COMPLIANCE verses COMMITMENT


Imagine this scenario:

You are a mid-level employee working for a manufacturing company.  Your “boss” walks in to the weekly department meeting and explains that the company has just lost the contract with one of its biggest retailers.  To overcome this financial detriment, the company is going to implement the following changes and additions to the employee policies;

1)      Each employee will no longer have a health savings account that is matched.

2)      The third-shift has now been eliminated due to the additional operations costs and those employees will have to be treaded into the first and second shift rotations.

3)      Based on change #2, each employee’s hours will be cut to 36 per week.

4)      There will no longer be any overtime available.

5)      Breaks must be taken on time and only for the allotted time without deviation.

6)      Lunch breaks have been cut from one-hour to only a half-hour so that shifts are shorter.

7)      The company-paid insurance program has been changed and employees will now need to pay the entire premium to stay insured.

8)      Each employee will be expected to wear a blue uniform shirt while working to create a more unified look as potential retailers are going to be touring the plant.

9)      Holiday and performance bonuses have been stopped until the company is in a financial point to re-implement these incentives.

The “boss” explains that these are the new rules and if you want to work for this company, you must adhere to them.  When he leaves, you feel like you have just been relinquished of all your dignity, value and that your years spent working for this company mean nothing.  You look around the room and see at the faces of your co-workers.  You can tell that they feel the same way and many start to rumble about; making negative comments to that affect. 

Now imagine this alternative scenario:

You are a mid-level employee working for a manufacturing company.  Your “boss” walks in to the weekly department meeting and explains that the company has just lost the contract with one of its biggest retailers.  To overcome this financial detriment, he wants to know if anyone is interested in forming a subcommittee that can research some ideas that will save the company money during this time.  He is looking for 4-6 volunteers who will represent the group and be willing to do find some potential solutions to the current situation.  He is requesting that they report back within one week to present some programs that will address the needed cutbacks for the company.  These plans need to be executed quickly and efficiently.  His goals are to cut spending, keep everyone employed and attract a new retailer to fill this void and generate revenue. 

Which situation would you be more likely to be committed to?  Which situation would you feel forced to comply with?  If you are given the opportunity to be part of the process, development and implementation do you feel a sense of ownership; do you feel you have a stake in the success of the program?

Switch roles and ask yourself as the “boss” – in scenerio #2 did you just flip paradigms and allow your employees to become engaged in the company and in the work that they do?  How do you think this will work out for you as the business faces adversity?  Do you want your team “on your team” or just following orders and feeling less because of it?  Also, this situation is never pleasant for a manager, supervisor or owner and it certainly isn’t pleasant for the employees.  Doesn’t it make sense to share that responsibility?  Have confidence in your team.  Keep in mind sometimes the best ideas come from hard times and through dealing with difficult situations.

What kind of environment do you work in as an employee or do you create as a leader?  In your workplace do people comply or do they commit?

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