Tearing Down the Monuments of Poor Leadership

Kaizen Snapshot

Setting: Armstrong World Industries’ Lancaster, Pennsylvania vinyl flooring plant
Challenge: Low morale, poor discipline, and eroding trust
Stakes: Productivity, safety, and plant survival
Approach: Visible leadership action, standards reinforcement, symbolic reset
Outcome: Behavior change, improved discipline, productivity lift
Key Lesson: Culture changes when leaders make standards visible and non-negotiable

The Situation

When I became Business Unit Manager at Armstrong’s Lancaster vinyl flooring plant, the history was obvious.

Demand was down. Trust was low. Discipline was inconsistent.
And when people lose confidence in the future, they find ways to disengage.

During a leadership rotation through all shifts, we decided to experience the plant the way every employee did, including nights.

That’s when I found something I didn’t expect.

What Was Getting in the Way

During an overnight walk, I noticed lines running with missing crew members.

Breakrooms were empty. Work areas were quiet.

So I started looking in unused areas of the facility, nine floors of old industrial space.
On the sixth floor, I found stacks of fabric arranged into makeshift “beds.”

The rumors were true.

What We Did

Instead of calling people out, accusing, or lecturing, we took a different approach.

We formed a “bed-hunting” team and searched the facility. Over several days, we found six sleeping areas.

On a Wednesday morning, without announcement, we gathered all the beds and dragged them outside where everyone could see them.

Then we destroyed them in a controlled burn.

No speeches.

No accusations.
Just a clear message: this is not how we work here.

What Changed

Sleeping on the job stopped.

Productivity improved.
The mood lifted.
People saw that leadership was serious about standards.

Sometimes discipline, applied consistently and respectfully, creates stability that people actually crave.

The Takeaway

Culture doesn’t change with posters and speeches.

It changes when leaders remove the monuments to poor behavior.

Why This Matters

When standards are unclear or inconsistently enforced, people fill the gaps.

Visible, consistent leadership resets expectations and restores trust.

Ready to Reset Culture?

If inconsistent standards are holding your organization back, disciplined Kaizen can help reset expectations.