They can be felt as much as they can be seen. The vast majority of the hourly employees no longer believe that they are merely hired hands or warm bodies. Recently, they initiated a petition expressing their wishes that the company accelerate the pace of employee empowerment. The petition was presented to the president of the company. Engineers and hourly employees sit down and work together to solve problems.
Employees raise critical issues to their leaders.
Whereas people used to express hostility because they didn't care, they now express anger because they do care. Blank expressions have turned into enthusiastic smiles. Vice presidents, factory managers, supervisors, and hourly employees laugh together. In short, hourly workers have exceeded both their own and the company's expectations. In most industrial organizations, this is unprecedented.