Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.  Kahlil Gibran 


 

I work at an Ag Tire Plant.   Management-Union relations have been particularly acrimonious there.  During the last strike (roughly 12 years ago) management hired replacement workers and sent letters of dismissal to striking workers.  That strike was ultimately settled, but striking workers returned to work with replacement workers and union workers that crossed the picket line to go back to work before the strike was settled.  Employees currently are working without a contract during a contract negotiation.  Foreign competition threatens viability of American production and is cutting market share.  To say that there are tensions and conflicts in the work place is a bit of an understatement.

Until recently the only things I enjoyed about that job were the paycheck and the days off - 12 hour schedule 3.5 days off per week.  However, I have begun to love my work.  What changed?  I did.  I had a glimmer of this silly idea that there must be some way to remain viable in a changing world and did a lot of self study looking for a solution. It started slowly and evolved.  To create a solution, the conflict that permeated the shop floor had to lessen.  I started violating policies that could best be summarized as, "The beatings will continue until moral improves."  I noticed that following company policy which were in their entirety punitive led to resentment, retaliation, and reduced productivity.  Often following these punitive policies resulted in whatever was being punished increasing rather than it being resolved. 

At first I simply started ignoring the policies.  I wouldn't write up employees for "infractions".  Productivity started to improve.  My second evolution was complimenting good behavior instead of criticizing bad.  It wasn't really a conscious change, just something that seemed natural.  I have three areas I supervise, and had always micromanaged. I started giving people more responsibility and letting them handle it, and complimenting them for their successes and asking them for suggestions if something didn't work out.  Then I let them implement their ideas.  The employees on my shift blossomed, doing jobs that I had done previously much better than I had done them.

My study led to a powerful Eureka experience. I saw the inherent value inside myself and others.  The value of creating peace instead of conflict.  I realized the potential going to waste by the wars created through authoritative management styles, and I started talking to employees openly about my insights, and implementing those ideas.

When I had to get employee signatures on the sixty plus pages of policies that all ended with the same 4 step punishment program, I encouraged employees not to read them and openly stated that the policies were depressing.  The policies were based on the misperception that management ran the plant, and that employees could not be trusted  I explained that all of them knew their jobs much better than I and certainly much better than the people who wrote the policies.

I asked if anyone thought that they were our most important asset.  They laughed.  I asked if they thought anyone in the company thought they were our most important asset, they rolled their eyes and accused me of drinking before work.  I explained that not only was I cold stone sober, I for one thought that they were our greatest asset.  I pointed out that I couldn't run their machines.  I didn't know how, plus I have only one arm. 

I explained that every one of them knew 10 ways to reduce scrap without talking to anyone else.  All of them know how to increase their production 30% immediately, if they wanted.  They knew every dangerous shortcut that they shouldn't take but did, because it was easier and they got away with it last time.  They knew the weakness of their machine, which latch breaks repeatedly, roll pin that gets replaced weekly etc, and could do more than a team of fifty engineers to improve the design of their machine to make it work better.  In short, management spends hours in meetings trying to increase productivity, reduce scrap, and increase safety, and the key was to get employees to want to accomplish those goals and to participate in that effort.

Then I told them that of course they wouldn't tell me about their ideas, because I was the one armed jerk who wrote them up last month for taking longer than a 10 minute break.  I started giving them respect.  I started asking their opinion instead of giving them directives.  I started openly questioning rules and the way we had always done things.  I wrote a 13 page paper on using non-violence, respect, empowerment, and trust to increase employee cooperation and sent it to the salary training officer.  I gave the summary to the plant manager's secretary to read.  I gave a copy to my boss and sent the summary to the acting plant manager with my boss's prior approval. 

I told engineers and schedulers who asked when we would tread a certain tire that I didn't schedule that any more, my employees did, and had them ask the employee.  I thanked people for their efforts.  Instead of criticism, I handed out praise.  I trusted and believed in my people.  When someone openly violated policies I went so far as to look the other way, but endeavored to find them doing something good and thank them for it. 

One employee, a service driver who I had written up several times was a particularly hard sell.  I started taking the inventory report to him every day at the first of the shift.  I was telling him by my action that he had one of the most important jobs in the plant.  I caught him doing things we needed done and thanked him.  I gave him a copy of the report I'd sent to the salary training officer suggesting a non-punitive, cooperative management style. 

To encourage working to the end of the shift, I talked about a recent article I'd seen about the Seven Wonders of the World.  I had taken it home to my son and asked him to pick his favorite.  When he had chosen the Pyramids of Egypt, I asked him who had built the Pyramids.  People he replied.  I then responded, Then people must be even greater than the pyramids aren't they?

I then noted that on the previous day, the production report at 5 pm showed machine D2 had 36 tires.  These are $3000 tires.  At 6 PM on the end of shift report I noted that the builder finished the day with 42 tires.  I said, I'd Like to introduce you to one of the world greatest wonders, Dean S. You should have heard the crew laugh, hollering brown noser etc.  Dean turned three shades of red.

At 10 am when I went to the break room one of the builders got up immediately saying I've got to get back to work.  I want a pat on the back tomorrow.  Dean called me over to his machine in the afternoon to tell me when I gave him a pat on the back while wearing my hook, it was a lot more like a stab in the back.  At 5 pm all the builders decided they'd stop by Dean's machine to "cheer" him on for the last hour.  I got the crew to think positively about what would have been a simple passing comment as quickly forgotten if I'd merely restated company policy.

