Good interpersonal skills give the plant
manager the ability to successfully communicate with the
workforce. Effective communication not only establishes
a strong working relationship, but also aids the manager
to resolve conflict, promote teamwork, motivate people and
delegate tasks. Conceptual skills indicate a manger’s
ability to process information, plan, make strategic decisions,
provide sound judgement and effectively solve problems.
Technical skills involve a thorough knowledge in all areas
of operation. Understanding the technicality of the job
is extremely important as it is directly associated with
the production of value added goods and services. A lack
of expertise in any one of these skills, is a sure sign
of their inability to maintain a consistently good performance.
However, these three skills alone are not
enough for the success of a plant manager. These skills
might be helpful in the short run but success in the long
run depends on a host of other factors. Managers also need
strong support from their superiors and the management as
they strive to achieve the goals set for them.
FIFTEEN COMMON REASONS
BEHIND THE FAILURE OF PLANT MANAGERS TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS
Research was conducted in the United States,
by interviewing managers in about 100 manufacturing plants,
to identify a few common reasons, which plant managers felt
were responsible for their failures. The following fifteen
common reasons were identified:
Lack of clear sense of direction
Failure to develop an effective and appropriate
plan of action
All talk and no action
Failure to delegate and empower
Communication meltdown
Poor Human Resource Management
Ego problems and poor working relationship
Inability to foster an effective leadership
team
Lack of adequate resources
Technology holes, gaps and mismatches
Operation with bad systems, processes and
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS)
Ineffective control and corrective action
systems
Bad operational planning
Inability to integrate functions, and resolve
conflicts
Losing sight of ultimate goals.
FOCUS ON:
1) Lack of clear sense of direction
2) Failure to develop an effective and
appropriate plan of action
3) All talk and no action
Lack of clear sense of direction
Plant managers sometimes have no clue as to
what are the organisation’s goals are, and have no
clearly defined direction to pursue. Such a situation spells
doom for any plant manager. The organisation’s targets
for growth, quality, volume and profit margins should be
clearly specified and prioritised. Based on this priority,
a plan has to be chalked out to achieve these targets. If
the priorities are not defined the managers generally end
up pursuing goals that are not in line with organisational
objectives.
Failure to develop an effective and appropriate
plan of action
Once a plant manager and his staff have a
clear idea of the organisation’s goals, an effective
strategy has to be developed to achieve them. However, it
is often observed that in their pursuit to achieve goals,
plant managers fail to develop a modus operandi to achieve
these goals. The result is that outdated plans, which are
no longer relevant to the present organisational goals,
are used. Managers are required to be proactive and reorient
their strategies in accordance with organisational changes.
All talk and no action
Managers may have a clear understanding of
the organisational goals, and develop a suitable strategy
for achieving these goals, but all this is of no use unless
it is followed by sound execution. A plant manager may simply
talk about plans to improve cycle time, but make no changes
in the operations to achieve the goal. Or, he may be willing
to implement the plan, but is not sure how to take it forward
except to issue memos and mandates and send e-mails. Implementation
of plans, however, calls for changing attitudes, processes
and systems. For successful implementation of a strategy
the plant manager should be able to promote teamwork and
make system changes to achieve the goals. Otherwise he stands
to lose his credibility amongst plant personnel.
FOCUS ON
4) Failure to delegate and empower
5) Communication meltdown
Failure to delegate and empower
The implementation of a change plan can be
successful only when it flows down from the manager to subordinates.
Plant managers need to delegate responsibility, and give
decision-making authority to the right people. If they fail
to do so they violate a very fundamental management principle.
Only by delegation and empowerment can a plant manager fully
exploit the potential of his team. Problems may also occur
when the plant manager delegates too much responsibility.
Therefore, a manager should be able to draw a line, where
to and where not to delegate and empower, and should always
couple it with accountability. Problems are compounded,
when plant managers themselves are not adequately empowered
by their superiors. The consequences of this failure are
unclear performance expectations, frustration and a lack
of control over resources.
Communication meltdown
Lack of proper information from superiors
coupled with an inability to communicate it effectively
to subordinates is another reason for the failure of plant
managers. Despite advances in communication technology,
plant managers sometimes are not able to communicate effectively
with their superiors, workforce, customers and suppliers.
Operational decisions based on incomplete information are
bound to prove ineffective. The outcome of any interaction
related to problem solving or problem avoiding largely depends
on the communication skills of the plant manager.
