May 2023 Volume 5

MEMBERS SPEAK

Take a Listening Tour Communication is key when preparing a company to bring in new team members. Now’s the time to plant seeds and cultivate the talent, work ethic, and leadership you already have within your current team. Where to start? Sincere gratitude. Let the people on your team know how valued they are and how much you appreciate their work. Individual conversations help when you want to get to know a person and benefit from that person’s insight. This is where The Golden Rule helps build trust and respect. Asking your team members for their honest assessment of the work environment, morale and procedures will help you better understand what’s important to your team – and how to build on your success. Fortify Your Team When using the Golden Rule to build morale, you’ll need to think about the variety of ways that your team members experience their work. From the facilities and uniforms to equipment and PPE, every aspect of what it means to work for your company needs consideration. How are the lights? The bathrooms? The coffee? When you hire a new employee what will the experience be like? What can you do to cultivate a working environment that is based on mutual respect and a quest for continual improvement? What milestones can you celebrate together to strengthen the team bond? When your company’s team morale is high, your current team members will become ambassadors in the community. Establish Educational Partnerships Skilled Trades schools at high schools and community colleges are forming and educating the next generation of the manufacturing workforce. By establishing partnerships with existing and even new programs, your company will help resolve the labor force crisis in your community. Start by contacting program coordinators and hosting them for a tour of your plant. Introduce them to team members and learnhowyou canhelp themgrow their program.Then visit their facilities and meet their students. In short order you’ll find other ways to solidify your partnership. Ask a skilled tradesperson from your team to serve on a trade school advisory board. Start a scholarship in your company’s name to support students who are studying skills that you need in your plant. Help sponsor a skilled trades competition. Give class tours and offer job shadowing to high school students in MET or WET programs. Become a business partner with a student co-op program. When you seek to help these programs prosper, you’ll realize benefits to your company that you couldn’t have garnered on your own. In the face of adversity, Taiichi Ohno took stock in the dignity of the human person and best business practices, and by usingThe Golden Rule, got wonderful results. We can too.

At the Wilson Talent Center Mock Interview event with Deborah Stump WTC Academic Support/Work based Learning Co-Ordinator, Mason, Michigan. Ellen Campbell is the Marketing & Development Associate at Campbell Press Repair. She holds an MA in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and serves as Co-chair for the FIA Workforce Development Committee. Email: ellen@campbellpress.com References: i Ohno, Taiichi. Toyota Production System (p. 29). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition. ii Corporation., T. M. (n.d.). Toyota code of conduct: Vision & Philosophy: Company. Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://global.toyota/en/ company/vision-and-philosophy/code-of-conduct/ iii Liker, Jeffrey K.; Liker, Jeffrey K.; Hoseus, Michael; Hoseus, Michael. Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way. McGraw Hill LLC. Kindle Edition. i v Ibid.

FIA MAGAZINE | MAY 2023 91