Between Jan 2010 to May 2010, thirteen Foxconn employees attempted suicide with ten deaths and three serious injuries. The rapid rate of suicides is unusual to draw a lot of attention and criticism around the world; and therefore causes headaches to the management how to fix the problems right away as the situation has been out of their control for many months.
What could the management do to put the situation under its control? If one could find the “right why” of the situation being “out of control” or “bad control”, then one could find the door to open for the workable solution to reverse the condition and put it under “good control”.
The recent response to stop the suicidal rate was to ask each worker to sign a letter, requested by the management on May 22 , 2010 that the workers needed to promise not to kill themselves and even agreed to be institutionalized if they appeared to be abnormal mental or physical state, for the protection of myself and others. The letter also stated that workers who killed themselves would not gain “any compensation beyond the provisions of law and administrative regulations.” However, the management needed to withdraw such a bizarre letter right after the plunge of another worker. In other words, the letter was a “bad control” solution. To prevent further suicides, a 1.5 million-square-meter safety net will be put up around Foxconn dormitories, and it’s equivalent to 1,200 standard swimming pools. It could be again a “bad control” solution.
What is “good control”? “Good control” is an ability for the management and workers who are willing to start, change and stop in one’s own field of responsibility and activity. But why today some companies still need to use “bad control”, which is enforced or inhibited force to get compliance at the expense of the willingness of the workers to start, change and stop on his own self-determinism. Probably some companies believe that it’s the only way the management can get the production but they have missed the most important element of management tool, which is the knowledge of human emotion and reaction.
One can employ many management tools to analyze the success or failure for any company. While they may be all true or valid, knowledge of management tools can be viewed as a pyramid with a common denominator at the top which evaluates all other data below it. If one is able to know and master the top level of the pyramid, one can easily understand how to apply the remaining management tools by correctly using the data.
At the top of the pyramid of the management tools, we can have a common denominator that is knowledge of human emotion and reaction. Regardless of the type, size and industry of any company, the only thing that can motivate or inhibit any productivity or performance within or outside the company is human emotion and reaction.
It’s too simple to classify people with positive or negative emotions. In fact, there is an emotional tone scale that one can be as high as enthusiastic or as low as apathy. There’re also various emotional tone positions even in the negative emotional band. People react and behave differently on various emotional tone positions, and therefore require different methods of communication and handling. Once you have mastered it, the rest of the management tools can be integrated easily to give you better understanding and competence to fully implement all other management tools for better success of your company.
When the emotions in the workplace are more close to the “apathy band” or “subapathy band” chronically which are simply little bit above the “death band”, one will not be surprised to witness suicide in the workplace. People on this band care less even including pain and suffering.
I recommend you watch this business film DVD, “Emotions in the workplace” and it will help you understand the subject better with a lot of illustration. The below is a video clip for a preview.
What could the management do to put the situation under its control? If one could find the “right why” of the situation being “out of control” or “bad control”, then one could find the door to open for the workable solution to reverse the condition and put it under “good control”.
The recent response to stop the suicidal rate was to ask each worker to sign a letter, requested by the management on May 22 , 2010 that the workers needed to promise not to kill themselves and even agreed to be institutionalized if they appeared to be abnormal mental or physical state, for the protection of myself and others. The letter also stated that workers who killed themselves would not gain “any compensation beyond the provisions of law and administrative regulations.” However, the management needed to withdraw such a bizarre letter right after the plunge of another worker. In other words, the letter was a “bad control” solution. To prevent further suicides, a 1.5 million-square-meter safety net will be put up around Foxconn dormitories, and it’s equivalent to 1,200 standard swimming pools. It could be again a “bad control” solution.
What is “good control”? “Good control” is an ability for the management and workers who are willing to start, change and stop in one’s own field of responsibility and activity. But why today some companies still need to use “bad control”, which is enforced or inhibited force to get compliance at the expense of the willingness of the workers to start, change and stop on his own self-determinism. Probably some companies believe that it’s the only way the management can get the production but they have missed the most important element of management tool, which is the knowledge of human emotion and reaction.
One can employ many management tools to analyze the success or failure for any company. While they may be all true or valid, knowledge of management tools can be viewed as a pyramid with a common denominator at the top which evaluates all other data below it. If one is able to know and master the top level of the pyramid, one can easily understand how to apply the remaining management tools by correctly using the data.
At the top of the pyramid of the management tools, we can have a common denominator that is knowledge of human emotion and reaction. Regardless of the type, size and industry of any company, the only thing that can motivate or inhibit any productivity or performance within or outside the company is human emotion and reaction.
It’s too simple to classify people with positive or negative emotions. In fact, there is an emotional tone scale that one can be as high as enthusiastic or as low as apathy. There’re also various emotional tone positions even in the negative emotional band. People react and behave differently on various emotional tone positions, and therefore require different methods of communication and handling. Once you have mastered it, the rest of the management tools can be integrated easily to give you better understanding and competence to fully implement all other management tools for better success of your company.
When the emotions in the workplace are more close to the “apathy band” or “subapathy band” chronically which are simply little bit above the “death band”, one will not be surprised to witness suicide in the workplace. People on this band care less even including pain and suffering.
I recommend you watch this business film DVD, “Emotions in the workplace” and it will help you understand the subject better with a lot of illustration. The below is a video clip for a preview.
You can now buy your own DVD copy directly in Hong Kong, with a booklet of "The Emotional Tone scale" included. Free postage is offered if shipped to Hong Kong.
In order to prevent from any more suicide in the workplace, what first the management should do is to survey the existing workforce to find out their emotional tone and then introduce effective measures and messages with correct tone that can help to improve the emotional band of the workplace to higher tone position rather than dragging them further into lower emotional tone band. Once the emotion tone of workplace is up and improved, it will guarantee higher production, morale and efficiency.
Now, based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard, there are answers to these emotional tones. One can learn and master the answers for results. So know your people for the success of your company!
If you are interested in getting more information about emotions in the workplace or any in-house training or workshop on the subject, please email me.
In order to prevent from any more suicide in the workplace, what first the management should do is to survey the existing workforce to find out their emotional tone and then introduce effective measures and messages with correct tone that can help to improve the emotional band of the workplace to higher tone position rather than dragging them further into lower emotional tone band. Once the emotion tone of workplace is up and improved, it will guarantee higher production, morale and efficiency.
Now, based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard, there are answers to these emotional tones. One can learn and master the answers for results. So know your people for the success of your company!
If you are interested in getting more information about emotions in the workplace or any in-house training or workshop on the subject, please email me.
