Don Draper and the Value of Free Days

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From the very first episode I was hooked on Mad Men. I loved the clothes, the sense of style, and the great story lines. Being a Kellogg School of Management alumnus, I definitely have a soft spot for anything regarding marketing. So this show, which revolved around the drama of a marketing agency, was perfect for me in so many ways.

I have been traveling a lot lately and thankfully due to the invention of the DVR, I never have to miss my favorite shows. I was filled with great anticipation and sadness when I sat down during Memorial Day weekend to watch this beloved series wrap up and come to an end. I had planned to watch the last 4 episodes back to back and host my very own Mad Men marathon. 

I was not surprised to discover that once again, Don Draper was dropping out. It wasn’t his first time during this series, so I was anxious to see where it would lead this time. The thing about when Don goes MIA he really goes MIA.

Today with technology it is much harder to really truly disconnect from work. It really struck me watching these last few episodes of Mad Men how different our lives are now with the amount of instant access we have twenty four hours a day through all the technology that surrounds us on a daily basis.

As a long time student of the Strategic Coach™ program,  I have learned since our very first session the importance of “Free Days™”. The goal of a Free Day is that for a period of twenty four hours you truly and completely disconnect from your work life. Now saying this, understanding this, and putting it into practice are very different things. I have to admit I love my smartphone. I do probably 75% of my job now on my Samsung Galaxy Note 3. I love that thing and I would be lost without it, but the belief is that Free Days are in fact a necessary precondition for periods of high achievement. When you take quality time away from your business, you come back with a new perspective. You find that you’re incredibly creative, and full of fresh ideas and innovations. You quickly find solutions to long-standing problems, realize more efficient ways to run your business, and innovate new client solutions. When you’re tired, you stop creating, taking risks, communicating, and delegating. Taking regular Free Days helps to keep you constantly refreshed, creative, and energized. Smart thinkers are well-rested—they have the brain power to think differently. Free Days make sure the “best you” shows up every day. Most of the time when Don went MIA he spent the first few days sleeping. He would become well rested and then an experience or a conversation would  lead to insights that created "ah ha" moments.

I have found that there is another strategic byproduct of taking free days, it helps to grow your team. When I am not around for them to ask for help, it forces them to rely on their best judgement and skill sets.  They are forced to have to figure things out and make decisions without me. I normally find that the group has come up with a better and more creative solution than if I had been involved.

I realized in watching the last few episode how great Don was at taking free days throughout the whole series. Obviously it would have been better if he had actually taken them on a more regular basis, but at least he had the self-awareness to know when he really just had to disconnect and get away. What I really envied was that he did it with no regrets, no guilt, and no worries for the agency. 

I can honestly say, I took a page out of Don Drapers book as I enjoyed my recent summer vacation in Maui. My goal was to truly disconnect and fully enjoy my free days. Although, I didn't fully disconnect, I got recharged and enjoyed several good books. (Oh how I enjoy reading!) I knew that time away was important to allow my team to develop and I returned with ideas that will grow my company and myself. It may be less exciting than teaching the world to sing in perfect harmony, but it’s enough for me.

How do you plan to spend your free days this summer?

Why America Needs More STEAM Power

I must admit it has been exciting to see manufacturing making headlines so much of late. The topic of manufacturing appears to be a current darling of the political talking heads. Much has been discussed about the role of manufacturing in the U.S. economy and how manufacturing will be the engine to power us out of this sluggish economy.

When you look at the data it is evident that manufacturing has all the right stats to power growth in our economy. The higher wages paid versus service sector jobs ($17k per year) and the number of companies supported in the supply chain for every manufacturer (multiplier effect of a $1.50 per $1 spent) just to name just a few.

On the flip side of all this positive talk about how manufacturing will drive our economic recovery is another reality — the vast skills gap facing all manufacturers in America.

For manufacturing to exist in this country it has to be highly automated and on the cutting-edge of technology. These changes are driving the need for a manufacturing worker that is different from decades past. While much is written about the need for a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) based education, school districts and states are not hearing the message.

In February of this year, The State Board of Education decided California eighth-graders will no longer be required to take Algebra 1... This is taking our children’s education in the wrong direction! We're losing focus on STEM, but is it the silver bullet we hope it is? Many people are coming forward now saying that advanced manufacturing needs more than just STEM focused lessons. What's missing? Art.

STEAM (science, technology, engineering, ARTS, and mathematics) may seem to be an unlikely pairing but it is not as strange as you may think.

