Radwell International’s Blog

The culture of a company is an important part of who the company is and what they stand for. Generally a company’s culture develops over time from the traits of the people who work within an organization. How can company culture impact a business? In this chat for USA Manufacturing Hour on Twitter, Kelley Plats from North American Coating Laboratories in Ohio led a discussion about the impact of company culture on an organization.   

Blog Transcribed from Video by Ryan Neuman for Radwell International

My name is Paul Fashaw and I’m a Logistics Breakdown Specialist. I am assigned to ensure that the orders that our company receives from their vendors are accurate and that they match their purchase order. I also need to make sure that the material that we receive is in good condition and acceptable. 

How did you develop your work ethic?

My work ethic developed as a child. I started a job at 9 years old as  an order boy at Acme markets. At the of 21, in 1954, I entered the military and served for four years before I was honorably discharged in 1958. At that time,  I started in the workforce as a computer operator.  I continued to work in that capacity in the data processing field for 55 years. After I retired I began working  at Radwell International. I’ve been here 13 years and I continued to use my work ethic at Radwell as a Breakdown Specialist. I need to ensure that all the orders and materials that the company receives are according to our specifications.  It’s very interesting and I enjoy my work.

Manager, Guidance Counselor, Cheerleader--Though these words are spelled differently, they mean the same thing. There isn’t an effective management discipline that doesn’t preach blending these jobs together. Which is to say, that the best managers can switch from taskmaster, to psychoanalyst, and to support system seamlessly. In today’s culture, it’s no longer enough to be able to articulate your expectations to your employees. The job has evolved and those with responsibility of management are being forced to evolve as well.

Being a manager involves managing, obviously. But what does that really mean? Is a manager sitting behind a desk monitoring performance metrics? Is a manager wandering around watching processes? Is a manager doing both? Is a manager doing more? There is no clear answer but the constant throughout it all is that the job is more complicated than ever. Managing people requires a delicate touch, as well as a firm guiding hand. Finding ways to connect with your team will allow you to be more effective, no matter what management style you favor.

We’ve all felt it. That feeling you get when you’re being ignored. The same feeling that creeps in when someone bumps into you without realizing you’re there, or that abrupt end to your thought process that comes when someone talks over you. It’s that empty, lonely feeling that makes you feel like the only person in the world. It makes you question your self worth. It’s a powerful feeling and it can make you feel invisible.

Why do we do this to each other? We are so caught up in our own worlds that it’s easy to forget the people around us. The way we live today doesn’t help either. We live in an age where distractions live in our pockets. The noise and the visuals never cease. Despite this techno-assault, we are expected to tune that out and connect with others. We have too much vying for our attention every minute of every day? How is that possible?

Over the years, electronics, software and technology in general have become less expensive for power plants, but operators' wages continue to rise-especially as the labor pool diminishes. As equipment is becoming engineered for more reliability and controllability, power plants are becoming more automated. This has become the justification for fewer power plant operators on staff, with some facilities attempting to become or successfully becoming completely unmanned.