| Relevant questions bring changes | Send to a friend |
| Sunday, 29 January 2012 11:39 |
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SUNDAY MUSING This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it In many organisations it is common to find employees working according to work procedures set out by management. This is fine but at times the procedures are rigid to a level where employees are given few opportunities to think how they should or could contribute towards better productivity of the organisation they work for. In Amsterdam, when the famous painting by Rembrandt, The Night Watch, was restored and returned to the Rijksmuseum, the curators performed a simple, yet remarkable experiment. They asked visitors to submit questions about the painting. The curators then prepared answers to over fifty questions, ranking the questions according to popularity. Some of these questions focused on issues which curators usually do not like to talk about – like how much the painting costs, whether there has been any forgery in the painting, or if there are any mistakes in the painting. Other questions focused on traditional artistic issues: Why did Rembrandt paint the subject? Who were the people in the painting? What techniques did Rembrandt pioneer in the particular work? The questions informed the curators as to what people wanted to know about and by getting appropriate answers they were able to give more precise answers when asked questions by subsequent visitors to the museum. On a different level, a similar situation arose on a client’s premises for the management of their washrooms. The client just could not mobilize its workforce to keep their washrooms clean despite numerous meetings and many changes in staff. Understandably, cleaning washrooms is never a pleasant experience for a cleaner, which is why the labour turnover for washroom cleaners is generally higher than that for other occupations. However, when proper systems are in place and cleaners are allowed to take pride in what they do, the results can dramatically change. The cleaners on this company’s premises did not know or did not even think about what the effect of their work had on environmental cleanliness, people occupying the building and the general image of the organisation. To them their daily chores were simply a matter of routine. The company’s management changed basic controls in how they managed their washrooms. They designed a questionnaire and discussed this with the cleaners. This questionnaire had basic questions in a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ response format that workers had to answer each weekend to their immediate manager. The questions asked cleaners as to how they performed chores in the washroom, what consumables they used, whether hourly service cards were signed after each cleaning, whether appropriate cleaning gear was worn and other relevant questions that made the cleaners aware that their involvement in the company hygiene was important. The questions that the cleaners were asked were also linked to other service providers who provided essential hygiene services in the washrooms. The questionnaire ensured that cleaners understood the importance of utility services like toilet seat sanitizers (without which washroom users are exposed to thousands of unseen bacteria), sanitary bins and the use of appropriate air-fresheners. A manager appraises the response from the cleaners each week, and immediate action is taken when a response calls for action. By asking a few questions, involving and engaging cleaners in a self-analytical process there is a dramatic change in the company’s washrooms.. Munir Daya is a businessman and freelance writer based in Dar es Salaam Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
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