Everybody Matters

Everybody Matters Plot Summary

Introduction

Imagine walking into a manufacturing plant where team members greet you with genuine smiles, where machine operators speak passionately about their work, and where a formerly cynical union member now teaches leadership classes. This isn't a utopian fantasy—it's the reality at companies that have embraced a revolutionary idea: everybody matters. In a world where 88% of workers feel their organizations don't listen to or care about them, a different approach to leadership has emerged. This journey begins with a profound shift in perspective: seeing employees not as functions or resources, but as somebody's precious children whose lives have been entrusted to your care. By measuring success through the positive impact on people's lives rather than just financial metrics, organizations create environments where individuals discover their gifts, develop their talents, and feel truly valued. The result is not just improved morale but remarkable business performance. Through compelling real-world stories of transformation, readers will discover how to create a workplace where people return home fulfilled, how to build trust through responsible freedom, and how a culture of genuine caring can unleash extraordinary human potential—all while maintaining a sustainable business model.

Chapter 1: The PCMC Transformation: From Despair to Thriving

Ken Coppens was at rock bottom. As a laid-off production worker for Paper Converting Machine Company in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with a wife and young son to support, he would walk to Lambeau Field during Packers games to collect recyclable cans. On good days, he gathered enough to buy diapers for his son and gas for the car. As he approached the stadium, Ken would pull his hat down and keep his head low, hoping no one would recognize him. When Ken had started at PCMC in 1980, he thought he'd found lifetime security. The company built machines for the world's biggest tissue suppliers and was considered one of the best places to work in Green Bay. But economic challenges led to repeated layoffs. In Ken's first six years, he never worked longer than eighteen months at a stretch. The company's culture grew increasingly toxic, with fear and distrust permeating every interaction. The union and management were perpetually at odds, and the atmosphere was one of suspicion and control. Ken's colleague Gerry Hickey, a manufacturing director, found himself torn between his natural leadership instincts and directives to micromanage his team. He was even told by a supervisor, "You need to be a jerk to them. You need to let them know who the boss is!" By 2005, PCMC was losing $25 million annually on $200 million in revenue. The family owners were ready to give up. Then Barry-Wehmiller acquired the company, bringing a radically different approach. Instead of moving production to low-cost countries as everyone expected, they announced manufacturing would return to Green Bay. The new leaders told PCMC employees, "We believe in you. We can turn this business around with the people who are here today. We can compete with equipment made anywhere in the world. We'll show the world that you can pay people fairly, treat them superbly, manufacture locally, and compete globally—right here in Green Bay, Wisconsin!" The new leadership immediately focused on team building and creating a culture where people felt valued. They implemented continuous improvement processes that actually listened to team members' ideas. They introduced recognition programs that celebrated people's contributions. Most importantly, they treated everyone with genuine respect. The transformation was remarkable. Within eight years, PCMC went from near bankruptcy to gaining market share, developing new products, and becoming a model of human-centered leadership—all without layoffs. The impact wasn't limited to business results. Ken eventually found his gift for facilitating change and now teaches leadership at Barry-Wehmiller University. Gerry reports that the experience has improved his 38-year marriage to his wife Wendy. "During the 'dark days' when we were fighting for survival, Wendy would describe me as confused, frustrated, and somewhat bitter. Now, I think I'm a better listener and a more caring husband." The PCMC story illustrates a fundamental truth: people aren't the problem in struggling organizations—leadership approach is. By treating people as capable, valuable individuals rather than interchangeable resources, organizations unlock extraordinary potential. This people-first philosophy creates a virtuous cycle where fulfilled employees create better results, which enables further investment in people.

Chapter 2: Leadership is Stewardship of Lives Entrusted to Us

At a beautiful outdoor wedding in Aspen, the speaker watched a father walk his daughter down the aisle. While the father formally stated, "Her mother and I give our daughter to be wed to this young man," the speaker realized what the father was really thinking: "Look here, young man. Her mother and I brought this precious child of ours into this world. We've given her all the love and support we could, and we expect you to enable her to continue to be everything she was meant to be. We are entrusting you with this sacred obligation." This moment triggered a profound realization: every person in an organization is somebody's precious child. Their parents hoped and expected leaders to be responsible stewards of their children's lives. This perspective transforms how we view leadership—not as an exercise of power for personal gain, but as a sacred trust to care for others. The current leadership crisis is staggering. An estimated 88% of the American workforce—130 million people—go home each day feeling their organization doesn't listen to or care about them. We're sending people home after treating them as objects and functions rather than human beings. As one leader observed, "If we had a camera for the souls of people walking out of our offices and factories every day, it would make industrial pollution look pristine by comparison." Leadership is an awesome responsibility for the lives entrusted to you. Those who lead must recognize that leadership isn't about self-interest, but about accountability to something bigger than oneself. People enter this world with gifts and talents, full of possibilities and unrealized potential. Leaders are called to help them become what they were meant to be—both as individuals and as part of a team or community. This stewardship approach to leadership creates a profound sense of responsibility that goes beyond conventional business ethics. It means acting from our deepest sense of right, inspiring rather than commanding, and exercising power through and with others in service to the greater good. As one executive discovered after hearing this perspective, "I thought I worked so I could do good. You do good at work." The greatest charity businesses can offer society isn't a donation to United Way after destroying lives all day—it's treating people with profound respect and care throughout the workday. This approach recognizes that good leadership and good parenting are virtually identical. Both involve creating environments where people can discover their gifts, develop their talents, and feel valued for their contributions.

