HUMAN RESOURCES
Understand Motivation
As if it wasn't complicated enough to
try and change old habits and institute
new routines, there is one other factor
that contributes this complexity. The
majority of our staff working in production areas have a common set of behavioral characteristics.
Time and time again, when we use
our Thomas International DISC-based
profile to evaluate either candidates or
employees, we find that they have a very
common set of characteristics. They typically have both High S (Steadiness) and
High C (Compliance) and that is why
they are a good fit for the production
environment.
High S individuals are steady and stable
and they are good listeners. They get on
the job and they stick to it. High C individuals are detail and process oriented,
they can follow procedures, and have a
desire for accuracy. It is for those behaviors that we value them in the production environment.
However, there is a flip side to their
personality, and that is what you encounter when you try to implement change.
As we noted, High S people are steady
and stable but, as a result, they do not
like change. When I talk about the difference in personalities between owners
and employees, I say that High D (Dominance) people lay awake at night trying
to figure out what to change the next
day, but High S people lay awake at night
worried about what will change the next
day. High C people like procedures, but if
you decide to change those procedures,
then they need to know why. They are
full of questions and they need time to
process the idea of the change and agree
to accept it.
So, the bottom line is whether you are
dealing with changing routines that have
become habitual or overcoming natural
personality resistance, you have to "sell
the change." And you have to continuously reinforce the need for the change.
So when you announce the change, you
may get some early buy-in, but the fact is
you have not made it part of the culture
and gotten a commitment to it. And
unfortunately, that is hard work and it is
a non-stop effort. ◗◗
Debra Thompson is president of TG
& Associates, a consulting firm specializing in "The Human Side of Business"
specifically for the graphic industry. Visit
MyPRINTResource.com/10139915 to find
out about the new book by Debra and Bill
Greif: "No More Rotten Eggs–A Dozen
Steps to Grade AA Talent Management".
Send your "Dear Debra" question to Debra@TGassociates.com.
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