Home Library Translate
A A A
Share »
Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on LinkedIn
Connect »

Blog: Supervision

Menu

  • This Blog's Home
  • Guest Writer Submissions
  • Policies
  • To Subscribe to a Blog
  • About
  • Feedback

Donuts, Ice Cream, Pizza: They Can Keep The Team Running Smoothly

By Marcia Zidle on March 14, 2013

Leadership is a team sport not a superstar sport. What happens over time is that some managers begin to believe it’s all about them. It’s not, it’s just the opposite. It’s about the people they lead.

Allan Ditchfield, former executive at AT&T, realized that you cannot lead without getting involved.

“When leaders remain behind their desks, they loose touch with reality – the key issues with their employees, and most importantly, the key issues with their customers.”

So he created “Donuts with Ditch”. It was a regular scheduled coffee and donuts session with no more than 10 people, chosen randomly, from different parts of his business unit. It was a forum to hear people’s concerns and to gather information as well as get feedback about some of the real issues that are getting in the way of people’s jobs.

He asked one question:

“What’s getting in the way of you doing your jobs well and serving our customers?”

He listened intently, took notes and followed up with answers and solutions. The most important ingredient for success was not the donuts but rather the trust that had been established between him and the employees. He had what he called a sacred open door. No ones’ going to be hurt by what they say. That there will be no retaliation. He lived by that rule. He walked the talk and therefore people believed him and trusted him.

Management Success Tip:

This simple two way communication tool was the grease that kept the operational engine humming. It’s a great example of how leaders can build relationships with their people, create conditions that encourage two-way communication and also get real time information about operational and customer service problems before they turn into big hairy monsters that will eat up time, energy and resources. Also see Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For

Do you want to develop your Management Smarts?

  • Build your skills with The Effective Manager.
  • Sign up for Quick Wins: 101 Management Tips.
  • Find performance boosters in the Smart Moves Blog.
  • Need a speaker? Get the Edge keynotes-webinars-workshops.
  • Copyright © 2013 Marcia Zidle business and leadership coach.
« Previous Next »

Search Our Site

Meet the Blog’s Co-Hosts

Carter McNamara of Authenticity Consulting, LLC, provides organization development and consultant training services, and is developer of the Free Management Library. [Read more ...]


Marcia Zidle, a certified career strategist and business coach, works with high potential, high impact executives, managers and professionals to advance their careers and grow their leadership capabilities. [Read more ...]

Categories of Posts

  • Basics and Overviews
  • Coaching
  • Delegating
  • employee communication
  • Employee Motivation
  • Employee Recruitment
  • Employee Staffing
  • Feedback With Employees
  • General Resources
  • Management Effectiveness
  • Organizing Employees
  • Performance Management
  • Roles and Responsibilities
  • Skills Required
  • Team Building
  • Training Employees
  • Uncategorized

Recent Blog Posts
Alternate Recent Posts Widget

  • How Good Are Your Management Skills? Part 2
  • How Good Are Your Management Skills? Part 1
  • Wearing the Same Shirt Doesn’t Make a Winning Team
  • Three Strategies to Connect and Engage Employees
  • Do Some Rules Need To be Broken?

Related Library Topics

  • Coaching
  • Employee Performance
  • Group Skills
  • Human Resources
  • Mentoring
  • Policies (Personnel)

Library's Blogs

  • Boards of Directors
  • Building a Business
  • Business Communications
  • Business Ethics, Culture and Performance
  • Business Planning
  • Career Management
  • Coaching and Action Learning
  • Consulting and Organizational Development
  • Crisis Management
  • Customer Service
  • Facilitation
  • Free Management Library Blogs
  • Fundraising for Nonprofits
  • Human Resources
  • Leadership
  • Marketing and Social Media
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building
  • Project Management
  • Quality Management
  • Social Enterprise
  • Spirituality
  • Strategic Planning
  • Supervision
  • Team Building and Performance
  • Training and Development
About Feedback Legal Privacy Policy Contact Us
Free Management Library, © Copyright Authenticity Consulting, LLC ®; All rights reserved.
  • Graphics by Wylde Hare LLC
  • Website maintained by Caitlin Cahill

By continuing to use this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.X