Chapter 3: Responsible Freedom: Empowering People to Use Their Gifts

Ken Hoff, a stereotypical IT programmer at Barry-Wehmiller's St. Louis headquarters, would spend his lunch breaks working on screenplays and video projects. For years, he kept these passions separate from his work life. Then his leader offered him an opportunity to create a video to promote a charity carnival the IT department was organizing. Ken enthusiastically embraced the challenge, recruiting colleagues from across the office as amateur actors. The resulting five-minute video, poking fun at the IT staff as carnival enthusiasts, was a massive hit. The IT team became office celebrities, and Ken discovered a way to share his creative gifts at work. Now imagine yourself as a machinist in a dingy, poorly lit factory in northern Wisconsin. You've apprenticed for years, working on the same machine day after day. You're constantly asked to make parts from designs others have created, using materials others have selected. You can never work fast enough to satisfy management. In such an environment, words like "empowerment" and "responsible freedom" sound like empty corporate jargon. How could things ever be different? At Barry-Wehmiller, the leadership team recognized that conventional empowerment approaches often fall short. They embraced a concept called "responsible freedom," borrowed from philosopher Peter Koestenbaum: "Taking personal responsibility for getting others to implement strategy is the leader's key polarity. It's the existential paradox of holding yourself 100% responsible for the fate of your organization while assuming absolutely no responsibility for the choices made by other people... The leader's role is less to heal or to help than to enlarge the capacity for responsible freedom." This concept combines two essential ideas: freedom—the opportunity to exercise personal choice and take ownership of your work; and responsibility—ensuring that this freedom is exercised with care for others and alignment with organizational goals. Implementing responsible freedom requires two-way trust, which is often missing in traditional command-and-control environments where employees are merely compliant, their potential buried under layers of apathy. George Senn, a machinist supervisor in Phillips, Wisconsin, embraced this approach. After years in a traditional leadership role, he began asking his team to document their knowledge by creating setup sheets for each part they produced. This invited machinists to share the wisdom accumulated over decades of experience. Many skeptics said, "This will never work. You're asking people to reduce their job security by offering what's inside their head." But George believed he could inspire participation. The team set a goal to create 7,000 setup sheets within nine months. Within the first year, they had produced over 10,000. Quality improved threefold, and team members felt a new sense of ownership and pride. Later, when Lance Johnson, another team member, identified the need for a new laser cutter—potentially the largest machine purchase in the facility's history—George supported him in researching options and making the case for the investment. Lance's team even traveled to inspect potential equipment purchases, something typically handled by purchasing managers. The key insight is that responsible freedom requires trust. Leaders must be willing to share information openly, invite input, provide clear goals and parameters, and then step back to let people contribute their unique talents. This isn't abandoning responsibility—it's recognizing that the best solutions often come from those closest to the work. As David Marquet, a former submarine commander who transformed one of the Navy's lowest-performing submarines into its highest-rated ship, demonstrated, even highly structured organizations can thrive when leaders stop telling people what to do and start inviting them to contribute their best thinking. Ultimately, responsible freedom isn't just about better business results—it's about human dignity. It acknowledges that people have unique gifts and perspectives worthy of respect. When organizations create environments where people can fully express their creativity, craftsmanship, and intelligence, they unlock extraordinary potential and create more fulfilling workplaces.

