TED2019
Jess Kutch: What productive conflict can offer a workplace
Jess Kutch: Lo que el conflicto productivo puede ofrecer al lugar de trabajo
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¿Sabes cómo mejorar tu lugar de trabajo? La organizadora laboral y socia de TED Jess Kutch puede mostrarte como llevarlo a cabo. En esta breve charla nos explica cómo el "conflicto productivo", cuando la gente se reúne para desafiar y cambiar su vida laboral para mejor, puede beneficiar a empleados y empleadores por igual.
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. Full bio
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.
Soy organizadora laboral
00:12
I am a labor organizer,
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y en 2013 cofundé
la organización coworker.org
la organización coworker.org
00:15
and in 2013, I cofounded
an organization called coworker.org
an organization called coworker.org
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que usa tecnología para ayudar
a la gente a unirse a colegas
a la gente a unirse a colegas
00:19
that uses technology
to help people join with coworkers
to help people join with coworkers
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00:24
and organize for improvements
in the workplace.
in the workplace.
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y organizar mejoras en el trabajo.
00:27
Now, there are two kinds
of reactions to what I do.
of reactions to what I do.
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Mi ocupación recibe
dos tipos de reacciones.
dos tipos de reacciones.
00:31
Actually, no, there are three.
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De hecho, no, recibe tres.
00:33
The first is complete confusion
about what organizing is.
about what organizing is.
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La primera es confusión total
sobre lo que se trata.
sobre lo que se trata.
00:37
When my doctor asked
what I do and I told him,
what I do and I told him,
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Cuando conté a mi médico lo que hago,
00:39
he thought I meant organizing,
like, Marie Kondo-style.
like, Marie Kondo-style.
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pensó que organizaba como Marie Kondo.
(Risas)
00:43
(Laughter)
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Me dijo: "Estupendo,
me vendría bien eso aquí.
me vendría bien eso aquí.
00:44
He was like, "Oh, that's so great,
I could use some of that around here.
I could use some of that around here.
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Me gustaría ordenar
los archivos de los pacientes".
los archivos de los pacientes".
00:48
I would love to clean up
our patient files."
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,
it's not that kind of organizing,
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Tuve que explicarle
que no era ese tipo de organización,
que no era ese tipo de organización,
00:54
it's more like if you showed up
to work tomorrow
to work tomorrow
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sino que llegas al trabajo mañana
00:57
and all the nurses in the office
had gotten together
had gotten together
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y todos los enfermeros
se reunen en la oficina
se reunen en la oficina
01:00
to ask for an across-the-board raise.
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para pedir un aumento conjunto.
01:01
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
01:03
"Oh," he replied, and he got really quiet.
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"Oh", respondió y se quedó callado.
01:06
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
01:07
Yeah, and that's
the second kind of reaction:
the second kind of reaction:
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Sí, ese es el segundo tipo de reacción:
01:10
the uncomfortable kind.
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el tipo incómodo.
01:12
People usually withdraw
from the conversation
from the conversation
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La gente suele apartarse
de la conversación
de la conversación
01:14
and find someone else to talk to.
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y buscan a alguien más con quien hablar.
01:17
Finally, there's the third reaction,
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Finalmente, hay una tercera reacción,
01:19
the excited one,
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la entusiasta,
01:20
the, "Oh my God, yes! We need this!"
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la que dice:
"¡Oh por Dios, sí, lo necesitamos!"
"¡Oh por Dios, sí, lo necesitamos!"
01:23
And someone always proceeds
to tell me a story.
to tell me a story.
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Siempre proceden a contarme una historia.
01:26
It's always a story about a job
or a coworker or a friend
or a coworker or a friend
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Sería sobre un trabajo, colega o amigo
01:30
who's enduring something awful at work.
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que pasa por algo terrible en el trabajo.
01:33
What I've noticed is that there is never
a neutral response to what I do.
a neutral response to what I do.
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Lo que he notado es
que no hay respuesta neutral.
que no hay respuesta neutral.
01:37
You're either repelled by it,
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Te repele
01:39
or you're struck with
a lightning bolt of excitement.
a lightning bolt of excitement.
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o te llena de entusiasmo.
01:43
So why does my work stir up
such strong reactions?
such strong reactions?
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¿Por qué mi trabajo atrae
estas fuertes reacciones?
estas fuertes reacciones?
01:47
My hunch is that it's about conflict.
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Intuyo que es por el conflicto.
01:50
If you have power in your workplace,
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Si tienen poder en el trabajo,
01:52
maybe as a CEO
or a senior leader of some kind,
or a senior leader of some kind,
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tal vez como CEO
o parte de la alta dirección,
o parte de la alta dirección,
01:56
you're going to feel uncomfortable
with that power being challenged.
with that power being challenged.
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se sentirán incómodos
si les desafían ese poder.
si les desafían ese poder.
02:00
But if you lack power, or you know someone
who lacks it and needs it,
who lacks it and needs it,
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Pero si carecen de poder
o conocen a alguien que lo necesita,
o conocen a alguien que lo necesita,
02:04
you might grab me by the shoulders
and shake me, you're so pumped.
and shake me, you're so pumped.
