Can you teach people common sense?
By bounce58
@bounce58 (17387)
Canada
October 8, 2010 6:11pm CST
I was just in a meeting where people were complaining about other people making stupid mistakes over and over again. And the one yapping could not believe why people keep doing these same mistakes, when common sense tells them otherwise.
I don’t know how this will all relate to you, but this example of mine were for production floor operators who keep scrapping or destroying parts just by transferring them from one station to another. They would hit the parts on walls or drop them on the floor while carrying them. We have carriers for these parts just to make sure we avoid hitting or dropping them. Common sense would tell them to use these carriers. Yet, we see these mistakes over and over again.
Our meeting concluded with a decision to train and teach the people, to avoid the mistakes. This made me think. If it is already common sense, then how do we teach it?
Is there a way to teach common sense? If it is so common, what’s the need for teaching? Can you teach common sense?
2 people like this
16 responses
@amango83 (50)
• United States
1 Jun 11
One of the biggest reasons why common sense is lacking in so many people is just pure laziness. In the case of these factory workers, they are too lazy to use the carriers and end up damaging products. Maybe they need to be held financially responsible for each piece they damage in order to realize that they need to use the tools provided for them. If they have to pay a small percentage of the cost of those lost pieces, they may start to care more and not be so lazy. I think that training them is a good start, but there should definitely be consequenses if they don't follow the training.
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
6 Jun 11
I think you're right! It is pure laziness. Some of these people have been on these jobs for too many years. They've grown so comfortable with it, and have become lazy. And of course they are protected by the union, that's why caring for the products have also gone out the window.
Thanks for the input.
@hanuma34 (819)
• India
9 Oct 10
I think aiming to teach common sense is something not practical. Imparting the sense of responsibility at work situations, and training in the activity, coaxing the workers to follow other co-workers in such situations will help. At times it is not lack of common sense that hurts, but it is the attitude at a particular moment the worker tends to ignore, or circumvent the proper practices not caring for the common good. This happens in day to day life in almost all the activities. As an example I can only say the traffic jams, people standing in the middle of the road waiting the motorists to honk, ignoring the no parking sign boards, hanging precariously on the footboards of buses, vehicles plying without lights during nights, jumping the Q's and so on. I am siting these examples from day to day happenings in our city, Hyderabad, India. We cannot call it lack of common sense. Simple defiance, or chancing.
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
15 Oct 10
Hello hanuma34.
I've lived in Asia for a while and I've seen what you're seeing. It's not so much here in North America, but I did see people being defiant, and 'chancing' in their everyday lives. Maybe it's borne out of the surrounding environment, where there is a constant need to get ahead. And where common sense is left by the wayside.
Thanks.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
9 Oct 10
Common sense Isn't that common anymore. i don't know why . My guess is the part of the brain isn't being used. Is it that kids aren't allowed to think for themselves. They aren't encouraged to figure things out so by the time they are adults they assume Everything will be explained. If given the chance they Will do things the same way unless they are trained. this is my guess.
Can common sense be taught? I say Yes! My mom taught me I believe. Or if it Can't be taught , I got it from her in the womb, lol! She could see the solution to many a problem, which in most cases was common sense.These days if it isn't shown to a person , many won't see or are able to figure out the common sense solution.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
17 Oct 10
So true. It is like many can't think for themselves. It's real sad.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
16 Oct 10
I think you're right! This thing about 'entitlement in children' again. We try to give everything to kids that they are left without the capacity to think for themselves. And are not able to accumulate some common sense actions and reactions to certain things.
And some even bring this to their adulthood and their working life. It's a bit sad.
1 person likes this
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
13 Oct 10
Unfortunately I don't think that there is a way that you are able to teach common sense to a person. I have seen that there are a lot of people that are very intelligent when it comes to things that they've learned in school and such but when it comes to common sense there are a lot of short comings. I think that the reason that there are a lot of people that lack common sense is because there just isn't enough room in their heads to fulfill everything that they need to know.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
9 Oct 10
Common sense only comes from experiences, I believe. As once one has first hand experience common senses come natural. When a person is oblivious as to what to do they can only guess and usually guesses do not correlate with sense.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
15 Oct 10
You're right hardworkinggurl that common sense could be a collection of experiences. And I agree hanuma that it doesn't have to be first hand. But I guess the trick is how people assimilate these experiences and use it for themselves. So they'd have a collection of 'common sense actions and reactions'.
I think from my example, not all have the capacity to do just this.
Thank you both!