Chapter 4: Creating a Culture of Recognition and Celebration

While watching a Green Bay Packers game, a business leader observed something that sparked an insight. After a receiver caught a spectacular touchdown pass and did the traditional "Lambeau leap" into the stands to celebrate, the leader thought: "He is an incredibly gifted receiver who worked hard to make that catch. But the truth is that he didn't do it alone. A lot of people did the right thing to put him in a position to make that great catch." This realization became the basis for Barry-Wehmiller's "High Five" award, which recognizes those who enable others to succeed. When a salesperson receives an order, they can nominate colleagues who made the essential "blocks" that allowed them to score. Recipients receive a letter sent to their family celebrating their contribution, along with a simple gift like dinner for two. More than the gift, people are deeply touched by having their behind-the-scenes contributions recognized by peers. Recognition and celebration became foundational elements of Barry-Wehmiller's culture. Their flagship recognition program, the Guiding Principles of Leadership SSR Award, allows team members to nominate peers who exemplify the company's values. Recipients are selected based on the quality of the nominations, not by popular vote. Winners get to drive a distinctive convertible for a week, becoming visible symbols of the culture's values. The awards are presented in organization-wide celebrations that bring people together in shared appreciation. When the program was first introduced at the Phillips, Wisconsin plant, it wasn't immediately embraced. After years of traditional management where recognition was rare, the first award sparked jealousy rather than inspiration. As one leader reflected, "What would you expect if you went into a group of starving people and served just one person a Thanksgiving feast?" The leadership team realized they needed to create a culture where recognition was abundant. They expanded recognition programs to touch every corner of the organization. Finance teams, engineering groups, and manufacturing units all developed their own ways to celebrate excellence specific to their areas. Recognition wasn't limited to grand gestures—it included simple, timely appreciation of everyday contributions. The goal was to create an organization of "givers," people constantly looking for opportunities to recognize the goodness in others. The impact of this approach is profound. People develop a deeper sense of meaning and connection to their work when they know their contributions are seen and valued. Research shows a strong correlation between these two statements: "I feel I am contributing to my company's mission" and "This company gives enough recognition for work that's well done." Recognition engages people's hearts and minds, giving them energy and affirming that they matter. During the 2008-2009 economic downturn, many wondered if recognition programs would be cut as part of cost-saving measures. Instead, Barry-Wehmiller maintained them, albeit with more modest celebrations appropriate to the times. The leadership recognized that while the financial cost was minimal, the psychological impact was enormous. The culture of recognition eventually took on a life of its own. In Phillips, after a team member named Dennis Wilson passed away from a heart attack, his colleague George Senn created the Dennis Wilson Memorial Award to honor those who exemplified Wilson's qualities as a continuous improvement pioneer. This grassroots initiative demonstrated how deeply the value of recognition had become embedded in the organization's fabric. Recognition and celebration aren't just nice-to-have cultural elements—they're essential practices that validate people's worth, build stronger connections, and create more resilient organizations. By filling the organizational airwaves with appreciation rather than criticism, companies create environments where people can truly thrive.

Chapter 5: The Great Recession Test: Shared Sacrifice Over Layoffs

In early 2009, as the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression gripped the world, Barry-Wehmiller faced a severe test of its people-centered philosophy. The company had been growing rapidly and profitably, but suddenly several major customers canceled or put large orders on hold—orders against which they had already paid substantial non-refundable deposits. The situation was dire. A board member raised the "L word"—layoffs—the reflexive response most companies use to preserve financial performance during downturns. In January 2009 alone, Fortune 500 companies had laid off over 163,000 people. Citicorp alone had cut 73,000 jobs. The pressure to follow suit was intense. For CEO Bob Chapman, sitting in a hotel room in Italy when he received news of the latest canceled order, the moment called for deep reflection. "Oh my God, it's going to hit us, and I don't know how hard. What are we going to do?" The company couldn't simply absorb the costs and risk violating banking covenants. But after years of building a culture based on the principle that "we measure success by the way we touch the lives of people," traditional cost-cutting through layoffs would destroy everything they had worked to create. Chapman asked himself, "What would a caring family do when faced with such a crisis?" The answer came quickly: All family members would absorb some pain so that no one would experience dramatic loss. Everyone would pitch in with a sense of shared sacrifice and shared destiny. This insight led to an innovative approach. Rather than laying off 12% of the workforce, the leadership team implemented a furlough program where everyone would take four weeks of unpaid time off. They suspended executive bonuses and 401(k) matching contributions, reduced travel expenses, and offered a generous voluntary retirement program. Chapman himself cut his salary from $875,000 to $10,500 (his starting salary from decades earlier). Instead of sending an impersonal email, Chapman recorded a video message explaining the plan and the reasoning behind it. He emphasized that the company was choosing shared sacrifice to preserve everyone's jobs. "We care a great deal about how this impacts everyone," he explained. "We have tried to spread the impact to allow everyone to feel we are all helping each other." The response was astounding. People who had been walking on eggshells for months fearing job loss felt immediate relief. The fear that had been spreading like cancer was replaced with feelings of safety, gratitude, and togetherness. Some team members even volunteered to take additional weeks of furlough to cover for colleagues in more precarious financial situations, saying "I can afford to take six weeks off. If somebody can only afford two weeks, I'll take their weeks." One leader reported, "I have not personally heard one complaint about our furlough approach to helping save jobs." In Green Bay, union team members met their target of 1,400 weeks within days of the program announcement on a voluntary, non-seniority basis with full support of the bargaining committee. Another team member noted, "The people affected [by layoffs elsewhere] are not numbers on an unemployment roster; they are people with families to care for, bills to pay, and hopes and plans for the future." Nine months later, business rebounded, and the company had its best year ever in fiscal 2010. The leadership then did something unprecedented—they retroactively restored the 401(k) match that employees had given up. "Thank you for working with us," the message was. "You helped save the company and save the jobs of your friends." This crisis response demonstrated that an organization's values aren't truly tested in good times, but in the worst of times. By adhering to their people-first principles during extreme adversity, Barry-Wehmiller cemented their culture and won over even the most skeptical employees. As one observer noted, "You cannot judge the quality of a company by the good times. You cannot judge the quality of the crew when the seas are calm. The numbers will never come to your aid. Ever. People will."

