
Sarcasm, when carefully employed, can be funny. I’ll spare you the Webster’s Dictionary definition… classic high school essay trick!
But let’s have some fun with it! When one of our crew members comes up with a good idea to improve a process, I like to remind them to “Please observe the NO THINKING signs posted throughout the facility!”. Everyone seems to get a laugh out of it. (Is that because I’m the boss and they feel like they are obliged to laugh? Nah, I’m sure it’s because I’m genuinely funny… yeah, right!).
We are fortunate to have a great crew here, and it’s worth noting that the first person we hired 33 years ago is still part of the team! We truly try to “hire the personality and train for the job”. There is no school for Teflon* Coated Fiberglass Sewing Thread production.
More often than you might imagine, our people come up with good ideas that can be used to improve a process. It seems that when you focus on a task, there are sometimes “Zen Moments” that bring great ideas forward. And of course, who better recognizes opportunities for improvement than a committed operator? The trick as a manager is to maintain a work environment that encourages people to share those ideas with others. Remember, too, that a big part of maintaining ISO standards is continuous improvement, and acting on good ideas from operators is one way to facilitate continuous improvement.
It so happens that we had a great idea come forward just the other day; Kayla came up with a way to reduce cleanup time in the PTFE Coated Fiberglass Draw Cord braiding operation. It was a simple idea that involved a little bit of fabrication work from our PTFE Coated Fiberglass Belt department, made with our PTFE Coated Fiberglass Fabric. Using some of our unique capabilities, we did a little cutting and heat sealing, then finished up by sewing with our Teflon* Coated Fiberglass Sewing Thread. We quickly had an ingenious little improvement fabricated and put into operation.
It only took a few minutes to pull off, but the payback is two-fold and provides lasting benefits in both regards. First is the obvious time and effort savings in a clean-up operation, but more important is validating Kayla’s idea and recognizing her genuine ingenuity and effort. She is a valued member of our team, and we appreciate her dedication.
Not all ideas are pursued, but we want them all to come forward. If it isn’t a viable idea, we’ll explain why not, with the understanding that other better ideas may spring from that seedling. Sometimes we try it, and it doesn’t pay off, but there are no bad ideas (you know the saying about “the only bad question…”).
By now, pretty much everyone has heard my little joke at one time or another, and our “NO THINKING” signs have paid huge dividends over these 35 years (Note: We really don’t post NO THINKING signs, in case you were wondering!).
I could site numerous other examples in various areas of production, like PTFE Coated Fiberglass Yarn or in the maintenance shop but you get the idea.
Sarcasm has a bad reputation, rightfully so in many instances, but used jokingly in a positive way, it can get the point across, and everyone gets a little laugh out of it. Just remember that if you ever join our team, please observe the “NO THINKING” signs posted throughout the facility!
*Reg. Chemours