“This is our factory!”
Some sentences stay with you for years because of how quietly they cut.
That’s what an HR Head said, gesturing proudly toward an insurance policy processing department, as she walked a group of high-profile visitors through the office.
She meant it as a compliment. But the words landed very differently for the people standing on the factory floor.
And later that caused some stir in the company as the “factory” workers felt embarrassed by that statement.
I was one of the “factory” workers but at least I was a “factory” supervisor.
Even with a title, the sting was the same. You don’t forget being called a factory in front of guests who matter.
But this is a case of misinterpretation, or maybe it was a wrong choice of words. Had the HR lady used the word “machinery” it wouldn’t had similar reaction from the policy processors.
Funny how one word can change everything. Swap “factory” for “machinery,” and the sentence barely moves. But the people hearing it? They move a lot.
Words carry weight. Especially when they come from someone up top, in front of people who matter.
Factory to her probably meant efficiency. High volume. Well-oiled process.
To us, it meant something else. It meant we were parts on a line. Interchangeable. Replaceable.
Same intention. Different landing.
That gap between intention and landing is where most leadership missteps happen. Nobody sets out to make their team feel small. But it happens anyway, in the space between what’s meant and what’s heard.
That’s the thing about leadership communication. It’s what the room hears.
Not what you meant. Not what you rehearsed. What the room hears.
And once it’s out, you can’t take it back. You can only clarify, and by then the damage is done.
Apologies help. Clarifications help. But they’re patchwork. The original words already did their job.
I’ve thought about this incident many times over the years. Not to hold a grudge. But because it taught me something I still use today.
Before you speak about your team, speak as if they’re standing right there.
That day, they were. You just didn’t notice.
It’s a small habit, but it changes how you talk about people when they’re not in the room and especially when they are.
P/S - Do you have the same experience?
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