Chapter 6: Lean with Compassion: Humanizing the Process

Jimmy Hughes was the notorious napper in the back corner of the BW Papersystems plant in Baltimore. Sales teams dreaded bringing customers on plant tours because inevitably they'd spot Jimmy sleeping with his head on his arm, eyes closed. "Lazy good-for-nothing. He just doesn't give a damn!" a salesperson would think, hurrying the customer group along, embarrassed by what was happening in the plant. Fast-forward ten years. Jimmy is now the number-one stop on customer tours. He leads a team of six people and has never been more fulfilled or enthusiastic. What changed? Jimmy explains it best: "I work with my hands, I get dirty and I am proud of it—because I take a raw piece of steel and transform it into something useful. Ten years ago, if you came by my area, here's what you would see: A man with his full weight leaned against a machine, eyes closed. It looked like I was taking a nap. No one ever came closer or stayed long enough to understand. My machine runs thirty to forty-five minutes at a time. I was told to stay close by to ensure nothing went wrong. It's boring as hell—like watching a washing machine run. I couldn't leave to get material for the next job, and I couldn't control what came into my station or where items went when I was done." Jimmy was trapped in a poorly designed process that left him looking lazy when he was simply a victim of inefficient workflows. What he needed wasn't criticism but a chance to improve the system he worked within. In another part of the same factory, leadership launched a journey of continuous improvement using tools from the Toyota Production System, commonly known as "Lean." But there was a crucial difference in their approach. While most companies adopt Lean solely to eliminate waste and improve profits, Barry-Wehmiller focused on eliminating frustration and empowering people. During one of the first improvement events, leadership demonstrated their commitment by moving a six-ton machine that had been bolted to the same spot for decades to a location the team suggested would improve workflow. That physical demonstration—that management would literally move mountains based on workers' suggestions—was transformational. As one participant noted, "We were inspired by the knowledge that our ideas mattered." The foundation of this approach was expanding the traditional "5S" tool (sort, straighten, shine, standardize, and sustain) to "7S" by adding "safety" and "satisfaction." Every improvement event had cross-functional teams including operators, engineers, and support staff who often met for the first time. The focus wasn't on management dictating changes but on removing obstacles that prevented people from doing their best work. At the conclusion of each improvement event, participants would share their results with the organization. After one such presentation, they were asked an unusual question: "How did it make you feel?" One team leader responded, "If I knew earlier what I know now about how to interact with people and solve problems, my marriage wouldn't have ended in divorce." Another team member, Bonnie Peterson, said: "Everyone was saying, 'How do we make it safe for Bonnie? How do we make it flow for Bonnie? How do we make it work for Bonnie?' Those are the four-letter words I take away from this event: that everybody was focused on making it better for me." This human-centered approach transformed not just the physical workspace but the emotional environment. In the finance department, a team discovered they were producing thirty-one detailed reports each month, many of which nobody actually used. By temporarily stopping all reports, they found that people only requested thirteen of them. This freed up time to create more valuable, insightful reporting that actually helped the organization make better decisions. The accounts payable office underwent a similar transformation. Work had piled up endlessly, with people pulling invoices from a single overwhelming stack that never seemed to diminish. The team redesigned the process by dividing invoices into manageable categories and creating a collaborative approach to handle complex cases. The result was not just greater efficiency but a more humane, satisfying work experience. The key insight is that processes should serve people, not the other way around. By humanizing improvement efforts—focusing on reducing frustration rather than just cutting costs—organizations create environments where people can truly flourish. As one practitioner put it, "Lean is not really about waste elimination, it's about frustration elimination, removing obstacles that stand in the way of people being their best."

