Okay CEO and Upper Management people, go back and re-read last week’s Shoe Gram. Then read this one. This is for the Middle Management people!

You are the folks in contact with both customers and the main line and front line employees. You are the eyes and ears of the organization. It is your job to report what customers are saying and move it up the chain so that the CHRO can remove hurdles and make great decisions from which we all will benefit.

Many times, your job involves moving some of the grunge aside. Grunge is the stuff in business that slows us down, clouds what we’re working on, accomplishing and achieving. Getting rid of the grunge is of critical importance. So now you are the CGRO—Chief Grunge Removal Officer.

If you will seriously think about it, General Motors destroyed General Motors and not the economy or foreign imports. GM didn’t listen to their customers and allowed grunge to foul up their company. Every day you need to find ways to muck out the grunge and make it easier for us to meet our customers’ needs and company goals.

Here is your swift kick in the butt challenge: Build an internal system that gets rid of the grunge in your business. (Every business has its grunge) Make it a game so that every employee has a role in eliminating grunge so you don’t end up like GM. And change your title on your business card, the company directory and everything else to CGRO.

In your Running Shoe Monday Meeting, discuss where you have grunge in your company and talk about ways to eliminate the grunge. Find innovative and creative ways and have every employee be part of the process.

If you make it fun, interesting and engaging, you and your employees can declare your department, division, branch and even the whole company to be a Grunge Free Zone! What a concept!

(CGRO is an idea from The Little Big Things, 163 Ways to pursue Excellence by Tom Peters. Click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page to order your copy.)