No Man is an Island

Whats going on? A great sensible spot on answer...I'm going to have to give you a 'good answer' (and hope to hell no one else does)...and no obscure links?

... Patronising? Moi?

Del

The basic problem in large organizations is that those who understand the problem are unable to make decisions and those who can make decisions don't understand the problem.

Give that man a cigar!

I once worked for DuPont Corp. long ago and far away. I happened to become good friends with an elderly manager at the location where I worked. He told me about a young man who came to work for him as a laboroer some 16 years previously. The man's name was Ernie duPont. I was told he always jumped in to do the dirtiest, most unpleasant jobs in the plant, because he felt :(1) it was a way to show employees that he was approachable, and (2) that every job is important and should be given your best efforts. Yes, of course, he was already a multimillionaire at the time, but my point is that too often managers are only willing to tell their employees "just do it" and they have no idea or are unwilling to lead the employees. A BIG problem in the US is that there are too few "leaders" and too many managers.

My point

A engineering degree earned while co-oping with an industrial concern with as much time in class as working is an invaluable asset to any graduate of such a program. The co-op has some practical experience to which he undoubtably had opportunity to apply some theoretical knowledge to along the way.

Well said Stan. When I was a student the only real contact was vacation work, and that was up to ones own volition. Closer ties should be made between academia and industry. Before going down that road I spent a year just working in the real world and I'm sure it expanded my horizons. Establishing such links would also sort out some of the more dubious degree subjects that people study ( at our expense). The structure of degree programmes varies across the world, but perhaps one requirement should be 'x' number of months served in doing the job before a degree is awarded. It could be argued that Chartered status does this, but too many courses these-days seem to be complete ****. Integrating study with 'hands-on' experience is the way to go.

Skelley, I am with you on every comment. Our long-time method of developing engineers and moving them from the classroom to the task is not good. I have observed similar things with young graduates of either the electrical or mechanical field. So much emphasis today is placed upon the man who alone possesses a degree rather than practical experience combined with advanced education.

I also think our current management selection techiniques are strange. Perhaps this is because we place so much emphasis on very short-term gains while not holding the large picture? I have watched seasoned engineers and managers (me included) fired from career positions and replaced by fresh graduates who were in turn replaced by fresh graduates.

We must continue progress for the sake of progress, but some things do confound my limited mind. We know (or are supposed to know) how to motivate and avoid demotivating people, but we still do it. We know (or are supposed to know) how to improve communication from management to across the shop floor and return it to management. But we fail here as well.

About the topic of importing management: I can remember working for a certain salary in a certain salary range. The most interesting point was that the salary range had a $20,000.00 spread from low to high. In essence, a knowledgeable insider could be promoted into the postion yet be paid (and held) at or very near its entry level, while someone could be brought from the outside at very near the top level. It was not just my long-term employer, as I saw this practice in more than one firm.

Many of us remember the very early 1980's when the "team concept" was "introduced" or rather renamed and marketed again. The concept described by our father's generation solely as "business common sense" was fractured into individual concepts, then renamed and packaged as "Kaizen", "5S", "Lean", "Six Sigma", etc. It does make one wonder whether we are truely making long-term advances or just trying to stay hip with the current business buzzwords.

Regards,

Ing. Robert Forbus

I used to work in electronic manufacturing as a manufacturing manager. The one thing that I did in my departments was to make manditory cross training. This way everyone knew everyones job eventually. I dont know if that is practical in your business but it worked out wonderfully for me and the employees had more to put on their resumes.....

Hi Love the topic. I chuckled when I heard those words. Those words remind me of a CEO who seemed to be talking to staff as individuals who carried on in the manufacturing process as Islands to themselves. It seemed to me he did not get the point that he probably did more to bring about this situation than solve it. In today's competitive world operator's can and do avoid communicating with their fellow's or peer's for whatever personal reason's they may have no matter what communications medium they have available. But I assume that is not the issue here and will have to be addressed locally. But I do agree that today's front line manufacturing operator's are in a most precarious position. Improved interactive and conventional communication definately needs to be addressed. These skilled people who really need improved information delivery and the equipment services to communicate manufacturing process issues effectively, should be formost on any business concerns agenda. On the other hand day after day I see manufacturing businesses demonstrating a reluctance to improve communications even in the most basic of methods. This in itself contributes to the making Islands of individuals and groups. Discouraging interactivity whether suggestions from the floor to improve communications, and or investment for alternative communications mediums will only further exacerbate a healthy productive manufaturing environment. Great to hear others are addressing these issues. Regards J.Archer