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Everyone in manufacturing is a hero! Every product is made by someone somewhere. Without manufacturing, our lives would be impossible!

I help manufacturing champions quintuple (5x) their gross margin with seven little-known steps.

02/04/2023

Conflict is inevitable and necessary for improvement.

So how should we effectively handle disputes?

Always remember that conflict is not an attack on yourself or your point of view.

Stick to the facts.

We can get emotional during conflicts. Negative feelings and perceptions will arise. These can severed the problem harder.

Pause and breathe.

Focus on what happened and what you can do about it

Please don't see it as an attack but as a challenge. Get used to seeing conflict to spur a positive change.

01/04/2023

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭?

This is a well-known saying.

There’s also a view that culture and strategy have breakfast together.

What does this mean, and which saying is correct?

In my view, the saying about culture eating strategy means that a winning culture is more important for a company’s performance than the right strategy.

The saying about sharing a breakfast means that culture and strategy are both critical for organizations.

My experience is that the right culture surges an enterprise’s performance indicators. But, a winning culture needs a clear goal and strategy.

Look at it this way, the culture is the car, and the strategy is the satellite navigation system. You need both to get to a new destination.

The more powerful the engine in the car, the faster you get to your destination. Some engines are broken, the equivalent of a toxic company culture.

31/03/2023

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟭𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿!

As an MD, all kinds of issues are brought to you.

The most challenging topics are those involving employees.

It’s impossible to prepare for each eventuality, hence the title of this post.

I use guiding principles to help me decide on unpredicted situations. One of these principles is that I treat others the way that I want to be treated myself. I try, at least :)

For a problem that involves a colleague, I try to put myself in their shoes. How would I feel? What would I want or need?

Next, I try to find a win-win situation for the staff member and the company.

Does this mean that I bend over backwards when employees have a request? Not at all. But it strengthens the team when I can accommodate the colleague’s need while it’s suitable for the enterprise.

30/03/2023

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚!

It cannot just be to win or beat the competition.

A just cause is a unifying force. It defines our company's purpose and guides how we approach challenges.

When all stakeholders in the company work together toward a common goal, it creates an inspiring environment where people fearlessly pursue creative solutions and thrive on innovation.

A Just Cause must be:

1. For something

2. Inclusive

3. Service-oriented

4. Resilience

5. Idealistic

29/03/2023

𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻’𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁!

You dropped your vehicle at the workshop for service early in the morning. You went to the office for the day.

At the end of the day, you return to the workshop and learn that your vehicle was damaged.

You are also informed about who caused the damage: John.

However, the workshop does not have a plan to repair the damage. They are focused on who is to blame.

As a customer, do you care who caused the problem?

I don’t care at all about whom to blame when something like this happens to me. What matters is how the issue is resolved and how the effect on the customer is minimized.

Accidents happen, and mistakes are made. You know what company you’re patronizing by how they solve issues.

28/03/2023

When should a special arrangement be approved?

Life can be unpredictable. Making special arrangements can cause false narratives. You cannot control what others will say or think.

There would be times personal problems affect someone in your team that leads to a special arrangement outside of the norm.

Other people will start asking for the same and feel entitled to the same outcome.

So, I decided to make a rule for my team.

The outcome may vary depending on the situation but-

"My process is the same for every request."

27/03/2023

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣?

Imagine you’re going on a holiday. You have booked a facility 1,000 km from your home.

Do you sit on the sofa in your living room and imagine a way to get to your destination in one big jump?

Do you go online to find a new app promising to ’teleport’ you like Scotty in Star Trek?

I guess you’re shaking your head and you envision getting into a car, train, or aircraft to get to your destination.

To get anywhere, you need to follow the route to your destination. For example, to drive to KL from Singapore, here are the steps

1.Pack bags
2.Get into a car
3.Drive to one of the link bridges (Woodlands or Tuas)
4.Pass the borders
5.Get onto the AH2 expressway
6.Pass Kluang
7.Pass Muar
8.Pass Malacca
9.Pass Negeri Sembilan
10.Arrive at KL

One could call this a ’no-brainer’.

Then why are so many companies trying to surge their performance with new software or by brainstorming for the project to bring these results?

My approach, set a goal, agree on the steps, and execute this plan while ’steering’ to keep the teams on course.

26/03/2023

When it comes to compassion, small deeds are far better than great intentions!

Caring for others is not just a nice thing to do, it’s the right thing to do. When you truly care for others, they look up to you and trust that you will be there for them. In turn, they will carry forward your vision, support you through tough times, and ultimately become part of creating something bigger than themselves.

Don't just say you care, show it!

25/03/2023

I know it’s easy to be unproductive at times. There are times we feel overwhelmed and unproductive.

Distractions are like an oil stain on water, ever-growing if you allow it. I also fall into the trap of being unproductive occasionally.

We are in charge of our own productivity, as it is all about actionable steps. Whether we realize it or not, all of us get distracted from time to time, and we need to take an action to be more focused and productive.

How about you?

24/03/2023

In only 30 minutes, you know!

A wave of humid and warm air hits me when I open the door.

I’m wearing all protective gear. On my clipboard, I have fresh sheets of paper. My pencil is sharpened.

I walk into the factory. Today I have selected the electrical department. I find a safe spot to stand and observe.

The first five minutes, I look, but I don’t see. Then, as if an invisible barrier is lifted, I suddenly start noticing ‘things’. I write down observations about safety, quality, and productivity.

Half an hour after I stepped out of the office, I have a long list of topics to review with the operational team.

In only 30 minutes, I know how that team works, and I have more improvement ideas than we can handle.

23/03/2023

𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄

For as long as machines are used, they have planned their maintenance.

Here is what happens.

Maintenance is costly. You need parts and hire an engineer. Probably the most expensive is the missing production capacity; the downtime.

In a world with pressure on prices, managers try to reduce costs.
Reducing maintenance efforts is one way to save money.

At first, nothing changes. The machine keeps running reliably. This proves that the cost-saving strategy works.
Often the efforts are intensified by less frequent and less intensive upkeeping.

Then, one day, suddenly, the equipment fails. The whole factory grinds to a halt. The machine scheduled its maintenance.

To reduce costs, I focus on implementing a winning culture.

22/03/2023

Communicate your expectations.

You'd be surprised how much it helps to communicate your expectation to the people you work or collaborate with.

People generally step up to what is expected of them if they can see their value within the team. As a manager, it is important to always communicate expectations!

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151 Chin Swee Road, Unit 10-09
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169876

Website

http://www.zingurbiz.com/

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