Thoughts on Leadership

Leadership Model


















The highest level of executives are focused on objectives that are 1 - 5+ years out


As we move down into the organization, leaders at lower levels relate the company's 1 - 5+ year objectives to more near term objectives. They ask questions like:

• What do we need to do at our site to deliver on our contribution to the company's objectives in the next 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 months?
• What programs, initiatives, procedures do we need to put in place in order to get there?

When we get to first line supervisors they are asking questions like:

• What do I need to get done today, this week, next week and this month?
• Do my people have the skills to do what is being asked of them? If not how do I get the right skills

This gets translated to the workforce as what needs to get done. At the operator/technician level we need to translate goals and strategies into tasks that we want done on a daily basis.


Mostly where we lose control is in the middle translating those corporate goals into shorter term objectives and showing a line of sight to the workforce about how what they are doing translates to the overall health and welfare of the company by achieving (or not) our corporate goals.


How Do We Make This Happen?


Clear Roles Help




Routine Roles

A View of Metrics (Maintenance Example)

The Corporate objective is minimize maintenance costs without impacting safety or reliability (production).

Maintenance costs can be driven by:

• Equipment Design (Capital Project Equipment Selection Process)
  
• Work Selection


• Planning


• Scheduling


• Work Execution


• Defect Elimination

Work Process Ownership


Leaders in the organization should be designated as process owners for specific work processes. The process owner should look at the work process metrics and make sure the work process is functioning smoothly.

Performance Management

• Make sure the right things are being measured (metrics).
• Have regular reviews of the metrics from the metric owners.
• Make sure where gaps exist, the owner develops and implements a gap closure plan. If assistance from other groups/departments/businesses is needed, make sure it is provided.
• Follow up on action items and make sure they are happening.

Non-Routine Roles

• Set expectations early and clearly.
• Ask the right questions
• Assess the impact
• Communicate
• Follow-up