Many people do not really hear about railroads until there is a big derailment ending in a giant explosion or massive layoffs, causing for whole towns to be shut down. What people don’t realize is that the majority of freight today is carried by rail and rail companies such as the one I work for which employs roughly 33,000 people. Managers of the railroads have a lot more challenges than a typical manager within another industry.
Railroads have been around since the early 1800’s and the majority of this time it has been constructed of a multitude of unions each with their own contract. A railroad manager not only has to worry about keeping production up, but also adheres to the contracts of each of the “craft employees” that works for them. They are restricted on things like discipline and assigning certain jobs to certain craft employees.
The union workers typically looks at a manager hired off the street with no railroad experience, as someone who is unable to perform the job and thus must not be able to perform as a manager within the industry. This lack of Information Power causes many managers to fail or they end up utilizing coercive power out of spite based on how they have been treated. From my experience the average manager off the street only lasts 1-3 years.
Some managers end up falling into one of the Big Five Personality Factors “Agreeableness”. (Northouse, 2013) This typically becomes a downfall because the workers then take advantage of the manager allowing them to run the operation instead of the manager.
Major Leadership Traits such as Intelligence, Self-confidence, Determination, Integrity and Sociability all play extreme rolls to be successful managers in the railroad. (Northouse, 2013) Intelligence or knowledge of the railroad is needed to earn respect from the workers. This is the willingness to learn the job which will go extremely far with the workers in terms of respect. Determination is important when sticking with it no matter what pressure you are feeling from corporate or the union workers. Integrity shows you are willing to do the right thing, which many of the newer employees will see, setting the example for them. This is also where holding people accountable for their integrity comes in, in which many employees will come to respect for you holding that level of integrity for everyone. Last but not least Sociability, what I consider to be the most important trait for a manager in the railroad. Railroad workers most likely have dealt with some pretty bad managers who have treated them pretty poorly. When showing them you care and are willing to get to know them on a bit more of a personal level, they will be willing to move mountains for you…trust me
In conclusion working for the railroad is a tough environment to begin with. With no skills or experience within the railroad itself, employees will make it difficult for you to survive. The ability to utilize leadership traits and encourage your workforce will be key skills needed to survive.
References
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.