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).
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Dear Friends
Ideas ............. Yes
Rumours ............. No
A few days
back a worker met me and said,
"Sir, is
it true .that company
is going to
stop the long-service award
as part of the
economy-drive? We are hearing all kinds of rumours".
I asked
him,
"What
other rumours have you been hearing?
"Sir
there all all kinds of rumours - such as,
- Company is
going to stop the sports-club, cancel annual
social gathering, stop the picnic assistance, reduce worker-education classes and so many things
like that".
For a few
seconds, I tried to read his mind. I
wondered,
- Has this
worker really heard these things from
someone else?
or
- These 'are his own "Ideas" and he is trying to
only find out what are my
views on
these subjects?
There was
only one way to find out - by asking him.
"Are these your ideas or
have you really heard these from
somebody?"
I
slowly walked away wondering whether these were the ideas of Mr. XYZ or whether he too had
heard these from Mr.ABC! "
If
people have ideas on economy-drive, why don't
they come and tell me or send me a note?
- as 23 employees have already done? - even if it means saying
"farewell to welfare!"
First
thing I will do is to
immediately acknowledge that I
have received your thoughts.
Then I will try to
calculate the money it will save - which is
very difficult to estimate in some
cases. But in any case,
I will discuss
the idea with
several people individually
and in groups. And if we
decide to implement your idea,
will you want me to tell everyone that
it was your idea ?
Or do
you prefer to remain anonymous and do not wish people to know that it was your idea because it is likely to be an "unpopular" idea and because some employees may even dislike you for suggesting that?
And is that
why you start a rumour - by telling
someone else - hoping that somehow it
will finally reach me and may even get implemented - without
anyone knowing that it was
your idea?
If you do
not want people to know that such-and-such was your idea, we
will keep your name a
secret. But why start
a rumour?
One thing
is clear. And if
it is not clear to some, let me make it clear.
Economy
drive will require making sacrifices - all kinds of sacrificies.
And
obviously people affected by such
actions may not like it. It is natural to feel that way.
But whereas
I can appreciate that
some people will feel unhappy at the withdrawal of
facilities and benefits, I don't think anyone
of us will
appreciate that the
company's profitability should
continue to remain at its
present low level !
This is not the time
to feel disgruntled. This
is not the time to behave
like cowards. This
is not the time for
mischief (even innocent).
This is time
for Sacrifices.
This is time for Hard-work.
This is time for ideas - brave ideas.
H.C. PAREKH
P:S: In
view of the
Economy Drive, I am
not sending individual
copies. If you get a chance to read this on the Notice-Board, please tell
others.
