Search this site

Thursday
04Mar2010

Firing people to improve the organization

DateThursday, March 4, 2010 at 9:09PM

Just doing a news scan and was reminded of an item that is a hot topic of conversation around here--the school that fired its teachers because it was doing so poorly. Now, I know nothing of the internal situation in that school, but I have some experience.

At about my third year on the local school board, we would have executive sessions on personnel and it would be brought up that certain teachers were not competent--or at least not doing well. Some of us on the board had business backgrounds, so we asked why they didn't non-renew (fire) them. Well, came the reply, they have had consistently good reviews even though they haven't been doing well. This happened quite a few times.

We had to counsel school administrators to begin following rigorous personnel policies. They needed to identify the failing teachers. Meet with them, let them know that they were not meeting expectations, let them know clearly what the expectations were, lay out a plan to help them improve, and then let them go if they didn't.

This is not as heartless as it may sound. You've hired these people. At one time, anyway, someone thought they could do the job. If they don't, you give them a fair chance. It's like I told a couple of engineers in my life as a manager, "It's really better for both of us. You can go find a situation in which you can succeed. I can get someone who can do this job." It also took them out of a situation where they were foundering. Everyone could see they were lost.

Good leaders will turn around many, if not most, people. But sometimes you just have to give them the proverbial kick in the pants to wake them up to make decisions to find a better situation. I've had that decision several times--and it never got easy. I'd lose sleep for a week. On the other hand, once I tangled with my boss (and his boss) and was asked to leave. I think I sang in the car on the way home,, I was so happy to leave that place. (I never applied for a quality manger job again, either.)

So, did the school system do the right thing? If they fired the principal, too, then perhaps they did. Giving everyone a fresh start is sometimes a good thing.

AuthorGary Mintchell | CommentPost a Comment |
in
Thursday
04Mar2010

Another process safety application

DateThursday, March 4, 2010 at 4:58PM

Yesterday when I posted some news about safety, I missed one. Accenture announced the first deployment of the Accenture Life Safety Solution, a wireless-enabled gas detection system that helps protect workers in potentially hazardous environments. The solution combines Wi-Fi and location-based technologies with gas detectors to allow companies to remotely monitor incidents in locations previously not suited for wireless networks.

The Accenture Life Safety Solution uses Wi-Fi technology in plant environments to alert central controllers of incidents and of workers' locations. It is designed for hazardous working environments such as refineries, chemical plants and other locations, where dense steel infrastructure can make wireless safety solutions difficult to introduce.

Marathon Oil Corp.’s Robinson, Ill refinery is deploying the Accenture Life Safety Solution across two units in the facility. Marathon intends to further evaluate the use of this technology once the two units have been completed.

“The refining industry has not been able to use wireless networks to remotely detect hazards or remotely locate workers,” said Jerry Welch, senior vice president of Marathon’s refining organization. "This solution not only alerts on-site individuals to gas incidents but would also allow off-site colleagues to locate workers and rescue them if an event were to occur. The cost effectiveness of this solution has the potential to transform on-site safety in our industry and should be relevant to many other sectors.”

AuthorGary Mintchell | CommentPost a Comment |
in ,
Thursday
04Mar2010

No more rants, here's good news about educating engineers

DateThursday, March 4, 2010 at 4:33PM

Here is a report of some good work done through the Education Foundation of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME).(You can also check out Manufacturing Is Cool.)

This is not your father’s “shop class” but rather learning a series of interrelated activities and operations that involve product design, planning, producing, materials control, quality assurance, management, and the marketing of that product. In executing its master plan for building a technically-skilled workforce, the SME Education Foundation is raising the bar for high school students with a $175,000 in funding for the introduction of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Centers at 400 Project Lead The Way (PLTW) schools across the country while engaging industry partners and SME Chapters.

The CIM course, rewritten by the Foundation’s industry partner, PLTW, enhances students’ computer modeling skills by applying the principles of robotics and automation to the creation of three-dimensional design models. The course will be offered at 65 PLTW high schools, reaching 2,000 students in 25 states where CIM classes are currently taught. Funded states include: Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The Foundation’s funding criteria provides up to $5,000 per school based on the number of years the CIM program has been taught, and granting the total amount or fifty percent, depending on the financial situation at the school, with either the school or an industry partner paying the other half.

The Foundation will begin working with industry advisory boards already established at each of the PLTW high schools – some of whom are manufacturers, and engage these companies and SME Chapters in setting up the new Computer Integrated Manufacturing Education Centers at high schools, asking them to serve as mentors and offer internships.

