Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - September 2008 - (Page 50)

Engineering Management Course Management C oncentrating on what’s happening in the workplace can be a difficult task, especially when distracted by the mental preparation for the World Amateur Handicap Championship, which was held at the end of August in Myrtle Beach, Fla. As many of you know, golf is one of my great escapes and getting set for this tournament is something I always take very seriously. That’s because this tourney is as close as one like me can get to a professional tour event without sweating through PGA Tour Q-school. All summer, I have aimed to hit the longest drive “for show” and then tried to scramble my way back to the clubhouse. However, as my level of intensity increased throughout my practice rounds, something changed. My determination to improve my score forced me to change my approach to my golf game from one of “hit and go find it” to one of course management. As I pondered about my six-round route in the 100°F weather, the concept of “course management” led me to understand how the game of golf can be compared to the tasks and responsibilities of a maintenance manager. How you manage the course of your career and the chal- By Jeff Dearduff j.dearduff@comcast.net lenges that you face in the workplace will determine how you develop and succeed as a manager. The workplace has evolved over the years and continues to change from how “it used to be.” Years ago, we spent a good part of our time working with equipment and tweaking processes to hone the performance of the plant. Our hands were on the fixes. Our people were used to working hard and serving the overall cause, not just showing up to work because they had to. Ahh, those were the good ‘ol days. When we think about the areas that we need to improve, we initially focus on technical training all too often. We also need to consider the areas of human resources and personal development, especially with the changing attitudes of the workforce, the rights that workers have today and the demands they place on management and their job environment. It’s time to redirect the way we manage our own personal course. A quick search on the Internet will show you that workforce and personal development training is pretty broad, but you also will find that the topics are very specific and point at universal problems. Here are just a few common topics to look into: • Coaching for Success — Improve results through an organized process of show and tell. • Managing Resources — Since you can’t fit a rectangular peg into a square hole, managers need time to reassess the talents of an employee so they are paired up with the right tasks. In some cases, you’ll learn that you need to outsource to get the job done right. • Driving Performance — Rely on motivation and incentive programs to 50 Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - SEPTEMBER 2008 http://www.burford.com/sfb http://www.burford.com/sfb

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - September 2008

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - September 2008 Contents Editor’s Note For Goodness Sakes Better Than the Rest Unconventional Thinking Easy Does It New Products In the Comfort Zone Engineering Management The ASB Column Printer Keeps Production Running Equipment Briefs Better Than the Rest The Final Word

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery - September 2008

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