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Hello all and Welcome to our next Episode of Warehouse and Operations as a Career, I’m Marty and I’m pretty excited about today’s show as we’re going to have our 3rd Quarter Roundtable Discussion with several of our favorite go to people in the field. We have John with us today, you’ll remember him as our Sourcing Company guru, he’s another one that started on the floor with a large foodservice concept distributor and now is the National V.P. of Operations with a large Sourcing and Logistics company.
John, how have you been, I guess the last time you were with us was for our mobile show in Arizona with the America Heart Associations Benefit Golf Tournament?
John –
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And we have Rodrigo on the show again, Rodrigo is a Regional Facilities Manager and oversees several operations across the country. Rodrigo I think we ran into each other in Lubbock like 3 weeks ago Right?
Rodrigo –
I was visiting with a newly promoted Supervisor and was fortunate enough to observe how you ran a Facility Site Visit, I enjoyed getting to tag along with you for a bit that day!
Rodrigo –
And Joe is with us, our Go to all things Safety guy! Joe when was the last visit from you, was it when I ran into you in Denver or did you join us with our recent 3rd Party Audits & Opportunities Show?
Joe –
Joe teaches and instructs Safety to several teams and accounts across the country as well as manages several Opco’s himself.
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And a Round Table just wouldn’t be a Round Table Discussion without Phillip calling in. I’m going to try and get Phillip to speak to us about the hiring, training and the upstart of a new company in a bit. Phillip keeps us up to date with the different technologies available to us in the world of operations. How have you been Sir, it’s been too long since you visited here with WAOC!
Phillip –
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I was in traveling earlier this week, had a really good time visiting at two different facilities with a few very knowledgeable Sup’s and Managers. While setting and cruising the news feeds I came across an article from https://www.axios.com/teens-growing-up-slower-2486830574.html written by or attributed to Erica Pandey
Teens are becoming adults later than they used to
It states Teens are growing up more slowly than they did two decades ago, and today’s 18-year-olds act like the 15-year-olds of the 1990s, per a new study. Researchers found that U.S. teens are engaging in adult activities — drinking, driving, dating and working for pay — later than they used to, delaying the transition from adolescence into adulthood.
The takeaways:
- 66% of 12th graders surveyed in 2014 had tried alcohol, compared to 81% in 1994
- 73% of them had drivers’ licenses, down from 85% 20 years prior
- 58% went on dates, compared to 83% of 12th graders in 1994
- 56% worked for pay, down from 72% in 1994
I was speaking with a few gentlemen about the report I’d ran across and quickly figured out that some may have had different interpretations. I’m thinking this is mostly a positive form of thought though. I mean a 15% reduction in High School Seniors that’s tried alcohol is a move in the right direction right? I myself know many young people that have put off getting their drivers permits too, they’re just not concerned with having to drive here or there like the earlier generation was, in my time we counted the days until we could get our licenses and hit the road. Based on what friends that are parents are telling me I would have really thought that percentage would have been more than 12%. I can’t speak to the dating statistic but that seems like a large reduction at 25%. Now maybe the answers to these lower percentages can be found with the 16% fewer 12th graders having worked for pay? I started working as a freshmen specifically so I could purchase a somewhat good vehicle and afford insurance once I could get my driver’s license. Maybe there’s a correlation between jobs and what’s important to today’s youth. A lot is different, I had to drive to a friend’s house to interact with them and others, today we can see, talk and interact from our rooms and houses. I see most of these statics as positive. I guess the question is, for us as Managers anyway, is how does this affect the workforce of tomorrow?
I guess that can be my first thought posed to you John, what do you think of those stats, are we heading in the right direction, how’s the industry doing and how far off base am I interpreting it ?
John –
Rodrigo what’s your thoughts on the subject, would you agree with any points either John or I made Sir?
Rodrigo –
Joe it’s not like you to be so quiet bub, I think I’m seeing a more focused culture regarding Safety in the work place, is it due to us as workers being more connected these days, with information right at our finger tips maybe?
Joe –
Phillip you’ve got a situation going on right now, or a story about a young lead, I guess he’s actually been recently promoted to Supervision. You’ve mentioned how you’re working with him and trying to help him with the new found responsibilities. Have we hit on anything today you could relate to his struggling within the position?
Phillip –
Over the last few week’s WAOC’s been speaking to that very subject, Stepping into management, or that first lead or supervision role. It’s a hard adjustment, I remember my first promotion and I wasn’t sure I was making the right move. I was an hourly employee and putting in a fair amount of overtime each week, I was being offered a salary position and honestly it was going to fall a little short of my normal weekly pay so I felt like I had a lot to consider. Fortunately I had a great boss and mentor and he helped me look at the bigger picture which was what I would be exposed too and what I could learn. He’s actually where I got those phrases free education and self-education from, he taught me quite a bit over the years. I had learned how to unload and load, Equipment wise I’d learned to operate the High Rise or cherry picker, sit down and standup forklifts and was a pretty good order selector with a tugger and electric pallet jack. I was making top selector pay and knew the only way to get a raise from where I was at was going to be those salary positions and earn any bonuses offered. Still it was hard to think of making 50 to a hundred dollars less a week. Of course I learned real quick I had made the right decision, I was interested in my new job and was learning more about people and business. Mentioning people, and I think it’s been brought up before, it was hard learning to separate my responsibilities from my friendships. I now had to look at things from an expense and safety point of view and I understood a lot more about productivity and responsibilities.
Rodrigo, you work with several different teams, I know you’re constantly looking for talent, individuals you can lead to those next steps. We’re always talking about the difference in a job, or that set wage and that career and to keep taking on more responsibility. How’s the hunt, are you finding that hunger out there?
Rodrigo –
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Joe I’ve known you for quite a while, shoot through several positions and in a couple of different industries, production and distribution both. You we’re definitely one of the hungry ones and you strived for excellence. Today you’re a strong manager and an accomplished Safety instructor with a CSHO certification. What do you feel we’re seeing in the industry, is that hunger out there and what can we as managers and mentors do or what should we be doing to help?
JOE –
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Phillip, your one that really spends time with new boots, you probably hire more men and women into our industry than the rest of us, can we do anything or what should we be doing to strengthen our young leaders?
Phillip – ——–
John I know you’ve been sitting back taking notes as we ramble on, share your thoughts and maybe tell us where you feel the industry is heading for us as young men and women looking for an industry we can grow and prosper in?
John –
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Men I’d once again like to thank you for taking the time to talk with us here at WAOC, I love these roundtables and hope each of you will do another one with me in about 13 weeks!
Joe –
Rodrigo –
John –
Phillip –
I’ve received a couple more suggestions and topics, questions I guess on management paths and opportunities so we’ll look into those subjects, maybe I can get a few guest on the show that’s recently made the transition or taken that next step over the next few weeks.
Thanks for listening in with us this week, we appreciate all the participation, keep all those emails coming in and point us in the direction you’d like to hear more about. Remember you can follow our Facebook and Twitter feeds with the @whseandops and email us host@warehouseandoperationsasacareer.com. You can catch up on any missed episodes on iTunes, Google Play Music or most any Podcatcher on your device and everything’s on our website also warehouseandoperationsasacareer.com.
Please remember to think Safe and work Safe, practice those Safety procedures you’ve learned at work and home both. Those we count on are counting on us!