Why Productivity Increases When Employees Participate
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Sometime in the late 1930’s, a new textile factory opened its doors and was facing challenges in recruiting skilled workers. They employed 300 unskilled people, and after 12 weeks of training, their productivity was only half of what apprentices in other factories achieved; and morale was low. To address this, the social psychologist Kurt Lewin was invited to consult to the business.
He and a colleague devised an experiment where the workforce was divided into two groups. In the first group, employees received direct training with minimal opportunity for questions or input. (It was a “do-as-I-say” model). The second group received the same training but were actively involved in task division and encouraged to provide feedback on their training experience. The results were remarkable.
The group that participated in decision-making and offering feedback outperformed the first group significantly. They displayed faster task learning, higher morale, and increased productivity.1
When team members have the opportunity to share their thoughts, provide feedback, and are involved in the decision making process, it empowers buy-in. It communicates leadership’s value of them, not just for what they do, but for who they are and the way they think. And while it engages and motivates team members, at an individual level, it can provide previously unthought of insights for business improvement and broader team cultural uplifts.
In a day where it can be difficult to recruit skilled workers, bring the best out of those you have. Give them a voice in their own learning and development along with involvement in the wider decision making processes with you.
Ray
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Adelman, C. (1993) Kurt Lewin and the Origins of Action Research. Educational Action Research, 1, 7-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0965079930010102