Reviews
Empowered, not controlled by Norman Kauffman The Closed Door Policy: Vitalizing People Management for the Twenty-First Century, Core4. By Chester A. Raber (2016, 91 pp. $9.95 U.S., Amazon.com)
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early 40 years ago, Dr. Chet Raber served as a consultant to me with the purpose of helping set up a new division in which I was asked to be the leader. He has now put into writing the philosophy and practices that guided the organization of this new division. He helped our group set up a collaborative, non-authoritarian management system in which all were full members of the team/division. All members had one-on-one conversations with their supervisor and met regularly with their team members. The most important aspect of this approach was that people were empowered — not controlled. The morale and trust level was high with productivity and loyalty exceeding most management models. Because members were a part of the decisionmaking, they made the organization attractive to others. People wanted to be a part. We had little problem filling vacancies. Core4 goes to the heart of best practices for the management of people. It is profound, yet practical. This book reveals three findings and four people-management practices which Raber developed and became known as the Core4 Management System (earlier it was called Greenfield Management System). Three findings about people management are: 1. Authoritarianism. Raber found that most management was still top down and authoritarian, despite both management and employees not wanting it so — they said they didn’t
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know a better way. “Open door” and “One-minute manager efforts” aimed to minimize the authoritarian philosophy, but they were still authoritarian. 2. No system. Raber found that basically no real system for managing people was used. It was “Everybody does what is right in their own eyes.” If financial management were done this way, they said, it would be chaotic. Some coaching has helped individual managers be more responsive to the needs of their employees but not in a consistent manner. 3. Little training for managers or supervisors in people management. Despite seminars and coaching there was little or no training for communication in the one-on-one management of team members or how to lead a team meeting. “Do the best you can” was typical advice.
As successor to authoritarianism, Raber’s system hinges on a philosophy of participative management. As successor to authoritarianism, Raber’s system hinges on a philosophy of participative management with four practices being key. 1. Performance plan. Every person in the entire organization has a performance plan for a year (typically) that is mutually agreed upon (not just given) with targets throughout the year. Regular one-on-one sup-
port, coaching and review sessions are scheduled, typically monthly. 2. One-on-one. These regular private sessions between team leader and team member review progress and give support, coaching and praise, which generates rewarding results. 3. Team meetings. Every person knows and meets regularly with team members and leader with a “dynamic three” agenda with rewarding results for all. 4. Decision process. A decision process enables every member to submit proposals for team review and possible management implementation. This is an easy read with many stories from the workplace. Raber’s big picture identification is on the participative philosophy and methods which most managers and team members say they prefer. Participants have appreciated this approach and in one story the manager says: “Core4 has soul.” The values embraced by Core4 are openness, honesty, face-to-face conversation, agreement, participation, feedback, support, praise, coaching, growth, consistency, no embarrassment, and joy. ◆ Norman Kauffman has been town manager, Shipshewana, Ind.; administrator, Goshen (Ind.) College; and a management consultant.
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