Traditionally, at a pallet plant, an entry-level job involved stacking lumber.
Stacking lumber repeatedly for a full shift is demanding. It requires physical strength and stamina. In my years, Iβve seen many enter the role only to leave it quickly, saying the work is hard, mindless, or a dead endβoffering no clear path forward.
I was listening to Jenny Cavnar on a podcast. She is the first woman to serve as a play-by-play announcer in Major League Baseball, sharing her unlikely journey. Her goal at the start wasnβt to become a play-by-play announcer. She loved sports, was an engaging communicator, and a student of the game. She began as a sideline football announcer, built her credibility, and eventually transitioned to professional baseball. When a vacancy arose, she filled in, and the rest is history.
She said she βwasnβt ready for the job,β but she was βwillingβ to do it. She committed to doing her best and improving a bit every day. That mindset spoke for itself.
Which brings me back to stacking boards!
We have βexpertsβ stacking boards throughout our company. They are physically fit. Whether for 8, 10, or 12 hours, they can stack lumber consistently until the job is done. They have a keen eye for qualityβno usable board gets tossed, and no poor-quality board makes its way to the machine. A typical stacker may handle $1 million worth of raw material in a year, so ensuring its proper deployment is critical to our plantβs success.
They also demonstrate excellent team skills. They teach, encourage, and hold others accountable. They do the heavy lifting safely by using proper body mechanics and following safety rules. They keep an eye on the scoreboard because getting more done well is successful in any enterprise.
In my experience, many have started at the bottom, performed their roles excellently, and moved into more successful positions. Jenny Cavnarβs journey is a perfect example.
Be willing.
Get better.
Focus on being the best you can be.
No job is mindless. Make it your business to become an expert.
-Howe Q. Wallace Jr
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If you ever watched the classic movie The Godfather, you might remember this quote: βIf your car could take me to the airport, Mr. Corleone is a man who ins...
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βDefine yourself by what you love.β β Tim Minchin
I recently watched a commencement address by Australian comedian Tim Minchin at the University of Western Australia, where he shared nine unc...
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Franklin Roosevelt was stricken with polio when he was in his late 30s. He lost the use of his legs overnight, never to regain it.
Read more below.
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I listened to a discussion on the importance of high-character leadership to a companyβs success and learned some interesting insights. Read more below.
#Leadership #...
