+27 (0)66 115 1644 info@centre-for-leadership.com

Attitudes to work – It’s time to change.

 

 

Maybe you have seen a T-shirt with a slogan – ‘Born to fish but forced to work!’ Similar slogans replacing ‘fish’ with golf or other past-times can also be seen from time to time.

Rather amusing if it was not so sad! Why the negative attitude to work? Work can provide for more than just one’s financial needs – it just depends on one’s attitude.

In discussing this with a colleague he pointed out that for a large section of our population, attitudes to work are rooted in our past.

In pre-colonial days, work as we know it, did not exist. For African men, caring for one’s cattle gave a man a sense of pride, responsibility and purpose. For the women, brewing beer and the activities associated with subsistence farming were not ‘work’. They were social events to be looked forward to! There were certainly no negative connotations associated with these activities.

 

That was all to change with the conflict that went with colonization.

For example, in 1856, a 14-year prophetess, Nongquwuse, persuaded the Xhosa people that if they burned their fields and slaughtered their cattle their ancestors would come back and help them drive the settlers into the sea.

The cattle were slaughtered and the fields laid bare but instead of the settlers being driven into the sea, thousands of Xhosas died of starvation and others were forced into servitude.

Wars in other parts of the country had the same effect – forcing people off the land and into employment.

The Bambata rebellion in 1906 was sparked by the colonial government imposing a poll tax designed to force young Zulus to work for a period on the mines.

Work on the mines in those days for young men meant mindless, back-breaking manual toil in dangerous conditions for pitiful wages – almost amounting to slavery.

Hence, from a long time ago, ‘work’ was associated with drudgery, exploitation and unpleasantness – a form of punishment. This, my colleague argues, was further exacerbated during the struggle against apartheid when business was targeted by struggle leaders.

In order to bring down the apartheid government, Black people were encouraged to resist in any way that they could. This included sabotaging the efforts of business to create productive workplaces!

Even though more than three decades have passed since the demise of apartheid, my colleague asserts that many unionists and employees still view work as punishment. Productivity initiatives are therefore viewed with skepticism and often fail.

The problem is that if we are to compete globally, South Africa as a nation needs to become more productive. To do that we have to change people’s attitudes to work!

How do we do this? Some suggestions include:-

  • Create meaning. Engage employees in developing a clear vision, mission, values and goals for the business so that they understand what the business is trying to achieve and where they fit into the plan.
  • Walk the talk’ – live the values of the business. If employees see their bosses acting in ways that are not consistent with the values and goals they espouse, who can blame them if they view management initiatives with cynicism. On the other hand, bosses who ‘practice what they preach’, usually enjoy the loyalty and whole hearted support of their employees.
  • Develop a performance management system which encourages participation at all levels, not just at management and senior staff levels. Encourage employees to set their own targets and make them accountable to achieve them!
  • Reward employees for initiative and good performance. If people perform well, they should be rewarded accordingly but remember that rewards do not always have to be financial. There is no substitute for praise and personal recognition for a job well done!
  • Encourage transparency throughout the business by encouraging candour, integrity and regular communication. Let people know how they doing and how the business as a whole is faring.
  • Take advantage of training initiatives and tax incentives to create a learning environment whereby employees take responsibility for their own training and development. Create career paths for people to progress and develop.
  • Recognise that the need for balance between work and one’s personal life. Life skills training can prove invaluable to a business in the long run by helping employees to manage their finances, family and personal lives.
  • Be flexible in creating work opportunities. Part-time employment, ‘virtual’ jobs and ‘freelance workers’ can provide scarce skills for an organisation and maintain continuity. These jobs are usually at a premium and therefore if managed correctly, part-time employees are likely to value their jobs and can make a solid contribution to the business.
  • Stand up to bullies. Do not allow unions or individuals with outdated or negative perceptions of work to hold the business to ransom. Processes which encourage direct employee participation should be encouraged, even if they are not popular in certain quarters.
  • Bring fun back into work. Leaders who have a sense of humour and who bring laughter and a sense of excitement into the work situation usually get good results. Engage employees in seeking ways to put the fun back into work so that it is not looked upon as ‘punishment’ but rather something to look forward to.

Our team have worked with these companies