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Today’s Christmas Eve here at Warehouse and Operations as a Career. I’m Marty, and I love this time of year. It’s different, the weathers different, our outlooks are different. Everyone’s open to change. I feel like our spirits are up and we’re ready to plan out our next year! Have you all written out your goals for 2021, at least the first quarter? I was just reviewing my 2020 accomplishments, and to be honest, I was quite surprised how well I had done. With the pandemic and all, I thought I’d had a year with less wins than I’ve had. I have had to punt a few of my, oh, well say, dream goals down the road a bit but I believe I was able to reach, or at least, nearly reach all my financial ones. Once again solidifying, in my opinion anyway, that the manufacturing, production and distribution fields are the chosen careers! Although manufacturing and production slowed a bit for a couple of months, they are both up and running again across most industries. And well, distribution. Distribution is running behind like always. Nationally we could always use more truck drivers and equipment operators in the distribution world! I don’t believe that will ever change or get caught up! Anyway, it’s time, past time really, that we’re thinking about what we want, our goals and planning for next year. How much more money is you going to make in 2021? If you don’t pick a number, it’s probably not going to increase over this year! Just saying!
OK, so I was presented with the question “What is with everyone being so comfortable with their positions right now?” Well, I’m no phycologist, or counselor but I think it’s been a rough year on all of us. If we were fortunate enough to not lose any income over the last 9 months, I’m sure we knew someone that did. Today there are 12.2 million Americans out of work. The Nov unemployment rate, non-farm rate was 6.7 percent. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf Things are improving but I’m not sure how we as human beings are dealing with it.
I answered the question with a question. I said I’m wondering the same thing. I’m seeing people, several associates gluing or mounting pictures of their families and children to their forklifts. I saw a pallet jack about 3 weeks ago with a picture of a beautiful German Shephard puppy attached to it. I am noticing office doors that used to be open all the time being closed now. People that work in cubicle areas are hanging cloth partitions up. They look good, but there closing themselves off. Do you believe it is to social distance OR are we becoming closed off socially and individually and is that what you meant by comfortable? He said exactly. He is responsible for a staff of about 80 associates. He is seeing, or believes he’s witnessing people needing to be wrapped in security. Not particularly job security, that may very well be a thing of the past for a little while, but a need for the familiar. He shared that there are no more domino games at break time. People are not congregating at lunch tables; everyone seems to be watching movies or playing games on their phones. Not being rude or even unhappy, just alone.
I asked a few more questions of him. I wanted to know if he was noticing this shift in culture just in particular areas or departments or was it across the board. He first stated that it was noticeable everywhere. Then, as we discussed a little further, he felt like it was much more noticeable in the loner positions. I had to ask what a loner position was! He laughed and said those people we supervisors never see! The order selectors, replenishment fork operators and inventory control employees! I told him know I had a new term for what I used to call the independent workers!
Now I was really scratching me head. For I too had witnessed this over the last several weeks and just did not associate it with a new norm.
So, I hit the phones and scheduled a few walkthroughs with a handful of supervisors I knew I could get into to see. I wanted to ask them a couple of questions on the subject. I have to say, and quite unexpectedly, wither I was speaking with them on the phone or walking the floor with them they had a lot to say! Now, your all op’s people so you know it’s hard to grab time from a warehouse supervisor or manager, and yet, well, I guess I’d found, or was given, a topic they felt compelled to discuss.
So, question one was “Are your employees asking more questions, like in start-up or safety meetings than they used too?”
The consensus was that they we’re probably getting less questions. And not that they ever got a lot of group questions. But that the one-on-one questions had doubled. Most said that they were now being approached by almost every associate at least once during the week. Maybe the encounter would have nothing to do with work but that the employee was stopping by. A few said now that we’re talking about it, they were feeling bad for not taking a couple of extra minutes to just shoot the breeze with them. A couple of them asked me why did I think people were doing that? I didn’t have an answer!