By complementing employees and not being critical or quick to get angry, I found that conflicts that arise lead to new ideas that work better than the tired old compromises and directives I'd reached using an authoritative management paradigm.  Better solutions than either party originally would have asked for.  Despite no contract resolutions, I have not experienced any of the sabotage that usually accompanies such negotiations.  Productivity has gone through the roof, and people actually smile at work now.

Things have gotten a lot better, go figure.

c 2007 James T. Hitt


   

In handling men, there are three feelings that a man must not possess - fear, dislike and contempt. If he is afraid of men he cannot handle them. Neither can he influence them in his favor if he dislikes or scorns them. He must neither cringe nor sneer. He must have both self-respect and respect for others. 
Herbert N. Casson 

On my drive home today, I started thinking about my various posts and started analyzing my statements in them. It is interesting the number of statements I make that start with "I believe". I just more fully realized that whenever I get to "I believe", I cut off further discussion. Ive got the answer, just listen to me! I interrupt, I can be rude, arrogant even, and I don't learn anything!  I feel very favorable about my ideas as I understand them and sometimes that slows my evolution. Enlightenment is about seeing things in a new light.

In one of his books, Steven Covey says, "Seek first to understand and then to be understood." When I take a rigid position, I often cut off further understanding on my part. I start telling my truth and quit listening to others truth that may be more valid than mine. I also lessen the chance to create greater understanding on the part of whoever I'm talking to about the points in my position. I get dogmatic, and inflexible. I'm right, youre wrong; corresponding tone, statements and body language follow.

I've just started an opinion war with all the fervor of any religious war of history. No quarter given, none asked. Everyone foolish enough to get involved is going to end up bruised and bloody. Nobody wins; we're defending the righteousness of our stated opinion. I'm starting to learn, but slowly - to bite my tongue, shut my mouth and listen. This doesnt' come easily to me. But it is coming.

The trick, I think, is to believe so completely in your self that you no longer have to defend ideas that you define yourself by. I am not there yet. I am closer than I've been before, but not there. Maybe the real trick is not to define yourself by your ideas. I've seen several times since I started shutting up and listening, someone else had a better idea than mine. Can you imagine?

I have often been really wrong, and really certain that I had the definitive answer. This jumping to "belief" is obvious if you look at my previous posts. I state things as fact, even though there are many obviously gray areas in my posts. I'll guarantee that some people will disagree with some of my ideas. There's that certainty creeping in again.

But, with the confidence born of years of doing verbal battle, and little fear of conflict or controversy I wade into a complex divisive topic that wars have been fought over take an extreme position and state it as fact. There's not much respect in that approach is there? I'm not going to win many friends or influence many people with that tactic either.

Its interesting how our "beliefs" filter our perceptions. When I read the responses to one of my posts, I hurry through the opposing viewpoints, but linger on the ones agreeable to my position. Searching for support for my rightness. Arguments to "win" my position with. But I already established that nobody is going to win this type of argument. The only win would be not to take the bait, not to engage the conflict except to broaden one's perspectives.

If that is my purpose, I should take the edge off my arguments, and realize that constructive opposition may be my best teacher. Other opinions become a guide to better thinking, a new way of seeing my prejudices, a new more honest way of seeing things clearly. Being respectful of others, instead of trampling their thoughts like a herd of elephants going through a patch of wildflowers creates respect in return. Instead of stopping at my distorted thinking; realizing that everything I see is distorted by the past I associate it to. Then, I can stop defending myself, my opinion, and being "right".

My ego wants to be right. Your ego wants to be right. But, it is OK and probably good if you see something differently than me. It is only because I question myself and my own inner worth, value, and potential, that I try to support and buttress my opinion. When I am being defensive, I am asking you to tell me I'm OK. But, I dont really believe it do I? I need proof from you for me to believe in me. Agree with me or I'm diminished. That is not really being a self leader, but catching our self at it is a start.

When I believe in ME, I dont need to defend my beliefs. Believing in me is the one thing I can take a stand on. When that stand becomes solid enough, I no longer need a position to support and shield my ego behind by being right, or proving my rightness by "winning" an argument. I may even be wrong. You may be right. That would be wonderful to find out. It would help me on my path to honesty and new deeper understanding of reality and integrated honesty. Reasonable minds get to disagree and not go to war. We get peace.

With that understanding, If you disagree with my position, I am not diminished am I, neither are you. I am complemented that you risked your ego to share your opinion with me. We don't need to defend our positions now do we. In truth, I should thank you.

With mutual respect, peace and harmony we get access to our genius, and our fight or flight reaction is neutralized. We can again access our higher conscious, infinite intelligence, universal mind, right brain, genius, whatever term you wish to ascribe to human potential.

I'm not upset anymore if you hold a different opinion than mine. Are you? We may gain the best insight we'll have today by openly considering our opposing view. We may synthesize our opposing views into better ideas than any of us had before we started this discussion. We came here for this - New Insight. Maybe I just got a bit of one. Maybe this idea is the answer for: the Middle East, transforming governments, improving family relations, and lessening tension in other opinion war zones.

If we don't resort to argument, maybe we can look at things more clearly. Without distorted separating rhetoric, and defensive posturing. Wouldn't that be refreshing?

c 2007 James T. Hitt