Create space and see results

This post is more of a quick reflection on yesterday's mullings over on the train.
I spent the last couple of days in London and on the train back a few things happened that got me thinking...
Firstly it was a very full train and secondly we were delayed - a long time. In fact so long it took us over an hour to reach Milton Keynes.
What I noticed around me sparked some connections in my mind between what I saw around me and what happens at work.
In standard class the seats are small and everyone is trying to make themselves even smaller, making it clear they were trying to keep to themselves. Protecting their own space and in most cases, trying to help protect the space for those around them.
They were avoiding eye contact. At one point someone bumped me and I looked up and smiled. I got a blank look. It was as if we had been stripped of any personality as we entered this tight and uncomfortable space that just seemed to get more crowded.
I also noticed that when the announcement about the delay was made there was palpable anger - even from those that appeared calm up to then and relaxed. This anger suddenly opened the door for people to at least say one or two lines to each other. It was like it was only negativity we could bond over - the rest of the time we tried, by dint of reducing themselves to smaller people, we gain a bit of extra space.
I wondered - is the physical lack of space partly to blame for the negative bonding? Would we all be nicer, happier and more relaxed and therefore nicer, happier and more relaxed with the train staff, if the train company built standard class with a little more room?

Is the word 'standard' connected to a lack of space adding to the feeling that in these seats, you are not considered anything more than a number, a means of supporting the company's goals.
As I had this thought it prompted me to think about a client of mine I had just seen before I got on the train. She is looking to move up in her career but she feels confined by her role and her organisation's view of what she can do.
They have put her in a small space - a smaller job that she is able to do - and the result is that she is thinking small, she can't see any positives and reacts only to reinforcement of the negative.
Her organisation aren't investing in her - giving her the space to grow and helping her see herself as more than standard - just like this train company (I don't want to name names ;) ) wasn't investing in a little space to make it's commuters happier and therefore loyal from love, not just practical reasons.
Like the train, this client would be more loyal if she too was invested in. She wouldn't just be there, as she says, because she needs the security and has no idea where else she could go.
By shrinking her horizons - making her feel standard and small - the company is potentially going to lose a real asset. Someone who would add long term value and be an ambassador for the company.
And, just like those commuters, she only really bonds with the rest of the team - and to be honest from what she has said, they all bond with each other - when something negative happens, or to talk about how bad the management is. The rest of the time, they just get on and try to get through.
So what if this company invested in her? Gave her the opportunity to develop within her role and grow and rise up in her company? What if her manager created a culture of positive development for all? What if this manager actually gave team members a voice to develop the team as a whole? What if this company created a culture centred around making all employees feel valued and above standard?
Giving these employees space to grow and feel valued is actually not that hard to do but the results can be incredible. What is needed is a little time and investment in talking about what employees want to achieve and providing the support to help them achieve. What is needed is a change from a 'you will do this' to 'let's work together to do this'. What is needed is a change in mindset from 'top down' to collaboration and opening the door at meetings and in teams for employees to provide their input and ideas - and the commitment from the company to put in place the processes to take forward fresh ideas. What is needed is a culture change that really believes in this change - not just pays lip service to it.
What is needed is a coaching environment across the company - not just focused on those that are deemed worth the 1-2-1 investment, but as a principle throughout.
From a company and a train company perspective - wouldn't you want your employees or customers to be loyal because they feel 'big', invested in and valued? Wouldn't you want them to feel more than 'standard' and small?
I know I would.