How efficiently are we handling this important aspect of daily life in the factory?
Counselling is a word which is commonly and rather loosely used in RMG parlance. We have some kind of counselling for every conceivable occasion. Some workers need to be kept an hour extra beyond the scheduled time in the factory, workers arrive late for work, remain absent, don’t perform up to the mark, don’t maintain floor discipline, and get involved in misdemeanours with superiors — these are all common instances when we resort to counselling, advising, or dishing out instructions for them to follow. Counselling simply refers to advice offered by experienced people, while Wikipedia defines it as a session or a meeting between a supervisor and an employee. It may be an appraisal on performance or conduct to rectify. It is not to be treated as disciplinary. It can also serve as an important reminder for the employee to take corrective measures. The question is: How efficiently are we handling this very important aspect of everyday life in the factory? How competent are the individuals undertaking counselling? Do they have enough experience, exposure, and know-how to get the maximum out of this useful tool? Have they been trained on counselling? How are we supervising the various kinds of routine counselling? Counselling sessions have at times been observed to turn into sessions of bullying, intimidation, name-calling, and harassment. In the name of counselling, workers are exposed to extremely harsh behaviour. If allowed to go on unchecked and unsupervised, this can do great damage to the factory image and ultimately affect productivity and the congenial working environment. In day-to-day counselling, professionals have found some tips to be effective. Firstly, RMG work always involves operation in a chain, wherein individuals have to perform unique, inter-related tasks. If someone is not performing, the whole group suffers. Hence, the weak links must be identified and the reasons analyzed. Secondly, reminding workers how much the employer is doing to support them, letting them know the minimum that is expected from them in return, and convincing them that they cannot afford to fail. Thirdly, creating peer pressure by sifting low performers who hinder overall group performance, and leaving them a clear message that they need to be amended or gotten rid of. Hence, it should be the responsibility of the performers to keep an eye on the non-performers and make sure they are taken along. Demonstrate role models and convince that they can also reach their coveted positions, provided they put in sincere efforts. I have come across a GM production who had made it to his present standing because of his hard work, talent, and aptitude. He became a role model for the staff and workers on the floor, having been through all that was being done by individuals in various capacities. He is in the best position to detect something wrong in terms of lapse of the operators or lack of supervision. No word he speaks, no gesture he makes goes unnoticed by people standing across the table. And above everything, he speaks the actual language of the workers. It is not unusual to come across staff resorting to using objectionable and foul words in the name of counselling. When pointed out, some of them argue that they cannot do without these at times. Textbook solutions and motivating words will not do here. Only if they are harsh will others provide the output they can be satisfied with. Some even argue: “Look, sir, you are telling me to not be harsh and indecent with them. But you have no idea what sort of filth I had to swallow from my boss. Hence, they must get their due share. It is not a place for charity, with gentle and sober words. They all know it very well and have to put up with this.” When it comes to using abusive language in the name of counselling, I was shocked and surprised when I came across a female staff who rose to her present position of a floor in charge through competence and hard work. She was “counselling” her subordinates using all the filth she could muster. When I pointed it out and asked her why she was doing so, she came up with the same logic — this was a part of life in RMG and she had undergone the same process. Counselling is a very powerful tool for RMG workers, provided it is applied correctly and handled by competent people. It is of utmost importance that we focus on the need for this, which can contribute so much towards the efficiency and overall wellbeing of the workers. It is by counselling our counsellors that we might be able to come out of this conundrum of using bad language and even intimidation in the name of counselling.
