How Can I Encourage Workers to Follow Instructions and Keep Our Workspace Clean?

Dear All,

I have to submit a few suggestions tomorrow to the chairman on how to get workers to listen to and obey the instructions given by seniors. I am working in the production field, and workers often throw waste on the floor. Despite our warnings and penalties, many of them continue to repeat this behavior.

I would like to know if anyone has any ideas or suggestions to help me with this issue. So far, I have come up with the following proposals:
- To involve supervisors in this matter and hold them responsible before the workers.
- To designate one person as responsible for this task.

Please assist me with any insights you may have.

Fatma

Dear Patel, that's true, but I have to have the discussion tomorrow, and I need to have some ideas. So, regardless of the supervisors, could you please share your thoughts on how to ensure that workers in this production field follow instructions?

Thanks a lot.

Regards,
Fatma

Hi,

Please inform them that your senior management is working towards workers' welfare, especially providing some benefits. This is only possible when the company saves on extra expenses. Indirectly, convey to them that the company spends significantly on cleanliness to avoid health hazards.

I hope this approach is effective. Kindly keep me informed about the response from your Chairman.

Please make the workers aware of cleanliness, how it would benefit them and your organization. Educate them about the disposal of waste in the right place.

Secondly, recognize the worker who maintains cleanliness and tag him as "Mr. Clean." I hope for some positive gestures from the workers.

Regards,

Dear All,

Thank God the discussion has been delayed one day. It will be tomorrow.

Dear Secretary:

Yes, I will say that. In fact, I have to be specific when talking to the management, especially the chairman. However, mentioning money will not solve the problem. We have to find practical solutions and ideas. Thank you for your comment.

Dear Arshi:

Your first point about making them aware is correct and should be done correctly. I agree with you. The second idea is also very good; it's like organizing a competition and evaluating the winners. Thanks a lot.

Thank you all for your replies and waiting for more if you have.

Regards,
Fatma

Is it just waste cloth/trash or process waste or both?

Undertake a study to find out the time/man-hours taken to clean the area for a 24-hour period. Calculate the cost involved (include the process waste cost if required). Project the loss incurred annually due to cleaning operations. Impress upon the workmen that they are not throwing waste but money, which erodes the bottom line.

Poor housekeeping on the shop floor is a potential cause for accidents. Try to find case studies from the internet and show such videos to workmen.

Try to install surveillance cameras on the shop floor. This act itself will have some effects. Spread the message that action will be taken against employees who throw waste.

If there is a labor union, call the leaders and talk to them. The real root cause may be they want to show off their grievance, go to the root cause.

This issue does not have an instant solution. Rushing through may not lead to a permanent solution.

K. Sambasivam

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Dear Fatma,

What you want to do is not an easy job, i.e., handling workers. What you have to do is just search along with them.

I'll quote you a small story:

In a school, there was a teacher who was perturbed because of the notorious behavior of her students. In order to bring discipline to her class, she thought of an idea. It was to make the most notorious student (the reason for all undisciplined behavior) the head of the class and to look for all the undisciplined acts in the class.

Eventually, the things happened as expected. The reason for all the disturbance was the head of the class, and the notorious acts came to a halt. The class became the most disciplined class in the school.

Now you may understand what I want to say from this story. USE IT AND IMPLEMENT IT.

Hi Fatoma,

I hope there is a shift in charge in every shift so that you can make the shift supervisor responsible for cleanliness. The supervisor's only work is to look after the process and help in case of any problems, so the rest of the time, he can check all of this and make a fine statement for the supervisor if things will not get followed.

Secondly, you should tell the machine operator that the area where he is working is his responsibility to clean. If any dust or waste is found there, then he has to clean it himself. When changing shifts, inform the person that before taking handover, he should ensure that the place is clean so that the other person does not have to deal with waste left by the previous shift.

Thirdly, you can give an appreciation letter to the person who keeps his area clean in front of all other workers and also mention the name of the person who is not focusing on cleanliness.

Thanks

What you are saying is true and has been done already, but without effect. That's why they asked for new ideas and suggestions to solve the matter. Thank you very much for commenting. An appreciation letter is a good idea. Thank you.

Instead of punishment, introduce the concept of 5S into the organization. Prepare the plant layout into different zones and assign a 5S score to each zone. Appoint a worker as the leader of the zone and have them create the 5S score themselves. Announce the 5S implementation and provide awareness training.

Display a designated photo area with photos from weeks 1 to 4 to track progress. Instruct the zone leader to take and display photos. Hold a 5S week celebration in the factory with a valedictory function to announce the best zone, award a rolling trophy, and host a gathering for the winning zone members.

However, before proceeding with these activities, the management should lead by example by initiating 5S practices on the shop floor with all staff participating in the initial cleaning.

Implementing 5S for a Cleaner Production Plant

Apply 5S; it is a very effective practice to maintain your production plant in a clean manner. The meaning of 5S stands for Sorting, Simplifying, Sweeping, Standardizing, and Self-Discipline (quality control). Make a training program in your office for staff and workers' awareness.

Take care.

Hello Fatma,

I can give you a solution that will work—100% guaranteed, but you may not like it or rather like to implement it. Nevertheless, here is the solution.

Instead of thinking and discussing whom to hold responsible for the upkeep of the Factory floor, why don't you do it yourself for a few days? Take it from me—when you lead by example, everyone will follow—your Chairman included, not to speak of the workers. If you recollect the movie a few years ago where Gandhigiri was applauded, you will know what I mean.

Taking another cue from the way we inculcate good habits into children: when the kid doesn't listen to us, what is the best way to handle the situation? Doing it yourself in front of the child. Then the child is sure to follow.

