Leadership | From sadness to joy

Every week, The Press presents advice, anecdotes and reflections for leaders, entrepreneurs and managers.

Isabelle Masse
The Press

THE BOARD

sweater lift

When Roger Jacques died on March 17, 2011, his daughters Alexandra and Marie-Pier Jacques took over Portes Lambton, in Lambton, Estrie. To give meaning to this event and transform their tears into happiness, they have dedicated this day to commemorating the 35 years of service of their employees. Ninth in the running: Raymond Bolduc, who saw a hockey jersey bearing his name brought up in the factory a month ago. “The initial idea was that if you had 35 years of seniority with us, you had given more to Roger than to his daughters! explains Marie-Pier Jacques, Vice-President and Director of Human Resources. It’s an opportunity for us to change a heavy event into something beautiful. We are lucky, because we still have several old timers with us. They are people who have knowledge and help pass it on to younger people. »

Each time, a break takes place at 4:15 p.m. and Marie-Pier Jacques addresses the 125 employees. “It’s a pride for the one who receives his vest,” she said. He receives applause. At 35 years of service, your employer is your family. The gesture underscores through the tape that management cares about its employees. “No people, no doors!” summarizes Marie-Pier Jacques. It costs money, but it’s not a lot to pay to provide a positive experience for employees. It’s just happiness. »

THE THING

Two-way mentoring

To reduce the burden of the labor shortage on the shoulders of manufacturing companies, two-way mentoring would be a good avenue, according to the Benefit News site. On the one hand, younger employees can learn more quickly from employees with more seniority. On the other hand, older people can stop feeling overwhelmed by technology by updating their working methods thanks to newcomers. “A great opportunity arises to redefine work by coupling the experience of older people with the techno interest of younger people,” says Jaime Urquidi, director of Parsable (digital tools for industrial work), in an article. By combining these two approaches, the two generations will be able to design the world of manufacturing work of tomorrow. »

(Source: benefitnews.com)

THE QUOTE

(Source: Twitter)

THE NUMBER

25%

That’s the proportion of workers in Canada who say their manager regularly communicates with them after hours, according to LifeWorks Wellness Solutions’ March Mental Health Index. At the same time, more than a quarter of Canadian workers say they are unable to get work and 51% say they have too many tasks during their normal working hours.

THE THING

In the virtual

What if corporate training were virtual, with a virtual reality (VR) helmet screwed on? They would have more impact, in terms of empathy and understanding in particular, because they would be more realistic, according to what is put forward in an article by the washington post. Companies like Vantage Point and Sisu VR are increasingly offering workplace harassment training and more. “You can put yourself in the shoes of a black man more easily, for example, says Morgan Mercer, boss of Vantage Point. One can bring users to the brink of discomfort. The experience we’ve created pushes the user to look for solutions and, through the web, we help them find them. A professor quoted in the article is concerned, however, that such training may bring back trauma in some people.

(Source : The Washington Post)

THE FINDING

Soon more than Walmart

At the rate at which Amazon is growing and hiring, the company will in a few years become the largest employer in the United States, overtaking Walmart. Jeff Bezos’ baby could represent 1% of the country’s work force. And that’s not counting all the companies and SMEs that sign exclusive partnerships with the giant. Which leads, according to Vox, to the amazonification of work, that is to have as a supplier the obsession of the customer as the only goal, as Amazon dictates. Results: advanced investments for robotization, employees who mechanically repeat the same movements and tasks, who are stressed and who are injured more than average.

(Source: Vox)