10 minute read
TALENT
LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP GO HAND-IN-HAND FOR AMBA’S EMERGING LEADERS
by Rachael Pfenninger, director of strategic execution, AMBA
In a Harvard Business Review (HBR) article by Dr. Sunnie Giles, organizational scientist and leadership development consultant, titled, “The Most Important Leadership Competencies, According to Leaders Around the World,”1 the author suggests that while soft skills and emotional intelligence often are heralded as key leadership characteristics, recent research demonstrates that there really are five dominating themes of competencies exhibited by effective leaders. These include providing a safe, ethical environment; empowering individuals to self-organize; promoting connection and belonging among employees; being open to new ideas and experimentation; and committing to the professional and intellectual growth of employees.
This is quite a bit more analytical than what was written by leadership coach, consultant and CEO Peter Bregman in another HRB article. His headline makes a simpler argument – “Great Leaders Are Confident, Connected, Committed and Courageous.”2 Is either opinion more correct than the other? No – but why? While these two articles may outline what seem to be sets of different characteristics, they are driven by the same ideas. Great leaders put their employees first. They examine themselves, consider their faults and take seriously the feedback provided by others. At the same time, they are passionate about their mission, driving it forward and staying humble about their own leadership journey.
The themes summarized here were echoed in many of the AMBA Emerging Leaders Network’s 2021 Meet the Mentor sessions. During these meetings, executives from the AMBA community tackled the challenges facing today’s emerging manufacturing professionals and walked attendees through the best practices and conflict resolution strategies developed throughout their own careers.
communication – the message often was the same. First, empowered teams and employees provide greater organizational impact. Second, humble leaders open to new ideas and feedback foster heightened respect, encourage participation and generate positive, bottom-line-impacting change. And third, leaders passionate about their mission inspire those around them, regardless of their status within the organization.
Because it’s difficult to independently pursue the constant journey of learning and self-evaluation, AMBA will continue to provide practical application opportunities through a “Lunchtime Leadership” series in 2022. This series will provide AMBA’s Emerging Leaders with the continuing support needed to put into practice the lessons taught by these industry mentors.
All speakers will outline their own personal leadership journeys and touch on specific themes (examples include culture transformation, women in manufacturing, financial growth and stability and others). Attendees will have the chance to connect with one another, describe their own experiences, highlight best practices and participate in facilitated, all-group discussion.
Ultimately, what this year’s Emerging Leaders Network has learned from the mentors is that the effectiveness of any leadership journey relies not just on an understanding of basic leadership principles and a willingness to embrace them, but a review of their practical application in a safe space with feedback from their colleagues. The Emerging Leaders Network intends to provide this space so that the industry’s emerging professionals, with the help of their colleagues and those who have walked the path before them, can continue to advance into the upper echelons of their organizations and create the kinds of workplaces that attract next-generation workers.
To view AMBA’s upcoming events for the Emerging Leaders Network, visit www.AMBA.org/Events. Questions? Contact Rachael Pfenninger, administrator of the Emerging Leaders Network, at rpfenninger@amba.org.
REFERENCES 1. The Most Important Leadership Competencies, According to Leaders Around the World (www.hbr.org)
2. Great Leaders Are Confident, Connected, Committed and Courageous (www.hbr.org)
While the themes from the discussion mirrored past mentor conversations, several specific takeaways came out of the recent October Meet the Mentor session, “Leaning into Leadership.” A few of the points are outlined below.
• 70% of lean initiatives fail because the culture is unwilling to shift; tools can be promoted and taught, but they are all just tools in the toolbox if companies don’t practice working with them. • A focus on failing quickly encourages trying new ideas; creating safety in risk-taking will encourage innovation, positive change and employee empowerment. • Employees are stuck in their positions for a very long time when they act like “mushrooms.” Remember: very few people have been fired for bringing an idea to the table and failing. • Learning the language of senior management and getting really good at calculating ROI will help opinions be heard by critical decision-makers; money matters most to management. • If an employee wants to advance, it’s important to take control of one’s mentorship and career path. Remember to ask:
Z Are you in the right role? Z Are you really enjoying what you’re doing? Z Are you personally committed to delivering? Z Are you differentiating yourself? Z Are you thinking forward?
• Following the better/faster/cheaper process allows companies to do more with less (i.e., higher production with the same or less workforce). • Staying focused on top revenue-generating customers and streamlining the communication process can dramatically increase profit and improve the quality of customer relationships. • Implement visual management to drive goal setting and achievement (for example, workstation tablets, physical huddle boards for teams, etc.). • Employees – especially emerging professionals – shouldn’t be ashamed or reluctant to promote what’s been accomplished to company management. This communication helps them see what they might otherwise miss.
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[1] PCS COMPANY OFFERS RUST AND MINERALS PRODUCTS PCS Company, Fraser, Michigan, has introduced two new products off the shelf for customers: the Eco-Pro 360 Descaler Cart and the Eco-Pro Solution. The Eco-Pro 360 Descaler Cart was made with acid-resistant components and runs off compressed air. If the product is used with Eco-Pro 360 Solution, no water is needed. The solution is for use with the Eco-Pro 360 Cart. It removes mineral scale and flash rust, provides protective coating for long-term protection, works on all ferrous and non-ferrous metal surfaces, and overall reduces labor, time and cost. For more information, visit www.pcs-company.com.
