Transcript - The Manufacturing Exchange – Human-Centered Manufacturing: What Surprised Our Visitors Most
Transcript – The Manufacturing Exchange – Human-Centered Manufacturing: What Surprised Our Visitors Most
One of the things that really caught my attention is this conversation around treating employees like they’re human because I remember growing up in a time where, like, when manufacturing took a hit. So my dad was part of manufacturing in in the late nineties, early two thousands. He was hired to let people go, and it was like that corporate setting. And it was all about, like, killing the messenger.
Right? Yep. Literally. So when he was talking about setting people up for success even in times of uncertainty Yeah.
I really like that and appreciate it because I think that’s that servant leadership that Yeah.
Manufacturing needs more than ever today because the way that we think about manufacturing, it’s not enough. Like, we have to be at the center of our story again, of the United States story. Because when you think about it, we are behind other countries, like, massively, and we have a lot of crises going in where, like Yeah. Welding doesn’t have enough people, robotics doesn’t have enough people, CNC and machining doesn’t have enough people. So how do we get people really excited about it again? And I think that serve out leadership is gonna be a massive component to that culture shift you always have.
Yeah. Absolutely. Well, we have to we have to put people before profits again. And and that was part of what we did so well between nineteen forty and nineteen eighty.
And what Rush said to us out there was a lot in that I mean, this may be a PE backed organization, but the way he leads it isn’t in that day. Right? Because not he’s not putting profitability. Sure.
He’s had to make some tough chain decisions, tough choices. Right? He’s putting their livelihoods, their futures ahead of profitability.
The other thing that I like too is the autonomy that I feel when I walk in the door here at Babin. So, like, everybody knows their place and what sort of responsibilities they have to deal with. Yeah. And it doesn’t feel like anyone’s micromanaging them. Yeah. And Rush said something to the effect, like, we let our people solve problems.
Yeah.
And we try to give them the resources so that they can use the skill set that they’ve been hired for.
And I really admire that as well too because, again, it’s allowing the people Hundred percent.
Produce the products that we need and that help us thrive. Yep. Instead of always thinking about, oh, we have automation. So it’s just robot automation that’s making the product. No. There’s actual people in this equation, and he’s highlighting those. That doesn’t fool.
For me, I walk through this facility the same way I do every facility and that’s through the lens of employee engagement, right? The first things that I look at are the employees. Do they make eye contact with guests when they walk in the door? Do they smile at you? Are they focused on their cues or the work at AM? Everybody smiled when we walked by. Everybody was engaged as we walked through.
Look for, is there a women’s restroom on the shop floor? And there’s a women’s restroom on the shop floor. And it’s clean, which means people care about this place because you can see aspects of recognition as you walk through here. Right? That empowerment, you know, based on just visual as a walk through and boy engagement, you would think would be rather high.
Yeah. Well, and it’s bright. Yep. Because I’ve raised in some cutting pool shops that were not this bright.
And I think that helps too with the energy and making people want come to work and be excited about it. And just the amount of employees that I met that were like, yeah, we’re here because Rush is here. Yep. And we really enjoy I even Kim White.
Yes. Kim White. The infamous Kim White.
He’s really fangirling over that lady, and I’m super excited that she’s here, we just had another conversation with the kitchen. Did you really? She’s like, I really wanna have a conversation with you after this. So I’m, like, fan girling over that.
That’s awesome too. So just to see someone of her caliber, really excited about something. It really makes it inspiring for women younger Yeah. Who might not think they can move up the ladder to see someone of her caliber.
Absolutely.
Being able to use her creativity at free will because her meter trusts her to do that.
Absolutely. Yeah.
Yeah. I love it. Answer your question? Did we do again?
What’s the next question?
