Oftentimes, complacency happens over time, where the owners and management of an offsite construction factory take the conditions or the context around them for granted. For example, consider a General Manager who is so caught up in a regular routine each day, that he/she doesn’t notice cues around them that are out of the norm.
Fear of failure or the fear of what other people think can also propel us to stay complacent, comfortable, and bored. Those fears are powerful forces that can produce limiting beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Complacency in manufacturing company management is on the rise from several of the factors below.
When companies have a long track record of success, it’s easy to assume that what worked in the past will continue to work in the future. This belief can foster a culture of “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” The modular and manufactured housing industry has been around for a long time and walking through some of the older factories screams that it’s still the 1970s.
In situations where a company enjoys a dominant market position or faces little competition, there may be less incentive to innovate or improve. Change can be risky, and sometimes, past failures or the perceived risks associated with innovation can make management hesitant to try something new.
As companies grow, they may develop layers of bureaucracy that can slow decision-making processes and stifle innovation. Bureaucratic structures can make it hard to implement changes even when there’s a recognized need. This is when we see upper management becoming isolated from the day-to-day operations, making them less aware of emerging challenges, market shifts, or inefficiencies in the production line.
Sometimes, management is pressured (often by shareholders) to deliver short-term profits, leading to decisions that prioritize immediate gains over long-term sustainability and growth. Today, most offsite factories are started with massive influxes of investment money instead of being bootstrapped by the founder.
Without a robust system to collect feedback from customers, employees, and other stakeholders, management might be unaware of emerging issues or areas of potential improvement. The organizational culture of the factory might actually discourage dissent or “rocking the boat.” In such environments, employees might hesitate to voice concerns or propose innovative solutions.
Success can lead to overconfidence, where management believes they have all the answers and may discount external advice or warning signs. Some of these company leaders are so overconfident in what they do, they take their message on the road to conferences where others take their advice without any due diligence. That has disaster written all over it for the attendees.
Companies that do not invest in continuous learning and development for their employees, especially management, can fall behind in industry best practices. I worked for a modular factory that never shared with the production line workers what the completed homes looked like. I sold a very custom modular home one year and shared photos of the finished home on the lunchroom bulletin board. It was fun hearing them talk about what parts they worked on and what it turned out to be. Some of the workers even signed the pictures they worked on.
In some cases, while management might recognize the need for change or improvement, financial constraints can limit their ability to act. Chronic stress or high workloads without adequate support or relief can lead to management burnout, making leaders less proactive or engaged.
If you recognize even one of the things mentioned above, you need to act now.
To combat complacency, companies often employ strategies like regular SWOT analyses (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), continuous improvement programs, leadership training, and fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability.
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Gary Fleisher, the Modcoach, author
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