When a fed up flight attendant leaves a JetBlue airplane in dramatic fashion, many say, ?I know how it feels.?? Slater is accused of cursing out passengers, grabbing a couple of beers, and then sliding out of the plane with the emergency exit chute.
In the coming weeks, we?ll find out more about the incident.? But from what we know, you can draw some conclusions about the frustrations that many people are feeling on the job.? Here are some warning signs:
A Change: Flight attendants are at ground zero for passenger complaints about higher fees, baggage restrictions, and reduced meal services.? They?ve become easy targets for policies created by the bean counters who are nowhere to be seen.
When an organization decides to make a change that impacts customers, time needs to be spent considering how this will affect those who interact with them.? Are they given any response to say other than, ?We?re sorry.?? Or are they empowered to with information that deflects the criticism and makes the public consider the situation in a different light.
A Communication Breakdown: Do employees have a way to communicate their concerns to management?? Do they feel like their concerns are heard or dismissed?? Most people don?t spontaneously explode and act irrationally as it appears Slater did.? Like a volcano, usually there has been a build up of pressure inside the employee.
The Feeling of Being Stuck: When employees become disillusioned with their jobs, the organization suffers.? If he or she leaves, then the company faces having to pay the high cost of replacement.? But if the person stays, are they doing more damage than good?
Effective leaders need to maintain employee morale during the challenging times.? Let them know the plan for overcoming the obstacles and what?s involved in achieving the goals.? People will take on a certain amount of workplace ?pain? if they feel that it?s part of a plan.? Otherwise resentment will go up and performance will fall.
During tough economic times, it’s more important than ever for successful organizations to consider the impact of decisions on employees. ?Otherwise, prepare to hear a chorus of people saying, “Where’s the slide?”
