Steven DelRosso, Business Leader
“Every year the Enterprise administers an anonymous culture survey to all global Associates. Through this survey we were able to identify that not all Associates were experiencing the positive benefits of Gore’s culture. Numeric scores and written answers indicated that some were struggling getting the feedback they needed, felt they weren’t being heard, were afraid to bring their real self to work and in general were not as engaged as they could be. Working with our Enterprise Human Relations team, I was introduced to Dr. Michael Broom as someone who could help us get to the root of our issues.
He put together a customized version of his program for the plant leadership team and a wide range of Associates – all functions, broad personal diversity and opinion leaders – totaling approximately 40 Associates broken into three teams. We then embarked on a 12 day, 10 month learning journey.
A one paragraph summary of the program cannot do it justice, so instead I will focus on a few key results and impacts:
Increased openness and trust – Through this process the teams became much closer and really learned about each other as unique people, not just as a co-worker. Michael has a great style that creates a safe environment such that all topics can be discussed. He also holds people accountable to themselves and to each other. No one gets away with being a bully or a victim!
Individual “ah-ha” moments – Many people go through life thinking that treating everyone the same is the meaning of fairness. It’s not until you take the time to think about your personal beliefs and behaviors that you understand that you are looking at the world through a unique lens – the ah-ha moment! Through Michael’s theory of conscious use of self, Associates now better understand why they believe and react the way they do – and why others think and act they way they do. This leads to increased curiosity and a desire to seek to understand before jumping to conclusions.
Human Systems – For an engineering company such as Gore, it is easy for us to understand that if a small gear fails in a large machine, the whole machine fails. Michael brought his Human Systems analogy to bear looking at our teams, meaning that a team will not succeed unless all members of the team succeed. Thinking this way puts our focus on preventive maintenance in terms of team health, communications, contracting and feedback, rather than assuming everything on a team is fine and only working on performance issues when they arise.
In the year since the program, we have cascaded the principles back into our teams on a global basis. Critical mass has been reached and Associates are now integrating portions of the program in their team meetings and starting their own initiative groups. We have implemented a monthly engagement score to get faster, real time feedback that is presented on monthly scorecards along with sales, profits, safety and quality – elevating its importance for everyone. Our culture survey this year showed marked improvements in scores as well as many positive and appreciative comments for investing so much time and effort into the program. From a business standpoint, I believe the program has made us more efficient through the elimination of team conflict when project stress increases because we take the time to focus on the Associates and teams in the begining, not just the task. We set out to make the Culture real for a small group of Associates, and ended up making it better for all.
I highly recommend Dr. Broom’s program for any team or business that wishes to increase employee engagement, improve team dynamics and grow leadership skills leading to increased business results.”
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Dr. Michael F. Broom is an organization development psychologist who transforms organizations with his 45+ years of wisdom and expertise . 
Specializing in developing leaders, building teams, strategic planning, conflict resolution, and performance management, he emphasizes empowerment and excellence.
He is the author of The Infinite Organization and Power, The Infinite Game.
He is a recipient of the OD Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Contact Dr. Broom for a free hour of consultation at chumans.com or email him at michael@chumans.com. You’ll be surprised the difference a single hour can make!
Check out his immediately useful services and programs at CHumanS.com.