SIMILARITIES AMONG
SUCCESSFUL SITES
Locations faring well in Employee Surveys have common behaviors
Why did some Boeing sites fare better than others in past Employee Surveys?
It's not because of chance or luck.
Using 2003 Employee Survey data, the company conducted an internal study
and found that there were key practices common among high-scoring locations
(see below). The value of these practices was further validated against
external sources.
"We've found that successful sites do not focus on just one of
these practices, they tend to have an integrated, inclusive approach
that weaves them together," said David Vadas, Employee Relations
research analyst for Boeing.
Here are the "Six Key Differentiators" that are common among
Boeing sites with high employee satisfaction scores.
- Small-site Culture: A sense of community or connected culture
(not necessarily the facility's size). Features: A proactive mentality,
care for employees, pride and employees' knowledge of the business
plan.
- Leaders as Communicators: Ongoing behavior, not just at times
of major change. Features: Forums for senior leaders to talk directly
with employees, and leaders working to eliminate barriers to two-way
communication.
- Employee Involvement: Decision making is encouraged at the
level closest to the activity. Features: Every employee has the opportunity
and accountability for the design, execution and continuous improvement
of his/her work.
- Recognition: Recognition is a site priority. Features: Site-specific
recognition, and employees are involved in determining some awards.
- Job Strategy Alignment: There is a clear link between each
employee's work and the unit's business strategy. Features: Measurement
of employee
performance against goals, and ongoing communications with employees
about changing business conditions and operating results.
- Visible Metrics: All important actions are measured. Features:
Measures are visible and understood by all employees, and employees
have an impact on what's measured.
For more information, visit the Employee Engagement section of the Employee
Relations site on the Boeing Web, at http://wea.web.boeing.com/key-diff.html
(internal link only).
Macon: Big acclaim for a small facility
 With about 600 employees, Boeing's Macon, Ga., site might be small
in size. But its many accomplishments include being named one of
the 10 best manufacturing plants in North America by IndustryWeek
magazine in 2004. Macon, which builds structural subassemblies
for the C-17 airlifter and the Apache and Chinook rotorcraft, earned
Employee Satisfaction Index scores in the 70s in 2003 and 2004.
Those figures made Macon among Boeing's best-scoring sites.
Macon representatives credit this success to a team-based culture
that "promotes decision-making and accountability throughout
the organization," said Al Stewart, a Community Relations/Government
Affairs specialist. The teams choose their own leaders and maintain
Employee Involvement team boards to track their goals and performance
metrics.
"We encourage employees to be proactive," said Site
Leader Obie Jones. "When they see a problem or have an idea
about process improvements, they take the initiative to start the
corrective action process or incorporate improvement ideas through
the proper channels."
At Macon, all jobs are thought of as equally important, and the
person who does the job is considered the expert for that job.
The message is reinforced through common benefits for all employees
regardless of position or classification. In fact, there is no
reserved parking for anyone, including Jones, except for the Employee
of the Month.
—Maribeth Bruno |
| At Long Beach, it's about involvement
 Integrated Defense Systems in Long Beach, Calif.—home of
the C-17 and Airlift & Tanker programs—was one of the
first Boeing sites to implement Employee Involvement, under the
leadership of Director Ed Schaniel. The site is marking the 10-year
anniversary of its transformation from "command and control" to
a team-based culture, said EI lead Rich Nicholson, and the effort
is paying off.
On the 2004 Employee Survey, IDS Long Beach scored three to four
points higher than the overall IDS group scores in areas including
leadership focus and running a healthy business, and its 2003 Employee
Satisfaction Index was 69.
Each of Long Beach's roughly 600 EI teams documents team-based
business improvements and empowerment plans. This work lets them "manage
their business day to day, freeing up the first-line managers to
work on strategic issues and development," Nicholson said.
Teams also take the initiative on workplace issues. That's led
to solutions such as an employee center with access to computers
and fax machines; a veterans' committee and color guard; and a
badge attachment with key medical information.
—Maribeth Bruno
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