Letter: Leaders provide nothing but excuses for Chatham County 911 call center issues

This letter is by Savannahian Gary Sullivan.

A recent article that appeared in The Current regarding the Chatham County 911 call center identified issues affecting morale and the leadership/management.

The responses attributed to county commissioners and 911 leadership to the negative morale and productivity were largely limited to the physical environment and staffing, reflecting away from the management issues.  I am a retired consultant for employee and management development and am appalled at the lack of leadership and management in our county and city governments.

More: Had trouble reaching 911? Chatham County attributes abandoned calls to technical glitches

Poor morale and high turnover is a direct result of poor management on a day-to-day basis. I would venture to say most of the so-called leaders and managers in Chatham County have limited understanding, if any at all, of what effective leadership and effective management looks like. They simply make excuses for their poor leadership and management skills.

For example, the poor physical conditions of the environment at the 911 center. It is not a good environment, but it is no excuse for the poor management. I doubt if any of the management has ever heard of the Westinghouse project to determine the effect of lighting on employee productivity. I would also venture to say that none of them have read, or even heard of, the book "In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies" by Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. It is frustrating to hear excuses from those in leadership positions. It does not have to be this way.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Letter: Leaders give nothing but excuses for 911 call center issues