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).
|
April 5, 1982
To:
Dear Friends
Last article
dated 15th February,
brought an anonymous admonishing letter which
I reproduce below (translated by me):
"Sir,
Your "goal" is only to
"expect" from the workmen, not to find out what they want and
what they don't want. You are
talking-down to the workmen-for example, you
have financially enabled the
Supervisors/Officers to educate their children.
Their children should
go to better schools and our children should go to municipal schools. Till such time
you cannot abolish this difference,
there is no use your publishing thousands of
such articles. First improve
your behaviour - then "expect" from the workmen.
- A Worker".
From the
fact
that our friend
has chosen to
remain anonymous, I get a feeling
that we still have a long way to go
before we have an atmosphere of "openness and trust" at Powai. On my
part, all I can say is that,
the sentiments expressed above
are perfectly "human"
and could have been expressed openly
and freely without any
fear. In such matters, it is quite possible for us
to "disagree" but as
long as there is a willingness to listen
and a constructive approach, fear. of
"disagreement" need not bother us.
As far as
the.- education expense reimbursement scheme is concerned, let me assure our friend that some good news is on the way for the non-supervisory employees !
I do hope, he will read the following article very carefully and then come back (in person, I hope) and tell me how we can foster the "Spirit of Wa" in our very own L&T'.
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