On February 21, Northwest Airlines flight 779 from Minneapolis to Las Vegas had an unlucky day. Originally scheduled to depart at 2:26 p.m., it was delayed until 4:10 p.m. by the late arrival of the assigned aircraft. Once the plane arrived, a gate agent told passengers that the plane had a problem with its ventilation and de-icing systems. The employees cautioned customers that the successively later times posted on the screen -- 4:45, 5:15, 5:45 -- were not estimated departures, but just "the time when we'll get our next update." Passengers were becoming restless, grumbling about hundred-dollar show tickets that were becoming worthless in their pockets.

A little after 6:00, the gate agent announced that the ventilation system was fixed, but the de-icer was still broken. With no ice hazard forecast on the way to Nevada, "We, as an airline, are declaring the plane good and ready to go," said the agent. But, he added, "The pilot is refusing the aircraft."

Passengers groaned. "I'll fly the plane," said one. "If the pilot doesn't want to fly it, why should I want to ride in it?" said another.

A new time was posted on the screen: 8:00 p.m. Passengers -- who assumed Northwest was trying to get a new plane or fix the one at the gate -- were now informed that instead, Northwest was working "to get another pilot."

The situation would have been even worse without the reassuring demeanor of the gate agent -- a tall, calm, middle-aged man whose voice projected empathy. He nodded, listened, advised, and explained as groups of jittery passengers stood around the podium. But as good as he was in the crisis, he could not take care of his customers without a departing flight. And clearly, the pilot felt he could not do his job without a plane he regarded as ready to go.

Essential to getting the job done

On this day, Flight 779 and the employees working on it ran headlong into the Second Element of Great Managing: having the materials and equipment they needed to do their jobs right. (See graphic "The 12 Elements of Great Managing.") Without the right tools, a group's productivity can't get off the ground.

When Gallup researchers analyzed hundreds of work dimensions in search of those most predictive of success, it was no surprise that materials and equipment showed up as fundamental. While many of the other 12 Elements, such as talking with employees about their progress, are primarily psychological in nature, the Second Element is both psychological and excruciatingly practical. Workgroups that don't have the right supplies can't produce. Universally, teams that produce have what they need to get the job done.

The obstacles may not always be as apparent as a broken airplane. What someone needs to get the job done may be a physical tool, such as a better cell phone, or it could be the regular flow of information, such as current sales reports or customer feedback. Sometimes there's a fine line between what someone needs and what someone wants. Managers might consider a particular item a luxury or inconsequential, but the person who spends 40 hours a week on a task might find great usefulness in that same item.

"No one uses pencils anymore, but I use them all the time," says one editor. "I went to my manager and asked, 'Could I get a nice electric pencil sharpener?' And she said, 'Sure.' It only cost $10, but it makes a big difference to me."

"Give me what I need to produce"

People usually join organizations about which they are excited. And after they join the organization, they have a honeymoon period of about six months, on average, during which they are generally highly engaged in their work. They get a lot of attention during this time, and they haven't had enough negative experiences to become disengaged.

The sharpest drop in engagement comes after that first half-year. But the downward slope is not consistent across all 12 Elements. The drop is steepest on the Second Element, where the amount of positivity is cut approximately in half. The average worker joins with high expectations, and when she is not supplied with the tools she needs to reach her high ideals, she becomes disenchanted. The best managers are adept at avoiding the transition from honeymoon to divorce.

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Article from The Gallup Management Journal