7 replies to this topic

[GMO]

People have often described me as an "operations focused" or "commercially aware" technical person.  Personally I'm just battered from years of abuse lol...

 

But it does wind me up sometimes when we don't help ourselves as technical people.

 

An absolute w**ker of an MD said to me once, "you know GMO, it's the easiest thing in the world to say no."

 

And while he was a w**ker, he had a point.  It is easy to take zero risk.  It's so much harder to try and find a way. 

 

I am always trying to look for the win / win on projects.  You know the thing where it's going to make food safer but also save money?  I'd 100x rather do that and have left (too many) companies who have tried to get me to compromise to the point where food safety is compromised.

 

But as my question the other day on cost savings in Technical had a response not much beyond this: 

 

 

I do wonder if we're not helping ourselves.  I am the biggest advocate there is that we should have food safety professionals in senior teams and c-suites.  But that's not going to happen if we spend 80% of our time focusing on a narrow topic.  Neither are we going to encourage others to pick up the slack if we're doing it all for them.

 

For example, I am now getting very fed up with sites who think they can improve their food safety culture if it's led by and only showing interest from the Technical team.  That's what we've been doing for years.  Not going to work.  Likewise though I also see Technical teams saying "no" to a new idea without really allowing any airtime to it first.  

 

The reason I was thinking of this topic though is I found out an old colleague has been given the remit to reduce costs in Technical.

"How?" I asked.

The person asking him said "I don't care".

 

Now what I did was send over the stuff I'd already done to reduce costs safely and I was trying to think of some more.  But the thing is I sent him this stuff about 3 years ago.  This Technical Manager didn't act on it even though they were wins to improve food safety and reduce costs.  Of course the cynical in me thinks "well if he had done it, they'd still be asking for more now..." but the adult in me thinks "nope, we're senior leaders, if there are opportunities, especially where food safety is improved as well as reducing costs, we should resource them and go after them."

 

Or are we just all so f***ing busy that we've not got a hope?  

 

Thoughts?

Edited by GMO, 12 February 2025 - 07:40 AM.

[TimG]

Ok..what's a silo? I mean, I know what a silo is, but I don't think I do in this context.

[GMO]

Ok..what's a silo? I mean, I know what a silo is, but I don't think I do in this context.

 

Ah sorry!  In UK management speak it's when functions operate in isolation with each other.  So in a "siloed" organisation, food safety is almost exclusively owned by Technical or Quality functions but likewise those team members are not reaching out and understanding the impact of their work and how they can influence planning, operations, finance etc.  Think of several silos next to each other with minimal connections.

 

Generally speaking, siloed companies are less mature organisations and more about "tell".  A collaborative organisation would be mature overall and generally have lower risk.

 

My reason for asking the question is because I think sometimes as Technical specialists (and certainly early in my career) I expected people to come to me just because it was the "right" thing to do from an ethical perspective, without me ever showing any interest in what they saw as important.  I think the moves to improve our workplace cultures lay with all leadership, not just those outside of Technical.

 

But that said, I see frazzled colleagues and customers who are at the end of their tether.  With more expectations and shrinking resource.  And when that happens I think people who would normally be collaborative and open to others draw back into themselves, pull back and do what they can with their own workloads.

[Scampi]

we are 100% siloed where I am to the point of it being counter productive

 

Case in point-----a key member of our team is off on leave---------zero cross training-------the leave was unannounced so no time to prepare. 2 of us are barring the brunt of the work load AND getting zero support when reaching out to collogues for support----it would appear they'd rather have us fall on our proverbially faces then stick their necks out at all

 

But what really grinds my coffee, is that this could have ALL been avoided with effective communications, no silos and cross training.  To the point that our production planner doesn't feel the need to attend weekly meetings to keep the team in the loop (YAY! team of 1, how's that working for you)

 

needless to say, upon said persons return, I shall be taking a week myself at full pay (I have earned it!)

 

oh and my unannounced audit window opens in 14 days

Edited by Scampi, 12 February 2025 - 06:12 PM.

[kingstudruler1]

I would agree there are many technical or food safety types that are not doing their companies (or our profession) any favors.   Im watching a company crumble from within because for high level food safety person will not objectively evaulate risk (the data is there) or play any role in SOLVING the problem.  Throw it away, I dont care.   

 

Sometimes the answer has to be "NO".   Many times the answer could be "Yes, If....."