@foofermen (500)
•
9 Oct 10
Common sense does not mean everybody already knows it. Seeing as the problem is in a workplace, I suggest focusing on identifying specific problem areas. Are these workers being taught their trade well enough? Maybe you could ask the people making the mistakes what you could do to help improve their work. Are there any distractions? Do you know how the workers behave when not under direct supervision? Maybe a poor example is being set for them by another coworker. Maybe the workers making the mistakes need to be "punished" some how, be it getting fired or loosing an incentive, or having frequent group meetings in which the problems with the work are addressed and corrected (weekly maybe?)
In conclusion, common sense is no longer common any more. I believe each situation is circumstantial and needs to be addressed as such. Many times, people need to gather their common sense through hardships. Learning the hard way. Sink or swim.
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
11 Oct 10
I guess you are right foofermen!
That what makes a few collection of knowledge become 'common sense' is the way it is gathered. And some of these are gathered through learning, and most of the time through hardships. This way it becomes automatic.
Which I guess is lacking when it comes to the workplace, in my case anyway.
Thanks for dropping by.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
9 Oct 10
My husband used to say that common sense was a very uncommon thing to have and he was right. I have 3 sons and a daughter. One of my sons has some learning disabilities but he had more common sense and was quick to think on his feet and act
to solve a problem far faster than th other three.
As an example, I remember when one son fell off a tractor and hurt himself badly. Whilst the other sons were weeping and wondering what to do as their father was not there, the one with the learning disability had run to a neighbour and arranged transportation to hospital.
I guess that people do not think about what they are doing but they should always be informed as to the importance of what they do and rewarded when it is done. This is difficult to teach and so should be taught in the home primarily.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
17 Oct 10
You're right that this should be taught at home primarily. And I guess that's the correct way to go about it with kids too. To let them know what to do, and reward them if they do the right thing. And then we can cross our fingers that they take this with them as they grow. Even at the workplace.
Thanks.
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
9 Oct 10
I don't believe that common sense is something that can be taught. You either have common sense or you don't.
Thanks! @figurativeme (1089)
• Philippines
9 Oct 10
I think common sense is acquired and learned from everyday experiences, that is why it is called "common." We can perhaps even call it "practical" sense. But from the example you gave, I think the problem is not the lack or the absence of common sense, but the absence of caring.
Though different, we have the same problem in our workplace where supplies are wasted through haste and indifference. There are those who could not care less about the supplies and equipment they use for as long as it is not theirs. What we did was to have a session where the consequence of their action in terms of cost and efficiency were presented.
Have a good day, bounce58!
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
17 Oct 10
Hello figurativeme.
You're right in saying that most of these people don't really care at what happens in the company. For them, as long as they put in their hours, and they get paid, that's enough. And we've also tried a few trainings to 'enlighten' them, to no avail.
It just gets difficult sometimes.
Thanks.
@sam8pro (376)
• India
9 Oct 10
ha ha ...unfortunately not ... some people just go so much into the literal meaning and "just follow the methodology" or that "they have been doing this forever and its fine" .... common sense is lost on such lot ... you would need to really shake them for sobering them on this !
@paige4evr (118)
• Estonia
9 Oct 10
No you can't, it's something that people are born with. If you could teach it, they would have it in the program at school. It's like with IQ, you either have a high one or not but it can't be made higher. People are just different and have different abilities. Just like some people are good at sports and learning languages, other people are not but have artistic talents instead.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
17 Oct 10
Hi paige4evr.
I think I disagree with you. Where you said that it is something that people are born with. I think it could be learned and accumulated. But I agree with you that people have different abilities. This what makes people different, in terms of common sense at least.
Thanks for the response.
@zuzh901 (37)
• Hong Kong
9 Oct 10
i also teach people common sense sometimes, but it depend on he/she is not a stupid.
some people always forget the points of work, i hate but i can't change him/her.
so, i will teach 3 times for same people, if he/she still not understand or forget, i'll report it to my boss.
@jugsjugs (12967)
•
9 Oct 10
Lol,some people know what they should be doing,but they do not do the things that they know that they should be doing.I think that there are alot of people out there that do not use common sense or have any sense that if they do one thing then other things can happen.There are also people that do not listen to the common sense that you are trying to tell them,they do not think of consequences either to their actions.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
13 Oct 10
I guess some people have pre-conceived notions about how things should be. So much so that they listen to common sense even if it were staring them in the face. I guess this could just be attributed to some people's personality. And yes, sometimes things have to happen to them before they realize that common sense could have help avoid any problems.
Thanks jugs!
@alex8288 (290)
• Philippines
9 Oct 10
every body have common sense. others just don't use them, because they are lazy to do the right thing so they just do what makes them more comfortable. maybe your people don't need a lesson about common sense. may be you should teach them about professionalism.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
15 Oct 10
I would if I could! About professionalism.
But when you're dealing with people on the production floor, professionalism is a foreign concept. Specially the senior union guys who are just content of punching in, doing whatever, and then punching out.
It's sad.
