An Introspective on the Best in Class Business from a Not So Best of Class Manager

By Gregg Schoppman, FMI

Several years ago, The Office dominated the national comedy television spotlight with its unique “mockumentary” style filming of a small paper company in Scranton, PA.  The team was led by a naïve, not-so politically correct but often kind-hearted manager by the name of Michael Scott portrayed by Steve Carrell (or Ricky Gervais if you prefer the British original).  Many of the stories focused on the escapades of the office’s staff.  One of the main observations that any watcher would glean from these episodes was Michael’s inability to lead/manage but achieve success considering his vast ineptitude.  In fact, choosing to white a piece on Michael’s “business savviness” is a lot like writing a piece on Bob Ueker’s vast baseball acumen or Bonnano Pisano’s deep knowledge of foundations (i.e. the architect who designed that famous Tower in Pisa).  However, as an avid fan of The Office, there are several business lessons any construction organization can easily apply to its strategy and approach to how it operates.

Passion for Paper

Dunder Mifflin, the fictitious company in The office sold paper.  Garden variety, white copy/printer paper. Sometimes the recycled stuff but more or less, paper, and hardly a sexy premise for a television show. However, if there was one thing that Michael Scott had was passion for paper. Michael and his trusty assistant manager (or assistant TO the regional manager) Dwight K. Shrute knew about paper and all of its many nuances. Yes, paper. Nothing could be more vanilla (no pun intended). Now, ask yourself this question – How passionate are you about the construction industry? How passionate is your team? Channeling Simon Sinek, the great and very real business guru, why do you do what you do? Does that passion resonate throughout your organization or do you simply go through the motions? Michael Scott could make the most boring product come alive for their customers and keep his branch office alive. Does your team do the same thing for its clientele?

Customer Service

One of the main premises for the show was the firm’s ongoing competitive battle with the “big box store” and how the competitive landscape caused Dunder Mifflin to pivot repeatedly.  Michael Scott was often the top salesperson for Scranton and his firm.  He could sell paper in spite of having the intellect of a ream of paper.  What made him a success – customer service!  He knew his clients and in countless episodes he and Dwight could be seen in interacting with clients and showcasing Dunder Mifflin’s superior customer service.  While I may be guilty of reading “between the lines,” the Dunder Mifflin did this in the face of enormous customer price pressures in a hard-bid commodity industry.  Sound familiar? Never confuse marketing for old-fashioned superior customer service.  Listen to the customer!

Positions and Promotions

An entire piece could be dedicated to Dwight K. Shrute as the Assistant Regional Manager (Assistant TO the Regional Manager) but one of the key takeaways was about Michael Scott.  Michael was a superior salesperson at Dunder Mifflin even winning an award for Top Salesperson.  However, Michael was hardly a great manager.  How often do firms take a great foreman or great project manager and promote them to a position that is not commensurate with their skill sets?  Being a great builder does not always translate to being a great builder of people or even of business.  Many firms make the mistake of promoting for one set of skills and hope they enable that person to be successful in that new environment.  Often, this is done with little guidance, little training and little development.  Michael Scott had no mentorship, short of his time with Jan Levinson Gould, his district manager.

Recognition

On an annual basis, Michael Scott would engage in an unsanctioned, yet well-intentioned event known as the Dundies.  Receiving a Dundee was meant to be the equivalent of an Oscar or Emmy but had the same impact as being given a number at the DMV.  Nonetheless, Michael’s passion was once again on display.  Winning a Dundie for “Whitest Sneakers” might not get anyone’s attention in the construction industry but at a strategic level, when was the last time ANYONE in your firm “caught someone doing something right?”  In a world where we ripe with cynicism and where we seem to thrive on watching someone stumble, why not showcase the amazing things your organization does.  Just try not to do it in a Chili’s.

Innovation Adoption

During one episode, the new regional manager launches Dunder Mifflin Infinity which is the organization’s strategy to combat the increased traffic to the box store’s and online retailers. Much to his chagrin, Michael bucks the trend and fights to keep the business status quo and also kidnaps a hapless pizza delivery person in the process.  His belief is customer service alone will separate Dunder Mifflin from the online community.  While applauding his zeal for face to face interactions with his customers, halting the innovation is a futile as using a paper towel to thwart a tsunami.  However, there are no shortage of industry laggards that serve as hold-outs amidst the strong tailwind of innovations surging in the industry.  Autonomous vehicles, augmented reality, real-time data collection/dissemination, prefabrication/modularization, tablet utilization, robotics, 3D printing and blockchain are not only buzzwords representing the future of the construction industry but also the world of tomorrow.  

This is a tongue and cheek examination of a WORST-case business management philosophy.  One of the enduring elements of The Office’s sticking power is the audience’s ability to relate to the awkwardness and cringe worthy performances of Michael Scott.  Everyone has had a manager or leader that seems to be “successful” in spite of themselves.  However, The Office also provides a moment for leaders to ask themselves rhetorical questions about their style, approach and strategy.  The construction industry is hardly showcased on The Office (short of Vance Refrigeration) but the lessons are pertinent and germane.  And couldn’t we all use an event like “Pretzel Day” to get us motivated?

About the Author

As a principal with FMI, Gregg specializes in the areas of productivity and project management. He also leads FMI’s project management consulting practice. He has completed complex and sophisticated construction projects in several different niches and geographic markets. He has also worked as a construction manager and managed direct labor. FMI is a unique and fast-growing firm of professionals passionate about creating a better future for engineering and construction, infrastructure and the built environment throughout North America and around the world. For more information on FMI, please visit www.fminet.com or contact Schoppman by email at gschoppman@fminet.com.