More on the 10 Commitments, #4:

10 COMMITMENTS

1. No Shortcuts

   We will teach you the safe way, provide you safe equipment, fix it when it breaks. Do it right and safe.

2. Safety Freeze

   Watch out for others, guide and teach “rookies,” hold others accountable for safe practices.

3. On Time and Quick Start

   Be there, start timely.

4. Work Smart – Technique and Consistency

   Learn the right techniques and work at a consistent pace.

   There is a right way to do things.

   The work in our plants very often is physically demanding. In fact, most of you know that if you stand and watch our best people doing their jobs, they make it look easy and the physical effort involved is not apparent.

   New employees miss that too!

   So, this commitment focuses on the fact that to attain maximum effectiveness, the focus should be on learning the right way to do things.

   Those of you who know me well know that I am a natural klutz. When it comes to doing physical work, I don’t naturally see the right way to do it. I will typically try to make up for my lack of grace by manhandling things into place. Absolutely the wrong way.

   The right way is to have someone teach me the smart way to do it. Practice it until I get the hang of it. Refine it as I go.

   The second piece of this is consistency. This idea is modeled after the story of the “The Tortoise and the Hare.” Team members need to focus on giving a consistent, steady effort for a large part of the work day as compared to working in fits and bursts.

   I have seen many new employees start their first work day full of enthusiasm and desire to do well, only to have the first five hours break them because they attacked their job with the wrong techniques at the wrong pace.

   First things first. Learn how and why. Apply it at a consistent pace. Then move on to the next commitment.

5. Work Hard – Strength and Speed

   Build endurance and push for faster production.

6. Teamwork

   Teammates support, cooperate, encourage and motivate each others. Be a good team member.

7. “Customer Quality”

   Know your customer and exceed their expectations.

8. 100% Uptime

   Learn to understand your tools and machines. Maintain them. Report little things before they become big.

9. Lean and Clean

   To run lean, we must have good housekeeping. Keep your area clean.

10. Better or Worse?

    If you are not moving toward excellence, you are drifting toward mediocrity.