Meaningful conversation between workers and managers benefits confidence, efficiency, productivity while promoting trust and respect. When workplace “culture” thrives on the strength of shared values and effective communication, earnings and profits dramatically increase. On the other hand, when workers feel separated from their work and their leaders, both the work and the bottom line suffer. When workers enroll in and complete adult education classes, they build literacy and numeracy skills, which allow them to “own” their work. Understanding procedures and processes, anticipating steps in completing a task, workers invest in the quality of their work. Adult education classes build workers’ command of spoken and written English so that they communicate more efficiently and effectively with their managers. Adult education classes develop workers’ math and problem solving skills so that they require less guidance.
Managers sometimes talk about “getting everyone on the same page.” Adult education classes do that—literally.