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Keep That Rope Tight!


2015 07Jul-11 Rope Metaphor.png

“Keep the rope tight!” became a source of fun for one particular front-line supervisor,

This particular supervisor struggled holding her associates accountable; it was uncomfortable to mention the same incorrect-behavior more than once. When she monitored the behaviors & processes frequently she believed it demonstrated a lack of trust in her associates.

The rope metaphor provided a fresh perspective. One morning, at the start of the day, I retrieved a line of rope from the safety crib and bought it to the shop floor. At the conclusion of the MDI (manage for daily improvement) session, we stood and made a few observations. There were three associates within view not adhering to the prescribed safety behaviors – PPE worn incorrectly, lift tables not adjusted to the proper heights, and one encroachment to the powered industrial truck.

As I stood next to her, I handed her one end of the 8 foot length of rope; I held the other end and let the rope drop to the floor between us. I had her pull on the rope and asked what happened. ”Nothing.” I then requested she pull on the rope repeatedly until the slack was removed, the rope become taught and the next pull lifted my arm and pulled me toward her.

We repeated this exercise standing 8 feet apart, rather than next to one another. Obviously the rope was now taught between us. She pulled the rope. Before I asked the question, she smiled and began to explain the rope metaphor.

“When the rope was tight, it required little effort on my part to get a reaction from you. When the rope was slack, you did not know I was pulling until the fourth or fifth pull. In each case, the reaction was the same, but one required much less effort. I need to have a respectful conversation to assure my associates know what is expected and how I intend to hold them accountable. I then have to “keep the rope tight” by following up. I need to ‘inspect what I expect” like you have consistently suggested."

Do your leadership practices “keep the rope tight?”

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