delivered poor results, he turned to the people who did well and asked them to share what they did that enabled them such success.
This story telling and the ongoing coaching by the leader on the shop floor, not in skills but in building trust, respect and understanding of every employee drove productivity through the roof.
In addition to the employees coaching each other, the manager introduced a very small award at the end of each shift. The prize was simply 1 small chocolate. The manager would award the prize to the single employee that contributed most to the shift. Whether that be safety, teamwork, housekeeping, volume, etc.
Unbeknown to the manager, the employees were all striving to win this award, not for the chocolate but for the recognition from their trusted leader.
This leader had created a liberated workforce that together was delivering above budget and with the highest levels of teamwork.
If you would like support in creating a liberated workforce, please do not hesitate to contact us.
If you would like to read further on this topic, please click the link below;
https://hbr.org/2018/09/give-your-team-the-freedom-to-do-the-work-they-think-matters-most