Reflection Essay 3
“Speaking up at work”
• The company experienced steady growth over the years including during the meltdown of the global economy. However, we felt we had to anticipate a possible future financial impact and looked at ways to reduce cost significantly. One of the projects was to outsource the manufacturing operations located in Canada to Mexico. The project had expected savings of millions of dollars and would help fund R&D to develop new technologies. I was in total support of having manufacturing operations in Mexico dedicated to the U.S. market. However, I was very skeptical about the savings that were presented and felt the math was not working.
• The team working on the financials was outside my own organization but …show more content…
I questioned the project early and I talked openly to my manager (in private, not in public ) when the project was well underway but they were not the right time. I should have spoken up at the time we all nodded and said we should do this. One year later, the Finance team started to ask questions about the expected savings. It became worse when the CFO called out my manager during an executive meeting: the entire Operations team was now under duress to deliver real savings in a short period of time with no meaningful cost reduction project on the horizon.
• I am willing to speak up for legal and ethical matters. They may seem obvious ones but in my world, it is about fighting everyday ignorance and bad judgement. A few examples: o A salesman brought personal items from Japan to the Unites States in a company container because it was cheaper (if identified, U.S. Customs could shut down all our import and exports for a period of time). o We ask suppliers to sign documents against child labor but we do not control. o A supplier is awarded business because the salesman is “a nice …show more content…
I should first dissect what this fear is about and try to be clear about what is at play. Being specific and putting words against an emotion or a situation will help me better understand the issue (perceived or real). I could also try to understand the most likely consequences if I speak up (as opposed to potential consequences). Like in any behavior, it takes practice or at least preparation to be able to speak up. I need to build systematic steps described above to force the outcome. Another alternative for me would be to ensure I am always engaged at work. I will speak up when I am
“Speaking up at work”
• The company experienced steady growth over the years including during the meltdown of the global economy. However, we felt we had to anticipate a possible future financial impact and looked at ways to reduce cost significantly. One of the projects was to outsource the manufacturing operations located in Canada to Mexico. The project had expected savings of millions of dollars and would help fund R&D to develop new technologies. I was in total support of having manufacturing operations in Mexico dedicated to the U.S. market. However, I was very skeptical about the savings that were presented and felt the math was not working.
• The team working on the financials was outside my own organization but …show more content…
I questioned the project early and I talked openly to my manager (in private, not in public ) when the project was well underway but they were not the right time. I should have spoken up at the time we all nodded and said we should do this. One year later, the Finance team started to ask questions about the expected savings. It became worse when the CFO called out my manager during an executive meeting: the entire Operations team was now under duress to deliver real savings in a short period of time with no meaningful cost reduction project on the horizon.
• I am willing to speak up for legal and ethical matters. They may seem obvious ones but in my world, it is about fighting everyday ignorance and bad judgement. A few examples: o A salesman brought personal items from Japan to the Unites States in a company container because it was cheaper (if identified, U.S. Customs could shut down all our import and exports for a period of time). o We ask suppliers to sign documents against child labor but we do not control. o A supplier is awarded business because the salesman is “a nice …show more content…
I should first dissect what this fear is about and try to be clear about what is at play. Being specific and putting words against an emotion or a situation will help me better understand the issue (perceived or real). I could also try to understand the most likely consequences if I speak up (as opposed to potential consequences). Like in any behavior, it takes practice or at least preparation to be able to speak up. I need to build systematic steps described above to force the outcome. Another alternative for me would be to ensure I am always engaged at work. I will speak up when I am