By John S. QUAISIE
In the process of building a good team, management needs to carry along the workers in the same direction. Every employee needs to identify closely with the fortunes of the company or organization.
In many cases, when information on major issues regarding the vision and mission of the organization is being communicated, certain sections of the workforce are left out completely. Let us examine closely the following scenario:
- A male visitor arrives at the gate of an organization. He greets two security guards politely and states,
“This is the first time I am visiting this area. What work does your organization do?”
The Security Guards respond,
“We guard the gate, but the people who do the real work are in their offices. Please, go and see the personnel at the Reception for the answer.”
With that, the visitor is directed to the reception. He meets an officer there and makes the same enquiry, “Please, what work does your organization do?” The receptionist responds, “Please, have a seat; I will direct you to one of the senior officers who can help you”. The receptionist then makes phone calls to some senior officers, in an attempt to link the visitor to one of them. After waiting for a few minutes, the visitor tells the receptionist,
“Sorry, I do not have enough time now, so I will come another time”.
A lost opportunity to market the organization!
The above scenario looks funny, but this is what happens on the blind side of the leadership of companies and organizations which do not take care to involve all employees in major discussions relating to the organization’s vision, mission and strategic directions.
- The 680 Hotel
On the other hand, when the leadership invests in sharing its vision and mission with all employees, the business entity enhances its chances of marketing its product and services for good results.
In this area, I sometimes refer to a personal experience I had during a business trip to Kenya in the 1990s. I lodged at the 680 Hotel, located in the city of Nairobi. After completing the normal formalities at the hotel reception, I was assisted by a young man who carried my luggage to my allocated room. As we entered the hotel lift, I asked the luggage boy what the 680 Hotel meant. Without any hesitation, he responded,
“It means there are 680 rooms in this hotel.”
I commended him for his ready answer.
The following morning, when a lady housekeeper came to clean my room, I thought of asking her the same question,
“What does the 680 Hotel stand for?”
She responded confidently,
“It means the hotel has 680 beds.”
I was very impressed with her answer.
The two workers, whose job responsibilities – carrying luggage and house keeping – were nowhere near the corridors of management, understood well and identified with the business of their employer. This is a good example of employers who involve all levels of their workers in the process of promoting the vision and mission of their business enterprise.
- Employee’s Commitment
A hardworking, devoted and committed employee would get involved and support their supervisors and management to find solutions to the company’s problems.
On the other hand, some other workers think of the workplace as only a means to satisfy their personal needs. As long as the establishment gives them good remuneration package regularly, they are prepared to serve. When the company goes through a period of stress, they turn their minds and eyes away from their workplace and start looking for another job. They do not care about the welfare of the organization. They are unwilling to be part of the solution. They would be more than ready to ‘jump out of the boat’, at the least opportunity.
Such workers would even go to the extreme, and defame their ailing organization. At the least delay in the payment of staff salaries, such workers would resort to giving management a bad name.
- Workers on Demonstration
One day, during an official business trip to one West African country, I encountered an unusual scene at the hotel, where my work colleagues and I usually lodged on our trips to that country.
As I approached the frontage of the hotel, I saw some workers in an unhappy mood. They were holding placards which had a strong message for the hotel management. A couple of the demonstrating workers approached me, as I was alighting from the taxi which brought me to the hotel. In the past, some of them would help to carry my luggage to the reception. This time, it was a different story. On approaching me, the workers told me,
“This is a bad hotel. You would not get good service here.”
They rather pointed to me another hotel in the city, where I would “enjoy excellent service.”
I understood later, that the workers were protesting against the hotel management for undue delay in the payment of their salaries and benefits.
Faced with this situation, I had to look for another hotel to lodge in. Fortunately, I found one, a beautiful hotel with a serene environment. In our subsequent visits to that country, my work colleagues and I avoided the usual hotel which was in crisis and went for the new attractive hotel. Later, we got to know that the hotel had suffered low patronage and it was no more a preferred destination for foreigners and tourists.
When management fails to respond adequately to the core needs of the employees, the latter would also be unwilling to promote the interest of the corporate entity.
John is a HR/Management Practitioner
Phone/WhatsApp No. 0244599628
E-Mail: [email protected]