Well... the rest is up to you.

Regards, TS

Thank you for your suggestion. You are speaking correctly, and I understand your point. I even noted that everyone is talking, but no one is taking action. You have completed my notes and made them comprehensive. I appreciate your idea, and I will keep it in mind for implementation.

Thank you.

Hello Fatma,

I think you understood me only partially right--at least that's the impression I got when I read the line: 'I am gonna keep it in my mind to have it implemented.'

What I meant was--YOU IMPLEMENT IT. Not getting someone to do it.

I am not sure if your meeting with your Chairman happened or not. But irrespective of whether it took place or not, I suggest YOU take a broom or whatever is used & begin to clean. Please be sure that there will be many who will laugh or ridicule you initially. Just laugh them off & continue & complete the task. You can be sure of the result-- if not on the same day, then in a few days for sure.

Regards,
TS

Hi Tajsateesh,

What I meant by saying the previous line is that I will keep it in my mind to remember it and implement it. I am very lucky as the chairman is busy these days at the head office for a few more days, but he may come tomorrow, so I am ready!

Thank you for indicating. If you have more ideas, feel free to express yourself :)

Regards,
Fatma

Hello Fatma,

Sometimes it's wise to know when to stop :-)

There's a quote/saying: "Too much is too bad." When you begin to get too much/many inputs, you will land in a situation of multiplicity of choices.

Suggest focusing on whether the solution under consideration will solve the problem. If yes, then go ahead. At that stage, if you still begin to look for more choices, you will only get confused rather than getting a more appropriate choice.

Regards,
TS

Dear Tajsaeesh,

Thank you for your continual support. Today was my discussion and it was positive. I focused on a few points as below:

1. To gather feedback using why analysis.
2. To involve supervisors and provide them with training.
3. To transform an undisciplined worker into a leader.

Results:
1. I will gather information about workers' feedback to analyze it and identify the real reasons behind their habit of not following instructions regarding cleaning.
2. It is crucial to consider how to change the mentality of supervisors through training to enhance their awareness and effectiveness.

The second point is more important as we aim to engage supervisors who spend more time with workers. I now require attachments, ideas, or suggestions specifically on this aspect - "How to change the mentality of supervisors to ensure they perform according to the training provided."

I want to emphasize the importance of workers adhering to cleaning instructions. Thank you for your assistance.

Kind regards, [Your Name]

Hello Fatma,

Glad that things are moving in the right direction. And coming to your 'thanks', I guess that's what this Forum is all about—sharing experiences and knowledge, right? I would like to add one more comment after your last posting. Rather than focusing on "workers to follow instructions", suggest focusing on "workers who appreciate the importance of cleaning". Please notice the difference—though small, it makes a lot of impact in the long run. There wouldn't be any necessity of giving instructions. This entails 'inculcating a sense of belonging' into the workers.

To elucidate, would it take someone to tell YOU to do something @ home? You know the answer. Why? Because you have a sense of belonging (and to an extent, a sense of responsibility—though I would rate 'belonging' higher). One way you can do it is to involve outside professionals to appreciate the cleanliness—rather than insiders. That has more effect. Got the point?

Regards,
TS

Dear Tajsateesh,

Yes, I got your point, and this is another thing which we are trying to achieve - a feeling of belonging. Actually, the chairman told me, "If we can change the mentality of supervisors, then I can tell you we reached the point of success." That's why I am only focusing on the mentioned point currently.

Of course, I am paying attention to other things too, but giving priority to the point mentioned above. We are moving up one by one. First, we discussed ideas and suggestions; second, we are planning for training for supervisors, and the third step is coming in a few weeks. We are in the planning phase, if I may say!

Thank you.

Dear Fatoma,

I guess things are going right at this point. I would suggest you arrange a 5S Program for your supervisors first, to create leaders in the workplace. Make every day a 5-minute 5S practice. Involve the top-line managers first to begin with.

Please feel free to contact me at naga_manthra@hotmail.com, as the file sizes may be big and I cannot post it here.

Naga

You can also show this clip during the 5S training program; it's a nice one for 1S.

Regards,
Nagaraj

My advice is to make small groups of workers on the floor and tell them to keep their area clean. You can also appreciate them and display the name of the best group on the notice board on a daily basis.

Regards,
Manoj Prasad

Hi!

Following are some suggestions:

1. Conduct frequent PowerPoint presentations on cleanliness for workers.
2. Divide your workers into groups based on their working areas, assign names to the groups, and organize a healthy competition for cleanliness. Offer a prize to the winning team and display the results on the notice board.
3. Establish a cleaning schedule and involve the teams in the cleaning process.

I hope the above ideas are simple and effective.

Regards,
Pragadeesh

Incentivizing Cleanliness Through Appraisals

Money talks, especially with workers. I suggest announcing that salary increases, bonuses, or incentives will be related to appraisals. The monthly appraisal consists of many criteria, with one of these criteria being the cleanliness of the person's clothes, the cleanliness of the working area around the person, the cleanliness of the uniform, and whether the person cleans the area of their workplace after finishing work.

This criterion can be weighted at about 20% of the appraisal evaluation. The appraisal can be conducted on a monthly basis if your company has fewer than 100 workers. For companies with more than 100 but less than 1,000 workers, the appraisal can be done quarterly. For larger companies, it can be done on a semi-annual basis.

Additionally, you can select the Employee of the Month or of the Department every month based on the above-mentioned criteria. You can offer a prize costing between 100 to 200 LE every month, such as a mobile phone, camera, or a 21-inch TV.

Best regards.