POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE (PRC)

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).

Dear Denison

Policy Review Committee ( PRC )

We have been talking of open and frank communication as an essential first 

ingredient to attitude-change.

We have also said,”It is only thru. attitude change that we can bring about "Worker participation in Management".

Now look at what has been happening at the PRC ! Take last 3/4 PRCS.

How many managers said anything at all? (Quantity)

Those few who cared(dared) to speak, did they have anything worthwhile to say?(Quality

Was that an "Open & frank " (and serious) debate on issues which are grave, of far reaching consequence to the future (the very existence) of this company ? Or was that an "Offensive-defensive" win-lose type of talk (the little that did take place?) Was there an "engineering" of an agreement because people did not CARE  to differ? How many people were totally withdrawn? How many unwilling speakers being goaded into responding? How many were goody goody yes-yes? Was there "team" in search of a solution? I can go on.

 But you are a "Behavioral Scientist" and surely better placed/equipped to understand/interpret the "Communication-process". If this is the state-of-affairs at the very TOP levels of management, what do we expect to achieve at the middle and lower levels? Before we talk of participation  in decision making at the lower levels, should we not do something about participation at the top level? These people are the real DYNAMOS and  if they take the attitude of a

BY-STANDER, where will this company end-up? The trends (adverse) shown by SDK are only symptomatic-the disease is far below the surface.

You  are the doctor of company's mental health and all of these symptoms could not have remained unnoticed by you.  We need to do something and do it fast-

Before we reach a point of no return !

In the last 4 days, I have been "listening" to some 4/5  DGMS .  (a kind of attitude survey) Next week, I hope to listen to the GMS . You have your own "access" to this group (on the pretext of Post - Appraisal-Trg, etc.)

I am sure you can "Uncover" a lot of attitudes. We (you and I ) need to get together and develop a strategy of how can we bring about this openness. I hope you will help

H. C. PAREKH