Synopsis: Communication For Productivity Letters written to some 7500 Workers / Managers / Union Leaders, following a period of strike / Go slow / Murders (1979 - 1987), at Mumbai factory of Larsen & Toubro Ltd. This direct / open / honest communication led to a remarkable atmosphere of trust between Workers and Management, which, in turn, increased productivity at 3% per year (ave).

  23 Sep1986

To:

Dear Friends              

Catch Them Doing Something Right

A few days back, a shop-representative came and asked me,

"Sir, is  it true  that last night  you  came to  Powai around 11.30 p.m.  and  caught some  employees  playing  cards during working-hours?"

The suddenness of  the question did surprise me  but I managed to reply,

"No,  I did not  suprise anyone  last  night -  but since  you asked, do people often play cards during the second-shift?"

I was not prepared for what I heard next :

"It is not often  in second-shift : it is  often in the third-shift!  If only  managers paid surprise-visits at  night, they would know what is going on  - and they would be able to catch the culprits".

I have been  thinking ever-since.  How many  employees come in third  shift?  May  be 245  out of  our 7332  employees.  Then there are 305 working-nights  in a year.  Even if I wanted to, how many nights can  I make a surprise-visit to Powai?  May be 10 in  a year?  And how many  dishonest (time-stealer) thieves will I manage to catch?  May be 5 - may be 10?

But on  the other hand, is  it not more likely  that for every one dishonest employee doing something wrong  in the middle of the  night,  there  are perhaps  100  honest  employees  doing something right during the broad day-light of the day-shift ?

So  why  not concentrate  on  "catching  them  doing  something right"?  - and telling  the rest of Powai about them ? This way, may be more  and more employees will feel motivated to  do more and more  right things I  And  very soon the wrong  "acts" will disappear !

I  got just  such an  opportunity recently  when I  received a note  from  Mr.  C.S.  Martin of  Switchgear  Prototype  Shop. Reproduced below is what Martin had to tell me  :

"Dear Mr. Parekh,                                                                  19.8.86                         

Sub: E C D

In  response  to  your  call  for  suggestions  on  the  above subject, my feedback to you is as follows :

1.   We, the  25 from the prototype  Shop (PSW  21-13) had our      first meeting on ecd on 18.7.86 wherein  we discussed the      need   for  ECD  based   on   circulars  issued   by  the      management, and  from  the word go  after  a  few probing      questions by all regarding the  genuineness of ECD it was      decided to give full co-operation.

2.      Though our output  is not easily quantifiable  being a development  department, I  can  assure you  that  the extra efforts our boys are putting  in will definitely result in  atleast 10  to 20% more  output and  better quality of prototype.

3.      Suggestions  regarding productivity  improvement  that came forth during the discussions are as follows :-

a. Previously one  TA was  handling Tool  Stores, Machine    Maintenance, Planning  of material.  Vendor follow-up,    etc. and  Stores activity  was taking  up most  of his    time -  hence  it was  decided that  each  Fitter will    take the  tools  from the  open cupboard  and  keep it    back after use.   This has resulted  in better machine    maintenance, planning, etc.

b. Work  tables and Chargehand  tables in  the department    were

rearranged to bring in maximum efficiency.

c. Everybody agreed  to  give full  co-operation  to each    other  in order to

increase productivity  and quality    of work in the department.

4.   Lastly, as a  feedback to you  on ECD we  felt that  this      should have been done long back.  i,e, E C D.

Personally speaking  and in  my own  opinion I  feel that cutting  down  on  Overtime, reducing  varieties  in  the canteen, like serving only one  type of soup, stopping of sweet dish or even reducing varieties of vegetables is a good  idea, but  I  still wonder  whether  it was  really necessary to stop Mutton dish which  is the main dish for us non-vegetarians,  are we saving substantial  amount on this  item  --------     instead  we   should  strive  to increase productivity at  all levels.  The  pressure must be felt  right from the top and everybody  from JGM, DGM, Managers and  others  down the  line who  are responsible for Production in one way or the  other should come right down on  the shop-floor and spend a  few minutes everyday and show their interest and concern for productivity and I  am very  sure that  with  the  co-operative atmosphere prevailing in Powai our Productivity will  far exceed our expectations.

The following personnel from  Prototype Shop would like to see the film "Productivity - We  learn from the Japanese " any day after 15.45 hours but preferably on Friday.    ............

With best regards,

C.S. Martin

Congratulations  Martin  -  and  congratulations  to  your  25 colleagues! - for allowing me to catch  you doing something right.

H.C. PAREKH