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98 The PCB Magazine • October 2015 dure is followed to the letter. This approach will soon foster and motivate the good employees who like a level playing field in which all em- ployees pull a fair load. In a non-disciplined environment, the good employees do their job with contempt for management that allows rogue employ- ees to constantly break the rules. These em- ployees are the same ones who care little for the work they do and subsequently, quality and productivity suffer. Discipline cannot be personal. Discipline must be approached as business, and contractual between company and employee. It must be impersonal in the dispensing, wayward employees must not be browbeaten, but rather encouraged to reha- bilitate with special attention from supervi- sors to come into the fold. In order for this to happen, supervisors need to care. Trained people are assets and replacing them is costly in training time, tenure to reach quality, and efficiency levels. If the employee cannot be turned, by following the company policy, the problem will remove itself from the factory environment. Training In its proper format, training is critical to the employee and company equally. Without proper and consistent training, employees can- not perform their required duties to exacting standards. The employee left to on-the-job training or given haphazard instructions will not feel very good about himself or herself, or the company. In many cases, employees fail and are terminated because no one ever trained them properly. Training is part of the equation. Employees need to have the proper tools and equipment in order to feel self-worth and do the expected job to the best of their ability. This would include making work areas bright and clean and an environment someone would not mind working in 10 hours a day. Lavish and fancy are not required, but painted, clean and well-maintained are. This tells the employees they are important to the company and in turn, for most employees, that fact will reflect in their work. Employees building com - plex products, even at the bottom of the rung, can still be treated and respected profession- ally. This in turn builds self-worth and pride that begins to take form in doing their work. That pride and feeling of being a valued part of the process translates into productivity and quality! In turn, camaraderie is bred and the next thing you know, you have a team! Train- ing needs to be continuous and tools need to be audited and replaced. Employees need to be consulted on tool application and always be the ones approving the tools they may be forced to use. This allows for buy-in and might yield valuable information that could improve the process. Motivation Motivation is an elusive state, but once captured and turned loose, it can do amazing things in any work environment. Motivation starts at the top. Employees need to know their leaders are working as hard as they are. Leaders need to set the example. Leaders need to coach, praise, teach, and be humble when they're wrong, which includes apologizing. If they call an employee on the carpet in public, then the apology must take place in the same public are- na and with the same witnesses. The best policy is to do a proper investigation and bring the employee off the floor and into a closed office. Employees need to know their leaders are hon- est, fair and trustworthy. They need to know ArTiCle " Trained people are assets and replacing them is costly in training time, tenure to reach quality, and efficiency levels. if the employee cannot be turned, by following the company policy, the problem will remove itself from the factory environment. " PLANT CULTURE