Do You Have Worker KPI Measures in Place? If So, Are You Measuring Anything Useful?
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
Recently, I met with the management team of a tier 1 and 2 automobile supplier to discuss the merits of structured on-the-job training (“SOJT”) for their firm. After I had toured their operation and was progressing through my presentation slides to the part dealing with the SOJT metrics and reporting that the PROTECH® system of managed human resource development© provides, I was pleasantly surprised by a question I do not often hear in my presentations – especially from anyone in human resources.
This director of human resources asked what may seem like a simple question: “So can this data in these reports be used as KPIs?” After recovering from being startled, I smiled and said, “Yes! Yes, of course. That’s exactly what these reports are for and how they should be used.”
According to Wikipedia, “A performance indicator or key performance indicator (“KPI”) is a type of performance measurement. KPIs evaluate the success of an organization or of a particular activity (such as projects, programs, products and other initiatives) in which it engages. KPIs provide a focus for strategic and operational improvement, create an analytical basis for decision making and help focus attention on what matters most.”
click here to expandThe reason for my surprise that I was asked the question is, after perhaps thousands of presentations over some 35 years, I still receive mixed reactions to SOJT. Some react as if I’m showing them the holy grail of worker development as they express wonder at why they had not seen it before. Some seem to be underwhelmed by the broad capabilities of this approach to SOJT, the thorough recordkeeping, reporting, change control and, therefore, support for quality, safety, and engineering specifications compliance. It seems to boil down to the level of realization of the lack of adequate tools to develop and measure worker capacity as well as worker output to expectations that have led many to avoid the topic for fear of the answers; that it might expose limitations in their existing worker development strategy. It is surprising the number of companies I meet with that the only evidence of any kind of worker development performed at their operation is a few hours noted on a time sheet as “training,” when in fact every person in every job is receiving informal, unstructured and undocumented task-based on-the-job training every day. How much time in training is not as illustrative as which tasks have been mastered for the time spent. Read More
The Challenges of “Team Building” Projects
by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations – Eastern U.S. – Proactive Technologies, Inc.
We have all been there. Assigned to a project along with several others and declared “a team.“ Sometimes they work well, sometimes they result in endless meetings, endless meaningless reports, rivalries between team members as some jockey for position to be seen by management, or worse yet, the team is hijacked by that one self-appointed “leader” in the group that is convinced they know everything, but evidence shows quite the contrary…and the more that is pointed out, the more they feel threatened and push back.
Team building is a “collective term for various types of activities used to enhance social relations and define roles within teams, often involving collaborative tasks.” It is also a management tool to “expose and address interpersonal problems within the group.”
Whenever people join together to work on a common project, no matter if it is two people or 20 people, the organizational dynamics and personality differences, the aspirations of the individuals and each member’s level of dedication and self-motivation will determine the outcome of the project more than the importance of the assignment itself. In cases where that one, perhaps overly ambitious, individual who has learned to control the agenda through intimidation, or the team wanders without direction, other team members (and potential team members for future projects) may react in various ways – some very undesirable. These include: Read More
County Economic Development Hosts Informational Meeting for Area Manufacturing Leaders on the Structured OJT
Proactive Technologies, Inc. – Staff
On March 7, 2023 The Wyandot County, OH Economic Development office hosted a day of informational presentations for local manufacturing leaders to discuss structured on-the-job training (“SOJT”), and its potential to accelerate the transfer of worker expertise to not only train the new workers an employer needs, but to close the training gaps of incumbent workers who may not have received formal, structured, training on the tasks that their employer expects them to master.
The site/host was chosen due to the close proximity to many other Proactive Technologies, Inc.® (“PTI”) SOJT training projects with manufacturing employers in the region. In addition to Gregory Moon, Executive Director of the Wyandot County Economic Development and several local manufacturing representatives, in attendance were Greater Ohio Workforce Board – WIOA Area 7 representatives: Carol Kern, Ohio Job and Family Services – Seneca County, Diana Jacoby, Ohio Job and Family Services – Wyandot County, Marcia Frisch, Ohio Job and Family Services – Wyandot County, Kelly Carey, Ohio Job and Family Services – Delaware, Knox, Marion and Morrow Counties. Also attending was Frank Gibson, formally Program Manager for The Ohio State University – Alber Enterprise Center (retired, now an independent Management and Workforce Excellence Advisor).
click here to expandThe SOJT approach presented is rooted in the Navy and Air Force models of technical training, but made “user friendly” for private sector employers. PTI has automated the development of the tools of the human resource development process based on data derived from a thorough job/task analysis of each employer’s targeted job classifications using their subject matter experts. PTI provides technical implementation support to employer-clients to set-up, implement, document the SOJT process for each worker as tasks are mastered – even through a world of change – and provides monthly reporting. PTI researches and provides grant application and support that reimburses employers for the training delivery (something that is occurring anyway in an informal, unstructured and undocumented way regardless, without reimbursement). Employers can focus on their business while their workforce is driven to “full job mastery.” Read More
Costs Associated With Unstructured, Haphazard Worker Training (Part 1 of 2)
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
I have met with many employers, in most industries, since 1987 when providing technical workforce development services. Often, I am led to draw upon my own experiences when I worked in product configuration management, quality assurance, quality control and human resource development positions before starting my own company. After all, it was my frustration with the state of common practices in improving, measuring and managing performance that led me to start my own business. I hoped to help other employers address the issues that I was not allowed to in the positions I held due to interdepartmental friction or strict organizational boundaries associated with larger corporations.
I have many memories from that period, but there is one that continues to perplex me when I see it manifested at companies I visit. Sometimes I get the shivers and a foreboding sense of déjà vu.
Without exception, management expresses shear excitement when showcasing their latest technology and innovations. Equipment that will do what they previously have been doing but now faster, better and cheaper. New and better “best practices” and processes from continuous improvement efforts. Though impressed, I am reminded of the tradeoffs that must be considered in order to take advantage of the latest technology or process, or risk not realizing the improvement’s full potential.
The question is, “what truly takes less time and keeps costs down; throwing two people together and hoping for the best or a thoughtful, structured and deliberate task-based structured on-the-job training program for the ‘accelerated transfer of expertiseTM?’”
click here to expandPrior to starting my own company, while working at one major aerospace manufacturer in the quality control department, a department meeting was called to inform us that within the week three $500,000 Zeiss coordinate measurement machines were going to be installed. Of course we were excited – this was truly state of the art at that time. The equipment was delivered, carefully installed and calibrated as advertised and each quality inspector couldn’t wait for their turn to learn how to use it. Read More
Read the full April, 2023 Proactive Technologies Report newsletter, including linked industry articles and online presentation schedules.
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