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).

4 Dec 1986

To:

Secretary-Suggestion Scheme

Suggestion-Scheme Co-ordinators  (Group wise)

SUGGESTION - SCHEME

Year 1986  is coming  to a  close.  So when  we meet  next on 16.12.86,  it will  be time  tor stock-taking.   What had  we targetted  ? What  have. we achieved ? What  is  the  "gap" ? What lessons have  we learnt from 1986 efforts, achievements, short-falls ?

And this exercise must  be carried out with respect to all  of the following criteria:

1.  Quantity/Volume of suggestions received

2.  Quantity/Volume of suggestions scrutinised

3.  Quantity/Volume of suggestions awarded

4.  Backlog (number) of suggestions pending

5.  "Age" of the backlog

6.  Average-time, Maximum  time. Minimum  time to  'clear' a suggestion

7.  Quality of suggestion - as measured in       Ave. Award                                            

Suggestion

8.  Is this going up or down ? Over years. 8.   Saving / suggestion - Maximum/Minimum/Average

9.  Employee Response

i.e.  Have  we   been  able  to  enrol   more  and  more "suggesters" into the

scheme or  is it that the same old suggesters continue ?  Have we been able 

to sustain the enthusiasm of the  "old " suggesters - even  if they are not

winninq awards ?

10.     To  what  extent  have  we  been  able  to  enthuse  the "Evaluators" ? Do 

they still think of  this activity as an " extra-burden"  ? How can we make 

them feel "proud"  of the contribution that they are making ?

11.     What  about  the  Foremen/the  Supervisors  ?  Are  they acting  as 

"Godfathers"  to  the  suggesters  of  their departments ? Are  they

encouraging/helping employees to      come-up  with  suggestions  or are 

they  still  feeling  "threatened"  by the  suggesters ?  Do  they  still feel that an 

accepted suggestion  is an indication  of their own  "failure" ?  What can  we

do to make  them overcome this feeling  ?  In fact, how  can we  get them  to

make this as one of  their "objectives"  under our performance-appraisal

system  ?

Is  suggestion-committee  doing  anything   to  publicly "recognise"  

foremen/supervisors    who    are   making outstanding contribution ?

12.     Last - but not the least -

What have  we done  to give scientific  "training", both to foremen and

suggesters on

"How to come up with winning suggestions ?"

Creativity   is  fine   but  remember,   through  proper training, even 

ordinary persons,  can be made  to write good poetry: !

Can each  one of you  attempt to answer  these questions (as far  as your

group is  concerned) on  16th ?  Taking "award"-decisions during  Committee-

meeting is important but not  everything.  All of us have a  much bigger role

of the  "Developmental" aspect.  Suggestion-Scheme  is a vehicle  of  "Worker

Participation  in  Decision Making" which, in turn, is the only way to survival

and growth.

H.C. PAREKH