The 2nd question was “Have you seen more interest in internal movement or upward mobility in your departments. Now this was good. Every Supervisor had noticed a willingness of associates to learn other tasks. Like the task that directly precedes or follows theirs. But the managers said that their Supervisors and admin’s or clerks seemed to be presenting much better follow through and energy. And each mentioned that those same employees seemed to be seeking out mentors and enjoying brainstorming with the management teams more. I again was asked what had gotten into everyone.
So, another question, I think the one that bothered me the most was “Are you seeing a change in your gathering areas. Breakrooms, smoking area or lunchrooms. Now this was split about half and half. But the split seemed to be by positions. I found that odd. Again, forklift operators, sanitation and utility workers, order selectors, the kind of positions I had learned earlier to call loaner tasks seemed to even shy away more from social interaction with others at break and they seemed to all be working harder, more focused. Whereas unloaders, loaders, receivers, drivers, people that have a lot of human contact in their positions appeared to be much closer now. At least since we we’re talking about it.
Now at the end of each conversation, and remember that these we’re all one-on-one talks, I asked again. “Now are you really seeing and experiencing something different or is us talking about it just bringing up some thoughts or opinions. Unequivocally each member of management said, No, my floors culture has changed. At least to some degree.
My next question was “So the change has been good or bad?” Here’s a laugh, no one had an answer to that one. I think it’s because they have changed a bit themselves.
During the Thanksgiving Holidays I shared with a few friends that I noticed something, an emptiness for lack of a better word. Now I am that guy that likes the first hour of a family get together and then I’m out. Or I don’t even mind hosting the event at my house because I can schedule it for 2 hours and then everyone has to leave. But this year even I felt differently. I had two relatives come by, and it was different. It made me wonder if an old man like me, that literally did not care about getting together in the first place had felt different, well, what is happening to our grandkids, children and the young adults right now? As adults, with a lot on our minds right now. Are they picking up on all that? Are they noticing how different things appear now? And are our jobs being affected by these additional worries?
So, the original question used the word comfortable. And although no one I spoke with used that word in our discussions I think it describes what everyone said. Others are reaching out to us leaders in their own way. This particular supervisor felt like his associates were just much more comfortable coming forward and talking with him.
I was speaking with a CFO today, my go to financial guru from the podcast unlocking the secret to living rich about this subject and she used the word nesting. I like nesting, I think it projects what all us op’s men and women are trying to understand.
Now with all that being said I have a thought or two. You knew I’d have an opinion, right?
As an employee I think everything is going to be alright. It’s going to be different for a bit longer but it’s going to be alright. One thing I’m feeling good about is that I think it’s bringing us closer together in the workplace. I feel like we’re, I don’t know, maybe, we’re showing a little more compassion towards our colleagues? I encourage everyone to go visit with their bosses more often. I know our boss, well, most of our bosses aren’t counselors or phycologist but hey, it doesn’t hurt to go talk with them more!
And for us as Management and front-line management. We need to do what we’re supposed to do which is lead our associates.
Again, we’re fortunate to be in an industry that is growing and ramping up. We need to cheer on the team when we can. We can’t make promises regarding what is going to happen next, but we can help our teams prepare for whatever comes across our paths.
I know one company that is planning a little light industrial finance 101 class for their associates. And another that is randomly offering drawings for things like gift cards, a day’s pay and t.v.’s for attendance awards.
It is our jobs, a leader’s job, to be honest with our associates and lead them towards success. Encourage them. And it’s our responsibility to see that they do grow, both professionally and personally.
It’s ok that we’re all a little needy right now. That nesting feeling is alright. It is going to be ok my friends because it is. And should you ever feel it’s not and you need help just shoot us an email to host@warehouseandoperationsasacareer.com and we will find us some help! Theres recruiters across the nation and numbers we can share with you! We’re a team, right?
We’ll this time next week we’ll be ushering in a new year. Seriously, let’s get to work on our 2021 plans. We are going to earn more money next year than we did this year. Period. To not do so is just not an option. Again, if you need help figuring out how or what you should be doing to reach that goal send us an email. We’ll share what little we know with you regarding planning and goal achievement!
Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays to you, please respect your beliefs and the beliefs of others, we’re all first and foremost Op’s people right, Teamwaoc! Be safe and help keep others safe!