Employees and workers must take charge

The changes that are taking places in the modern workplace were well known and documented in various researches done in the 1970's and 80's in USA. They all confirmed that quality, innovation, customer service and competitiveness increased when employees were empowered. It also led to improvements in trust between management and labor, organizational systems, methods, processes, procedures, decision making and less resistance from workers to introduction of new technologies, which were generally perceived to be replacing them. In that era, introduction of any new technology was resisted by workers. Mr. Lyman Ketchum, a management consultant specializing in workplace redesign wrote in 1984, his observations which are summarized below:
1. Workers liked to join others in a common task. That is, they like to work in teams
2. To have latitude to make decisions and decide on how work was performed
3. Wanted recognition, praise and rewards from peers, supervisors and managers for the good work done
4. To learn and continue to learn
5. To make use of his or her intelligence
6. To receive information and feedback on his or her performance
7. To feel his or her contribution was important in the whole process
The above is of great relevance to the modern workplace. Managers must realize that employees and workers are not morons, though they may not be highly educated.
In the researches mentioned above, two types of teams were tried out. One was called Work Unit Team and the other Self Managed Team. The work unit teams were like traditional organizational structures with a team leader or supervisor. The roles and boundaries were clearly defined, like a driving license. This was the beginning of the empowerment concept. It worked fairly well because there was no culture shock to workers. They were used to being ordered around and were comfortable when told what to do or not to do. Their psyche was conditioned to it. In this environment, the number of managers and supervisors were in less numbers, but were not eliminated.
In self managed teams, the concept was that the teams managed themselves without managers and supervisors guidance. The absence of managers and supervisors led to a culture shock. The self managed teams behaved differently. Some workers did not feel comfortable. Some felt that the managements were playing some dirty tricks to get more out of them. Some workers did not want to take additional responsibility. Some workers did not know what to do when they encountered problems. The union leaders reacted negatively because in those days, unions and managements made it a point to confront and oppose each other, irrespective of whether the idea was good or bad. At that time, when it came to workers and managements, the right and wrong aspects of the issues involved were not the main consideration. Both sides just opposed everything the other side proposed. Initially running a self managed team was chaotic, with nobody knowing what to do and who is supposed to do what.
The divide between management and union must disappear. In the modern workplace, supervisors and middle managers are not necessary, as organizations can ill afford them. The team leaders have to come from the workers ranks. The workers have to be trained in many areas. Now we come to the million dollar question as to why the workers have to take charge. The answer is that the workers have no choice. If they do not take charge, they may not have a job. The competition will come from other low cost countries which have larger number of skilled workers.

copyright. July 2007. www.madgopes.com

Employees and workers must take charge - To learn more about this author, visit Madhavan T Gopalachary's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | More

Related Articles
Young Boss, Older Worker
	In today’s multi-generational workplace, it’s not unusual for an older worker to have a younger boss. In order for that relationship to survive, both partners have to capitalize on each other’s experiences and stren...
Employees and workers must take charge
	Employees and workers must take charge if they want to survive in today's competitive world. If they don't, they may not have jobs in future.
Lesson #2: You’re Only As Good As The People You Hire
	“None of us is as good as all of us,” Kroc would say. A strong proponent of teamwork, Kroc understood that his growing company could only continue its meteoric rise up if it had the support and the dedication of its...
Lesson #3: Engage with Your Employees
	In 1886, Heinz returned from a trip to Germany. It was an eye-opening journey for more reason than one. Along the way, Heinz had acquired a myriad of different business management ideas that he could not wait to get...
Tuition Reimbursement for Employees
	Tuition reimbursement is often seen as a risk among employers. Some consider the act to be mere encouragement for staffers to head out the door after receiving modern training. Others consider the risks associated w...

---

Related Forum Posts
	How To Valuate A Franchise
	Hiring people older than you
	What to charge
	Are Economic Recessions Good for Franchising?
	Hiring immigrants
	Hm.
	Re: If It Ain't Broke...
	Re: Mompreneur Magazine - good read