Maybe those at the top don't think that the departure of experienced employees is a big problem, or maybe they do, but I don't have any hopes that they will do something about it.
I'm wondering though, hypothetically speaking, what could they realistically do to fix this ever lower morale?
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The loss of experienced workers is very bad for a company. They train the newer workers, share their knowledge so people don't waste time inventing a triangular wheel, point out the problems in scaling up, explain why certain customers feel the way they do, why regulations were written a particular way, etc. No, they aren't gods but not it's right to always view them as dinosaurs who are paid too much. That experience is lost when that person walks out the door. Maybe improve morale by hiring some of these people back.
I love the comment on here about HR doing "Payroll". That person must not work at 3M because Workday pretty much does it for Salary and Hourly is done by the Production Supervisors. HR maybe reviews a report to make sure the Production Supervisors are staying on top of their hourly approvals but Payroll is not an HR task at 3M. I'm sure that leads to more questions on...what are HR's Task at 3M?
3M is a lazy company that has rested on it's laurels and reputation for far to long. It is like government, a bloated beauracracy with some of the laziest undisciplined leadership like a communist government. Far too much spending on elite individual roles thaf are fat and happy who do little to zero actual work. There are so many unnecessary corporate roles. Why do you have so many EHS people and individuals in planning, strategy in corporate that make zero observations of any real world scenarios, actually talking to customers or observing hazards or how much bloated inventory there is or products being built nobody is ordering? If you came to 3M from actual lean organizations that made profit and were flexible you see how unyielding and what a bunch od spoiled brats work at 3M. So glad I am leaving this lazy slug of a company.
Will anything be left to save by September 24?
Roman hits mandatory retirement age in September of '24. Obviously the plan for MV to replace him and spend 18 months cross training & developing his team & strategy is out the door. Even had Vale not been sh_t canned it would have been a rockier hand off with leadership making a debacle of the SpinCo separation.
The executive head hunting team has got to be working overtime trying to find a suitable CEO candidate. If the next CEO isn't an external hire then it's clear the BoD knows 3M's days are numbered and the only strategy going forward is to manage for cash. As Varys pointed out, there has to be a house cleaning of senior leadership. Will 3M make the massive investment it will take to convince a game-changing leadership overhaul?
Roman's a lame duck at this point. He's content to leave a big sh_t sandwich on the plate of the next CEO's plate as there is literally nothing he do at this point that will change his legacy as the most ineffective CEO in 3M's history. McN may have severally damaged the foundation of 3M by slashing the R&D engine that drives 3M, but he was at least decisive in his actions, misguided as they may have been. MR played his fiddle while Maplewood burned all around him.
Too much management forgetting purpose of 3M and needing field/manufacturing people.
HR is a ridiculous joke!!
still can't believe how many new SVP and VP'S have walked in off the back of Tireman wasting a fortune on consultants, the SVP and VP'S should have the brain power to make decisions that matter , or else what are they paid for.
Here is how to start the process:
- Remove Mike Roman - get him out of the CEO chair, sooner rather than later. Right now all Roman can provide is the fear of lawsuits and even more layoffs. That is Roman's brand now and for the rest of his career.
- Bring in a CEO with proven ability to grow a business and more importantly they have to provide a compelling and appealing future vision for 3M.
- Clean house for a good fraction of the SVP leadership, at least a third, maybe half. If they have a GE, McKinsey, or other similar backgrounds, they need to be quickly and discreetly shown the door.
- Have the new CEO be fully empowered to teardown and rebuild the entire leadership structure. I would give them only 6 months to get the tearing down done and get started on the rebuild. This means 3M would have to spend some money for good talent, but it is needed to get good leaders into proper roles.
- Going forward any SVP who signs a contract with a management consulting firm would be signing their own resignation. (If their team is so weak as to need management consulting, then the SVP has wholly failed in their job.)
Ummmm…. Abolish HR !! … on second thought, make sure they keep Payroll. The rest of HR can kindly exit
New leadership is required. Someone who has a different mission than the current "leaders".
Current one is the one who got us here. We need one that can get us OUT of here.
Someone like former Bes* Bu* CEO that brought them back from the verge of disaster. Look up his story (not putting his name on here in fear of being deleted). wisdom from the top podcast has whole episode on him--so inspiring!
How I wish that for 3M.
Anything short of a complete executive leadership overhaul won’t work.
Give more everyday Wins points!!