Communicating with production and ancillary employees

They are underrated, yet they are easily the most powerful group of workers within our offices and plants. They are our ancillary and production workers. Remember that morning when Miss Gee could not make it in to work early because of the bus strike or a family illness? Put you in a bad mood for the rest of the day, didn't it? Suddenly, all the years and money you invested in your MBA, BA, BSc and other assorted degrees faded into the background because you did not have a clue where (or how) that steaming cup of coffee that was freshly made, miraculously appeared on your desk every morning.

Tell the truth, you missed her didn't you? Especially if she was not the garrulous type who would regale you with the long version of her mini-bus and family escapades. Plus, she saw you at your worse 'pre-coffee' state in the mornings before your staff members and did not seem to mind. Or so you think.

Beg and bawl

Let's not even talk about the power of the plant workers when things 'nah run right' and they decide to lock shop and throw away the key leaving management to beg and bawl for mercy. No amount of amassed book learning on your part can show you how to crank that lever to re-start production.
Have you ever noticed that you can tell the corporate culture of an organisation (especially a manufacturing company) by the way its canteen facilities are organised for the staff? Hear me out on this one. I have worked in a manufacturing environment and there were unmistakably clear lines of demarcation between 'us' and 'dem' and I do not mean management and staff. I am talking about staff members who sit around a desk versus staff members who work over a sink or on machinery. 'Dem' usually ate in another section of the canteen (or in another canteen - usually downstairs near the plant) while 'we' would be comfortably ensconced 'over our side'. They wore plant uniform appropriate for their jobs - so did we, neckties and stilettos.

There was always this great divide in how 'we and dem' operated in the workplace and there has always been a great misguided snobbishness on our part. If truth be told, however, no matter how well-dressed and coiffured we were, they were the smarter ones. After all, they get paid for overtime and have highly specialised manual skills. They can bring the bosses to their knees with their badly written, very hurtful yet extremely effective cardboard placards. They know how to manage the news media so that they come running when called. They have the telephone numbers of various television and radio stations on their speed dial, locked and loaded and they are unafraid to use their media contacts.

Miss Gee's Picture

Yes, they are a powerhouse to be reckoned with whether we appreciate this fact or not. And yet, not much is written about how businesses should communicate with them these days.
You will perhaps never find Miss Gee's picture and chatty information about what she did on the weekend on a FaceBook or MySpace page and Thompson will never run to check his IM or e-mail messages. So in this day of cyberspace, for some of these employees social media is definitely not appropriate. Here are some hints about what works:

1. Face-to-face works best for communicating with employees who are not wired. If you want to give them immediate information and get instant feedback, call them to a meeting on their different shifts or to a general meeting. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT send out e-mails and expect that their supervisors will remember to print them off and pass on the information to them.

2. They (like the rest of us) like to see themselves and their stories and pictures in the company's internal newsletter. "Big" them up too. It works nicely if the newsletter is printed in the form of a newspaper that they can take back to their homes or communities. When writing for this audience, keep the language simple and bear in mind that they are a force to be reckoned with, do not talk down to them - find the right balance. How? Interact with them and make your pitch in their language.

3. Place notice boards strategically around the plant. It is convenient and cost-effective especially if you do not have a large printing budget. Many plant workers will read information posted on the notice board. NB. Do not leave 'stale' news on the Notice Board. Make an effort to re-place the information at least once each week. They do not want to see and be confused by information about last year's Christmas party in 2008, especially if there is none to be held this year.

4. Text messages on their cell phones will work. Tell them first that you will be using this as a means of communication. When you tell them this remember that there will always be that budding politician who will loudly bring up the subject that management should buy them (and pay for the minutes) on their mobile phones. Have fun in skillfully skirting that issue.

5. Train your managers/supervisors how to speak with them respectfully. A gentle and well-placed reminder about who will help them to heave their (the supervisors') boxes of belongings through the swinging glass doors come their departure day will often do the trick.

Yvonne Grinam-Nicholson MBA, ABC, is a Business Communications Consultant with RO Communications Jamaica, specialising in business communication, employee communications and financial publications. Contact: yvonne@rocommunications.com; Website: www.rocommunications.com and post your comments.

Source: jamaicaobserver.com