It’s All How You Look At Things
Do you realize that some of your employees produce more 
while doing what seems to be nothing?

I had the task of assuring quality in an area doing research and development on a new missile system. Research and development seem to go hand-in-hand with confusion, particularly if you’re trying out the metric system for the first time.

After a week or so, I found myself becoming confused about who was to do what and when.

“How do I get control and understanding?” I asked myself.

Then I saw a high walkway in the plant, appropriately call the catwalk, and I remembered the old saying, “a bird’s eye view.” So I perched myself on the catwalk for just such a view.

Like an eagle looking for details, I sat there observing the operation, piecing together the puzzle. It took less than five minutes before people below stared at me in bewilderment. To them I must have looked more like a cat watching the birds, rather than my intention to view things like an eagle. Little did they know I was less interested in whether they were doing something than I was in gaining an understanding of what happened where and why.

It did not occur to me that some of the birds thought I was a slacker wasting time. A few minutes later, I noticed a peer from another area approaching me. He politely informed me that the boss was on the prowl, checking the plant and that maybe I should look busy. I thanked him for the tip and told him that I was indeed working.

“Right” he scoffed, scurrying away to make himself look busy. I went on about my business and soon felt a tap on my shoulder. It was my boss.

“Whatcha’ doing, John?” he asked.

“Trying to understand what’s going on here sir,” I answered.

“How?” he asked as if he’d cornered his prey.

I handed him my clipboard with sketches and notes on the operation, describing how material came in, what was done to it and how it left. Surprised, he asked me to come with him and discuss my observations.

The workers, no doubt, thought I was a goner.

As it turned out, my boss and I gained a new perspective of the plant that day. The catwalk became a vantage point of understanding. It’s important to realize that taking on the roles of prey and predator are often too easy and usually misunderstood. We must respect the employees’ potential and ability to produce.

Predator and prey have no place in a successful and quality minded enterprise.