Subject:
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Re: I resign from the LPRV committee
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.admin.general
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Date:
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Sat, 23 Apr 2005 04:12:33 GMT
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Viewed:
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2701 times
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In lugnet.admin.general, Leonard Hoffman wrote:
> No personal offense intended - have you ever run a large community forum, or
> managed people? There is a big difference in how people think things should be
> run when they have actually had to run things.
I have managed several quick-serve restauarant businesses, in one of which I had
responsibility over more than 50 employees. I also managed 2 college dormitory
floors, one with over 100 residents, both with residents from around the world.
A heavy-handed approach, stressing adherence to the rules, invariably backfired
and brought about rebellion in both types of environments.
I found that a "light touch" brought more cooperation, community, and pride out
of both the employees and the residents. One store that I ran this way went
from a dangerous, theft-ridden "just another restaurant" to a profitable, clean,
efficient, active center of a local high-school's community. It wasn't perfect,
but the employees were proud to belong to that store, and they brought in
friends who also wanted to belong.
They worked well for me, not because I told them how things were going to be,
but because I allowed them a voice in how to run the store. How? By letting
them pick music to broadcast over the store's speakers (a hot point with the
owner - disobeying her strict rule that only a certain station be broadcast
ended up contributing to bringing in more business). By taking seriously their
suggestions for advertising and promotions at their high school and elsewhere in
the community. By rewarding good work with choice of responsibility. And by
encouraging their own sense of community and friendship, whether I understood it
or not.
Another store that I ran this way began an employee peer training program, and
people actually cared about helping each other to learn - it wasn't something
the employees had forced on them, it's something they wanted.
Both of my floors had active, cheerful communities - intramural sports teams,
floor dinner-and-a-movie nights, cultural exchange, and concern for other
residents were important parts of our floor identity...AFTER I got over being a
rules nazi. When I "handed down the law", so to speak, people kept to
themselves, not wanting much to do with a floor community, and they went out of
their way to break the rules in protest over the strict treatment. Life for all
of us was much better when I lightened up a little.
I have actually had to run things, with initially hostile people in my charge.
When I tried to run things the way that LUGNET now seems to be handled, I lost
employees and residents, and stores lost money. It didn't take me long, because
my job depended on it, to realize that a lighter touch got things done and built
communities.
Just my 2.1196 Yen.
Peace and Long Life,
Tony Alexander
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: I resign from the LPRV committee
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| (...) Different than an online community, I'm sure you would agree, but clearly a source of a lot of useful insight, thanks for sharing it. (...) And elsewhere, that's been my management experience (in real life) as well. (snipped the rest, all (...) (20 years ago, 23-Apr-05, to lugnet.admin.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: I resign from the LPRV committee
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| (...) No personal offense intended - have you ever run a large community forum, or managed people? There is a big difference in how people think things should be run when they have actually had to run things. (...) I think that the LPRV Committee (...) (20 years ago, 22-Apr-05, to lugnet.admin.general)
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