Point of view from Robert's desk-1
LOCAL 6222
THE CARROT AND THE STICK Basically there are two styles of managing, encouraging or enticing your workers to excel (the carrot) or threatening your workers to do better (the stick). There is no question which managerial style any worker would prefer to work under. Most upper level management often state that a happy worker is a productive worker. Still, we constantly find ourselves dealing with managers that only know how to threaten us with production or quality objectives. Too often these managers distance themselves from the workers as if they are somehow above their crew. Nothing could be further from the truth. The most effective 1st and 2nd line managers understand, with perfect clarity, that their raises and bonuses are dependent on whether or not the crew makes their objective. We are definitely all in this boat together. It is a fact there is a numerical objective. It is this elusive number that is all important to mangers, which is why too many ignore the core objective of positive discipline. “A commitment to, not merely compliance with” is what positive discipline was founded on. Unfortunately managers do not want to wait for the ‘numbers’ to slowly and steadily improve, they and many times their bosses want results NOW. An oak tree does not start out as an oak tree; it starts out as an acorn. We may never know how good an employee could be if they are not given time to develop, or correct bad habits. The key to turning employees around is to pin point the problem and help correct it. Too many times I have represented members in grievances for not meeting one objective or another and have heard for myself the 1st line suggestion for improvement ‘work faster’. This is no help to the technician whatsoever. I hope life finds you working in a crew with a supervisor that feels you are as much a part of the crew as he or she is. But if you work for the other kind remember the pen is mightier than the sword. Your pen is the most important tool on your truck. A pen will never fix or install a single phone line, but it will keep you out of a world of trouble if used properly. If not, then, I am sure we will be visiting. nr/opeiu 129 afl-cio
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