Plant Services - March 2008 - (Page 46)

I’m an advocate of supervisors being expert communicators and basing their actions on building trust. Acme’s supervisor had four hours to seek alternatives. Communicating the need when it became known and deciding how the work might be accomplished would increase the trust level. Wyatt didn’t anticipate the situation well. He might have found a volunteer to work the extra shift. If the work was on a critical path, less-critical work could have been delayed. Multiple people could have worked part of the extra shift. Perhaps Maye could have worked a couple of extra hours and still attended her daughter’s event. Positive ambition helps organizational objectives; negative ambition focuses on individual needs. If you’re trying to build trust, mandating overtime to “stay ahead” is a sure way to look self-centered. Remember those two main reasons why people leave their jobs. If Acme mandates medical treatment as a condition of employment, it should be compensated time. When an employee seeks treatment without that mandate, it should be considered as being on the employee’s own time. Maye was getting therapy on her own nickel because of work stress. Supervisors and employees ought to know the rules and review them periodically. It’s tough to say whether Maye was obliged to work the extra shift. We’d need to know about written corporate policies, collective bargaining agreements or state regulations. An employee who has survived the decline in staffing and company performance is probably more valuable to Acme than Acme is to her. If the culture doesn’t foster loyalty and satisfying work, people look for reasons to leave. Maye reached her limit. Her departure will make it increasingly difficult to attract and retain qualified workers. Psychological stress can be work-related. Think law enforcement, surgeons, soldiers and air traffic controllers. Wyatt should have looked for signs of stress and people having difficulty with it. Everyone has bad days, but a sustained change in how people deal with others or with unplanned situations can be indicators of much bigger issues. Leaders should understand and anticipate potential problems. They should anticipate and reduce stressors. They should care about a job done well, but also be concerned with the wellbeing of team members and overall objectives. Learn what leadership and management training your organization offers. Avoid being a stressor by being proactive in communicating, building trust and anticipating problems. Tom Moriarty, PE, CMRP Organizational Reliability Professional Services Consultant (321) 773-3356 tjmpe@alidade-mer.com 46 www.PLANTSERVICES.com March 2008 http://www.toppsproducts.com http://www.ramsaycorp.com http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Plant Services - March 2008

Plant Services - March 2008 Contents From The Editor Letters The PS Files Up and Running Crisis Corner What Works Asset Manager: Enterprise Thinking Technology Toolbox: Hydrogen In Action Cover Story: Get Real Electrical: Reliable Distribution Power Transmission: When the Belt Breaks Web Hunter: Tooting Horns In the Trenches Product Picks Classifieds Fast Facts Energy Expert: Energy versus Sustainability

Plant Services - March 2008

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