Curing a sick workplace: Coffee & cake, or onions?

In previous postings ('Is your workplace sick?' and 'Symptoms of sick workplace') we discussed how a workplace can become unhealthy and unproductive. We also considered various workplace ‘symptoms’, such as Occupational Health and Safety incidents, accidents and ‘near misses’; high levels of staff turn-over, or absenteeism. These symptoms can indicate that a workplace has problems.

So if we can identify the symptoms of a sick workplace can we provide the cure? Sure, but it’s important to remember that something is causing these symptoms. We need to get beyond the symptom to the cause of the problem. The right ‘medicine’ for any given workplace will depend upon the true nature of the problem.

Some time ago, one of our consultants told us about the frustrations he was having in a client’s workplace. There was constant tension and bickering within the workplace. It seemed few of the issues were really serious, but there were petty squabbles and arguments between workers almost every day. The poor communication was eroding goodwill and there was little cooperation between the work-teams. The symptoms of this workplace dis-ease were problems with product quality, failure to meet delivery deadlines and ultimately, dissatisfied customers!


Our consultant was visiting the site every week. He began to bring cake to the morning coffee breaks. He encouraged shopfloor operators and their team leaders to get together over coffee and cake and talk about their issues and concerns. Through group discussions and separate one-to-one conversations, both on and off-the-job, he identified key issues. He also began to see that the key people involved had different understandings of the production process and what was required. After several weeks of informal investigation and coffee and cake conversations, he brought all of the key players together at the same table. He explained to them what was happening, what he had learned, and how he perceived the situation. “You guys need to talk about this stuff and sort out these misunderstandings,” he said. ”I can’t keep buying cake forever!”

It would be nice if coffee and cake could cure all our workplace problems—but that’s unlikely unless the conversations get to the real cause of the problems. “What’s really going on here?” can be a useful question. Finding the cure for workplace ills involves sussing out the causes beneath the symptoms and surface appearances. What’s really going on is often quite different to what appears to be happening. Root Cause Analysis may be needed to get to the bottom of things and really understand the cause(s) of problems.

Most workplaces are a bit like onions—there are several layers, one inside the other. Peeling away the layers can reveal misunderstandings, communication difficulties, people not really listening, workers learning (but sometimes learning the wrong things), and relationships which need maintenance and/or repair. Peeling the layers can also reveal everyday work practices causing waste. There may be waste of time, materials, energy and effort. There may be all of the Seven Wastes commonly found in workplaces, but they are overlooked or accepted because they’re ‘normal’.

So finding the right approach might involve coffee, cake and peeling onions! There are multiple layers and points of view to be explored. Without proper ‘diagnosis’ and understanding of the root causes of problems, we are unlikely to come up with a permanent ‘cure’ or sustainable solutions.

Dr Peter Waterhouse
Work Doctor at Workplace Learning Initiatives Pty Ltd


Related Articles

• Is your workplace sick?
• Symptoms of a sick workplace
• Why blaming doesn’t work
• Why focus on workplace learning?   

Why focus on workplace learning?

Most people don’t think about workplaces as learning places. Traditionally schools, universities, colleges and, even kindergartens, are thought of as learning places—but not factories, building sites, warehouses, offices, salons, workshops, or butchers’ shops! Many of us have the idea that learning is what we do first—then we go to work, out into the ‘real world’, and we think we won’t have to bother with learning any more!

However this is not the case. The ‘real world’, and the world of work, requires us to learn and to keep learning. With constant changes in markets, customers, clients and products; new technologies, new systems and ways of working; shifting policies and regulations—even with new managers, and staff; learning becomes essential, whether we like it or not. So there is a need for learning at work. There are various ways to meet these learning needs, training is only one of them. And while training (either on, or off-site) may be useful, there are many other possibilities. Some of them are not very well understood, nor used effectively.

There is an enormous amount of important learning happening in workplaces—whether we realise it or not. Much of this learning happens without any formal training or instruction at all. It is important to remember that learning happens without teaching—even when we’re not aware of it. In workplaces there is a great deal of informal learning going on, all of the time. Sometimes, unfortunately, what people are learning turns out to be part of the problem rather than part of the solution! All of this learning needs to be understood, and some of it changed.

We also know from our own school experiences, that it is quite possible for there to be a great deal of teaching (or training) going on—but what people are learning can be an entirely different matter!

That’s why, although we’re a Registered Training Organisation with nationally recognised courses to offer, we focus on workplace learning, change and productive work—not just training. It is important to understand that there are many factors involved in trying to ‘drive’ or facilitate change (or continuous improvement) in a workplace. When training is successful in ‘making a difference’ it is usually because there are multiple factors within the workplace which support and strengthen the learning. For instance:

• People are given the opportunity to apply what they have learned and practise the skills they develop.
• There is support for some ‘risk taking’ (in learning and development) and ‘mistakes’ are recognised—sometimes even celebrated—as opportunities for improvement.
• The culture of the workplace values, recognises and rewards learning.
• Opportunities are available and systems are put in place to ‘capture’ and share learning across the organisation.

Conversely, without these things happening, even excellent training programs may fail to have real impact as ‘things go back to normal’ after the initial enthusiasm of the training session wanes.

You might like to share your stories with us!

• What are people learning in your workplace—and is it all productive learning, which benefits both individuals and the organisation?
• Is learning valued and celebrated in your workplace? How?
• Can you think of examples where teaching or training has taken place, but nothing has changed? Why was that?

Dr Peter Waterhouse
Work Doctor at Workplace Learning Initiatives Pty Ltd.

Related Articles:

• Is your workplace sick?
• Symptoms of a sick workplace
• Why blaming doesn’t work
• Curing a sick workplace: Coffee and cake, or onions?