FOCUS ON:
6) Poor Human Resource Management
7) Poor Human Resource Management
Poor Human Resource Management
Human Resource Management (HR) is important
for any plant manager’s success. Strong motivation
is essential to retain talented employees, and keep their
morale high. Thus, systems for selection and orientation,
training and development, performance appraisals, remuneration,
employee benefit schemes and labour relations, should be
in place in the organisation. Plant managers need to be
supported by the organisation’s human resource policies.
The result of poor HR policies is an under motivated, under
achieving workforce.
Poor Human Resource Management
An environment of open communication helps
in building strong working relationships between employees
and managers. Plant managers, perceived as unapproachable,
and egocentric are unable to foster a good relationship
with the workforce. The result is that subordinates stop
trusting their manager, and this may hamper the information
flow from subordinate to manager and vice versa. An environment
of resentment and mistrust is created. Negative feelings
affect labour relations, teamwork, coaching, performance
appraisals, problem solving activities, and performance
reporting functions.
FOCUS ON:
8) Inability to foster an effective leadership
team
9) Lack of adequate resources
Inability to foster an effective leadership
team
Cooperation, coordination, and integration
within the team is very important for the success of the
plant manager. It means that within the team, the plant
manager needs to identify some key personnel to lead the
rest of the team. Managers also need to delegate responsibility
and train subordinate managers. The plant manager should
convey the organisational goals to this leadership team
and help them formulate operating practices to achieve the
goals. A plant manager’s failure to do so will result
in performance deterioration. Cooperation among the leadership
team and the plant manager sets a good example for the rest
of the team to follow. The result of a plant manager’s
inability to promote leadership teams is a non-cooperative
workforce.
Lack of adequate resources
When adequate resources are not at the plant
manager’s disposal, their pursuit of organisational
goals is adversely affected. Besides, it leaves the plant
manager frustrated. Lack of resources could be lack of funds,
technology, manpower, materials or infrastructure. Resource
shortage could be the result of any of the following reasons:
a) Inability or unwillingness of the organisation
to adequately equip a manufacturing facility.
b) Inability of the plant manager to persuade
the top management about the need for additional resources.
c) The budget allocation system, which has
to distribute resources, does not function properly.
Plant managers make futile efforts to achieve
the required results with inadequate resources. It leads
to opportunities being lost, and unnecessary frustration
among workforce.
FOCUS ON:
10) Technology holes, gaps and mismatches
11) Operation with bad systems, processes
and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS)
Technology holes, gaps and mismatches
Logic says that the use of the latest technology
should be enough for a plant manager to become complacent
about the ‘technology’ aspect of plant management.
However, in reality it is not enough. A hole in technology
exists when an organisation does not have appropriate technology
to compete in the market. A gap in technology exists when
an organisation has appropriate technology, but due to some
reasons is not able to exploit it fully. A technology mismatch
exists when an organisation has technology that is not in
line with the organisational goals. Plant managers unsuccessfully
struggle to match their goals and strategies with the available
technology and the result is unsatisfactory performance.
Operation with bad systems, processes and
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS)
Plant managers need to ensure that operating
systems and processes in the plant are functioning optimally.
It is fundamental for effective plant management. Often,
plant managers start their pursuit of new goals, without
ascertaining whether the current systems and processes can
support the new goal. An effort to achieve goals not supported
by the systems, processes and SOPS goes waste, and frustrates
the workforce. If a plant manager fails to constantly align
the systems and processes with the organisational goals,
the management and the workforce will question his ability.
FOCUS ON:
12) Ineffective control and corrective
action systems
13) Bad operational planning
Ineffective control and corrective action
systems
This is a real test of the plant manager’s
technical and conceptual skills. Effective control systems
provide relevant data from the operating equipment. A system
for corrective actions must initiate appropriate action
when the performance of the equipment falls below the desired
level. Plant managers should assume a leaders role in creating
such systems. If there is a lack of proper standards and
systems for control and corrective action, even small problems
can assume enormous proportions affecting the overall performance
of the organisation.
Bad operational planning
Ineffective leadership in any manufacturing
operation is likely to result in chaos. When plant managers
fail to focus on daily operational planning, frequent maintenance
breakdowns, production shortages, problems in receiving,
shipping and staffing and changeover delays become the norm.
