Tyres

I work at Michelin as a lean manufacturing consultant kind of thing. It is an interesting job. I started out as a maintenance guy working my hands, building, fabricating and the like. The next year I began a sort of lean manufacturing assassin. I was intensely trained in all the tools, read al the books and then dropped into a problem area in the plant. I would then go in and act like a fixer, I would make the problem go away. I would do what it took to make it happen, to get the desired results. It was interesting to say the least, but I got the reputation of being a hardass, as not taking no for an answer, but at the same time a reputation among the upper level management as a fixer, a guy who can get things done.

Well upon my return this year to Michelin, I was assigned expanded duty, given an office, a computer a phone and asked to be the fixer again, but this time for the entire plant, all the time. Instead of an assassin I became a kind of green beret. I knew the tools, I could do it when it was needed, I have gotten dirty before, but now I was dropped into areas and now I just train them so they can take care of their own business. I give them the tools and lead them, but they have to pull the trigger so to speak.

Management is an interesting occupation. You don't learn how to do it in school. Get in the real world and everyone will tell you that. You have to be smart and charismatic and by shear power of will you can get things done, or through reliance on the procedure. More to come on that.

I have learned you must lead from the front. There is no other option. You can have commands issued from a desk, but you must have someone out on the floor with the people to implement the orders successfully. Part of being a leader is being confident in person. You need to speak loudly and clearly, but at the same time actually listen to others. You need to dress the part as well. I remember several summers ago i was doing an industrial engineering study for a problem solving event and a forklift was riding with his forks in the air and I flagged him down and yelled at him, me a student, but I was confident, right and dressed the part and carried byself as such. You are what you appear to be.

I have read several books. That was an understatement. That was cocky. But among them were several which have been rather erudite and have application to the real world. Gemba Kaizen, The Prince, The Art of War, and Leadership Through People Skills have bee most sage in their wisdom. The Art of War is not entirely about war. Written in the warring states period by sun tzu, it offers amazing advice on how to win and be successful. Key point, know yourself and know your enemy, but also never go into a battle you cannot win. Everyone knows Machiavelli, but I doubt many read it. Key point, when one cannot be both loved and feared, be feared. But at the same time he says that one can never be hated by the people otherwise no matter what happens the princedom will fall apart, think about it. Go to Gemba, if there is a problem go to where it happens and figure it out rapidly, don't reinvent the wheel, don't over study, grab the low hanging fruit and implement action immediately, make it work.

Know how to hold your cards. People have a tendency to say too much to impress people. You have to know how to lead and get what you want. Remember success isn't just going to happen because you want it to, you cant talk it into existence, you have to know how the system works, know the people who can help you and never throw all your cards on the table too early. Transparency is a good thing, but sometimes if you don't seem like it's important and give all the details then they aren't going to help you succeed.


That's all I got.