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Over the years, I\u2019ve been on a lot of \u201cplant tours.\u201d\u00a0 Usually, our guide is the owner or CEO or plant manager, and the focus is usually on the systems and equipment being used in each step of the manufacturing process.\u00a0 But awhile ago, I was on a tour that was fundamentally different in that the focus was on the people doing the work.\u00a0 In this case, the owner was our tour guide, and at each work station, he introduced us to whoever was operating that station.\u00a0 He would always introduce that person as a consummate professional saying something like, \u201cI\u2019d like you all to meet Harry James.\u00a0 Harry has been with the company for 15 years, and not only can he take this machine apart and put it back together blindfolded, he can make it do things it was never designed to do.\u201d\u00a0 Then he would ask Harry to explain his work and how it fit into the overall manufacturing process.\u00a0 This routine was repeated again and again at each work station, and in each case, the employee spoke with authority and easy competence.<\/p>\n
It was obvious that the company had invested a lot in training its people well.\u00a0 But it was also obvious that the culture in that company made people feel important, honored, and trusted.\u00a0 Of course, the owner was leading our tour, but I have no doubt that his people would have performed just as efficiently and effectively whether he was present or not.<\/p>\n
If you make people understand the importance of what they do, train them to do it well, and give them positive feedback so they know they are performing at a high level (and that their performance is noticed), self-confidence inevitably follows.\u00a0 Self-confidence plays a huge role, not only in the employee\u2019s effectiveness, but also in the employee\u2019s job satisfaction.\u00a0 It seems to me that if the result is a more effective, content employee, then the effort to promote self-confidence in your work force is well worth the investment.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over the years, I\u2019ve been on a lot of \u201cplant tours.\u201d\u00a0 Usually, our guide is the owner or CEO or plant manager, and the focus is usually on the systems and equipment being used in each step of the manufacturing process.\u00a0 But awhile ago, I was on a tour that was fundamentally different in<\/p>\n