[2] SECO TOOLS RELEASES TWO NEW PRODUCTS Seco Tools, Fagersta, Sweden, has launched two products: a high-feed cutter and insert series in size 14 and the Seco JSE510 series, a family of flexible, highly productive solid end mills. The high-feed, square-cut size 14 milling system is ideal for tough materials and comes in a full range of Seco Tools grades made to achieve fully secure high-feed milling. The reoptimized design of the new JSE510 targets general engineering, contract manufacturers and job shops, as well as the aerospace, medical and automotive industries. For more information, visit www.secotools.com.
HRSCOOL EVO UPGRADES HYDRAULIC CYLINDER SYSTEM Oerlikon HRSflow, San Polo di Piave, Italy, announced a further development of the HRScool hydraulic cylinder system for hot runner injection molding. Oerlikon HRSflow has constructively optimized the heat balance of the cylinder, and as a result, the technology now is available for previously temperature-critical applications. HRScool Evo fits into the mold cut-outs of the fully compatible hot runner systems of P, M, G and A series from the Oerlikon HRSflow. For more information, visit www.oerlikon.com.
[3] STRAUSAK INC. ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF NEXTGENERATION TOOL GRINDING MACHINE Strausak Inc., Biel, Switzerland, has extended its global position in the field of multi-axis CNC grinding by launching the new model ONE 5-axis flexible tool and cutter grinding machine with Numroto tool design software. The software is used for the grinding of rotary and stationary cutting tools in small- and large-batch production, for custom cutting tools as well as for resharpening. The model was designed so that any options can be upgraded and retrofitted at any time during the life of the machine. For more information, visit www.strausakusa.com.
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[4] HANITA INTRODUCES THE VARIMILL CHIP SPLITTER Hanita, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, announced its release of the VariMill™ Chip Splitter for dynamic and trochoidal milling operations in steel, stainless steel and heat-resistant superalloys. The VariMill Chip Splitter delivers a high metal removal rate (MRR) by separating long, undesirable, stringy chips from deep cavities and dynamic milling paths by cutting material into shorter, more manageable sections. For more information, visit www.widia.com.
[5] FLUKE RELIABILITY ADDS VIBRATION MONITORING TOOL Fluke Reliability, Everett, Washington, a leader in vibration measurement, announced Pruftechnik’s VibScanner 2 EX. This next-generation vibration scanner is an explosion-proof system for quickly detecting machine vibration in hazardous environments. VibScanner 2 EX collects machine health data and displays it using an intuitive graphical user interface. The new scanner builds on the legacy of the VibScanner 2. The VibScanner 2 EX measures vibration in three axes in a quarter of the time of a standard data-collector. For more information, visit www.pruftechnik.com.
HEIMATEC OFFERS NEW ANGLE HEAD LINE Heimatec, Renchen, Germany, announced availability of its line of standard and custom angle heads, available in all popular sizes and styles to accommodate machine tools and CNC machining center builders. Designed for heavy milling, deep drilling and tapping operations, this new Heimatec line of angle heads features twin or double twin sets of matched angular contact bearings plus a rear radial support bearing, ensuring maximum stability in use. For more information, visit www.heimatec.com.
MEUSBURGER CREATES NEW LOW-LEAKAGE COUPLERS Meusburger, Mint Hill, North Carolina, has released the new E 25 low-leakage couplers, which have a flat-face valve on both sides. This ensures that no empty space is created
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when decoupling so no media can escape, which allows for clean production and user safety. The long pilot guarantees complete sealing and durability. The coupler can be screwed in clean and quick without any thread sealant because of its O-ring seal. The low-leakage couplers are available with hose or quick-fit nozzle and with thread in straight and 90° angled versions, available in the common nominal widths DN6 and DN9. Couplers with convenient one-hand operation engage automatically. The minimal pressure drop is due to the optimized flow geometry. For more information, visit www.meusburger.com.
[6] HEIDENHAIN ADDS ENCODER MODULES FOR ROBOTS Designed to fulfill two critical needs via a single component in high-accuracy robots, HEIDENHAIN, Schaumburg, Illinois, introduced the KCI 120 Dplus rotary encoder and a new MRS encoder module series. The KCI 120 Dplus provides both reliable feedback to a robot’s motor and accurate position measurement to its controller to enable safe and accurate motion. The MRS encoder module series has been expanded and now is available with redesigned embedded bearings to better withstand outside tilting forces. For more information, visit www.heidenhain.us.
HYPERTHERM INTRODUCES THREE NEW PLASMA SYSTEMS Hypertherm, Hanover, New Hampshire, recently announced three new air plasma systems called Powermax SYNC™. The new systems feature built-in intelligence and a single-piece cartridge consumable. Powermax SYNC and its SmartSYNC™ torch replaces the traditional five-piece consumable stack-up with a single color-coded cartridge. Technology embedded in each cartridge automatically sets the correct amperage, air pressure and operating mode and lets operators know when a new cartridge is needed. Additionally, controls on the SmartSYNC torch allow operators to adjust the amperage and change the cartridge without returning to the power supply. For more information, visit www.hypertherm.com.
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HASCO RELEASES NEW CONTROL UNITS HASCO, Lüdenscheid, Germany, a manufacturer of standardized modular quality mold components and customized hot runner systems, offers additive manufacturers a new high-performance metal powder MP/.... It is noted for its high quality and combination of particle size, roundness and homogenity. The powder is available in material grades 1.2709 and 1.4404 and allows the production of complex construction geometries. HASCO also released the Primezone H1281/… range of control units, together with a new 4-fold control unit of the Basezone H1250 range. Both control units stand out through their intuitive operation, precise control and maximum production reliability. For more information, visit www.hasco.com.
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