Human Behavior at Workplace

My last post was interview tips for fresh grads part 1.
Part 2 can wait for a little while.
I want to post something that spark a blink blink in my head as I read Me Myself and I (Hanim Husin)
Something got to do with human behavior at workplace.
This is raw idea based on my own experience managing human capital in manufacturing industry for many years.
How human behave at workplace depends heavily on
1) how they have been brought up by their parents
2) where they came from, geographically
3) how they behave at school
4) who they mix around with

President of Matsushita Company once said, "At Matsushita, first we build our people, then our products"
Why this Industrial Mahaguru said so?
Simply because school leavers has different set of behavior than what is expected by Matsushita Company.
Therefore, Matshushita Company really strive on changing the unwanted behavior that come together with the newly hired workers.
And because human are the most valued asset a company can have, Matsushita Company always focus on Human Capital Training and Development.
I strongly agreed with this approach.

My own approach in managing human behavior is basically based on Matsushita Company approach.
(Don't tell this to my Japs bosses, because they are fanatically groomed to follow only, our company philosophy in management practices. They even banned TPM, ha ha!)
Okay, one example is enforcing 5S practice at production floor.
This is tough task, I tell you my friend.
The major "atama ittai" is changing Malaysian workforce behavior towards cleanliness.
This is important reminder, please take note:
In enforcing 5S do not tell your subordinate, "Please make your workplace as it is your own house"
This is drop dead wrong!
Why ya?
Simply because assumption is the mother of all screw-ups!!
You don't know what his house cleanliness level is.
Imagine if he came from a home that is not so clean.
What will happen is, your cleanliness level and his won't be match.
There you go.
Your 5S will become "Semua Sama Sama Sapu Sampah!"

This is what I am trying to tell, Matsushita was right all the way.
We should set, visualize, communicate, train and follow-up what level of cleanliness that we want.
Never assume that they are readily understand your needs because human behavior depends heavily on how they have been brought up, where there came from, how do they behave at school and who they mix around with.
Their perceptions and yours are not the same.

Now you tell me how will this kind of people behave at workplace:
1) The school vandals
2) The toilet bloggers
3) The "kaki ponteng kelas"
4) The "lepak" king
5) The gangster or "kaki buli"
6) The list goes on until cow come home...

So, what are we going to do?
Don't tell me we are going to pick only the good one during interview for hiring.
People can pretend "skema" and "poyo" during interview..(I did that also, ahaks!!)
We follow what Matsushita did, we brainwash during early stage of hiring for a period of time then only release for operations.
In my workplace currently, we train newly hired executive for 6 months before releasing to his department.
This is somewhat, somehow duplicate Matsushita way, or our own company way, or whateverlah.
As long as its working.