Problems, Issues, Opportunities and Initiatives Shared by Operations Managers

Important and Urgent

• Leadership training [13 VOTES]
  - cross-training so current/internal staff is capable of doing more
  - “maximizing human capital”
• Planning for the downturn (and upturn) in the economy [9 VOTES]
  - Managing staff levels
  - An opportunity for “staff on call”? If so, how to structure, administer, etc.?
  - Handling change in volume
  - Managing motivation and morale
  - Maintaining competencies, especially after staff reductions or when running lean
• Productivity – Doing more with less, while maintaining set standards (delivery, service, quality, etc.) [6 VOTES]
• Building vendor partnerships (vendors are part of your corporate “team”)
• Product safety (eg. peanut butter salmonella outbreak) – major impact on the entire business
• Meeting delivery and service requirements in and unpredictable environment (when demands/orders change very frequently or are made with little to no notice)
  

Important but not Urgent

• Cross-functional teamwork (management level) – making decisions that are the best for the company overall [2 VOTES]
• Green resource conservation strategies [2 VOTES]
• Getting employees to embrace lean concepts/to take ownership/realize that they make a difference
• Managing growth in different economic times
• The impact of EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act; please see post below)
• Capitalizing on supply-chain strategies in an entrepreneurial environment
• Meeting delivery schedules while moving a plant’s location
• Continuing process improvements in and environment already JIT
• How to effect a culture change in maintenance systems
• Capitalizing (fully) on ERP systems

Changing the culture to develop front-line supervisors to take more responsibility

Some questions asked by roundtable participants:
· Are your goals clear?
· Are problems identified/managed more top-down or bottom-up?
· What made the training at your previous employers successful?
· Do you view the culture as changeable?
· What has made past training successful?
· What portion of your employees’ reviews depends on exhibiting the behavior desired?
· Have you put any signs up? (refers to marketing on the walls regarding goals, safety or performance goals, etc.)
· What other communications initiatives have been tried?
· Are your peers’ goals clearly defined?
· Were business reasons for change/corporate goals and strategies set communicated?
· How are you planning to publicize/reward someone when they do something good?
· Have you taken time to find out what employees want, need, how they feel, etc.?
· Have you identified who the “potential” leaders are?
· Are possibly too many goals set/trying to be achieved, or are they possibly misunderstood?
· What percent of decisions brought to you should be made by supervisors?

Some experience shared by participants:
· Cultural change can take a long time
· Weekly or monthly meetings can help advance the change you’re looking for
· A line-leader program can relieve supervisors of paperwork, equipment adjustments and repetitive requirements. These are long-time employees who are identified leaders on the floor. In sample program, dividends were reaped in third year.
· Once-a-month employee meetings to share information. Use TV break-room to communicate. You’d be surprised of the power of a smiley face on a chart!
· Some decisions can be turned over to front-line supervisors
· Ken Blanchard books on leadership, coaching, team-building
· Culture of small company can be one of “micro-management” compared to a larger company. Empowering line leaders and supervisors can take time when shifting power to them.
· When the list of initiatives is daunting, a manager could select the top three that will have the most impact. Then talk about and preach only those three both to the employees and with the executive management team.
· Assure employees that it’s OK to make a mistake.
· Communicate principals you want your employees to follow in decision making (Covey’s principal-centered leadership) http://www.amazon.com/Principle-Centered-Leadership-Stephen-Covey/dp/0671792806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234197683&sr=1-1
· “Comfort is the enemy of change.” Are you willing to use “positive” stress? See comment below
· Ritz-Carlton case study: moved from 200% employee turnover to virtually none by identifying the type of employee needed in the job and then recruiting for it. http://www.quality.nist.gov/Ritz_Carlton_Hotel_Co.htm
· Develop a matrix that shows accountability
· Identify the most important tasks to mid-management team’s function.
· Sharing information to many levels is key (goals, strategies, methods, training, how performance will be measured and rewarded or not, etc.)