Learn By Doing!
This process of learning by doing is not new, right? I mean apprentices have been doing it for centuries. However, when you are learning by doing you have the edge. When someone came to apply for a job and a 20-something “kid” was telling a 40-year-old that they were doing something wrong, two things happened. First, they look at you and think to themselves, f#ck you. Then they saw that I knew what I was doing and shut up.
This gained respect.
This built a trusting workforce and we did things differently. One process may be slowed down to save a ton of time on the next process. Cut and sew departments were set up so there would be no crossover during the sewing process, the order of operations was documented and people were cross-trained.
Taking Out The Skilled Worker.
Having a skilled worker means paying more money hourly for that skill. However, if you are able to design a product where an upholsterer with less skill can create the same product it means the cost of manufacturing will be lower. Usually faster, better, and less costly. It also meant that the better design was produced at a higher rate by the skilled worker as well.
The skilled workers were usually older people so it benefited them as well. They too were helping in designing because they also had ideas. We were always listening and encouraging input.
People were coming to us with ideas because we let them speak up and hoped that they would help make things easier for us all.
This was the company culture we were building simply by being a hands-on business and working with our counterparts on the line. We took breaks and lunches when they took breaks and lunches. We were back on the floor when they were. This meant we knew what was happening on the floor. Many owners rarely walk the floor unless it is with clients. Not us, when we were unable to be on the floor and make a difference, the fun of manufacturing went away.
The Other Owners
There were other companies out there. Competition that was no competition in many ways. We did our thing. We didn’t enter into design contests of any kind. We didn’t go to the fancy dinner and Furniture Today events. It was not us, we were different from the other owners. To the best of my knowledge, people liked us and we paid our bills. We didn’t yell and scream or discriminate. We were equal-opportunity employers and didn’t care who, what, or where you were from as long as you did your work. We were and are unlike the others.
