I still remember the call. It was nearly midnight in late July 2000. The phone rang, and it was the administrative assistant at the paper mill. She told me that I needed to be at the main office at 4AM. She had no further information at the time.
It was not uncommon to get calls throughout the night, and it was not uncommon for the leadership team to meet in the middle of the night if the situation called for it. The mill was a twenty-four-hour operation that ran seven days a week. Problems had to be addressed when they came up, not when they were convenient.
The odd thing this time was that she couldn’t tell me why we were meeting. The leadership team consisted of eight people with varying responsibilities across the mill including oversight for the 850 employees.
When I got to the office that morning, I was shocked to see 15-20 cars in the parking lot with Tennessee plates. Our corporate office was in Memphis, so I assumed something big was about to happen. I walked in and knew most of everyone waiting for us in the main lobby. No one was talking. They just suggest that I go to the large conference room and await further instructions.
Shortly thereafter, they announced the mill was going to be closed and that we were tasked with informing the workforce, handling local media coverage, and beginning the closure process. I was shocked at the flippant approach of some of the individuals. Our people would be devastated by this news. The community would be crushed!
We were given the scripts, a quick review of media training, and they all left.
I would carry out my duty starting at 6AM and continue it throughout the next few days. We closed the mill for good ninety days later. It was over. Everyone would eventually seek employment elsewhere.
I had routinely heard senior leaders complain about employee commitment and work ethic, but where was the commitment of the organization to the worker? It works both ways. In fact, when people are cared about by the organization, they in turn care about the organization. When people are valued by the organization, they in turn value the organization.
Quality leadership creates what I refer to as a PLUS workplace. PLUS workplaces connect people to a purpose beyond just the tasks they complete. PLUS workplaces value people, care for people, challenge people, hold people accountable, provide an opportunity for people to reach their potential.
PLUS workplaces send people home fulfilled, positive, and full. Negative workplaces send people home frustrated, bitter, angry, and empty. PLUS workplaces allow people to go home to their families full and impactful. PLUS workplaces send people back to their neighborhoods, churches, and civic organizations full to serve and to have impact.
PLUS work environments solidify families, help parents be better parents, and help spouses have better marriages. The safety, security, and satisfaction of work is a PLUS for relationships within and outside the workplace.
Are you having a PLUS impact such that your organization is clearly better because you are a part of it?
We can choose to be a PLUS or a MINUS.
Why not be a PLUS?
Doug provides professional speaking and coaching services to organizations and individuals. Whether you are looking for a speaker for your next event or a leadership coach to develop people and build a team culture, feel free to reach out to Doug at doug.strickel@gmail.com and learn more about PLUS.
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