TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

This page contains solid "mostly" ethical advice. Which anyone can use, if they find a good fit with their particular situation.

MIKE'S MUSINGS

Hello cyberspace! from Mike. I think that I have found the secret for job longevity! I have been working at a major non- union supplier to the automotive industry for 10 years. The company has had two layoffs during that time but I am still there, and I got promoted twice.

My technique is to really get to know my boss and to show him that I am 100% working to help him reach his goals and the company goals (but his goals come first). To find out what his goals are, I work at spending "quality time" with him. This consists of going out to lunch with him (and his cronies) on Friday and joining him at company sponsored after hours activities.

I found out that he likes to play golf. So I learned how to play and joined his weekend foursome. He also bowled in the company league so I joined the league (even though I don't like bowling that much).

But some of the best "quality time" that I found is staying late after work (he always works late). I wander into his office and informally discuss the job with him. This way I can better keep in touch with what is going on and find out problems which I can help him with.

The overriding goal, in all this, is to develop his trust and give him confidence that he can always count on me to get the job done. This way when it comes time to "downsize" I'll be last one he would think of making redundant. Or another way of putting it is, I HAVE BECOME INDISPENSABLE!

I am sure that my technique will work for you to.

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TED'S THOUGHTS

My name is Ted and I am happy to share my Job Security secret. I am a mechanical designer at a major consumer products company. I have worked there for 19 years. When I first started, all of the drawings were done "on the board" by hand with pencil and paper. Then along came the 2D CAD (Computer Aided Design) workstations. My company installed a few but most of the designers were very reluctant to use them. But not me! I jumped right in and learned the new way to design. Come the next "Skill Mix Adjustment" I was retained but the guys/gals who didn't know CAD well, were let go.

The same thing happened when 3D CAD came into the company. We got the Pro ENGINEER package from Parametric Technology Co. Again, I enthusiastically learned the new system. But some of my coworkers complacently stuck to 2D designing. Come the next "Adjustment" I stayed but they didn't.

All I have to say is: You got at keep up with the new stuff!

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ED's EMAIL

I certainly agree with what Ted said about keeping up with the "cutting edge" technology in you field. As a programmer there are constantly new languages to learn. Right now I am working at a Web services company. I am vigorously learning and using the latest html tags, multimedia apps, JAVA and JAVA scripts, cgi programs etc. I not only use them at work but also learn the really new stuff evenings and weekends. My latest hobby is learning VRML.

I don't think that there is any likelihood of a RIF for now but where I used to work they were constantly making "Skill Mix Adjustments". And the workers with the old skills were the ones "Adjusted".

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SALLY'S SALVO

Enough of this Techie, Cutting Edge technology stuff. What about us non-nerds with no technical talent? You geeks think that you know it all and us "real" people don't have any techniques of our own! Well we do! While you nerds are having a meaningful relationship with your technical manuals we are out in the real world enjoying ourselves because our techniques are easy to apply and just require some careful thought while applying them to your job and while looking for your next job. Mike (above) divulged some good insights but did not fully develop his theories. The seven Rules which I follow are;

The First rule is: "You MUST have a job which has no easily quantified output." You want a job where your output is an intangible such as an opinion or a position. You do not want to get pinned down by FACTS or Dollar 'n Cents output.

The Second rule is; "ALWAYS try for the most ambiguous opinion that you can get by with." This way, no matter which way the situation, which you gave your opinion on, turns out, you can say that you were right.

The Third rule is: "NEVER disagree with your boss." Disagreeing with your boss is seldom healthy for your career. The ONLY exception to this is if you know (for sure) that your boss is in deep trouble with his boss, then you probably want to align you opinion with that of your boss's boss.

The Fourth rule is; NEVER state your opinion in writing. Oral options stated forthrightly while exuding confidence are the best approach. If pressed for a written opinion do it in Email, since people tend to readily delete old Email messages. Do NOT commit your opinion to a written memo, someone will save it and haunt you with it when you comply with Rule 5.

The Fifth rule is; "ALWAYS be ready to change your opinion." If reality contradicts a past pronouncement change you stance as quickly as you can. People have short memories, especially for things which they hear. Your revised opinion, stated earnestly, should be able to convince your listeners that this is what you said in the first place.