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me tomarían de los hombros
y me agitarían con fuerza.
y me agitarían con fuerza.
02:08
But really, we can all benefit
from understanding
from understanding
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Pero la verdad, todos
nos beneficiaríamos al comprender
nos beneficiaríamos al comprender
02:12
what conflict can offer in our workplaces.
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lo que el conflicto ofrece
en nuestro trabajo.
en nuestro trabajo.
02:15
The power imbalance
in our workplace is real,
in our workplace is real,
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El desequilibrio de poder
en el trabajo es real
en el trabajo es real
02:17
and it's constantly changing.
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y cambia constantemente.
02:19
Power moves between us,
depending on our roles and status.
depending on our roles and status.
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Se mueve entre nosotros
según nuestro papel o estatus.
según nuestro papel o estatus.
02:24
Now, sometimes this can feel
like office politics, right?
like office politics, right?
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A veces se siente
como políticas de oficina, ¿no?
como políticas de oficina, ¿no?
02:27
Which is never fun.
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Lo cual nunca es divertido.
02:29
But when we contest
for power thoughtfully
for power thoughtfully
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Pero cuando competimos
por poder reflexivamente
por poder reflexivamente
02:32
and together with our coworkers,
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y junto a nuestros colegas.
02:34
it can be incredibly productive.
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puede ser increíblemente productivo.
02:36
And it's that kind of productive conflict
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De ese tipo de conflicto productivo
02:38
that I want to talk
to you all about today,
to you all about today,
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les hablaré hoy,
02:40
the kind that can make
some of us uncomfortable.
some of us uncomfortable.
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del tipo que incomoda a algunos.
02:43
Business leaders should embrace
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Los líderes deberían aceptar
02:44
when their workers conflict
with policies and decisions,
with policies and decisions,
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los conflictos de sus trabajadores
con las políticas y decisiones,
con las políticas y decisiones,
02:47
both for what it teaches us
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por lo que nos enseña
02:50
and for what it says about
our commitment to each other.
our commitment to each other.
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y por lo que dice
sobre nuestro compromiso mutuo.
sobre nuestro compromiso mutuo.
02:53
So what do I mean by
"productive conflict"?
"productive conflict"?
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¿Qué quiero decir
con "conflicto productivo"?
con "conflicto productivo"?
02:56
Well, let me tell you a story.
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Les contaré una historia.
02:58
In 2016, a store employee
for an outdoor retailer --
for an outdoor retailer --
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En 2016 un empleado
de una tienda minorista,
de una tienda minorista,
03:02
I'll call her "Alex" --
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llamémoslo "Alex",
03:04
Alex approached her boss
and asked for a raise.
and asked for a raise.
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le pidió al jefe un aumento.
03:07
Now, she was told her pay
was fairly standard for her position
was fairly standard for her position
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Le dijeron que su sueldo era
el estándar para esa posición
el estándar para esa posición
03:10
and that her boss didn't even have
the authority to give such a raise.
the authority to give such a raise.
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y que su jefe no tenía
autoridad para aumentarlo.
autoridad para aumentarlo.
03:14
And that was supposed to be
the end of the conversation.
the end of the conversation.
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Ese habría sido
el fin de la conversación.
el fin de la conversación.
03:18
Unhappy with that answer,
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No contenta con la respuesta,
03:19
Alex went home, and she decided
to create a campaign on coworker.org,
to create a campaign on coworker.org,
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Alex volvió a casa y decidió crear
una campaña en coworker.com,
una campaña en coworker.com,
03:23
asking the corporate office
to give raises to store employees.
to give raises to store employees.
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le pedía a la sede corporativa aumentar
el sueldo de los empleados de tienda.
el sueldo de los empleados de tienda.
03:27
Within days, employees
from around the country
from around the country
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En días, empleados de todo el país
03:30
began joining Alex's effort
and sharing their own stories
and sharing their own stories
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se unieron a la causa de Alex
con sus historias
con sus historias
03:33
about what they were earning --
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sobre sus sueldos,
03:34
11, 12 dollars an hour --
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USD 11 o 12 la hora,
03:36
and how that wage
was impacting their lives.
was impacting their lives.
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y como impactaba en sus vidas.
03:38
Some even shared
that they had quit recently
that they had quit recently
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algunos compartieron su reciente renuncia
03:41
to work for competitors who paid more.
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para unirse a la competencia mejor pagada.
03:44
But here's the thing: they also shared
that they didn't want to quit,
that they didn't want to quit,
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Pero también dijeron
que no querían renunciar,
que no querían renunciar,
03:47
they liked their job, they believed
in the company's mission,
in the company's mission,
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le gustaba su trabajo,
creían en la misión de la empresa,
creían en la misión de la empresa,
03:50
but for them, the pay issue
was a growing problem in their work lives.
was a growing problem in their work lives.
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pero el sueldo era un problema
en su vida laboral.
en su vida laboral.
03:55
Well, after weeks of this groundswell
of employee activism,
of employee activism,
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Tras semanas de esta oleada
de empleados activistas,
de empleados activistas,
04:00
the company decided to raise wages
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la empresa optó por un aumento
04:02
by five to 15 percent
in cities across the country.
in cities across the country.
