Text: Jaroslav Drahoš
I would like to share with you a few thoughts that have been on my mind, or rather, close to my heart, in recent months. I am convinced that a company must always talk about numbers, productivity and strategy. However, it is equally important to talk about how we work together. How departments work together, but also, of course, how individual team members work together. How we feel at work and what kind of environment we create together in the company is really important. This affects each and every one of us in our printing company, without exception.
FINIDR is developing. We are doing well commercially, growing technologically, and have satisfied customers. We are gaining trust in the market and confirming that we are a long-term stable and reliable partner, supplier, and employer.
It is important that we grow externally, but we must also grow internally. We must grow as a team, as a community of people who spend a certain part of their lives together. In this area, I believe that we still have many opportunities to do things differently and better and to move forward in many areas.
What I am thinking about and what I want to talk to you about
I am thinking about how we talk to each other, how we solve problems and how we react when something goes wrong. What is the reaction and atmosphere in the team when someone makes a mistake…
Mistakes are made and will always be made. We are a custom production and we are constantly encountering something new. It is logical that mistakes will sometimes be made. However, it is important that we make as few mistakes as possible along the way. It is even more important that these mistakes are not repeated.
To this end, we have a range of functional tools, rules and procedures that are constantly changing and improving, not only based on experience gained, but also thanks to mistakes from which we are able to learn. The most important thing is that we are able to talk openly about problems and mistakes. We should not cover up mistakes, but rather try to see them, describe them and solve them together. However, this can never happen if, instead of communicating openly about problems and their subsequent solutions, we try to downplay or even cover up mistakes.
A word I hear all the time is ‘snitching.’ It is used in situations where someone points out a mistake, a rule violation, or something that simply does not work. Instead of thanking them for seeing it, wanting to solve the problem, and having the courage to speak up, they usually hear the derogatory word ‘snitch.’ At the same time, the opposite narrative, ‘I won’t snitch,’ is also very often used. However, this is just as bad, if not worse. If we translate ‘I won’t snitch,’ it’s like saying, ‘I know there’s a problem, but why should I solve it, or I know where the problem is, but I don’t care.’ What’s even worse is that I know where the problem is, but there’s no point in solving it because my boss will sweep it under the rug anyway. The worst thing is the idea that if I point out the problem, I will cause it myself, because it is not talked about and instead of thanking me for the information, the head of the department will come and ‘deal with me’ because ‘he can’t, doesn’t want to, doesn’t understand’.
However, this is not what a team player does. Nor is it what someone who wants things to be better, who wants us to work better and not repeat mistakes unnecessarily, does.
Responsibility is not snitching
If someone has the courage to say, ‘Something is not being done properly here, or this is jeopardising our quality or safety,’ it is not snitching but responsibility. It is caring for the team, the company and colleagues.
In an ideal environment, problems should be addressed directly in the workplace among people, openly, with respect and, above all, in a timely manner. If something isn’t working, let’s talk about it and solve it. When someone makes a mistake, let’s not look for culprits, but for the causes of the problem, and above all, let’s learn from it.
Openness is strength, not weakness
I want to encourage you not to be afraid to talk openly about problems. Share your ideas, but also your concerns. If something isn’t working, say so. If someone needs help, offer it. If you have an idea on how and what to improve, speak up.
You have the opportunity to do so, and if your manager is not listening to you, you can come to me. This is extremely important for the company culture that we are creating together every day. Culture is always shaped by what we tolerate and what we support or accept and deliberately overlook.
Let’s build the future together
New projects, investments in new technologies and many challenges await us. However, all of this loses its meaning if we lose trust in each other and the joy of our work. Let’s continue to build a company that we can be proud of, not only as professionals, but also as people. Let us not be afraid to be open, fair and responsible. Let us trust each other and speak frankly.
Thank you all – not only for your work, but also for the humanity you put into it. Because printing books is not just an ordinary job. It is a meaningful mission. And I am proud that we are carrying it out together.