 

To this post and to the cost savings one: 

 

Many years ago, I had a interview.   It was a job a really wanted.  I knew and had worked "with" a very senior food safety leader in this international food campany.    I thought my chances were very favorable of being choosen.   When the time came to go to the top floor and meet with my former colleague, I was shocked.   In plain sight, on his desk was my resume with all of my credentials, expericence, etc.   On it was written (in big / huge red marker) "SO WHAT".    

 

The remainder of the interview (at least how I remember it) was a lecture about how the workforce was full of people the could manage a food safety department.   However, very few leave a legacy.   A legacy of either massive improvement, huge cost savings, technological advancements, etc.   

 

Since then i have taken the cost savings to heart.     Everyone cares about it.   Its very tangable.   No longer is "because of me, there were no billion dollar recalls" normally going to cut it.   In each of my last several positions, Ive found a way to pay my salary multiple time over in perpetuity.    Maybe ive been lucky that there was low hanging fruit that went unnoticed.   I dont know.    

 

The latest example was a company that was producing a product that had a "oil" spec of 0.5 to 5.0%.   The amount of oil % meant very little to the customers purchasing the product.   The plants were operating at < 4% oil addition.   I turned the knob (that all it took) to save $100Ks / per year.  Im not sure if that was 100% outside my silo.   

 

To your point, the person that stated they wanted to reduce costs in technical was being short sided and "siloed".   Perhaps there was / is some opportunity there.  My guess is that most of those costs are relatively insignificant.   The better directive would have been "how can technical help the company to reduce costs / save money"  

 

Really, its poor leadership -  another scurge of the food production industry, at least in the USA.  We cant usually fix that.  LOL

Edited by kingstudruler1, 12 February 2025 - 08:28 PM.

[nwilson]

Currently I don't really have a silo, more of a bunker that only has 3 walls, an open door, and I can see over the wall and look/talk to others.  I work for a small company and do not have the luxury of not wearing multiple hats at any given moment, which provides a unique experience in that I am somewhat forced to understand all aspects of the business and relate to all positions.  I've done almost every position in the plant other than balance the checkbook.  I have been in huge silos in other companies/positions and I always tried to break free.  My leadership style is to get in front of things and lead the charge, get folks to rally behind the idea, be a cheerleader, etc.  Even when things would become politized or convoluted I wouldn't let these things detour my efforts nor the relationships I established with the plant operations.  Folks generally respect me and I respect them, and this keeps communication going and staff bring issues to my attention.  

 

I've been faced with cost reductions that were mandatory, of course this is business after all, I guess I am just fortunate that overall it didn't affect what my department was trying to accomplish.  Other than the select few, colleagues, and all you wonderful folks, most people I work with do not understand the extent of all that encompasses a quality/technical position, that is until my department doesn't perform the task or out sick/vacation.  I generally find ways to save money anyways that have a direct impact and provide value to my department and myself, most being common sense (at least to me).  Being uplifting and not retreating to my silo that I could reasonably sit in and just do basic functions, is what gets me up in the morning to come to a thankless job at times .  Yes I say "No" you have to be firm at times but there is an element where I feel I should be able to explain in great detail why we can or can't do something.  Afterall as quality assurance is in my title, I do have to embrace the "ass" portion every once in a while, but I try to give some praise along the way and not live in a silo if I can avoid it.  

[GMO]

Thanks everyone for your perspectives.  I think one opportunity for those breaking out of their silos (or bunkers) is to publicise the quality and food safety AND the non quality aspects of your work.  The win / wins.  I can be bad at this I have to admit!

 

But Kingstudruler1 reminded me of one Technical person who worked for me once.  He genuinely said, without any hint of humour "if I don't reject it, they won't learn".

 

WTAF?  That wasn't just being bunkered but dropping bombs on the other trench.  I get that the lack of consequences can reinforce behaviour but there are so many other ways to do that in a more professional, grown up manner.

 

Anyway I left that company and he was promoted so what do I know?

[kingstudruler1]

Thanks everyone for your perspectives.  I think one opportunity for those breaking out of their silos (or bunkers) is to publicise the quality and food safety AND the non quality aspects of your work.  The win / wins.  I can be bad at this I have to admit!

 

But Kingstudruler1 reminded me of one Technical person who worked for me once.  He genuinely said, without any hint of humour "if I don't reject it, they won't learn".

 

WTAF?  That wasn't just being bunkered but dropping bombs on the other trench.  I get that the lack of consequences can reinforce behaviour but there are so many other ways to do that in a more professional, grown up manner.

 

Anyway I left that company and he was promoted so what do I know?

 

 

Anyway I left that company and he was promoted so what do I know?

 

Ive been lamenting about this lately.    People in positions they have no bussiness being in.