Be honest. How does your organization view employees?
I came across the following quote from Henry Ford’s autobiography. He is describing the 7,000 specialized jobs required to manufacture a Model T:
“949 required strong, able-bodied and partially physically perfect men. 3338 needed men of merely ordinary physical strength, most of the rest could be performed by women or older children, and we found that 760 could be filled by legless men, 2627 by one-legged men, two by armless men, 715 by one-armed men and 10 by blind men.” (Ford, My Life and Work, 1923).
This quote epitomizes the industrial age’s penchant to employ parts of people. People were considered expendable and replaceable. The whole person (emotions, interpersonal issues, conflicting needs, family demands and obligations) was not considered. Employees were simply another cog in the great machinery.
While most companies would not describe their views of employees as “replaceable units,” often their actions speak volumes. For example, how many times have you heard, “Agents must check their life at the door; this is no place for personal business.” And how many call centers still don’t have a convenient way for parents to receive messages about problems involving their children?
In today’s turbulent workplace, a stable workforce had become a significant competitive advantage. We must view employees as valuable contributors whose opinions and perceptions are important sources of knowledge.
