A time to get personal

Of the many things I learned after a few years in the machining and manufacturing business, one doesn’t change. Yes, CNC automation is great and we love to see unattended machines chip away at a block of material, but we still need dependable human beings to make it all work.

Increasingly, high labor costs drive automation implementation, but it will be a long time before good parts can be machined, inspected and shipped with a team of robots and a single person. Without effectively managed human capital, success will be a tortuous journey.

However, the personal problems of otherwise good employees can make for a frustrating managerial experience. Whether it’s a divorce, mean neighbors, medical problems, financial issues, too many weekend indulgences or whatever, businesses are vulnerable to the off-duty actions of employees. This is certainly the case with machine shops, which rely on the consistent attendance of and hands-on work by talented people.

Many employees expect their employer to just deal with their problems and absorb any loss in productivity. And many employees don’t give much thought to missing work for a myriad of reasons, including car problems, legal matters, pet illnesses, utility malfunctions and the kids’ school functions. While we all want to give an employee some leeway, suddenly you’re personally involved when it affects production or interferes with another employee’s work schedule.