EMPLOYEES – OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLAIN AND SHARE EXPERIENCES

Some of the best moments that I received in training was when I was in the zone — right inside the proverbial coal-face, confronted with a situation that required me to use my initiative and expertise to circumvent myself. At the same time, I needed to appease the instructor who was demanding positive results from the critical dilemma with which I was currently at odds.

For example, in the engineering world, I was a trainee gear cutter; producing gears for all sorts of mechanical pieces of equipment, transmissions for trucks, cranes, boats, and planes. My employer had signed contracts, and everything was ‘piece-time’ completion: meaning, you are paid by the number of parts produced. To accomplish this task effectively, speed, thinking ahead in the placement of next piece for cutting, all measuring devices within arms-reach, and no needless walking or movement to collect and use the apparatus, was required to make the process as efficient as possible.

In one of my early sessions, I was being observed by an experienced, skilled employee over some time. I could almost feel his beady eyes burning a hole into my head as he watched, without comment on my system of operation. Finally, one evening he approached me and declared, "You are the stupidest son of a bitch I’ve ever seen." With this statement, it was a call to war. I wanted to have it out physically with him and made my anger known. He laughed at my youthful outburst and explained the most practical aspect of preparation to perform a task is to think out the positioning of tools, equipment, and material. No half-measures, he was meticulous and literally used chalk to place and identify the location of each piece as well as my stance beside the gear-cutting machine.

By concentrating on observation of the cut, sound of the equipment performing its task, and ensuring that the oil-flow onto the blade of the cutter was correctly maintaining its edge from blunting and burning, I began to understand the position. The cut depth needed to be set at an efficient setting to provide maximum penetration and timing of the action. All of this activity was alien to me, as I had been working on the assumption that performing the role of gear cutter was a simple practice, and the initial instruction was accurate. Not a chance: my new trainer explained bluntly how my newfound knowledge would create a world that I could benefit using my imagination. His statements surrounding finding the easy path to production and wage enhancement bonus schemes were extraordinary. Using his methods, I was producing two times the volume within half the allotted hours. The only downside was I needed to hide the work and only deliver it when the Inspectors came looking to test the product leaving my machine.

Ingenious locations for metal gears became a challenge in a factory built on the working man versus the masters. It was fascinating learning how to become more efficient and seek new ways to operate at maximum velocity, while sworn to secrecy in keeping the outcomes under wraps until a bumper pay period was needed – using the ‘piece-time’ rates and exploiting them. Management never did realize what the worker was doing, and yet if they had taken the time to observe and collaborate, the revenue growth for the company could have gone through the roof. As it stood, the 100-year-old practice of operation was maintained, and the business suffered.