The CIM course is based on several key concepts: Computer Modeling using a three-dimensional, solid modeling software package with mass property analysis; CNC Equipment – understanding the machine tools and its operating and programming aspects; CAM Software – converting computer generated geometry into a program to drive CNC machine tools; Robotics – using a robot for material handling and assembly operations, and Flexible Manufacturing Systems – working in teams to design manufacturing work cells and table-top factory simulations.

Says Bart Aslin, director, SME Education Foundation, “The complex, high tech processes of advanced manufacturing today calls for a highly-trained, skilled workforce, making the funding of our CIM program critically important to the economic future of our country.”

In one section of the course, “Designing for Manufacturability,” high school students learn, while at a very impressionable age, that manufacturers have an ethical responsibility to create safe products and to provide a safe work environment. They also learn manufacturers have a legal responsibility to provide safety information about their products, about following a code of conduct or code of ethics, and how to analyze case studies of engineering failures in order to avoid future failures.

The Foundation is also sponsoring the course at pre-existing partner schools in Charlotte, N.C., and Lee’s Summit, Mo.  The Lee’s Summit R-7 School District’s Summit Technology Academy, Lee’s Summit, Mo. was funded on Feb. 16 for the creation of its first CIM laboratory serving students in the Kansas City region.

As next generation products continue to develop, parts for combat vehicles, molds for passenger jets, components for solar dishes, the demand for technically skilled workers is a given. In order to increase student awareness and encourage them to prepare for these jobs, the Foundation will also introduce students to the myriad career opportunities in advanced manufacturing through an upper-level high school program, the sMe Institute (summer Manufacturing institute).

According to a new study published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), “As a group, graduates with computer-related degrees (computer programming, computer science, computer systems analysis, and information sciences/systems) posted a 6.1 percent salary increase—the highest reported in the Winter 2010 Salary Survey, which pushed their average up from $56,128 to $59,570.

AuthorGary Mintchell | CommentPost a Comment |
in ,
Thursday
04Mar2010

Who has a hand out for US money?

DateThursday, March 4, 2010 at 4:08PM

It would be amusing if it weren't sad. I don't follow politics closely, but I read enough to think I know where the lines are drawn these days. I think that Republicans are supposed to be againse Federal spending and Democrats are supposed to be for it. Right? I'm never sure, because a look at actual spending by President wouldn't show that. But facts aren't fun. I've heard of Republicans who voted against the "stimulus" package going home to constituents who theoretically don't want government spending touting the stimulus and how many jobs it'll briing to their district (state). I'm confused (and don't try to help out, my masters degree work was in this field--why do you think I went back into manufacturing).

So, now there is a big battle between the politicians from Alabama and Washington about the never-ending conflict (and you thought the ISA100 thing was long-lasting) about who will build the new/old tanker for the US Air Force. One builder/bidder is a consortium led by a European company, although they pieced together some US companies and will build the tanker in Alabama. The other bidder is Boeing. All American (I think).

Now I get a press release from one of my US Senators opposing US money for the giant wind farm in Texas to generate lots of clean energy. No, he's not the Republican--he's the Democrat (we have one of each from Ohio just proving we're bi-polar). Reason? Too much Chinese content in the windmills.

I'm getting press releases from corporate CEOs--usually never accused of being flaming liberals--either positioning the company to get as much Federal money as possible or asking the Federal government to do something to boost manufacturing. Note: The Federal government either spends money or creates regulation. Some of it is good, some is debateable. But that's about it.

Anyway--hey, welcome to a global economy people. And, let's not wait for the government to do something. Politicians get elected with the economy as a factor. But they really don't have much to do with it. It's people starting businesses, serving needs, making money. That's what we're here for. Boosting manufacturing, not by waiting for someone else. No one ever got rich waiting for someone else.

AuthorGary Mintchell | CommentPost a Comment |
in
Thursday
04Mar2010

Cherry Garcia, no that's Jerry

DateThursday, March 4, 2010 at 4:06PM

Hey, you get your business lessons where you can. This month's The Atlantic Monthly has an article discussing business lessons learned from The Gratefuly Dead. Actually, there are lessons in the article for all of us. Note: I'm a subscriber and get access. Don't know if you have to register or not.

AuthorGary Mintchell | CommentPost a Comment |
in
Page 1 2 3 4 5 ... 47 Next 5 Entries ยป