I had been in those team to increase the efficiency, productivity, etc. We are very successful for our work. When we start to point out the MISTAKES/Indecisions by the upper managements, the teams and programs are QUICKLY terminated. Everything is back to normal (i.e., massive layoff, stock price goes up, executive got BIGGER bonus from stock option). The new executives will try the similiar program sometimes afterward. The cycle repeats. The guys in the bottom end up in unemployment line.
I sympathize with people below the Top Management. These people are often frustrated by decisions made by top management. I totally agree with the concepts and statements made in the book. It is amazing the amount of information that the people who work at the company know. They have the power to help the company make more money, increase customer satisfaction, and increase employee satisfaction. It takes a management staff that is focused on the same objectives and goals and who is forward thinking to use these concepts. That is a farely rare commodity in the United States and in some industries in particular. I audit companies to determine if they are meeting world wide standards for operating their businesses. I can tell you from personal experience that not many of them provide employees or management with enough information to make factual decisions. Some of them are afraid to give confidential information to employees and others simply don't understand that if you provide employees with a goal and the information (and a little assistance), that they will be successful at the goal. Employee empowerment should be the mantra of all companies. Why else are they paying you?
