Compressed Air Best Practices - February 2008 - (Page 41)

Compressed Air Industry BULK HANDLING | 02/08 | S a b o t a g e Yo u r P r o f i t s ? Make it Happen in Your Company Shifting your company’s culture to embrace problem-solving meetings can be tough. It takes more than an e-mail announcement or a speech. Some ideas include: 1. Assess management meetings you are now attending and determine if they really are necessary. If not, distribute data or information from those meetings using other methods. If the meeting is important, shift the agenda from focusing on performance accolades to sharing and solving problems. Challenge those who “don’t have problems.” Are they playing hard enough? Are they holding their cards too close to the vest? Notice the level of defensiveness in the culture. Are people “coachable”? Can they disclose issues easily? Can they take feedback without it seeming so personal? Start leading by example. Surface your problems first! This last idea could be difficult, but it shows you are serious. And it allows you to start challenging the group. Start asking questions like: • • “Even though we are performing well, what’s not working or can be improved in your department?” “What is your greatest personal challenge or concern we should be talking about today?” “Where in your area are you having the most problems?” 2. 3. 4. 5. “Time is . money. Where do you want to spend it?” • This doesn’t mean that project performance status shouldn’t be on the agenda. A few accolades can be appropriate, but surfacing and focusing on problems and projects that are off-course so that the group can work together on resolving them is critical for sustaining competitive advantage and profits. Is this something that everyone is ready for? No. It requires a strong, confident staff. Only solid teams thrive in an open and supporting culture. On the other hand, weak teams don’t have the courage to disclose their issues and accept help. But then, if that’s the case, perhaps you have another problem. BP ABOUT THE AUTHOR Don Schmincke is a business consultant and author of the CEO bestseller, “The Code of the Executive.” A graduate of MIT and Johns Hopkins University, Don uses anthropology and evolutionary genetics to dispel the usual management and leadership techniques. With more than 20 years of research and consulting experience, Don and The SAGA Institute help companies accelerate performance. He has worked with the U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness, DuPont, IBM, Miller Brewing and more. For more information, call: 1-866-LEAD-866 or visit: www.sagaleadership.com. www.airbestpractices.com 41 http://www.sagaleadership.com http://www.airbestpractices.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Compressed Air Best Practices - February 2008

Compressed Air Best Practices - February 2008 Contents From the Editor Utility-Air News February Audit of the Month: Dense-Phase Transport System Wreaks Havoc on Compressed Air System Real World Best Practices: Material Conveying with Pneumatic and Vacuum Systems Industrial Vacuum Cleaners Use Compressed Air in Portland Cement Manufacturing Processes The Numatics Air Preparation Group The Ins and Outs of Vacuum Generators Dekker Vacuum Technologies Do Your Meetings Sabotage Your Profits? Resources for Energy Engineers Wall Street Watch Advertiser Index Job Market

Compressed Air Best Practices - February 2008

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