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FEATURE STORY

JOB SATISFACTION Continued

that are of interest to you and skills you wish to learn. Make suggestions about how a task might be approached or
take the lead on a 5-Step for tasks you are involved in. Speak up about safety concerns and machine issues and have
an interest in how problems are resolved.

People also have a related need for competence in their lives. We want to feel that the actions we take are effec-
tive, that we are good at what we do, and that we are growing in skill. In our field environment the learning curve
for our operation can be very steep. Many of us start picking up skills in a hurry as we familiarize with daily opera-
tion, equipment maintenance needs, technical knowledge, and the broader railroad industry. This can be very excit-
ing and rewarding for those that adapt to our environment. We have a knowledge and career path that can keep
people moving for quite a while.
The thing to be on the lookout for as leaders and teammates include new employees who don’t pick up skills as

quickly as expected. This can be very discouraging to the employee, and a negative reaction from peers and leaders
can be intimidating and create a negative loop of dissatisfaction. Recognizing the contributions and noting the suc-
cesses of others becomes very important in creating feelings of competence among your team.

Finally, we all have a need to experience relatedness. This is a general social need that is a critical aspect of a
healthy work environment. I would argue it becomes even more important in the kind of field-based environment
that Loram employees experience, where the workday makes up the majority of our social experience for extended
periods of time. Relatedness means having a sense of belonging in your group and forming relationships.

In the work environment this can mean being free to speak up about concerns, knowing that mistakes will be han-
dled professionally, and being included in conversation and activity. On the one hand, on our machines, the shared
effort and close quarters can make for a great opportunity to develop as a tight team. The risk is that the potential
for isolation is much deeper if an employee feels they are positioned outside the group, and this can be made more
challenging as we bring in people from vastly different backgrounds. It is critical that leaders and teammates be
aware of this dynamic and demonstrate respect for their team, seek ways to create connection, and include people
as much as possible. Shared meals are great for cohesion, as are taking opportunities to see or experience new
things in some of the remarkable places we find ourselves working.
As we all make decisions about our careers

and try to run a successful operation, it can
be valuable to reflect on the ways that au-
tonomy, relatedness, and competence are a
part of our own experience, and how we
might make small changes that can make a
big difference in our work experience. And if
we are leaders, it becomes a necessity that
we understand the ways these critical needs
are being experienced among our team, and
that leaders take action to create an environ-
ment where those needs are recognized and
met.

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Volume 2 : Issue 7