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By
Eddie Tadlock
Recently I was engaged in a lively conversation with two co-workers
about the country’s exciting changes in the electoral process. Between
the caucus and primary election process, the advent of the Internet’s
influence in messaging, and the newfound interest in politics, the whole
process was enviable and exciting to them. As immigrants to the United
States from Eritrea and Ethiopia, they found the potential impact of a
democratic process across a diverse population base simply unbelievable.
No, politics was not the focus of our dialogue; rather, the focus was
the opportunity afforded to them as legal immigrants to make a better
life for their families. These are two of the most genuine people I know
and they always go the extra mile to embrace the many differences in
cultures and backgrounds of our team to deliver superior service to
clients and guests.
Hearing this, it made me wonder if we’re living up to our mantra on
diversity or simply providing lip service, promising false hope to those
underrepresented in the workforce (and I include myself in that). It’s
one thing to have a vision statement, mission statement or diversity
statement that gets posted in an employee handbook. To keep those words
as living, breathing action items is a lot like life maintenance. So, I
read this out loud to myself:
“We believe our future rests in our collective ability to embrace change
and leverage diversity through our leadership, education, employment and
continued community support. We believe that diversity is critical to
our business strategy, and will improve our competitiveness and
prospects for long-term success in venue management.”
As I reflected on our venue’s statement on diversity, I thought that it
would be a good idea to take a step back to see if it represents the
current state of our little corner of the world in the Pacific
Northwest. Do we need to change our thinking on what this actually means
to the people who do the heavy lifting in the day-to-day operation of
the facility? There are changes in weather patterns, which of course
only lead us to change our thinking about global warming. There are
changes in the public consciousness that are creating a stir in the
environment. (Everything is going green, organic or carbon neutral.) Our
employees are older, younger, boomer, Generation X, Generation Y,
lighter, darker, funnier and smarter.
We all talk about change. We complain about change. To some extent we
avoid change. When
 it comes to operating outside of our comfort zones,
we experience a range of emotions. Sometimes there is sadness, often
outrage, and more often than not, a hint of regret.
The reality is that change is the only constant in our lives, and it is
time to accept the fact that the world is changing. The business of
dealing with people is different, and it’s time to accept the fact that
careers are changing, and that no job lasts forever.
When I reflected on our diversity mantra, I had to ask myself a few key
questions: Do we really need change for the sake of doing something
different? How will this change affect our organization? What does it
mean to the people on our team? What changes do we have to make in the
way we communicate to the boomer, the Generation X, the Generation Y,
the lighter, the darker, the stellar employee who speaks English as a
second or third language?
While I can’t offer absolute answers to these questions, I do know from
my own experience that management techniques that applied 10 years ago
or even five years ago don’t apply anymore.
Why Change?
Let me share an overly simplistic view of our industry. The demographics
of the workplace are changing and will continue to change rapidly in the
coming years. Almost every facility in the world looks different than it
did five, 10 or more years ago — both in terms of what positions
employees hold and who is employed.
So what is my call to action? First, I need to make sure that our
organization knows itself. There are certain durable principles that
underlie any good organization. (Insert your mission statement, vision
statement or diversity statement here.) As a leader, I must embody those
values. These principles/mantras are fundamental. They have absolutely
no value buried in an employee handbook or tucked away in the Human
Resources file cabinet. These principles have to do with human
relationships and my obligation to our company, individual staff members
and customers. (Hint: Our customers are older, younger, boomer,
Generation X, Generation Y, lighter and darker.)
Second, it is my job to pick the right people to be part of the
organization and to create an environment where those people can
succeed. That means encouraging others to help develop the strategy and
grow the mantra that speaks to positive change for the company. It means
more collaboration and teamwork among people at every level.
Most importantly, I have to be accessible. I want to be open to people
in a broad range of their experiences in life if they need it, and I
want to be accessible for two-way communication that is honest, open and
direct. That doesn’t mean showing up every six months and giving a
rah-rah speech at the employee recognition dinner or company picnic.
Even if I think I know my team, chances are I don’t know everything I
could be learning about them. This means meeting the staff where they
deliver service. (This means visiting the graveyard shift, the swing
shift, on weekends and on holidays.)
I must continue to keep an open mind to as much new thinking from my
team as I can absorb. You can always find different and better ideas
than the ones you started with (e.g., when you hired the kid with the
nose ring and tattoo).
People of different backgrounds bring unique perspectives to the
business challenges facing the facility management industry. Greater
diversity enhances our ability to innovate and maintain a competitive
edge. This ultimately benefits our employees and our valued customers.
We need to adapt quickly to change, develop the talent within our
organizations, and have compassion and understanding for others.
These are just hints and suggestions — nothing too serious, mind you;
just a little perspective from three people standing around a water
cooler with different ideas, backgrounds and cultures. These are a few
ready-for-primetime ideas about real people, real life and a
generational/multicultural shift that’s begging for our attention.
The alternatives to resisting change are pretty simple. We either
embrace it or run the risk of being left behind at the water cooler —
alone. fm
Eddie Tadlock is general manager of the SMG/ Lynnwood Convention Center
in Lynnwood, Wash., and a member of the IAAM Diversification Committee.
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