Accountability
David C. Coates / The Detroit News
Leadership instructor Tom Hahn runs a session at Ford’s training and development center. In the Ford culture nurtured by Jacques Nasser, more people are trusted to make decisions without checking with their bosses.
|
Change becomes mantra of Ford’s new leaders
Nasser-inspired training expected to speed problem-solving, help bolster bottom line
By Mark Truby / The Detroit News
DEARBORN — Karl Heid keeps a license in his wallet signed by Ford chief executive Jacques Nasser. It says: “Don’t ask, just do it.”
The laminated card grants Heid, a 34-year-old material handling supervisor for Ford, permission to act on his own when he thinks he has a good idea. It also holds him accountable for his actions.
Making major decisions without securing the go-ahead from superiors was a good way to get fired at the old, hierarchical Ford. Now it’s a good way to get promoted.
In Heid and thousands of other Ford employees, Nasser wants to create an army of leaders who make bold decisions and think consumer first.
Ford is spending millions to put high-potential people through leadership classes in what may be the most extensive management training effort in the history of the automotive industry.
Nasser believes leaders at all levels are essential to transforming Ford into a nimble, growth company that could one day achieve Silicon Valley-like stock multiples.
“Jac understands that you win by having more leaders at more levels than the competition,” said Noel Tichy, a University of Michigan business professor who has worked closely with Nasser to create leadership programs.
Nasser wants employees to share rather than hoard knowledge. He sets an example by teaching shareholder value classes and allowing junior executives to follow him around for days at a time.
“There is a responsibility to teach what you have learned,” he said. “As you teach not only do you improve, but you improve others.”
For starters, nearly all of Ford’s 100,000 salaried workers have completed Business Leadership Initiative, a sort of Ford 101 that teaches employees the basics of the company, the importance of rewarding shareholders and the value of community service.
During leadership training, employees are split into teams and given 100 days to dive into a business problem and find a way to save money or time or increase productivity. In one oft-cited example, one group studied the cost of sending employees on location to help a factory get off the ground.
The group discovered that Ford could save hundreds of thousands of dollars if the start-up teams rented apartments rather than hotel rooms, drove company fleet cars rather than company cars and used mobile telephones exclusively.
While leadership training is required course work for Ford managers, a more specialized leadership curriculum is in place for hand-picked rising stars. Ford sends nearly 3,000 high performers through its leadership development center every year.
Nancy Gioia, 40, the chief program engineer for the new Thunderbird, completed Ford’s Capstone program in 1998. Her team was assigned to help Ford develop a strategic approach to corporate citizenship. Gioia’s team recommended the company clearly tell the public what it wanted to accomplish.
In April, Ford issued its first ever corporate citizen report, causing a stir by acknowledging environmental and safety issues associated with sport-utility vehicles.
“It was an intense experience,” Gioia said.
Fresh off a promotion, Heid began Ford’s New Business Leader program in December. Each participant pitched a “quantum” idea. Heid proposed involving customers in the building process of a vehicle to create a sort of umbilical connection between customer and company.
The idea was well-received and Heid still meets to discuss the idea with others. More importantly, he says he returned to his job with a license to lead.
“On a daily basis I challenge myself and ask, ‘Is this in line with what I was taught and asked to do?’ ” Heid said. “I’m trusted to make that call and it feels good.”
