As I find myself in my mid-40s, I have noticed a bit of a changing of the tides lately. I’m starting to recognize a shift from spending much of my time ASKING questions to more of my time in ANSWERING questions. One question that I’ve spent a lot of time with lately could be categorized as “What do you wish you knew then that you know now?” with regard to my professional career. While there is more than one answer for me, the answer that seems to illicit a lot of emotion and often times even anger with others is the topic of empowering others - specifically with empowerment around information.
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In an article published by SC Manufacturing Magazine titled Quality - A Top Business Priority for Manufacturers[1] spoke to me as a quality and process improvement practitioner. One statement that I had earmarked was, “Manufacturers across value chains face competitive and market pressures, customer demand, and complex products and value chains that necessitate a broader approach to how products are designed, delivered, and serviced.” A focus on cost reduction or product quality alone is no longer enough to compete in today’s global market place. Just as cup holders and electric windows are no longer enough to win you over as an automotive consumer, organizations must pursue excellence in more aspects than ever in their quest to produce happy and loyal customers. What is the key to quickly improving organizational performance you ask? Optimization of the performance of each player on the team.
I remember as a kid reading about how a man literally ate an airplane[2]. How did he do it? One tiny bite at a time. This same concept can be applied to the sum of individual performance and its effect on overall organizational performance. The bridge that connects individual performance to optimized process performance, and on to overall organizational performance, is workforce development. Figure 1 illustrates the path from individual development plans (IDP) to organizational excellence (OE).
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