November 2013

Why All This Paperwork?? 2 They Called it “Smoked Sausage”

Posted on Nov 30th, 2013 by Norm Howe

Last time I talked about the days before there were any laws regulating foods and drugs; a time when “Let the Buyer Beware” was the law of the land.  But as science advanced and America industrialized, that law was no longer sufficient. 

Industrialization provided employment for enormous numbers of workers who flooded into the cities by the millions.  As businesses learned how to use economies of scale, costs dropped dramatically. 

Why All This Paperwork?? 1 Before the Laws

Posted on Nov 24th, 2013 by Norm Howe

When you're the one who has to lead a quality compliance effort, sometimes it's best to start with a current headline and then ask, "How did this happen?  Aren't there supposed to be laws protecting us from poisons in the products we buy?" 

Setting the Framework for a Delegated Job

Posted on Nov 16th, 2013 by Norm Howe

Last time I talked about the value of delegating the whole job to employees; a piece of work that they will recognize to have intrinsic value.  Now I want to discuss the importance of communicating the scope of the job to the employee.  

Whenever you assign a job, a dialogue must occur.  You have to explain to the employee what the boundary conditions are for this assignment.

Delegation for Dummies

Posted on Nov 10th, 2013 by Norm Howe

frustrationYou can find any number of treatises on delegation in management textbooks.  Here’s a more nuts-and-bolts approach that allows you to get started right away.

When you delegate a task to others, you need to empower them. It’s required in any field.  It’s especially important in FDA regulated industries.

Mention the word empowerment in any plant and you’ll see everyone nodding in agreement.  It’s almost a paradigm that empowered employees mean a productive workplace.  But look deeper and you’ll see fear in their eyes. 

Conflict: Part 2. Don’t Solve the Problem, but Do Insist on a Solution

Posted on Nov 3rd, 2013 by Norm Howe

Well, let’s say that you’ve bought into the idea that you shouldn’t solve your employees’ problems for them.  That doesn’t, however, mean that you should remove yourself from the conflict resolution process entirely.  In fact, the opposite is true.  The difference is in the manner in which you intervene.