My second supervisory training program while in the coal mine was designed by the Bituminous Coal Operators Association and administered by our mine foreman. It consisted of 40 hours of films, discussions, and tests. All of this mandatory training was taught on consecutive Saturdays, eight hours at a clip. The films showed scenarios of a supervisor and his crew dealing with a particular problem. Periodically, the film was stopped and class participants were asked how the supervisor could handle the situation better. Once the discussion was completed, the film was continued and a prescribed solution was demonstrated. At the beginning and end of each of the nine modules, a pre-test and post-test respectively were administered.

This training initiated the mine’s cultural change toward participative management. Previously, the supervisors were rewarded for using highly autocratic management styles. The phrase “take names and kick butt” was often used to describe the prescribed way supervisors should manage their people. Some of my other stories illustrate my minimal success with this traditional supervisory role. The participative style made more sense to me. I realized I worked harder for someone who paid attention to my ideas. It made just as much sense to me others would respond similarly to this approach.

Before we began the training program, our mine foreman, Paul, made a commitment. He said the training we were about to experience would be the way we would interact with our crews in the future. Those of us who could successfully make the transition would still be here in six months. Those of us who refused to change would not.

A few months later the ramification of the Clean Air Act of 1977 kicked in resulting in the loss of our long-term contract with Cleveland Electric Illuminating. We were forced to sell our coal on the open market and lay-offs ensued involving half the union and nine supervisors. The criterion of the lay-offs for the supervisors was adherence to the behaviors illustrated in the films described earlier. One supervisor who was also a pilot lost his job. He threatened to bomb the mine foreman’s house from the air with concrete blocks. His threat was never attempted as far as I know.

The responsibility of every leader is to create a vision of the future to successfully address the changing business environment. To meet this vision, behavior change on the part of employees of various levels of leadership often must be demonstrated. In my opinion, it is unethical to require new behaviors without adequate communication of the needed changes or training designed to enable employees to develop the desired behaviors. The comprehensive implementation plan of the vision must include some development activities in order to enable the organization’s survival. It is only good business.

R. Glenn Ray, Ph.D., is the president of RayCom Learning. To learn more about Ray’s completely revised, third printing of “The Facilitative Leader: Behaviors that Enable Success,” visit his Web site, www.raycomlearning.com or call him at 740-629-4536. Everyday Leadership appears each Wednesday on the Business page.