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del 5 % al 15 % en ciudades del país.
04:05
And that's what I mean
by productive conflict:
by productive conflict:
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A eso me refiero con conflicto productivo:
04:08
pushing up against the things
that aren't working for us
that aren't working for us
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oponerse a aquello
que no funciona bien para nosotros
que no funciona bien para nosotros
04:10
when there exists no other path forward.
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cuando no hay otro camino.
04:13
The other thing I learned
in doing this work
in doing this work
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Lo otro que aprendí con este trabajo
es que la gente entra
en conflicto productivo
en conflicto productivo
04:16
is that people engage
in productive conflict
in productive conflict
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04:18
when they care about their jobs
and their coworkers.
and their coworkers.
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cuando les importa su trabajo y colegas.
04:21
Now, that surprised me at first.
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Eso me sorprendió al principio
04:24
I expected the worst jobs,
the worst workplaces,
the worst workplaces,
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esperaba que los peores trabajos
o ambientes laborales
o ambientes laborales
04:26
to have the most
employee activism on our site,
employee activism on our site,
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tuviesen la mayor cifra
de activismo en nuestro sitio
de activismo en nuestro sitio
04:29
but the opposite is often true.
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pero lo contrario suele ser realidad.
04:32
When we come together,
we can accomplish great things.
we can accomplish great things.
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Cuando nos juntamos,
logramos grandes cosas.
logramos grandes cosas.
04:37
At one company,
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En una empresa,
04:39
there are more than 50 campaigns
by employees there
by employees there
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hay más de 50 campañas de empleados
04:42
on issues ranging from dress code changes
to legitimate safety concerns.
to legitimate safety concerns.
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sobre problemas de código de vestimenta
a problemas de seguridad.
a problemas de seguridad.
04:47
And get this:
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Entiendan esto:
04:48
that same company has
the lowest voluntary turnover rate
the lowest voluntary turnover rate
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la misma empresa tiene
las tasas de renuncias más bajas
las tasas de renuncias más bajas
04:53
of any major chain in its sector.
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de todas las grandes cadenas del sector.
04:55
And it also has one of the higher
productivity rates as well.
productivity rates as well.
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También tiene una de las tasas
de productividad más alta.
de productividad más alta.
05:01
Business leaders:
you shouldn't fear conflict,
you shouldn't fear conflict,
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Líderes de negocios:
no le teman al conflicto
no le teman al conflicto
05:03
and you shouldn't try to tamp down on it
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y no deberían pisotearlo
05:05
the minute it bubbles up
in your workforce.
in your workforce.
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a penas se acumule con los trabajadores.
05:08
While it can introduce uncertainties
that can be difficult to manage,
that can be difficult to manage,
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A pesar de crear incertidumbre
de difícil gestión,
de difícil gestión,
05:13
those uncertainties are trying
to tell you something
to tell you something
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estas intentan decirles algo
05:16
about an underlying problem
that needs your attention.
that needs your attention.
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sobre un problema oculto
que requiere atención.
que requiere atención.
05:20
And I think this is
especially important right now,
especially important right now,
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Creo que esto es de suma importancia
05:23
you know, as technology
transforms nearly everyone's job
transforms nearly everyone's job
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ya que la tecnología transforma
el trabajo de la mayoría
el trabajo de la mayoría
05:28
and as the structures
that contain our work
that contain our work
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y las estructuras de nuestros trabajos
05:31
are changing at a pace not seen
since the Industrial Revolution.
since the Industrial Revolution.
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cambian a una velocidad inédita
desde la Revolución Industrial.
desde la Revolución Industrial.
05:35
We all need to be shaping
and participating in the future of work.
and participating in the future of work.
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Todos debemos dar forma y participar
en el futuro del trabajo.
en el futuro del trabajo.
05:40
We all need to be challenging
and changing the parts of our work lives
and changing the parts of our work lives
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Todos necesitamos desafiar y cambiar
las partes de nuestra vida laboral
las partes de nuestra vida laboral
05:44
that are broken.
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que están rotas.
05:47
So I hope the next time
a coworker invites you
a coworker invites you
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Por eso espero que la próxima vez
que un colega los invite
que un colega los invite
05:50
maybe to join a sign-on
letter to your boss,
letter to your boss,
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tal vez a firmar una carta para el jefe
05:53
or a group of employees asks for a meeting
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o a unirse a una reunión
05:56
to discuss their concerns
about the new health care plan,
about the new health care plan,
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para hablar de sus preocupaciones
sobre el nuevo plan de salud,
sobre el nuevo plan de salud,
06:00
I hope you'll consider it an opportunity
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espero que lo consideren
como una oportunidad
como una oportunidad
06:03
to build a better workplace,
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para construir un mejor lugar de trabajo,
06:05
a stronger business
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un negocio más fuerte
06:07
and an economy that works for all of us.
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y una economía que funcione para todos.
06:10
Thank you.
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Gracias
06:11
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jess Kutch - Labor entrepreneurTED 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.
Jess Kutch | Speaker | TED.com