In 1999-2000, we set up a new chemical plant in Rasal. This place is way off the Goa and Pune Highway. In those days, it was inaccessible. The facility was surrounded by paddy fields, and it was impossible to find academically qualified people from the nearby area. We had no choice in hiring. But it was a boon in disguise because we had to hire people for their attitude and energy instead of degrees.
But in hindsight, these handicaps became our strength. Because we knew less, we listened more. We found some experts and believed in them completely. Also, instead of theory, we did things by hand and learned from our successes and failures. One thing that changed the culture of the organization was the daily evening meeting.
Every evening, the team met in the conference room at 5 pm. The original intent was to review the issues as well as improve communication. The half-hour meeting soon started getting extended beyond 2-3 hours. The whiteboard in the conference room saw several problems and solutions being sketched. There were heated debates and several moments of laughter, joy, desperation, and anxiety. Through the churn, the team achieved some extraordinary things. Here's a partial list.
The first unit in the group to have certification for the integrated management system.
Development of vacuum pump that completely eliminated effluent from the process. This solution was later adopted globally.
Heat recovery system to improve energy efficiency. It was the first time we used advanced heat exchangers imported from France and Sweden. The engineering was done in-house. The solution eliminated the use of an oil-fired steam boiler.
Commissioning of 3.5 million Kcal coal-fired, fluidized bed, hot oil heater.
On-site modification and repurposing of several existing equipment to save CAPEX.
These daily sessions enabled the team to focus on real issues instead of petty squabbles. It improved teamwork and communication. The team worked together for more than a decade without any attrition. It developed some of the best managers. They are providing leadership to various organizations they are working for now.
Metrics:
Initiate a structured problem-solving meeting in your organization.
Throw challenging problems at them. The team shall surprise you by developing some out-of-the-box solutions.
Don't give up too soon.
Subodh
PS: Subscribe to these blogs by clicking here - Big Small Metrics
Kommentare