Such an environment lacks the discipline required for the
smooth functioning of the plant. As these problems become
repetitive, the workforce develops a tendency to be reactive
rather than proactive. Effective operational planning saves
the plant manager and the workforce the trouble of crisis
management.
FOCUS ON:
14) Inability to integrate functions, and
resolve conflicts
15) Losing sight of ultimate goals
Inability to integrate functions, and resolve
conflicts
An important part of a plant manager’s
responsibility is to integrate various functions in the
plant. The synergies of these functions are to be directed
towards a single common goal of serving the customer, whether
internal or external. Departments like engineering, production,
shipping, sales, personnel and information technology should
be able to function together in harmony, under the able
leadership of a plant manager. Apart from technical and
conceptual skills, to promote teamwork a plant manager needs
to be diplomatic and be a good listener. If the plant manager
does not possess these skills he may not be able to resolve
conflicts, which results in infighting. Teams unnecessarily
compete against each other, and are thus get distracted
from their real goal.
Losing sight of ultimate goals
Sometimes, in their effort to achieve short-term
goals like increased productivity, reduced cycle time or
implementation of new corporate programmes, plant managers
may lose sight of their long-term goals. The success of
any plant manager is not measured by his ability to achieve
short-term goals. But success for a plant manager is measured
in terms of customer satisfaction, company profitability,
and the creation and retention of an excellent workforce.
Thus, the plant manager’s ability to distinguish between
long-term and short-term goals is critical for his success.
The above discussion makes it amply clear
that lack of any the requisite skills results in plant managers’
failure to achieve the goals. However, this may not be the
sole reason, at times lack of support from the top management
is also one of the causes of failure. Support can be in
the form of resources, technology, information, clear definition
of goals, empowerment, feedback and coaching and effective
corrective-action system.
THE FIVE IMPORTANT FACTORS
THAT AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PLANT MANAGEMENT
Five key factors – focus, planning,
resources, processes and people greatly affect the performance
of the plant management. These factors are applicable not
only to the plant managers but also, in a narrower domain,
to the front line managers in the plant. A frontline manager
is a ‘mini plant manager’ who deals with the same
strategic and operational issues that the plant manager
does.
Focus. The plant manager needs to ensure
that the overall manufacturing operation has a clear sense
of direction and strategic focus. Frontline managers also
need to ensure correct interpretation of the goals by the
workforce. Once the workforce in the plant is clear about
goals and focus, the plant manager and the frontline managers
need to delegate responsibility and decision-making authority
to the required people, making them accountable for results.
Planning. It is a plant manager’s
responsibility to chalk out a strategy to achieve goals
with maximum input from the people who will implement the
plan. Effective strategic and operational planning on the
part of the plant managers and frontline managers is a must
for optimal performance of the manufacturing operation.
For frontline managers, the strategic plan should aid operational
improvements and the operational plan should focus on activities
like production schedules, maintenance activities, training
and the like.
Resources. The plant manager should
be able to garner enough financial support for his operation,
deploy appropriate technology and take steps to put together
an effective workforce. It is then the responsibility of
frontline plant managers to ensure that financial resources
and technology are properly used for operations and the
Human Resource policies formulated for an effective workforce
are implemented. Resource management is important for the
optimal performance of a manufacturing operation.
Processes. Without appropriate processes,
focus, planning, and resources are of no use. It is the
plant manager’s responsibility to have an efficient
operating system in place, which closely monitors the operations
and triggers a corrective action if the performance of the
operation falls below expected level. The frontline manager
has to ensure that the operating systems serve their design
purpose, promote teamwork and monitor workgroup performance,
as well as initiate corrective action when workgroup performance
is below expected level.
People. An effective and motivated
workforce can be a boon to any plant manager. Plant managers
should share a good working relationship with their frontline
managers. To have the desired working relationship sharing
information, listening and coaching are important skill
plant managers need to possess. They should be able to initiate
change in the operations as well as prevent political infighting.
The same applies for frontline managers. They also should
share a good working relationship with their workgroup and
be able to implement the change initiated by the plant manager.
Besides the plant manager and the front line
managers, their superiors should also understand the implications
of the five factors discussed above. Though, for a plant
manager’s success a lot depends on the personal skills
of the manager, the support of the top management goes a
long way to help the plant manager achieve organisational
goals.
Related Reading:
Why plant managers fail: Causes and consequences. Longenecker,
C.; Industrial Management,