Innovation requires a creative mind and what better training ground than the arts to open up the realms of creativity? For example, 3D and additive technologies require the ability to create in multiple dimensions. But I caution how we build a STEAM based curriculum — it troubles me to see so many graduates earning degrees without practical application skills needed to make them employable.

America at one time had one of the best educational systems in the world. Even with the decline of the system, we're still leaders in innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit. We must find a way to bring STEAM based curriculum to our K-12 system, and it is critical that we make these programs engaging and hands-on. FIRST robotics is a great example. Together, we need to push our kids to think creatively and scientifically at an early age.

Then, we have to continue supplying the most current STEAM based knowledge to our universities and community college systems. We need to show the world how this can be done, and that it can be done. For if we can excel at solving this challenge, America will be able to STEAMroll the rest of the world.

Bridging the Manufacturing Skills Gap

I was very interested to see a recent opinion article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) written by Brad Smith who is an Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Microsoft. The piece ran on Friday October 19, 2012 and was entitled “How to Reduce America’s Talent Deficit”.

Credit: servicesphere.com

The article caught my attention for a couple of reasons. Those of you who follow me through social media and my blog know that I am very passionate about career technical education as well as Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education within the K-12 system. I have recently been appointed by Governor Brown to the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) and I am eager to help make a positive impact on the development of the workforce in my state of California. My attention was piqued at first due to the article being written by someone from Microsoft. Why? Because as a manufacturer of linear motion products located in the East Bay I am constantly competing for talent against the Silicon Valley. I was really shocked to read that many of my challenges in finding skilled employees are the same as those experienced by Microsoft.

Like Microsoft, we have had positions remain open for months and months. My assumption was that I was losing out on talent to the Silicon Valley, but now I see that the problem is far worse than I originally thought — it is a systemic failure of our current educational system.

How have we created such a disconnect between our educational institutions and the needs of business? I find it troubling that we are not graduating students with the skill sets that actually make them employable.  As Mr. Smith writes in his article, “Thus the economy faces a paradox. Too many Americans can’t find jobs, yet too many companies can’t fill open positions.”

Mr. Smith calls for a national “Race to the Future” that would provide funding and incentives for states to:

• Strengthen STEM in grade schools by recruiting and training teachers to the Common Core Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards.
• Broaden access to computer science in high schools. For manufacturing jobs this has to also include opportunities for hands on learning that reinforces a STEM education. Programs such as FIRST robotics need to be available in every school.
• Help colleges and universities raise their graduation rates. I think this does not address the fact that an alarming percentage of students never even make it to a four year college. In the state of California we now experience close to a 30% drop out rate from our high schools. We need to focus on graduating students from high school before we worry about college. There also needs to be strong financial support for our community colleges and acknowledge them for their role in training our workforce with technology specific skills. Career technical education is becoming more and more advanced each day in parallel with the increase in technology and automation that is occurring in today’s manufacturing facilities.
• Expand the capacity of our colleges to produce more STEM focused degrees.

I couldn't agree more! But one big issue that Mr. Smith is not addressing in the last bullet point is that you can only offer STEM related degrees when there are enough people interested in those programs. When being an engineer is not highly valued in our country and it is a struggle to get students to enroll in a class with the word "manufacturing" in it (see my blog from October 29, 2012), no wonder we can’t produce enough degreed and skilled workers to satisfy our industry needs.

I would love to get your feedback on this subject. I feel this is a true crisis facing our country and the state of California. As I fulfill my duties on the CWIB and as chair of the California Manufacturer’s and Technology Association (CMTA) I want to make sure I'm championing for efforts with the most direct impact on the needs of industry that will get the most people employed.

Focus on the Process and the Results Will Come

I am a huge fan of the Olympics. I am in awe of all the athletes and the dedication and training they put in to achieve the status of becoming an Olympian. As it turns out, this Olympics coincides with my vacation. This means I have the time to watch even MORE of the Olympics than usual.

Credit: CBS

Yesterday I was enjoying my morning coffee and watching the Olympics when on comes an interview with Kelci Bryant and Abigail Johnston, the two women who have broken the US diving drought in the Olympics and earned themselves silver medals in the women’s 3-meter synchronized springboard.

The interviewer asked them incessant questions, implying that their focus was on winning a medal. After about the fourth question on this subject, Kelci responded to him by saying something to the effect that they never focused on winning the medal. She continued by saying that what they did do is focus on the process of diving well. She then said that if they worked the process hard enough the results would come.  BRAVA! I said to myself. That is one very smart young lady.

