Jeff Williams, group vice president for automotive supplier Johnson Controls, believes in MBWA, or management by walking around.
Williams and other executives devote at least 25% of their work time to walking throughout the facilities in Plymouth Township and Holland, where they chat with as many of the 1,800 employees as they can. He keeps the door to his office open.
Every day, executives eat lunch with employees in the cafeteria, and Williams hosts monthly forums to get input from staff.
“We are all one team fighting for a common cause and survival in a very tough industry,” Williams said. “We all must be present in the daily activities. Everyone gets face time with our executive team.”
Employees ranked the supplier No. 1 among large companies—those with 500 or more employees—in southeast Michigan in a survey conducted for the Free Press by WorkplaceDynamics LLC.
“We get to ask questions of the highest executives,” said Jesus Beas, director of operations, Chrysler and VW. “It is encouraging.”
Beas has held various positions during 16 years with Johnson Controls. He moved to Plymouth from a facility in Mexico a few years ago. “I like the growth and development side of my job,” he said.
Like most businesses, Johnson Controls has been hit by the economic downturn. This past year, the company reduced its workforce and implemented unpaid furlough weeks for employees.
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