The other night I was talking with "E." A Shipping Manager at Fed Ex. “E” over sees every packages that come in and out of Sea Tac airport here in Seattle. The job is stressful in more ways then many of us ever realize. Every second is counted. If a person delays a plane by one minute he/she can be written up. E has to be sure that everything is running like clock work 24/7 365 days a year.
He's been with the company for about 20 years and the lowest review he ever received from his staff was an 84 out of 100 and averages in the high 90’s. Every time we speak I'm always amazed not only on the respect his staff gives him, but also the comradeship between them. So, after 6 years I broke down and asked:
Me: How to manage your staff so brilliantly?
E: "I listen, delegate, and make sure my staff have the power to make decisions. It's about trust. I have to trust my team to do their job. I trust they will do a great job and they do."
Me: What is the core of management for you?
E: "Communication is 90% of it. I talk to them. Ask them how they are doing. They should know I'm here to support them in their goals. I'll do whatever I can to make sure they are success in the company, in life. They know that. I'm honest. I demand honesty from my staff. If they f*ck up I'll tell them. But then it's over. Move on.”
I’ve seen E in action. One of his employees, a single mom, wanted to go to school and get her degree. She was fearful she would loose hours, or even her job if she went back to school. E simply replied “I need you on my team – you need a degree. We will make it work.” And he did.
E's advice to me... "Two most important things in your life are your job and your bed. Get a job you love and a bed you can sleep in. Otherwise you're just going to be cranky and piss me off."
E is so freaken cool.
Article via Fast Company about Fed Ex’s take on Leadership.
Hey Danielle,
Great post - I've mentioned it on my blog with a link to the article. Love this kind of stuff..especially when it comes from a guy! :-)
Posted by: Michele Miller | Friday, April 09, 2004 at 06:51 PM