| More productive employees mean a more productive | | | | to be equally committed to doing a good job. Why? |
| and successful business. This can be accomplished by | | | | Because she doesn't want her perfectly buffed and |
| helping employees feel valued and important, as well | | | | aligned clips to be scratched or jostled in transit. |
| as helping them see the big picture. | | | | Why is seeing the big picture essential to employee |
| Why should businesses help employees feel | | | | performance? |
| important? | | | | It has a huge positive impact on productivity and quality |
| An employee who feels valued and important is much | | | | when employees understand the consequences of |
| more likely to come to the job with pride and do the | | | | their performance. |
| work as well as humanly possible. | | | | For example: During a lead worker training program for |
| For example: A group of managers were taking a tour | | | | an assembly plant that made anti-lock brakes for cars, |
| of an assembly line for a pen manufacturer. They | | | | the trainer determined that the participants never |
| asked each person along the line to explain their | | | | walked new hires down the entire line so that they |
| responsibilities. Then they came to a woman who had | | | | could see the final product. They simply showed them |
| the very obvious task of buffing the clips and placing | | | | what to do at their point in the assembly process. |
| them on the pens. Since they knew that she had seen | | | | When asked if they thought it might be a good idea to |
| them talk with everyone else, they asked her what | | | | show new hires the final product, one woman strongly |
| she did. They fully expected her to simply tell them that | | | | agreed. Her daughter and granddaughter had recently |
| she put the clips on the pens. | | | | been in a car accident and the antilock brake saved |
| However, what she said was this: "I am responsible for | | | | their lives. The woman was awestruck that she might |
| the image of our company. If the clip isn't buffed so it | | | | have helped to manufacture that antilock brake. She |
| shines and if it isn't perfectly aligned on the pen, then | | | | finally realized that what she did on the job could have |
| the person who purchases our pen will have a | | | | life or death consequences. Clearly, this insight would |
| rumpled lapel pocket- and that is not the image we | | | | give even the most mundane assembly job a sense |
| want for our company." | | | | of importance and purpose. |
| Someone in the company had taken the time to imbue | | | | If we want employees to be productive, we need to |
| this woman's work with great dignity and importance. | | | | dignify their jobs and help them see that their |
| The additional benefit is that, if they need her to | | | | performance has a significant impact on the success |
| temporary assist with packaging the pens, she is going | | | | of the organization. |