ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jess Kutch - Labor entrepreneur
TED Fellow Jess Kutch is the cofounder of Coworker.org, a nonprofit that helps people join together to improve their jobs and workplaces.

Why you should listen

Jess Kutch and her team at Coworker.org are figuring out the technology, organizing models, financing and policies that can help workers improve their companies and industries in today’s economy. At Coworker.org, they believe anyone can be a workplace organizer and that seeking positive change at work is a form of civic and community leadership that requires infrastructure. Since 2013, hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and worldwide have used Coworker.org tools and services to win wage increases, scheduling improvements and parental leave benefits; end biased dress codes; fix harassment policies; demand corporate ethics and much more. Coworker.org also helps channel workers' information about the real-time effects of digital economy trends -- like automation, data profiting, surveillance and app-based gig work -- to influence decisions that will shape the future of work and inequality. 

Kutch has 15 years of experience innovating at the intersection of technology and social change. Previously, she led a team at Change.org that inspired hundreds of thousands of people to launch and lead their own efforts on the platform. She also spent five years at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), where she pioneered digital strategies for the labor movement. Kutch is a TED Fellow, an Echoing Green Global Fellow, a J.M.K. Innovation Prize winner and an Aspen Institute Job Quality Fellow. She is a frequently requested speaker at business, labor, futurist, democracy and economic conferences around the world. She has been invited to provide expert testimony to the EEOC Task Force on Harassment in the Workplace and the National Labor Relations Board. In 2015, Coworker.org cohosted the first-ever White House Town Hall on Worker Voice.

 