Chapter 7: Visioning a Better Future Together

At a critical juncture in 2001, Joe Wilhelm, the managing partner of Barry-Wehmiller Design Group, was making a standard business presentation about the following year's budget and a three-year financial plan. Unexpectedly, CEO Bob Chapman interrupted him: "Tell me what is possible if your capacity for growth is only limited by your ability to attract exceptional people into a proven business model and a vibrant people-centric culture. What could you be?" Joe was initially apprehensive. Leaders naturally want to commit to goals they're confident they can achieve, especially when speaking to the CEO. But Chapman asked him to trust the process and think bigger about what might be possible. This moment marked a shift from conventional "annual budgeting" to a more powerful leadership tool: visioning the future. The Design Group leadership team studied their fastest growth period and made that their target rate for the future. They created what they called a "Horizon Plan" that envisioned doubling the firm's size within five years. Joe wrote a letter to the entire organization saying, "We have a vision to double the size of the firm in the next five years. We don't know exactly how the journey is going to go, but we have a view of what it could look like." The vision was shared with everyone, making clear what it meant for each person's future. The response was remarkable. "People flocked to the vision like a thirsty person drawn to water," Joe recalled. "They were inspired by it." Rather than feeling constrained by the ambitious goals, the team felt liberated. Chapman reassured them, "If we fall short of the vision but still experience healthy growth, that's still a positive outcome." As it turned out, Design Group doubled in size within just three years, then proceeded to double twice more in subsequent years. This experience demonstrated the power of visioning as a leadership practice. A vision acts like a lighthouse—a beacon that guides an organization safely to its desired destination. Unlike conventional planning that starts with current reality and looks for incremental improvements, visioning begins with an ideal future state and works backward to determine how to get there. The visioning process at Barry-Wehmiller evolved to include both business visioning (focused on growth, markets, and strategy) and cultural visioning (focused on values, behaviors, and creating fulfilling work environments). Their process brings together diverse voices from across the organization, ensures participants are well-informed about current realities, and creates a sense of shared ownership in the future. This approach proved particularly valuable when tackling specific challenges. When worker's compensation costs were rising due to safety incidents, the traditional response would have been to implement stricter rules and punishments. Instead, the company held a visioning session focused on safety. The result was a simple but powerful Safety Covenant: "We commit to sending our team members home safely each day." This shifted the focus from costs and compliance to a culture of caring where people looked out for each other. Within a year, worker's compensation costs declined by half and remained below industry averages. Visioning was similarly applied to issues ranging from market approach to accounts payable processes. In each case, participants were asked to imagine the ideal state—not constrained by current limitations—and then develop plans to move toward that vision. This approach created greater buy-in and more creative solutions than traditional top-down planning. The most powerful aspect of visioning is that it engages people's hearts as well as their minds. When people see a clear picture of a compelling future they've helped create, they become passionate advocates for bringing that vision to life. John Quinn, president of a portfolio company, observed: "The cultural session to create 'The EM Way' was truly powerful, but the way we shared this vision throughout our organization in the weeks and months following the session was even more powerful... These dialogues were essential for two reasons. First, our professionals could see our body language and feel our commitment to this. Second, we could witness firsthand how they responded and address questions immediately." Effective visioning creates what Joe Wilhelm calls "a road map, a blueprint for how to run the business." It aligns the organization around shared aspirations while providing flexibility in how to achieve them. Most importantly, it connects people's daily work to a larger purpose, creating greater meaning and fulfillment.

Summary

At its core, truly human leadership means measuring success by the positive impact we have on people's lives, not just by financial metrics. The most transformative insight from this journey is deceptively simple yet profound: Every person in your organization is somebody's precious child whose life has been entrusted to your care. Begin by shifting your fundamental perspective—view leadership as stewardship of lives, not management of resources. Create processes that serve people rather than forcing people to serve processes. Establish a culture of recognition where you actively look for and celebrate the goodness in people. When faced with challenges, ask "What would a caring family do?" and explore alternatives to traditional cost-cutting measures. Implement visioning practices that engage everyone in creating a compelling future. Most importantly, recognize that you don't need permission to lead with compassion—you already have everything within you to start honoring the universal truth that everybody matters. Start today by having a meaningful conversation with someone in your organization, truly listening to them, and showing them that who they are and what they do matters.

About Author

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Bob Chapman

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