If you follow us on Twitter or Facebook, you will see some photos of our employees receiving awards or being recognized by their Romeo RIM coworkers or senior management. This isn’t some type of artificial “feel-goodery” on anyone’s part, it’s a legitimate show of respect and admiration our team feels for one another.
What is the reason for this? We actually talk to each other here. In fact, we encourage it.
Why place such an emphasis on communication? Think about it — working in a busy, high-output composites manufacturing facility can be physically and mentally challenging. There are thousands of moving parts — literally — and many safety procedures each worker needs to abide by in order to efficiently produce some of the world’s most impressive long fiber injection molded products. There is only so much training that can be done with regard to how to operate machinery and function in a workstation. In order for the entire process to run smoothly, there has to be strong communication.
Romeo RIM operates under a servant leadership model, which empowers employees at all levels to fully engage with the company and each another. This takes the form of across-the-board communication, whether it’s coming up with innovative ideas of doing things better, reporting malfunctioning equipment, or openly communicating with fellow employees on the factory floor. Workers on the floor talk to each other as well as management and everyone’s opinion is valued, with everyone fully engaged.
The concept of employee engagement is not a new one, but the constant encouragement on a daily basis for such an approach is not found in all companies. It is at Romeo RIM, through the need for communication. Although it would seem like open communication is a major factor in employee engagement, there hasn’t been a lot of scientific research on the interplay between the two. The research that has been done indicates there is a positive relationship between communication and commitment, discretionary effort, and meaningful work, which are all factors of engagement. This research also points to employees by and large being more engaged in their companies and their successes when given access to channels of communication.
The face to face interaction on the floor here at Romeo RIM is one of the ways our employees communicate. We also invest in updates to our cafeteria and break rooms, as well as innovative “breakout” rooms featuring a central table and four walls plastered with white boards for brainstorming and diagrams. We have regular, ongoing team meetings, and message boards throughout our manufacturing facility and offices.
As we continue to grow our customer base and invest in new technologies, we remain committed to our servant leadership model and valuing all our employees. When new staff come on board in the months and years ahead, they will be welcomed into the workplace and given access to these same communication streams. Via open communication and employee engagement, our entire team can continue to have Reasons to Believe.
