Adrift???
Silence is golden.. unless you're on a charter boat several miles at sea. The Detroit Diesel 8V71 that was powering us at a rootin' tootin' 9 knots had suddenly coughed and quit. We were broken down... adrift several miles from the nearest pub.
After an obligatory time-out for cursing, our Captain set about identifying the problem. Within moments he figured out that the engine was not getting any fuel... a puzzling situation, because he'd checked the tanks before leaving the dock.
An 8V71 doesn't use ALL the diesel that is pumped towards the injectors, returning the unused portion to the tank. Since this boat has TWO tanks, it's important to set the valves so that you are drawing from, and returning, fuel to the same tank. In this case we were sucking from the starboard tank and returning fuel to the port one... eventually emptying the tank the engine was depending on (and filling the other one).
It turned out we had plenty of fuel, a hidden resource once the correct valve was opened... we motored away AND the list to port gradually corrected itself.
You may have noticed that, in many areas, the bus industry is either adrift or not living up to its potential. We are short of drivers, mechanics and management talent. If we have hidden resources, we need to find, and use, them.
In recent years there's been a huge push for equal opportunity for everyone, regardless of race, gender.. heck, you get it. It's the law, politically correct and good PR. Some companies do it because it's right, others make a half hearted attempt, and a few outright fake it.
May I suggest another reason to make that effort. Your business could profit mightily from talented people you already employ... if you look at them objectively... without presuppositions based on irrelevant traits.
Years ago (WAY too many of my sentences start with that phrase) I worked at a bus sales company with a young black man who cleaned buses. One day he went to the boss and asked if he could take home some maintenance manuals to study at night. You may have guessed where this is going... he became a fine mechanic, and eventually shop foreman. A couple of years later they needed a salesperson... and gave him a shot. Over the years he led the company in sales several times, and made them a lot of money. Pretty good return on the loan of a few books, and willingness to see his potential.
35 years of marriage has taught me a few things (Susan might say “darn few”). One is that women often think differently than men. We manly types tend to mock some stereotypes, when, in fact, we might try paying attention. “Different” isn't inferior.. innovation is generally the result of “different” ways of thinking. Perhaps our current way of running the industry isn't flawless, and “different” might be an improvement.
A young woman who “Captained” for a scuba charter operation (she's NOT the one who had the fuel valve wrong) pointed out that “you guys speak a different language”. She's no dummy... 20's... Bachelors degree, 50 ton Master's license, a Scuba Instructor who has worked and dove all over, and she feels left out when helping the guys do maintenance. The kid is bright, and once things are explained in testosterone neutral language, she can do anything the guys can, often better.
How much productivity is lost when we presume people either don't know, or can't learn, tasks based on false assumptions? How much would our businesses benefit from finding hidden resources and exploring new viewpoints?
If I were Tom Brady (in MY dreams).. I'd want the best possible players on the offensive line to protect me. Nothing would matter beyond their ability to keep me from being squashed. If a 3’5” 150 pound tyke could do the job well...
You're chuckling because some jobs do require certain attributes. No one who is 3'5” and 50 pounds is likely to play offensive tackle in the NFL. Putting them in the game promises to be painful for everyone.
REAL performance is all that matters in professional sports... and if a woman tries out who can do better than the guys, she'll get the job. Athletics has into the ultimate “equal opportunity”.
Generally women aren’t as physically large or strong as men, but most modern jobs require intelligence, judgment, diligence… If a candidate/employee has those traits hire or promote them, because all the race/creed/gender stuff pales in importance to the ability to do the job.
Political Correctness isn't my thing. No one should hold a job for any reason other than because they're good at it., but... if they ARE good at it, or are capable of learning it... can we afford to waste the resource? Do you have employees with hidden talents or ambitions that are languishing because of “assumptions” based on… bias?
Are competitors utilizing their people better than we are... and kicking our butts?
We need that sort of evolution. In these times... can we afford to overlook any talent? Particularly folks already in our organization?
AND
Is it lost on you that I resorted to a manly sports illustration to make the point?