More profile about the speaker
Jess Kutch | Speaker | TED.com
TED2019

Jess Kutch: What productive conflict can offer a workplace

Jess Kutch: O que o conflito produtivo pode oferecer ao ambiente de trabalho

Filmed:
1,286,027 views

Você tem uma ideia para melhorar seu ambiente de trabalho? Jess Kutch, organizadora laboral e bolsista TED, pode nos mostrar como colocar essa ideia em prática. Nesta palestra breve, ela explica como o "conflito produtivo", aquele quando as pessoas se organizam para desafiar e melhorar sua vida profissional, pode ser benéfico tanto para patrões quanto para empregados.
- Labor entrepreneur
TED Fellow Jess Kutch is the cofounder of Coworker.org, a nonprofit that helps people join together to improve their jobs and workplaces. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I am a labor organizer,
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Eu sou organizadora laboral
00:15
and in 2013, I cofounded
an organization called coworker.org
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e, em 2013, fui cofundadora
de uma organização chamada coworker.org,
00:19
that uses technology
to help people join with coworkers
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que usa tecnologia para ajudar
pessoas a se unirem com seus colegas
00:24
and organize for improvements
in the workplace.
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e se organizarem por melhorias
nos ambientes de trabalho.
00:27
Now, there are two kinds
of reactions to what I do.
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E há dois tipos de reação ao que eu faço.
00:31
Actually, no, there are three.
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Aliás, não, há três.
00:33
The first is complete confusion
about what organizing is.
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A primeira é uma total confusão
sobre o que eu "organizo".
00:37
When my doctor asked
what I do and I told him,
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Quando meu médico perguntou
o que eu fazia, e eu disse,
00:39
he thought I meant organizing,
like, Marie Kondo-style.
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ele pensou que era organização
ao estilo Marie Kondo.
00:43
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
00:44
He was like, "Oh, that's so great,
I could use some of that around here.
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Ele disse: "Ah, que legal,
estou precisando disso aqui.
Seria ótimo arrumar
as pastas dos meus pacientes".
00:48
I would love to clean up
our patient files."
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00:50
And I had to explain to him that no, no,
it's not that kind of organizing,
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E tive que explicar que não era
esse tipo de organização.
00:54
it's more like if you showed up
to work tomorrow
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Que era mais como se ele
chegasse pra trabalhar,
e todas as enfermeiras
do consultório tivessem se reunido
00:57
and all the nurses in the office
had gotten together
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01:00
to ask for an across-the-board raise.
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para pedir um aumento geral.
01:01
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
01:03
"Oh," he replied, and he got really quiet.
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"Ah...", ele respondeu,
e então ficou caladinho.
01:06
(Laughter)
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(Risos)
01:07
Yeah, and that's
the second kind of reaction:
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Pois é, e esse é o segundo tipo de reação:
01:10
the uncomfortable kind.
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a desconfortável.
01:12
People usually withdraw
from the conversation
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As pessoas, em geral,
se retiram da conversa
01:14
and find someone else to talk to.
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e procuram outra pessoa para conversar.
01:17
Finally, there's the third reaction,
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E, por fim, há a terceira reação,
01:19
the excited one,
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a empolgada,
01:20
the, "Oh my God, yes! We need this!"
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aquela: "Caramba, sim!
Nós precisamos disso!"
01:23
And someone always proceeds
to tell me a story.
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E alguém sempre começa
a me contar uma história.
01:26
It's always a story about a job
or a coworker or a friend
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É sempre uma história
de um emprego, ou um colega,
ou um amigo que está passando
por algo difícil no trabalho.
01:30
who's enduring something awful at work.
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01:33
What I've noticed is that there is never
a neutral response to what I do.
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O que notei é que a reação
ao que faço nunca é neutra.
01:37
You're either repelled by it,
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Ou a pessoa sente repulsa,
01:39
or you're struck with
a lightning bolt of excitement.
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ou é atingida por um raio de entusiasmo.
01:43
So why does my work stir up
such strong reactions?
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E por que meu trabalho
incita reações tão fortes?
01:47
My hunch is that it's about conflict.
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Meu palpite é que tenha a ver
com a questão do conflito.
01:50
If you have power in your workplace,
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Quem tem poder no ambiente de trabalho,
01:52
maybe as a CEO
or a senior leader of some kind,
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talvez um CEO ou um tipo de líder sênior,
01:56
you're going to feel uncomfortable
with that power being challenged.
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vai sentir um desconforto
com o poder sendo desafiado.
02:00
But if you lack power, or you know someone
who lacks it and needs it,
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Mas, quem não tem poder,
ou conhece alguém que não tem e precisa,
02:04
you might grab me by the shoulders
and shake me, you're so pumped.
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talvez comece a me agarrar,
abraçar, fica a mil.
02:08
But really, we can all benefit
from understanding
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Mas, na verdade, todos podemos
nos beneficiar se entendermos
02:12
what conflict can offer in our workplaces.
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o que o conflito pode oferecer
ao nosso ambiente de trabalho.
02:15
The power imbalance
in our workplace is real,
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O desequilíbrio de poder
em nossos empregos é real,
02:17
and it's constantly changing.
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e está em constante mudança.
02:19
Power moves between us,
depending on our roles and status.
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O poder oscila entre nós,
dependendo de nossos cargos e status.
02:24
Now, sometimes this can feel
like office politics, right?
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Mas isso às vezes parece
política no escritório, não?
02:27
Which is never fun.
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O que nunca é legal.
02:29
But when we contest
for power thoughtfully
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Mas, quando disputamos
o poder com consciência
02:32
and together with our coworkers,
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e junto com nossos colegas,
02:34
it can be incredibly productive.
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pode ser incrivelmente produtivo.
02:36
And it's that kind of productive conflict
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E é desse tipo de conflito produtivo
02:38
that I want to talk
to you all about today,
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que quero falar com vocês hoje,
02:40
the kind that can make
some of us uncomfortable.
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o tipo que pode deixar
alguns de nós desconfortáveis.
02:43
Business leaders should embrace
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Líderes empresariais deveriam aceitar
02:44
when their workers conflict
with policies and decisions,
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quando seus funcionários conflitam
com políticas e decisões,
02:47
both for what it teaches us
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tanto pelo que isso nos ensina
02:50
and for what it says about
our commitment to each other.
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quanto pelo que diz sobre
nosso compromisso uns com os outros.
02:53
So what do I mean by
"productive conflict"?
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E o que quero dizer
com "conflito produtivo"?
02:56
Well, let me tell you a story.
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Bem, vou contar uma história.
02:58
In 2016, a store employee
for an outdoor retailer --
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Em 2016, uma funcionária de uma loja
varejista de artigos de aventura,
03:02
