There was
once a furniture shop located in an industrious community that was well known
for its production of fine quality furniture. A group of corporate investors
bought the shop. They purchased all the tools, owned the building, and hired
men of skill and integrity. The shop foreman was also handpicked by the
investors, and placed in charge of shop production, as well as marketing and
sales.
It was the
policy of the investors to supply all the employees with quality tape measures.
These tapes were purchased from a manufacturer who carefully followed the
national/official weights and measurement standards.
In the
process of time, some of the workers became careless with the use of their tape
measures. Some did not keep them clipped to their belt, but let them lay in
places where they fell to the floor, bending the tips, causing small
discrepancies in their measurements.
The workers
in the assembly department were the first to have problems. They checked the
measurements on the blueprints and noted some small discrepancies. The assembly
workers confronted their fellow employees in the cutting department. Those
cutting the parts countered with charges of “you are too picky!” and “who
placed you in charge of quality control?” “Stay in your department,” were their
last words to the assembly workers. The assembly department tried their best
but ended up with tables out of square and wobbly. Some of the drawers were too
large for the openings, and there were gaps on some joints too large for wood
filler.
An appeal
was made to the shop foreman who in turn called for an employee conference. All
employees were instructed to bring their tape measures and were asked to
testify whether they used them. No one bothered to inspect the tape measures
for damage, nor did the shop foreman take time to mingle with the employees to
observe how they used their tape measures. Animosity and tension mounted
between the two departments. The frequency of employee conferences increased.
Most ended with a vote to “do better” after charges and counter charges were
made.
As the
years went by, some workers in the cutting department broke, or even lost their
tape measures. Instead of asking for new ones, some made their own measuring
devises from the scraps of lumber that were piling up due to the rejection of
parts by the assembly department.
A few of
the workers in both departments considered themselves “men with a good eye” claiming
that they no longer needed a tape measure.
Conflicts intensified
between the two departments, and on occasion tapes were angrily thrown at one
another. Others found it convenient to use their homemade measuring sticks to
“thump” an adversarial fellow employee.
At employee
conferences led by the shop foremen, nobody checked to see if the employees had
their tape measures with them at the meetings. The shop foreman fired a number
of employees whom he determined to be too outspoken at the meetings. Several
employees were fired for suggesting that the foreman be in the production
areas.
“It was not
my job to work there. I was not hired to cut or assemble.” Furthermore he felt
his position was superior to those cutting and assembling. It insulted his ego
to think that these “laborers” might dare advise him.
And it came
to pass, that the investors became alarmed by the loss of profits from the
business. They hired specialists to come to the furniture shop and evaluate
production. Rather than visit the shop during working hours, they too, called
for a meeting with all current employees, including the shop foreman.
After
introductions and acknowledgements of credentials by the specialists, it was
not long until charges and counter charges erupted from both departments. One
of the investors who had been trained in public relations skills, called for an
“affirmation” vote to make the shop a success. He led the employees in a number
of chants “we will succeed, we will succeed, more production is what we need.”
This was followed by wild applause, whistling and cheers.
A vote to
agree to work together was taken, followed by the cheer. A final recommendation
was made to send the foreman to take a series of management skills retreats,
all expenses paid. A vocal vote was taken for support of the move. The “ayes”
far outnumbered the “nays.”
One of the
investors had remained silent throughout the meeting. Before a formal motion
was made for dismissal, he rose to speak. As he did so, he opened his case, and
removed a computer.
He
projected photos on the wall, accompanied by audio from the furniture shops’
two production areas. This investor had come to the shop, unsuspected by the
employees or the shop foreman. He had introduced himself as a reporter
interested in the shops’ production. He had snapped photos from both
departments, along with accompanying sound bites.
The room
was quiet as the camera zoomed in to show bent and dented ends on tape
measures.
There were
a few chuckles as they watched several employees using their homemade measuring
sticks. A burst of laughter broke out as one image showed a man looking at a
blue print, eyeing a board, placing a pencil mark at a perceived spot, then
cutting the part to size. The object of the laughter was observed to be
developing a reddish-pink tinge around the back of the neck.
