As I have written before, I consider myself a mechanic. I have always enjoyed taking things apart and fixing them. Outside of work, I enjoy using my tools to work on the various projects that I have going on back at home. Using my hands and mind to fix and solve problems is very gratifying to me. I also like the opportunities to make things from steel, wood and fabric. It’s probably why I’ve been drawn to manufacturing and enjoy being an Ops guy!
I wanted to share why operations/production has been an interesting career choice for me, what I have learned along the way and why I think Operations leadership can be a valuable career path for others. After all, I have been fortunate to have spent almost my entire career in operations, and as a result I have learned, grown and experienced success in many areas.
The other reason that I thought this might be a good topic is because I have seen over the years and in different places that people sometimes steer their careers away from operations. When I have the chance to mentor and counsel people early in their careers, I share the thoughts I am highlighting here so that they have good information when making choices about their future. Operations shouldn’t be a scary place to work; it does require work, but the effort you put in will pay off!
I’m going to take on the challenging part first by addressing some of the less appealing facets of working in operations:
It’s hard work… Working in operations is hard work. It takes stamina and organization to keep up with the production pace. You have to be able to think on your feet and be extremely flexible to adjust when a part doesn’t come in or one of your team members doesn’t show up for work – you have to be agile. The better you know the work at the point of execution, the easier it is to track, status and manage with your team. It takes time to get your system running to stay on top of the work.
You will work some hours… If you want to be successful working as a leader in operations, then it requires more than a 40-hour work week. This can be one of the most difficult aspects of joining the operations leadership team. It’s not uncommon to work 50 or 60 hours per week. This requires a commitment from you and likely the support of your family. It takes time to make sure you are clearing the path for your team to work and succeed: knowing the jobs, building your plans of the day and week, managing part flow to your team, following up with your team and keeping them informed. The hours are the hours that you are paying for your future success. Balancing that with your home life also requires a little work, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be there for the important things. But it does require you to prioritize things at work and at home.
As I have said before, when I was a mechanic I knew that I wanted to be the president of a company one day. I had to do the work throughout my career to earn the privilege of being here with you. For what’s it worth, while I have reduced my hours some from my earlier career, I still average between 55 and 60 hours per week. This is not as many as some folks, but more than others. You have to be committed!
It can be exhausting… Because of the mental demands and the hours, working in operations can be exhausting. People often think that jobs that require you to use your brain a lot aren’t as hard as physical work. They can be just as exhausting, but in a different way. You have to find ways to energize yourself to stay on top of your game. I’ve described some of the techniques that I use in an earlier blog (Stress in the Job), but you have to find your own way.
You are always asked for more… One of the hardest lessons for me to learn was rebounding after finishing a strong year of deliveries and starting the year over in January. It’s almost like going from hero to zero over the holidays. The realization is simple, but really hard to digest. What you did last year doesn’t count for this year… Also, starting over at the beginning or with zero deliveries is mentally hard. I’ve come to look at January as the start of the race that will have some of the same problems that I faced previously as well as new problems to solve. It’s the way that I get myself ready to charge into a new production year!
Another aspect of always being asked for more is that the customer invariably wants it yesterday! Customers can be those who actually take delivery or they can be your coworkers at the next station. Either way, they want it done right and they want it earlier than the time before!
If after reading this far, you have said, “I like the challenge of thinking on my feet. I feel that I am in the right place to put in the time and I have support from my loved ones. I have a good method of mentally recharging and I like to problem-solve and run the race.” . . . then you should give some serious thought to the positive aspects of being in operations and see how you and your career may benefit. These benefits include:
Discipline and rigor… Some of the best operations folks that I know have been the most disciplined and rigorous people. They take pride in executing the steps necessary for a successful outcome at each workstation, in turn generating a successful production line. The more rigorous you are building to the plan, the more consistent the outcome will be – as well as more predictable. You know you are doing it right when the production outcome is predictable!
Attention to detail… Whether it’s making airplanes, buildings or ships, Ops professionals have to have a keen eye on their projects, objectives, targets and goals. They have to understand and visualize the work that their team must perform. They manage the daily and weekly work plans to ensure that the team hits their targets and has what they need to be successful. Seeing the path and clearing it for your team is satisfying!
It’s a challenge… Ops is a great place if you like the satisfaction of solving problems! Building off what I wrote above, you can think about production sometimes like a puzzle – lining up all the pieces to make the big picture come together. You have to be challenge-oriented so that you can keep your own motivation high as well as that of your team. I love the challenge of solving problems. I think it goes back to my mechanic days when I really liked to troubleshoot electrical/mechanical problems on the aircraft. Challenges make you use your brain, and that is what is great about operations – it’s using your head and your hands!
It’s very rewarding… I have always found it fascinating to build something. I really like the gratification of seeing a project come together and get completed. In a company like ours, where we build something pretty magnificent, there is no better feeling to know that you and your team actually build some part of a Navy ship – a destroyer! (Please do not take this as an attempt to minimize the contributions of all of our non-operations shipbuilders. I’m just expressing why I personally like operations.)
Working with like-minded people… People who like to build things often share a similar mindset. This can help build a strong team environment.
Promotions are faster in operations… It’s been my experience that the best place to demonstrate your skills and move up in a company is in operations. Remember, we probably would not volunteer to come to work for no pay; paychecks matter, and we have to support our families. The more challenging aspects of Ops careers means these positions tend to have more turnover. Every open job is an opportunity for someone ready and willing to step up, especially if you have proven yourself to be a good operations leader. Opportunities for increased responsibility give you the stage upon which you can demonstrate your skill. Better job titles and more money generally follow a strong operations person who has stepped up. But there are no handouts. You have to earn it!
I wanted to give you a balanced view of what it’s like working in operations, at least from my perspective. Taking on an ops career track has been rewarding – both from career satisfaction and financial points of view. It has been a fulfilling career and has allowed my wife and I to raise our family differently from the way I grew up. I hear people talk about work life balance or the commitment of hours it takes to work in ops, however the investment you make builds a successful career with many other benefits.
If you are willing to work hard, pay your dues and set your goals, there is no reason that you couldn’t someday be a supervisor, manager, director or the president of a company – like BIW!
As I look back at my career, I wouldn’t change my career choices. I was able to find the right balance between work and family that yielded a successful career while building a strong family with a supportive wife and great kids. I’m proud of what they have helped me achieve.
See you on the deckplates!
Safely Execute High-Quality Work
Chuck
President, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works