I'll call her "Alex" --
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vou chamá-la de "Alex",
03:04
Alex approached her boss
and asked for a raise.
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chegou para o chefe e pediu um aumento.
03:07
Now, she was told her pay
was fairly standard for her position
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E lhe foi dito que seu salário
era padrão para seu cargo,
03:10
and that her boss didn't even have
the authority to give such a raise.
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e seu chefe nem tinha autoridade
para lhe dar tal aumento.
03:14
And that was supposed to be
the end of the conversation.
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E aquilo deveria ser o fim da conversa.
03:18
Unhappy with that answer,
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Infeliz com a resposta,
03:19
Alex went home, and she decided
to create a campaign on coworker.org,
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a Alex chegou em casa e decidiu
criar uma campanha no coworker.org
03:23
asking the corporate office
to give raises to store employees.
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pedindo à sede corporativa
um aumento para os funcionários de loja.
Em alguns dias,
funcionários de todo o país
03:27
Within days, employees
from around the country
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começaram a se unir à iniciativa da Alex
03:30
began joining Alex's effort
and sharing their own stories
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e contar suas próprias histórias
sobre quanto ganhavam,
03:33
about what they were earning --
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03:34
11, 12 dollars an hour --
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US$ 11, US$ 12, a hora,
03:36
and how that wage
was impacting their lives.
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e como esse salário impactava suas vidas.
03:38
Some even shared
that they had quit recently
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Alguns até disseram
que tinham se demitido recentemente
para trabalhar para concorrentes
que pagavam melhor.
03:41
to work for competitors who paid more.
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03:44
But here's the thing: they also shared
that they didn't want to quit,
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Eles também disseram
que não queriam ter saído,
03:47
they liked their job, they believed
in the company's mission,
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que gostavam do trabalho,
acreditavam na missão da empresa,
03:50
but for them, the pay issue
was a growing problem in their work lives.
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mas, para eles, a questão do pagamento
era um problema crescente
na vida profissional.
03:55
Well, after weeks of this groundswell
of employee activism,
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Semanas depois dessa onda
de ativismo dos funcionários,
04:00
the company decided to raise wages
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a empresa decidiu dar um aumento
04:02
by five to 15 percent
in cities across the country.
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de 5% a 15%, em cidades de todo o país.
E é isso que quero dizer
com conflito produtivo:
04:05
And that's what I mean
by productive conflict:
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04:08
pushing up against the things
that aren't working for us
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pressionar contra as coisas
que não funcionam para nós
quando não há outra maneira de seguir.
04:10
when there exists no other path forward.
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Outra coisa que aprendi com esse trabalho
04:13
The other thing I learned
in doing this work
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é que as pessoas se envolvem
em conflito produtivo
04:16
is that people engage
in productive conflict
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quando elas se importam
com seu trabalho e seus colegas.
04:18
when they care about their jobs
and their coworkers.
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04:21
Now, that surprised me at first.
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Isso me surpreendeu a princípio.
04:24
I expected the worst jobs,
the worst workplaces,
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Eu esperava que os piores cargos,
os piores trabalhos,
04:26
to have the most
employee activism on our site,
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tivessem o maior ativismo no nosso site,
04:29
but the opposite is often true.
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mas muitas vezes o contrário acontece.
04:32
When we come together,
we can accomplish great things.
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Quando nos unimos,
podemos realizar grandes coisas.
04:37
At one company,
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Numa determinada empresa,
04:39
there are more than 50 campaigns
by employees there
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havia mais de 50 campanhas
de seus funcionários no site,
04:42
on issues ranging from dress code changes
to legitimate safety concerns.
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questões desde o código de vestuário
até assuntos legítimos de segurança.
04:47
And get this:
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E vejam só:
04:48
that same company has
the lowest voluntary turnover rate
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essa mesma empresa tem
a menor taxa de rotação voluntária
04:53
of any major chain in its sector.
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do que qualquer grande rede em seu setor.
04:55
And it also has one of the higher
productivity rates as well.
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E também tem uma das maiores
taxas de produtividade.
05:01
Business leaders:
you shouldn't fear conflict,
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Assim, líderes empresariais,
não temam o conflito
05:03
and you shouldn't try to tamp down on it
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nem tentem reprimi-lo
05:05
the minute it bubbles up
in your workforce.
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quando ele aparecer em seu pessoal.
05:08
While it can introduce uncertainties
that can be difficult to manage,
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Apesar de poder lançar incertezas
com as quais possa ser difícil lidar,
05:13
those uncertainties are trying
to tell you something
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essas incertezas estão tentando
te dizer uma coisa
05:16
about an underlying problem
that needs your attention.
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a respeito de um problema estrutural
que precisa de sua atenção.
05:20
And I think this is
especially important right now,
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E acredito que isso seja
especialmente importante agora
05:23
you know, as technology
transforms nearly everyone's job
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que a tecnologia transforma
o trabalho de quase todos
05:28
and as the structures
that contain our work
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e que as estruturas
que contêm nosso trabalho
05:31
are changing at a pace not seen
since the Industrial Revolution.
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estão mudando a um ritmo nunca visto
desde a Revolução Industrial.
05:35
We all need to be shaping
and participating in the future of work.
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Todos precisamos moldar o futuro
e participar dele.
05:40
We all need to be challenging
and changing the parts of our work lives
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Todos precisamos desafiar e mudar
as partes de nossa vida profissional
05:44
that are broken.
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que não funcionam.
05:47
So I hope the next time
a coworker invites you
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Então espero que, da próxima vez
que um colega chamar
05:50
maybe to join a sign-on
letter to your boss,
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para fazer um abaixo-assinado ao chefe,
05:53
or a group of employees asks for a meeting
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ou um grupo de funcionários
pedir uma reunião
05:56
to discuss their concerns
about the new health care plan,
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para discutir suas preocupações
sobre o novo plano de saúde,
06:00
I hope you'll consider it an opportunity
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espero que vocês as considerem
uma oportunidade
06:03
to build a better workplace,
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de construir um ambiente
de trabalho melhor,
06:05
a stronger business
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uma empresa mais forte
06:07
and an economy that works for all of us.
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e uma economia
que funcione para todos nós.
06:10
Thank you.
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Obrigada.
(Aplausos) (Vivas)
06:11
(Applause)
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Translated by Gustavo Rocha
Reviewed by Raissa Mendes

