Six Sigam

We had been very vocal and aggressive in pushing our personal view of workplace reality (which was very wrong) and now need to recover work group confidence and support.

Having started the team approach, we need to continue the team approach. The current problem is our problem not their problem. If we change the ground rules and dismiss or limit the team’s participation or ability to contribute, we will undermine and erode any sense of teamwork we have created.

We have been considering bringing in a specialist/consultant, but we don’t want to undermine the teams’ authority or prerogatives. If the teams decide that a specialist/consultant is a possible resource or if they can be led to decide that a specialist/consult is a possible resource, we will heartily concur and make all the arrangements.

The reason we didn’t initially start with a specialist/consultant was our simplified and mistaken assumptions that some equipment peaking and tweaking, some minor process maintenance and repair, and a general facility cleaning and some paint would be all we needed. Reality 101: Our assumptions didn’t lead us astray; our limited knowledge of reality did.

Larry has left the 16-ounce fill line day crew for an opening in maintenance that offered more money and more varied working conditions. The maintenance position was openly announced in the facility and competitively bid. Of the four applications for the position Larry was the best qualified. We were hoping that Larry would glean all he could from Charlie about the 16-ounce fill line, its characteristics, adjustments, limitations, maintenance and repair, and that he would pass this general and specific knowledge on to the other fill lines. We took Larry aside and offered him equal money and some additional benefits if he would stay on the 16-ounce line for the next six months but he refused. He knew the other facility personnel knew that he had been selected for the maintenance position and that if he stayed on the 16-ounce line for any additional time, it would be obvious that “some kind of deal” had been struck.

It is company policy to interview personnel when they move from position to position to summarize and recap their views on how thing are going and what things could be improved. Larry stated that the best thing about the 16-ounce fill line was Charlie. Larry said that he and Charlie didn’t socialize, they didn’t hold conversations, they didn’t share personal information, but if anything happened and Larry needed or could use a hand, Charlie was there. Larry also admitted that Charlie did much of the set up and adjustment on Larry’s two 16-ounce fill machines. Larry said he learned a lot from Charlie but because the facility hasn’t gone into full production yet, there still was much more to learn.

Larry’s replacement on the 16-ounce line is Betty. The announcement of the job opening created by Larry’s move was posted at both the manufacturing and the fill facilities.

Betty is a twelve-year employee from our manufacturing facility who began as a tool room clerk, moved to a tool inventory and maintenance position, and for the past four years was been a second shift set up and maintenance technician. She is characterized as being a fast learner, a competent technician and a focused individual. She has no fill line work or process experience.

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