Originally Posted by jetsbest
My Oxford dictionary says "of or pertaining to the principle of equal rights and opportunities for all"; nothing about pay.
Perhaps you see some as being more equal than others.
Who should receive the highest salaries if all is no distributed equally?
Originally Posted by jetsbest
Romulus: you implied that once efficiencies were found then everyone could get the job done faster. To what end? More time off for their same salary? My reply was cynical of such a characterisation because it never stops there. Perhaps that is utopia to you?
Essentially yes, the job gets done more quickly.
That will yield benefits in terms of time off etc.
Equally that time is available time to be utilised for productive work if the company can win it. Which it has a greater chance of given that it has improved efficiencies.
That company is then strong and vibrant, has a good order book of work and thus all employees, no matter what level, are in a secure and safe position. If you doubt that has any benefit or value to employees I disagree, I would suggest any QF or JHAS employee would be much happier and far less stressed if they knew they had a solid predictable future in front of them.
Yes, "my utopia" in this instance would involve a highly efficient Australian aviation engineering industry where we turn out good quality results in volume. People are kept busy on genuinely productive and therefore rewarding tasks, that leads to a happier work environment where the only whingers are those who do not wish to work and they soon leave because the overall positivity of the place is just too much for them.
But, as I said, that is a utopia.
Originally Posted by jetsbest
Romulus, Aeromedic & Sunfish, I actually don't disagree with most of what you're saying re management ethos. In my view the biggest destroyers of employees' trust in management are things like:
- talking up the cost challenges & losses, then having massive parties to see in a new alliance.
Always celebrate success, give people something to feel good about. But make sure EVERYONE gets to celebrate, not just a chosen few.
Originally Posted by jetsbest
- saying they value their employees in Christmas newsletters, then calling them kamikazes etc in the press,
Yes. Consistency and respect.
Originally Posted by jetsbest
- choosing to treat all employees in a sweeping generalisation as if they are the very few trouble-makers, (manage the problem people but don't make everyone the problem)
Agreed, this one also requires the cooperation of the employees. Much is made of the fact Germany has employee representatives on the board of companies. That is definitely a good thing. But what is less well publicised is that if an employee is not pulling their weight at one of those companies it is the other employees and the Union that will remove them from their position in the company.
I have been involved in too many investigations in the workplace where it is very clear that people know what is going on and what has occurred but because of our "mateship" we do not "dob" in Australian culture. That makes us all (and I have done exactly that myself so I claim no high moral ground) complicit in condoning poor behaviours. Somehow we need to change that without losing the value of mates.
Originally Posted by jetsbest
- speaking part-truths in the hope that no one will ask the hard questions (see Olivia Wirth, Aust Magazine, Apr20-21), then refusing to elaborate and answer when legitimate concerns about inconsistencies are raised by employees who can see obvious gaps in the mantra (see ALAEA's 62 questions). Simple questions can have simple and honest answers that are not always commercial-in-confidence.
Be honest and open no matter whether the message id positive or negative.
Originally Posted by jetsbest
- sending work overseas then denying that 'catch-up' rectifications are required when the asset returns, when it is obvious to the engineers doing the work,
Agreed.
Originally Posted by jetsbest
- 'siloed' management where one efficiency idea is stymied by another manager because it's "not part of my KPI"... from the horse's mouth!
One of the very best indicators of a lousy manager and lousy management system. And one that is all too common.
Originally Posted by jetsbest
I could probably work with, or even for, you all. Unfortunately, it would appear that none of you work where I do.
The ideas are simply too challenging for most Australian workplaces and senior management.