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jess Kutch - Labor entrepreneur
TED Fellow Jess Kutch is the cofounder of Coworker.org, a nonprofit that helps people join together to improve their jobs and workplaces.

Why you should listen

Jess Kutch and her team at Coworker.org are figuring out the technology, organizing models, financing and policies that can help workers improve their companies and industries in today’s economy. At Coworker.org, they believe anyone can be a workplace organizer and that seeking positive change at work is a form of civic and community leadership that requires infrastructure. Since 2013, hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and worldwide have used Coworker.org tools and services to win wage increases, scheduling improvements and parental leave benefits; end biased dress codes; fix harassment policies; demand corporate ethics and much more. Coworker.org also helps channel workers' information about the real-time effects of digital economy trends -- like automation, data profiting, surveillance and app-based gig work -- to influence decisions that will shape the future of work and inequality. 

Kutch has 15 years of experience innovating at the intersection of technology and social change. Previously, she led a team at Change.org that inspired hundreds of thousands of people to launch and lead their own efforts on the platform. She also spent five years at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), where she pioneered digital strategies for the labor movement. Kutch is a TED Fellow, an Echoing Green Global Fellow, a J.M.K. Innovation Prize winner and an Aspen Institute Job Quality Fellow. She is a frequently requested speaker at business, labor, futurist, democracy and economic conferences around the world. She has been invited to provide expert testimony to the EEOC Task Force on Harassment in the Workplace and the National Labor Relations Board. In 2015, Coworker.org cohosted the first-ever White House Town Hall on Worker Voice.

 

More profile about the speaker
Jess Kutch | Speaker | TED.com