The American company is where my leadership shine

If the Japanese company is a consensus mechanism in favor of intellectual growth, then, the American company is a liberal instrument pro leadership expansion.

Unlike working with the Japanese advisors from a strict and hierarchical work culture, working with the Americans in an international company, I can discuss, argue, or express opinions openly at the meeting. It was a wholly different experience working with the Americans, but the conclusion was almost there.

Working with the technical personnel in San Jose during the new product transfer program had thoroughly altered my opinion towards people from the United States. Contrary to the rhetorical, egotistic and scholarly images of the Americans I have knowledge of; they were humble, literal and practical.

A few of them from this company had inspired me to introduce differentiation in the quality management system; nothing like the classic “find the error and summon” sort of enforcement. Differentiation extends beyond adhering to the standards, reporting noncompliance, and demanding action plan from the action owner to cover all aspects of a manufacturing operation’s interaction with its engineering process.

Chuck, a Process engineering director, was optimistic about being physically presence at the assembly line following a new product development, getting a first-hand insight straight from the assembly line, and learning every detail of the progress. He encouraged engineers to express opinion explicitly, share their thoughts and take a leading role in the action plan. Along with that, he would take part, listen to the conversation, and ride with the team (task force) as the team going through the details.

While everyone was expecting a collaborative, ongoing policy making and objectives setting started at the top and cascaded down, what we had been encouraged to do was the decision stream flowed up started from the working group.

Mark, a Tooling engineering director, was an incomparable alliance from the management supporting QC‘s role in quality improvement. Thus far, I have not come across a tooling staff from the local management that would consent to a QC’s participation in a process improvement particularly the machinery development as much as he did. It was through him that I fully comprehend the function and the mechanism of the assemblage of highly specialized artifacts, and how the combined interaction effects contributing the machinery’s performance as one piece.

The QC function is now draw out to increase the factual value of the contribution to the entire manufacturing operation, either be proactive in leading a process improvement plan, or embracing knowledge management approach when handling the audit report.

Yet, the situation in an American company, occasionally, does cause one to do things like “break the rule” and cut across hierarchical boundaries when confronted an inexperienced and sloppy superior, for the benefit of the entire organization. But these are things never happened in a Japanese company as I knew.

In the midst of a self-determination work culture like this, I felt like myself not just a part of the team supporting the entire project but a leader of own deeds. I took full control of the program I designed and held accountable for the consequences. Even supposing, I had to confront the top management who might embrace a contrasting attitude towards quality, never had I felt self-doubting to be conspicuous for a different opinion.

Out with the old matrix and in with something unusual, my mind was constantly overwhelmed by new ideas, attitude and methodologies that would produce a whole, new frontage for the workplace and the company. I am free to change a thing or transform it to the way I believe would benefit an organization with the least interference from the management.

Endeavour to play easy pieces well and beautifully; that is better than to play difficult pieces indifferently well.  When you play, never mind who  listens to you. Play always as if in the presence of a master. – Schumann.

Wai Ping Lee/April 2011