The
laughter quickly died as another picture displayed an outbreak of an “all-out
war” between the two departments. Tape measures were seen being hurled at
fellow employees accompanied by language that was far from complimentary. As
opportunity afforded itself, those who held made up measuring devices struck
blows upon those who had charged them with errors in the past.
Following
the presentation, the lone investor then asked, “How many of you brought your
measuring devices to this meeting?” Those who didn’t were asked to go to the
shop and return with them. After their return, the lone investor/owner opened a
box of new tape measures, just like the ones given to all employees when the
shop opened.
Walking to
the shop, he returned with a board that was an approximately 36” long. He
proceeded to use a new tape to make a mark with his pencil at exactly 24.”
He then
asked each employee to bring his own measuring device and check its accuracy.
One by one they came. Only a few had their original tapes in good working
condition. Some were spliced with electrical tape. Discrepancies ranged from
1/16” to 3/8”. Snickers again erupted when those who had resorted to homemade
rulers came forward. Some of them were as far as ¾” in error. Last, those who
said they had an “eye” to measure were given a length of a stick and told to
“use your eye and make a mark at 24”. No eyes proved to be accurate.
The lone
investor then turned to address the shop foreman. In earnest he asked some
pointed questions. “Why did you not leave your air-conditioned office and
mingle with the employees?” “Why did you not inspect everyone’s tape measure
when they came to employee meetings?” “Why did you not report to us as
investors that you allowed unresolved conflicts to go unaddressed?” “Why did
you not inform us of the huge stack of lumber, cut wrong and rejected by the
assembly department?”
The shop
foreman stood, head down, awaiting as it were, a verdict from a judge, but he
stopped short of asking for a vote among the other investors to have him fired.
Returning
to the box of new tape measures, the lone investor proposed his plan of action.
A new tape measure would be offered to all the employees whose measuring
devices failed the 24” test. There was this stipulation. All of the devices
that failed in the test must be thrown into the large shop garbage can.
Those who
had maintained valid functional tape measures broke into large smiles, waiting
for and urging their fellow employees to step up to get their new tapes.
Seconds passed. No one moved. Minutes went by. The smiles faded and turned to
furrowed brows.
It was the
investor that proposed sending the foreman to the management skills seminar who
broke the silence. “The plan is to simplistic,” he said. “Furthermore, it does
not address the issues of interpersonal conflicts between the departments and
the shop foreman.”
He took
charge and called for a vote to accept or reject the proposal of the lone
investor. The vote was not even conducted by a raise of hands, but by verbal
ayes and nays. A small sound of protest to his action was heard.
He then
called for an adjournment of the meeting, after another vote of affirmation to
do better was taken and passed. Several weeks later, the shop foreman went to
his scheduled seminar. He returned with great enthusiasm. He first led the
employees in a few new chants, like “we are good, we knew we could!” The
enthusiasm soon died when the production sheets were read. Charges and counter
charges flew like poisoned arrows across the room. Only when the foreman called
for a vote to agree to “do better” did any semblance of order return.
One month later,
the company declared bankruptcy, and all the employees were out of a job.
The lone
investor who had proposed “too simplistic a plan” sought the few who had kept
and used their original, well-maintained tape measures. They started a small shop,
and a short time later, began to produce beautiful, functional pieces of
furniture. Requests for their products increased and the little shop grew. A
few former employees heard of the new shop and its growth, and applied for
jobs. When told that they must accept the new tape measures and discard their
old ones, they walked away and remained unemployed or filed for unemployment
benefits.
Jeremiah 3:14, 15 “Turn o backsliding children
saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city,
and two of a family, and will bring you to Zion. And I will give you pastors
according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
Here now
the lesson of this parable:
The quality
tape measure is like unto the Word of God. Negligence, abuse of, or disregard
for its proper usage will bring serious consequences.
No amount
of discussion, dialogue, or simple agreements to “do better” will substitute
for the actual usage of quality, well-maintained tape measures.
The shop
foreman is like unto the pastor of the flock. Unlike the shop foreman in the
parable, pastors must work with and among their people. Special training in relationship
and people management skills can never do what time spent with, and thoughtful
observation of the needs of the congregation will do.
Those of us
as pastors need to be close enough to our people so they can “know them which
labor among them....”
John 12:48
“He that rejecteth me and recieveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him:
the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
—Lyle A. Kropf
