[Ailist] AI and Outsourced Employees

[Roger Davies]

Hi Adrienne,

I have been involved in two factory closures, both before discovering Ai. I
approached them with the same message which is that 'change is an
opportunity to get something you want'. It's important to get past denial
and self pity quickly and get people focused on opportunity. It's important
to get each person thinking about what their strengths are, what there
dreams for the future are and identify ways in which they could use this
opportunity to move toward that future. Each person has to take individual
ownership of their own future. In both cases morale remained relatively
high, though obviously with a different focus. More telling maybe is that
productivity did not suffer at either facility. Both facilities had
increased in all aspects of operational success for the three years prior to
their closure so their could have been some pride at stake that helped drive
this. I'll say again though you have to get rid of any blame mentality as
quickly as possible.

Since going through those two events and learning about Ai I would add the
following. In hindsight, the messages about taking charge of change and
being personally responsible for one's future were not messages rolled out
just before the site's closure. They were messages lived and breathed daily
and therefore had a great deal of credence. I think that is also an
important point to make to the employees. Wherever their future is they need
to stay in charge, make the best of every opportunity, be prepared to
question themselves and to change again if necessary.

I think Ai will be excellent for people to talk about what they have really
enjoyed and been successful at when working there and looking for
opportunities elsewhere that give them the best chance of repeating those
experiences. One exercise I was a participant in involved having your close
network of people do a 360 appraisal of your strengths. Those appraisals
carried a lot of weight since they are given in a very genuine context by
people going through the same thing that you are going through. We all
helped each other a tremendous amount on both occasions.

One thing I would say about both times is that we talked with each other an
awful lot about the things we had enjoyed, the things we would miss and what
our hopes for the future were. It's the people that build an organization
not the name above the factory door. 

Roger

-----Original Message-----
From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu
[mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Adrienne Keane
(akeane)
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 10:57 AM
To: ailist at lists.business.utah.edu
Subject: [Ailist] AI and Outsourced Employees


Greetings!
I am a new AI practitioner and want to begin applying the AI principles to
the organizational work I do. I have a client that is outsourcing their
manufacturing department from US-based to overseas. All US employees know
they will be displaced sometime in the next year. Moral, quality &
productivity have dropped significantly. Has anyone used AI techniques to
help motivate individuals in this situation? 
Cheers, Adrienne
 


	
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