When communication breaks down in your office or factory and workers lack motivation, what are the roots of the problem?
On a study tour of a Fortune 500 food company, Peter Grazier, an international consultant specialializing in employee involvement, stopped to chat with an elderly machine operator.
Within minutes, the operator began discussing a solution for quickly clearing bulk food material from a clogged hopper - apparently a frequent problem. The visitor asked him if he had ever told this idea to his supervisor.
"Nobody ever asks for these kind of ideas around here," shrugged the worker, who would be retiring in another few months after 42 years of service.
Grazier writes that he felt the plant manager, who was standing behind him, wishing he could sink through the floor!
How many other ideas would this employee be leaving behind him? Why was the communication environment between management and worker in this food manufacturing plant apparently as sterile as the physical environment had to be?
Of course, we could talk at length about employers or managers who fail to encourage upward communication.
We could contrast these with others who go out of their way to not only to recognize the achievements of their employees or subordinates, but also to instill in them a real sense of importance and self-worth. (In another Grazier "story", he came across a janitor sweeping a hospital hallway and asked him what his job was. The instant response was "customer satisfaction.")
The influence that a positive, reassuring, work environment - one that cultivates self-dignity and encourages contribution - might have had on our food machine operator is obvious.
I would like to suggest, however, that there just might have been other factors contributing to his reticence - factors that have little to do with working conditions in the factory.
It may be a long shot, but it's at least remotely possible that in order to understand our operator's reluctance to share information, his unwillingness to involve himself more than he had to - we might have to look farther than at his work life alone.
We might have to look, in fact, at his earlier life, at what he was doing even before he began to work. We might even have to go back to an earlier stage, as far back as his youth, or even earlier.
Perhaps he might have acted rather differently had he been blessed with a self-confidence not dependant on external circumstances, with an unshakeable sense of self-esteem. And perhaps his self-esteem had been shattered many years before.
A friend who is an experienced educator once made an interesting confession to me.
I should emphasize that his many years of teaching experience is not in the type of school one reads about so often in the American media - places where chaos and violence reign supreme - but in institutions where the young students are refined and serious, and hail from the best homes.
"Usually, a small child arrives for his first day of school with an excellent self-image," he said.
"And very often, that's the end of the story!"
Azriel Winnett is creator of Hodu.com - Your Communication Skills Portal. This popular free website helps you improve your communication and relationship skills in your business or professional life, in the family unit and on the social scene. New articles added almost daily.
When an employer decides to conduct an interview with you,... Read More
No one should be fired and be surprised about it.... Read More
Mobile oil change and mobile lubes are great for fleet... Read More
Writing an effective résumé can certainly be challenging. There are... Read More
"I have lived in this city all my life. My... Read More
Tough words... but I truly believe that folks who make... Read More
Whether you've been downsized, are looking for a career change... Read More
Attention Job Seekers: Tasks and Responsibilities are BoooringHo hum. The... Read More
REJECTION IN THE JOB SEARCHGOT YOU DOWN?It's true, no one... Read More
Imagine a huge river that has been flowing for centuries:... Read More
I always look forward to the December issue of... Read More
Many people would love to get a better job. And... Read More
Your network consists of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and former... Read More
Sometime last summer I decided to host a pity party... Read More
How was your latest car wash experience?Did you take your... Read More
Have you ever tried to contact a past employer only... Read More
Everyone dreams of a life full of love and adventure.... Read More
Do you have a difficult time determining what does not... Read More
Do you dislike making decisions and avoid the challenge whenever... Read More
What do many employees wish for at work? A bonus... Read More
Think you have gone as far as you can in... Read More
There is little doubt that Americans still have a deep... Read More
1. An attractive layout that is easy to read and... Read More
"So, why don't you tell me about yourself?" is the... Read More
Nowadays we can expect to survive the second half of... Read More
You've just been granted an on-site interview in another town.... Read More
If your job search is dragging on and on, you... Read More
Today everyone is looking for that special job that will... Read More
Many job seekers tend to overlook job fairs. They can... Read More
If you are thinking of breaking into the petite modeling... Read More
Have you been desperately looking for a job and keep... Read More
Q. "I wasn't happy with my last performance review. Should... Read More
There are several ways to work from home. Some of... Read More
As a head-hunter and Career Coach I see so many... Read More
Even before I checked my calendar on Monday... Read More
If you're looking for a way to earn a living... Read More
Job security is an out dated concept. The idea is... Read More
Recruiting firms, like most businesses today, must embrace technology in... Read More
The rapid changes that have mainly been brought about by... Read More
Congratulations! You've just been appointed to your new job. Now... Read More
An epidemic of white-collar financial crime has resulted in the... Read More
Why Career Advice Is So ImportantChoosing a career presents a... Read More
Want to get hired faster than up to 97% of... Read More
Are free resume templates a viable answer to preparing a... Read More
In this ever changing world, we need to think out... Read More
Seeing your job as an honorable job, adds more meaning... Read More
Ten Questions For Entrepreneurs To Ask Themselves1.Do I have the... Read More
The AIDA formula is as old as dirt. It was... Read More
If you want to land an interview, you'll need more... Read More
The subject is constantly in the news and may decide... Read More
Let's be realistic here - hands up all of you... Read More
WARNING: This article is likely to make you mad.In fact,... Read More
For those who are fluent in another language, foreign language... Read More
Have you used feng shui around your desk? It's a... Read More
Have you been spending money on countless job boards, only... Read More
Is it opening doors to new opportunities? Does it compel... Read More
Do you want to continue your costly, time-consuming and exhausting... Read More
I won't say I have a vast array of knowledge... Read More
You'll get wet but the reward just might be a... Read More
Change Your Career,Change your Life!Lots of times I see and... Read More
There are some tactics you can action whatever you wish... Read More
Congratulations. You've been asked to write a letter of recommendation... Read More
A raise in your base salary is a permanent source... Read More
Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Career Opportunities for New GraduatesThis... Read More
Imagine for a moment that you have created a wonderful... Read More
In a recent survey of over 662 career seekers, some... Read More
Careers, Jobs & Employment |