158: Are You the Chief Mood Maker?

<p>When you are on the executive floor, the carpet is thick, the mood is quiet and the décor is sumptuous.  It is a world removed from the scramble going on floors below.  Maybe you are in your own President’s office, shielded from the fray outside the door.  The further you place yourself away from the troops the harder it is to influence the mood of the team.  Of course, you have direct reports overseeing the work and they too should be mood makers in their own right.  There is something very powerful though when the boss is also the mood maker. </p> <p> </p> <p>I visited President Nambu of Pasona at his office a number of years ago and I was super impressed.  To get to see him, I had to walk past a large open plan workspace, in the center of which was a raised platform. This housed all the senior executives at their desks.  I had to then walk on through the shokudo or cafeteria to get to Nambu san’s office. I was curious, so I asked him about all these snakes and ladders to get to see him.  He said he wanted the executives to be in an open plan environment and visible.  He wanted people to see him too as he entered and exited his office, again to be visible.  When you run such a huge company as he does, it is easy to become disconnected from the troops.  He took physical steps to overcome that possibility.</p> <p> </p> <p>We can’t be a mood maker in the machine if we hide ourselves away.  Even if we are physically removed from the troops for whatever reason, we need to make an effort to be seen.  Tom Peters and Bob Waterman chronicled the MBWA (Management By Wandering Around) philosophy in their book In Search Of Excellence.  They were advocating that the leader leave their office and wander around to where the troops are and engage with them in their workspace.  Find out what they are doing, how the team mood is and look for places to have influence.</p> <p> </p> <p>In Japan, we have the traditional <em>chorei</em> or morning get together.  The Ritz Carlton has taken that idea to a great height.  I spent a we