The Essence of Professional Time Management
Spring brings a sense of rejuvenation, a lighter step, and happier spirits to many people. It’s also a great time to clean up your schedule and get your “professional” self in order. There are multiple time management books, software, and programs to purchase, of course, but the following tips may be just what the doctor ordered. Plan your time: Whether it’s in the evening, morning, over lunch, or every weekend, develop a regular time to plan. This task should become as routine as brushing your teeth. Prioritize: Choose the most important tasks and assign them to your best time of…
Surprising Reasons to Embrace Millennials – Part I
By welcoming eager, talented workers, we expand America’s potential for growth and our competitive culture of invention and possibility. – Ron Conway (Brainyquote.com) The solution to the precision manufacturing industry’s talent shortage could be our country’s nearly 75 million Millennials. Unfortunately, Millennials who are of age to seek satisfying careers are rarely well-understood as a group of potential employees. Look below the surface and you find they are a generation shaped by technology, debt, recessions, questioning, permissiveness, and boundary-pushing. While these attributes may feel uncomfortable to a hiring manager from a different generation, manufacturers must find a way to explore…
Do You Need to Adjust Your Attitude to Be a Team Player?
Before you commit to anything, do you have an attitude of “What’s in it for me (WIIFM)? Do you look at the world almost as though “it” owes you something for existing, let alone contributing? This attitude becomes particularly difficult when you are seeking a job, as most every position in every company values team players. Dare we remind you of the cliché, “there is no ‘I’ in team? The word “team” is often used as a synonym for “teamwork.” While many operations in precision manufacturing do not operate with teams, they practice teamwork. That is, one person’s job affects…
How to Attract and Retain Top Manufacturing Talent: Part II
5 Talent-Sourcing Ideas In Part I, we provided seven start-early ideas for manufacturing workforce solutions. Part II continues the drive for talent with five talent-sourcing ideas. 1. Does your state celebrate “Manufacturing Month”? If your state sponsors a celebration for the manufacturing industry, then hold an open house. Much like a community day, this is the time to showcase your company. Campaign for building a workforce: discuss training, highlight products, and demonstrate specializations. This activity is about the value you can bring to others which, in turn, draws talent to you. 2. Make onboarding an inviting process. New employees can be…
How to Attract and Retain Top Manufacturing Talent: Part I
7 Start-Early Ideas Precision Manufacturers recognize that a qualified and skilled workforce is essential to their success. Sadly, fewer young people are choosing careers in manufacturing because they are unaware of either the opportunities available or educational requirements needed. This diminishing talent pool for precision manufacturers to choose from has led to a real shortage of workers. Manufacturers must think both inside and outside the box when it comes to pursuing, attracting and retaining talented workers. Here are seven commonsense and creative ways that could boost your success in the future. Plan a career day Don’t wait until students are…
How to Avoid Negativity, Friction, and Conflict in a Multi-Generational Workforce
A one-size-fits-all leadership or management strategy never proves effective for precision manufacturers. Neither does pandering to a particular group of employees. Those techniques merely incite more division, creating a costly never-ending rollercoaster of drama. Granted, each human being is unique and worthy of respect, but business is…well, business. Therefore, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials must work in accord to satisfy a manufacturers’ quality and production goals. So how does management create harmony among employees? How does management accommodate employees who each bring distinct sets of skills and abilities to the table? How do you recognize where the rubber meets…