Unleashing Human Energy
The Transformational Power of Corporate Culture Change
In their book, Don Rust and Alan G. Weinstein, discuss the key factors that create a dysfunctional corporate culture and introduce useful concepts like industrial warfare, industrial depression, and bully management. In addition, they address why they believe that any company interested in achieving meaningful culture change—change that unleashes the full productivity potential of its employees—must embrace such fundamental values as faith, trust, and respect.
Don and Alan also illustrate the transformational power of corporate culture change by telling the story of what Don accomplished when he became plant manager at GM’s troubled engine plant in Tonawanda, New York. The story not only dramatically illustrates the impact of that power but also moves the authors’ thinking on the subject beyond the abstract and theoretical.
As they recount, when Don became the plant manager, the workforce was disgruntled, disengaged, and unmotivated. In addition, the United Auto Workers (UAW) local and management could not agree on a labor contract for the plant, an impasse that exacerbated the workers’ negative feelings toward their jobs and their superiors. In fact, the situation was so bad that the Tonawanda plant was on the verge of being shut down due to low productivity.
Prior to becoming the plant manager, it had become clear to Don that GM’s culture was seriously flawed, and he had committed himself to improving the way the company treated its employees. That commitment was rooted in the values that were instilled in Don when he was growing up on a farm in the Midwest, values that guided his efforts to create a new employee-focused culture at the plant. Here are just a few examples of what Don did:
Tried to spend time every day in some area of the plant, acknowledging workers, engaging them in conversation, and listening to their concerns and ideas.
Made workers’ jobs more interesting by using teams, changing routines, and giving workers more flexibility and autonomy on the job.
Let his management team know that he would not tolerate bully management and shared his “servant leadership” management style with them. That style engages workers as partners through training, coaching, and joint problem-solving, and makes certain that workers have the resources they need to do their jobs.
Included workers in important decisions.
Encouraged management and workers to celebrate holidays. For example, Don had his managers organize, staff, and serve a full-course Thanksgiving meal to all of the workers every year.
Had business cards printed for each worker.
Made workers part of the new car sales and marketing team by establishing an employee sales team.
Initiated a public car show at the plant that allowed workers to show off the products they had made. The show became a popular annual event in the Buffalo area.
As a result of Don’s efforts, employees and managers became partners, not adversaries; morale increased; employees became engaged and motivated; and the GM Tonawanda Engine plant became the company’s top-performing engine plant. Don also built a harmonious and mutually beneficial relationship between GM management and the UAW. In recognition of what Don accomplished, he received The Buffalo News Outstanding Citizen award in 1993.
The changes Don fostered have had a profound and long-lasting impact on the GM Tonawanda Engine plant. Thirty years later, it remains one of GM’s best-performing facilities.
What professionals have to say about
Unleashing Human Energy Through Culture Change
“Your culture activates your people; your people drive your success. Alan and Don use a real-world manufacturing environment to teach us how to develop and use a positive employee-focused workplace culture to unleash employees’ energy, activate their engagement, and amplify their performance. They demonstrate how caring, connection, and communication can change even the toughest workplaces into high-performing successes. This is practical wisdom that will benefit every organization and should be the focus of business leaders everywhere.”
“While the story Rust and Weinstein share is about the auto industry, and GM in particular, it’s a far more universal story than that. It’s a story that shows the very real impact—on people, on productivity, and on profits—of creating a positive workplace culture. It’s a story that more leaders need to know.”
“This book describes Don Rust’s lifetime journey at GM and massive organizational successes at the Tonawanda Engine plant. How Don and his team were able to change the culture at the plant is instructive for every industry and every leader. His message is simple: treat your teams with trust and respect, engage them in the business, and they will lift your enterprise higher than you could ever expect.”
“This book is a firsthand account of how a single person can help build a culture—or, more specifically, a subculture—inside a larger organization and how that subculture can create world class performance inside that individual’s sphere of influence.”
“Alan and Don have cut through theory and conjecture to communicate a real-world guide for executives to address the challenges of changing a culture head on. This is a must-read for leaders who find themselves handicapped by unproductive culture.”
“Before Rust came, the plant manager hid behind a locked door. Rust not only flung it open, he mingled with line workers and asked union reps for ideas. It was a rational but radical shift (from) a previous culture, where management made decisions and workers—who often knew a better way—lived with the consequences.”
“It has been nothing short of amazing to watch a struggling manufacturing operation, and a small Chevrolet dealership, partnering to create two highly competitive and successful businesses. The role of culture change should never be underestimated in its ability to contribute to massive improvements in the quality of work life for the people that do the work. It is the unleashing of human energy that makes possible a drive for new and competitive endeavors in all kinds of businesses.”
“I believe that Unleashing Human Energy through Culture Change is an absolutely must-read book for managers at every level of the organization and for anyone involved in serious organizational change. Don Rust and Alan Weinstein provide real-life examples of significant change in an industry that historically resists change and is hierarchal to a fault. Making real change is no easy task, but using a philosophy of both thought and action that simply develops mutual faith, trust, and respect among and between management and hourly employees really works. The book is clear and thought-provoking. You’ll wonder how Don got away with what he did and be amazed at the long-term impact it had on the employees and the corporation.”
“I wanted to thank Don and Alan for telling the story I had the opportunity to live! I was a mentee of Don’s in the early ‘80s and learned firsthand the leadership style necessary to change cultures so that people get engaged in change. From what I learned from my experience at the Tonawanda Forge and Engine plants, I was able to spend thirty years leading, teaching, and coaching organizations and leaders in culture change. This book delivers a clear message. If you care about employees, listen to them, and engage them, they will care about customers, quality, and doing their best, regardless of industry or functional area. People who are valued and treated with respect will be energized, focused on mission and value, and feel involved and empowered.”