A Manufacturer’s Most Valuable Resource
Keeping people happy and engaged requires more than just showing that they’re appreciated. Their voices need to be heard as well.
Mark Kite (left) and Frank Bock (right), co-owners of Dura Mold, say adopting a more collaborative approach to manufacturing has improved efficiency by better leveraging employees’ skills, improving communication and flexibility, and instilling a sense of teamwork that keeps everyone on-track and focused on the big picture.
A few weeks back, MMS Senior Editor Peter Zelinksi blogged about the importance of a positive shop culture and asked readers if they knew of any manufacturers that made this a priority. I know of quite a few, and they all have one thing in common: They’re all plastic injection mold makers.
That makes sense, given that I’ve only recently come aboard MMS after a 2-year stint at our sister publication, MoldMaking Technology. Still, it’s interesting that no matter what moldmaking topic I was writing about, the vast majority of shop leaders touched on the importance of people in some way, shape or form.
In fact, I cited a few examples in a recent blog post, including a shop that’s invested $1 million in workout rooms, break rooms and other such upgrades, as well as a shop with an interesting approach to showing employees they’re appreciated. However, that post left out something that’s just as critical as instituting a comfortable work environment and making people feel valued. The moldmakers I know—including the ones mentioned above—also emphasize the importance of giving employees a real say in the operation, a chance to potentially shape their own activities and those of the broader company.
One of the first articles I wrote for MMT focused exclusively on this subject. At Dura Mold, moving from a top-down management structure to a more collaborative approach has led to better use of human resources, improved communication and teamwork, a more flexible process and greater accountability. Learn more.
