I’ve been thinking a lot lately about cogs and people. A cog gets worn out from overuse, is good for a specific job and is easily replaceable. A person gets worn out from long hours and little vacation, is good for a multitude of jobs and is not easily replaceable because each person incorporates their own personality into their jobs.
So why do companies assume that people are easily replaceable? Companies tout innovation but feel that it’s no big deal to replace people. They mistake people for cogs, working them long hours with little chance of vacation, keep them in the same job for years with no chance of advancement, and replacement them for darn near any reason – the economy is tight, someone is too outspoken, etc…
I suppose when a company is a factory making the same parts over and over then people are more like cogs and can be replaced more easily, but when the company employees deal face to face with customers then people become so much more valuable. People and customers develop a connection over time, they become attuned to each other, and it is this connection that provides a platform for innovation – dreaming up ways in which to help the customer and make/save money at the same time. When a person is replaced then that connection is broken. It will take that much longer for a customer to be willing to develop a connection with a new person and that connection is likely to never be as strong as it was with the previous person. The customer begins to feel that the company doesn’t really care since they keep changing the people working with the customer; trust is lost.
The moral of this little vignette? People are not cogs; they are a valuable resource that a company needs to make use of in a way to ensure a long and productive life cycle.
Communication is the message received by the customer, not the message sent by the company.
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