🚀 go-pugleaf

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Responding to Dale's question about `being there...'

6 years ago when I decided to teach full time, my MBA was of limited
benefit, so I went back full time to a masters in engineering - this
necessitated getting a job on midnights in a tire factory.  As an
ex-plant manager who began as a fork truck driver, I didn't figure it
would be a big deal.  WRONG!

The 20 year old, 3,000 employee plant was a model of union/management
discord - employees that had never worked anywhere else - they *were*
the system.  These people actually thrived on hostility, anger, and
fear.  The standard system employed by supervisors on the floor was
`management by badgering' and the standard system employed by the
union was `compliance via needling'.

Fear, mis-trust or dis-trust, resentment, etc were all pervasive and
morale stunk.  As the prime employer in a five state rural area,
workers felt locked in to staying with it.  I used to take my breaks
alone, because I got tired of the incessant bitching.

From an operational point, productivity was low, rejects and scrap
high, quality mediocre at best.  The method of choice for getting back
at the company was work-related-injuries, followed by a huge lawsuit.
With the advent of Cumulative Trauma Disorders, the lawyers were
having a field day.  Other methods of `balancing the scale' were
laying out, mis-conduct, drinking and drugs, occasional gun wielding
employees, `doggin it' on work, mysterious accidents to equipment AND
supervisors, even sabotage.

So what about fear?  It was intentionally created externally by
supervision and internally by employee anxiety via a lose/lose
environment.  As an `outsider' I was somewhat immune - but the low
morale *was* could be very contagious!

I seriously doubt that this plant will last long in today's
competitive world.


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* Jim Clauson, Director                 Voice   :615-882-4612       *
* Quality Training Programs             FAX (W) :615-882-4666       *
* TQM Center                            FAX (H) :615-882-8179       *
* Roane State Community College         TBR VAX :CLAUSON_JR@A1@RSCC *
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