Innocent or Guilty

This compilation presents five real-life business scenarios, each reflecting diverse perspectives based on individuals' backgrounds. These scenarios encountered either by me or shared by others, offer valuable learning opportunities. By examining and participating in these situations, we can enhance our decision-making abilities and progress toward our objectives.

?

Business scenario (Production Floor) – 1/5

In a big room, people who want a job are waiting excitedly for their chance. You can feel how excited they are as they sit around a long table that fills the room. They get even more excited when the CEO walks in. The CEO starts asking them questions and watching them closely to see how they act, talk, and think.

Ceo shares a scenario with interviewee: Imagine a manager facing a problem where a worker in the shop keeps neglecting their duties to clean the floor. What should the manager do? A boy suggests that the manager should talk to the worker and ask why they haven't been doing their job. The manager should find out if there's any reason like health problems or other issues. If the worker doesn't have a good reason, the manager should involve the Human Resources department to handle the situation (there's no workers' union in the company).

A young man with an associate degree gets chosen as one of seven engineers. Even though he doesn't have a full bachelor's degree, he gets the same benefits as the others. He joins a week-long orientation program led by a dedicated manager to find ways to improve the company. This young man turns out to be really helpful. He comes up with 14 suggestions, and 8 of them are put into action successfully. One of his ideas is about a lady who's cutting a leather strip for sandals. Instead of cutting it diagonally and then in another direction like she used to, he suggests just cutting it once. This makes the process faster and saves materials. It also keeps the floor cleaner since there's less cutting going on.

One day, he goes to the shop floor and sees chaos - shoes scattered everywhere because the CEO is really mad about a "toe spring" problem. He's asked to fix the crisis with a seasoned engineer. Together, they think about the problem. He looks into it and finds a simple but important thing: some small parts got mixed into the batch by mistake, causing all the trouble.

Within three months, he is called to find his interest to take the responsibility of the cutting section, a managerial role that promises a significant increase in responsibility and remuneration. in the process, he is introduced to an experienced manager, he is immediately tasked with inventory management to be completed the same day. After thoroughly inspecting the shop floor, he returns to the manager and asserts that the task couldn't be completed that day. When challenged to document his inability to fulfill the task, he stood firm, even willing to face termination. Nevertheless, he proceeded to take inventory, undeterred by the potential consequences of his defiance.

Every week MIS team comes to collect data from the Manager. This time also Manager goes to every section to get the data of issuance, delivery, WIP but he gets only one response that young man has been collating all the data and with no option he approaches him and feel the data shared by him is good to go.

Following the MIS session, the manager proposes a vision to enhance production by redesigning the layout. In addition, young man suggests the incorporation of new dies to optimize production and minimize waste. Implementing this suggestion, they consolidate dies, increasing production to 48 pieces per stroke for certain items and 16 pieces for others, depending on size and handling.

Despite resolving previous issues with the Bill of Materials (BOM), a persistent problem remains with the collar of the shoe requiring more material than specified. The young man boldly asserts that the BOM is incorrect. Despite his orientation manager's advice to reconsider, he persists in challenging the status quo, determined to rectify the issue. This endeavor, spanning over a year, has met with skepticism from the head of the costing and control division, yet the young man remains firmed in his determination to pursue excellence.

After several discussions, it is determined that supervision from the cost and control division will oversee the cutting of the collar.

Starting with a medium size, the specifications outlined in the BOM are met. The orientation manager summons the young man, who was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. As closing hours approach, amidst formalities, the blame for wasted time fell on the production team, with the head of cost and control swiftly retreating to his office. Observing this scene with heroic expressions, the young man suddenly exclaims that changing the size would lead to increased wastage and render the current BOM ineffective. In response, Cost and control head turns back, smiles and says ok, we can check that assumption as well and marks the sheet and signs it.

The following day, everyone, including the young man, gathers around the machine, signaling its paramount importance. With entire length successfully cut and measured, a broad smile graced the young man's face. He has proven that the collar's BOM is wrong and hence subsequently revised.

As the checkboxes are ticked, it seems imminent that he will ascend to a managerial role. However, around this time, a union forms, leading to turmoil as workers furiously run towards CEO. It pursues the CEO operating from London. Meanwhile, the Vice President (2IC) assumes command.

The orientation manager approaches the young man, informing him of the decision to hire an experienced individual to oversee the cutting section. Surprisingly, when the young man approaches the Vice President, he is encouraged to assist the new manager sharing his understanding of shop floor operations. Furthermore, he is assured that the opportunity to transition to the Injection Moulding section, a function he was previously been part of.

After lending his support for a month, the young man requests to be released from his duties of cutting section. Although offered an assistant manager position, he declines and transitions to the Injection Moulding department. However, he encounters a new challenge there.

Following a management meeting, the production manager criticizes the entire team due to low production despite minimal machine maintenance time. The young man meticulously reviews the operations for several days and approaches the production manager with a request to sign blank papers used to raise request for machine maintenance. He implements a system where operators will promptly report any machine issues, enabling swift maintenance action. As the machines continue running during this process, the production efficiency notably improves. Moreover, the young man addresses the issue of plastic waste by consulting experienced colleagues and integrating it as a fractional mixture into the production process, resulting in significant waste reduction and material savings.

As nearly a year passes for the young man, he familiarizes himself with the appraisal process and the rare possibility of special increments without a cap. Upon receiving information about his appraisal, he expresses dissatisfaction to the project leader, highlighting his expectation of the special increments. Despite the project leader's surprise and the subsequent discussion with the production manager, it is determined that his request could not be accommodated, prompting him to submit his resignation.

The next day, he gets an offer from his old production manager, who now works at a different company. It's for a junior manager job with a decent pay raise, and he says yes right away. A few weeks later, his cousin tells him that HR from previous company is trying to set up a meeting with the old CEO. He shares the story with his cousin and asks him to ignore it.

What actions would you have taken had you been offered the assistant manager position in the cutting section, faced with the denial of a special increment, or approached by HR to arrange a meeting with the CEO?