Are People Your Best Kept Secret?

By Sally Jenner

I really believe the answer is yes!

It’s easy to think we will never be able to please all the people all the time and of course that is true. Bringing about change and finding ways to engage the teams so they come with you is really challenging. What I have experienced is that all the focus goes on the “new thing” that is being introduced. It may be a new facility, introducing new technology and quite rightly getting the right solution designed is crucial. However, listening to the teams that will work in, or with the new capability requires equal dedication and focus to ensure what is being developed can work for the business and for your people.

What happens if the teams aren’t engaged and involved in this? My experience has taught me they will be less likely to support the change, unlikely to use the new capability in the most effective way, they will resist the change and most importantly miss getting their valuable insights and input.

I remember working on a baggage project where we wanted baggage handlers to use manual handling aids to help them move huge volumes of bags in a safer way. We knew years and years of punishing physical strain impacted their health into their later years. We got two designs shortlisted for the handlers to try so they could choose the best one. Guess what… neither did the job.   

Within a day of trialling them they told us what design changes were needed to make the manual handling aid a help not a hindrance – they do the job every day so why they wouldn’t know.   

We worked with the design company and the necessary changes were made. We listened and we acted, and we got a great result because the teams used the manual handling aids because they worked. 

So how can Alchemmy help? 

• We have a range of tools and techniques that are designed to engage your teams in the things they can truly influence – we know not everything is suitable for engagement, but we will find the opportunities where we can involve your front-line teams and get their ideas and inputs 
• We can work with your front-line teams and really listen to what is important to them 
• We will understand the things that would make their life easier and the job safer 
• We will be the link between the front-line operators and the designers, so the solution has the end users’ needs in mind
• We will give the front line teams a voice and we will listen to their fears – this is so often missed and when that happens resistance appears 
• We will ensure that the business benefits are protected because what is created works. 

If this resonates with you and you would like to hear more, please reach out to Sally Jenner who can share more examples of this type of work and understand where we can help you.