I look to my own business and I can say the very same thing. Bishop-Wisecarver helps manufacturers and automation solution providers engineer linear and rotary motion products. Our 60-plus years of engineering expertise and best practices with more than 20,000 customers enables us to understand our customers’ design and application requirements, ensuring unique solutions that ship within two to three weeks. Our customers achieve 50 percent faster time to market, up to 100 percent lower maintenance and installed costs, product differentiation and longer product life.

What is the underlying backbone to being able to deliver this level of service to our customers? Our relentless focus on process. From lean/continuous improvement to engineering, sales and technology processes, we never stop improving our internal processes.

Scott Klososky likes to say the he who has the most data wins. I would revise that to say he who has the most data and best processes wins. Because, if you don’t have great processes, then you’ll never be able to truly exploit the data to its fullest potential.

So while setting the goal is important, it’s even more important to work on your processes because that constant refinement will result in achieving the goal.

What process has generated the biggest payoff to you? I’d love to hear your stories.

A Different Kind of Christmas Story

This is a time of year that many sit down and share traditional holiday stories with their children. Families reminisce and tell tales of past family members and of times gone by. As I sit here at my desk in my factory in California I also think of stories; one where California had a GDP larger than most countries, and one of where the United States had the best skilled workers in the world and could make anything the country needed or wanted.

As I visit high schools in my area and talk to kids, they are not hearing the story that the USA is still the preeminent manufacturer in the world. A story that is OK and should be revered when someone can take raw materials and make it into a desired end product and that having such a skill will pay you on average $20K more a year than a service-based job. A story of how America makes products in the greenest fashion in the world — especially here in California.

So my wish for 2012? That California and the entire U.S. will write a robust and exciting chapter for manufacturing. That once again, young students (both male and female) will see the promise of working in the manufacturing sector. That every student will be given opportunities for hands-on learning within the high school environment. That we provide every means possible to promote a STEM curriculum within our schools. That we once again as a nation have pride in our craftsmen, trade workers, machinists and engineers.

This is the chapter I wish to write within the story of manufacturing. What’s yours for 2012?

Who Will Win the Manufacturing Race?

I have just finished up a week of travel in India, and while I have been to Asia numerous times, this was my first visit to India. I toured numerous manufacturing facilities, and was very impressed with what I saw.

Our press in the states is filled on a daily basis with information about China and the country's growth. The Chinese government makes no bones about their plans around manufacturing and their desire to be the largest manufacturing power in the world. I wish our government had the same desire. The facilities in China are rapidly improving, as well as the infrastructure. Yet, after my visit to India, I wonder if in the end India may be the biggest winner of all.

I was impressed with what I saw in this country -- a desire to learn and succeed. In China, there is still a drive being pushed by the government, but I often feel that people operate in large out of duty to the collective good and the will of the government. In India, the desire rests at an individual level. Maybe I perceive India this way though because of my own American drive for personal growth and prosperity?

Only time will tell who will ultimately win the manufacturing race. Who knows, America may still recoup and regain the power it once had in manufacturing. But after this trip, I no longer believe it is a slam dunk in favor of the Chinese.

"The Power Has Shifted" - Part 2

A good visual explanation of the shift in power to the customer. To read part 1 click here

Why STEM Matters

I feel strongly that we have to engage our kids at a young age in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). I was recently asked to write an article about why company supports the FIRST Robotics competition. This was one assignment that was easy to write. I am really proud to be a sponsor. It is amazing to see the change that occurs in the kids that participate in this program.

http://www.pddnet.com/editorial-pamela-kan-bishop_wisecarver-first-competitions-051710/

The Intel-Affiliated Contra Costa Science & Engineering Fair

The 2010 Science Fair was held on March 25, 26 and 27 at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg. My company had the honor of supporting this event again this year. My father, Bud Wisecarver has been a judge for several years now and we have also been a sponsor. This year we gave out two special awards – one in the junior division and one in the senior division - for displaying the best "Principles and Technical Innovation within Mechanical Engineering". We wanted to reward students that showed some imagination and critical thinking. We awarded $200 to Caroline Lamoureux and $800 to Michael Blatz.  Caroline attends NorthCreek Academy and her project was "The Effect of Weight Distribution on Bridges". Michael goes to De La Salle High School and his project was the "Mitigation of Carbon Dioxide in Car Exhaust". I was honored to be present to give the awards in person. Armed with the company video camera I also attempted to take video. Stayed tune for the YouTube link to that as soon as it gets edited. It is so inspiring to be around kids that are excited about science and engineering. The enthusiasm is contagious and electrifying. I was really amazed at the level of some of the projects presented. We will be rooting on Caroline as she advances to the state competition. Michael was selected as an alternate. To learn more about the fair see http://www.cccsef.org/index.html

It was great to see so many people there to cheer on the students!