Training Bosses

No more shouting

"When a man becomes a foreman, he has to forget about even being human, as far as feelings are concerned."

—A factory hand quoted in Studs Terkel's Working

In their drive to improve productivity, a growing number of U.S. companies have begun to appreciate the crucial importance of shop-floor supervisors. For better or worse, that hard-pressed first level of bosses often sets the working tone for an entire plant. The style has traditionally been management by shouting: bark out orders like a Marine drill instructor until they get results.

Some companies,...

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