The Sixth rule is; "LOOK as good as you can." Surveys have shown that good looking, well dressed, well spoken and physically fit guys and gals succeed much better on the job than, average looking people. And much, much better than geeks and nerds. Do whatever you need to achieve this. Get good tasteful clothes, work out, diet, get a face lift whatever; but do it. Your opinions will be much more believable if you are 'looking good"!

The Seventh rule is: "HANG OUT with the right people" Do not waste your valuable time associating with people who cannot help you with your career! You have to spend "quality time" with the opinion leaders in your organization so that you can be sure that none of your opinions conflict with or contradict theirs. This also gives you a chance to express your carefully thought out opinions, which just happen to complement those of the leaders. Remember "You cannot soar like an eagle when you hang out with turkeys"!

What does this have to do with Job Security? Well, getting ahead in your company IS a form of job security, since only the best succeed. When the companies I have worked for downsized, it was the deadwood and the excess and/or outdated techies who were outplaced. And while the company is busy the geeks are subject to "Geeksploitation" which can lull them into a state of false security.

This is all the time I have right now to try to help the "job challenged". I have to get my hair done before I have dinner with the CEO tonight. Follow the Rules and Good Luck!

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Ken's Codicil

Sally, I agree with you completely. Your rules work at the highest corporate levels. I am the CEO of a leading Fortune 500 company. I found that the most important criteria to get the top job is: to instill in the Board Members the confidence, that with me at the helm, the company is in good hands.

I do not completely understand all of the details of the corporate management or finances, but I have trustworthy, competent subordinates to take care of these details.

My role is to exude confidence, speak well smile, tout the company stock. If I do get in a bind (something that I cannot bluff my way through) I always have my stock options and golden parachute to fall back on.

Ah, the Good Life at the Top.

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PAULINE'S PARADIGM PERIL

Hi! My name is Pauline and I have a serious problem. I am a junior manufacturing engineer at a well established Midwest manufacturing company. I graduated from the University of Kentucky's Manufacturing Systems Engineering MS Program. where I had taken their course on lean manufacturing. A few months ago I was sent to a work shop on Lean Manufacturing at the Lean Enterprise Institute. In the workshop we learned the benefits of embracing change, shifting your paradigms (an example that serves as a pattern or model), demand driven, continuous flow production, eliminating waste in production and Just in Time (JIT) material management.

This new technique looked fascinating compared to our present batch system and our large warehouse full of inventory. From the workshop examples it was obvious to me that this new paradigm could easily be applied to our production floor and result in large savings of labor and inventory dollars.

I immediately embraced this new manufacturing paradigm becoming a paradigm pioneer. I naively thought that everyone else would share my enthusiasm. Boy was I wrong! My supervisor and older coworkers are gripped by paradigm paralysis. They see no reason to change. Their cry is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". But I know if we don't increase our efficiency this way our competitors will and our company will slide into decline.

My problem is; my evangelizing for the Lean Manufacturing is beginning to annoy everyone and I am concerned that I will be "let go" in the inevitable decline of the company if not sooner. This whole thing is NOT good for my Job Security. But I just can't be silent on the need for a Paradigm Shift and no one else has the guts or the energy to speak out . So what should I do? Please send in your suggestions.

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AGILE ANNIE

Pauline, you have a bigger problem than you think! My name is Annie and I too work for a manufacturing company back East. I have worked here for 11 years and truly enjoy my work. My company stays on the "cutting edge" of manufacturing and product design technology and has reaped the rewards BIG TIME. We have taken the next step beyond Lean Manufacturing into Agile Manufacturing.

Agility is the "ability to thrive in an environment of constant and unrelenting change". In practice this means that we have the flexibility to constantly adapt our design and manufacturing processes to meet the demands of the Market Place. Our managers are constantly consulting with staffers at the Agility International and developing programs to maintain and enhance our flexibility and adaptability.

I had the good fortune to attend the courses on Agile Manufacturing at BMA Inc. The courses are practical and teach one how to realize the benefits of agile manufacturing, including examples of successful implementations of Agile Manufacturing. These success stories hammered home the necessity of all organizations to shift their paradigm to "Agility" before they are too far down the slippery slope to business oblivion.

My advice to you Annie, is to get out before it is too late and you succumb to the losing atmosphere which pervades your palace of paradigm paralysis. We are hiring, with our growth we always are, so send me your resume. It sounds like your paradigm fits with ours.

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