Week of 25 September 2017: Management compliments and criticisms are not always obvious
Jim Thompson
Email Jim at jthompson@taii.com Listen to this column in your favorite format When I was a little boy, my Dad worked for Hobart Brothers Company in Troy, Ohio. He was in charge of a department called "Welded Products." This department made the gas tanks and other welded fabrications for Hobart's line of self-powered electric welders. Later, when plastics came along, they started fabricating some of those parts, too, but we will save that story for another time. **** Save the date! The Pulp and Paper Industry Reliability and Maintenance conference, sponsored by IDCON and Andritz, will be held March 19-22, 2018 in Raleigh, North Carolina. **** In my own career, I have seen managers suddenly become friendly and happy around certain employees when they were not this way before. Why this change of mood and friendliness? They had finally decided they needed to fire the employee. It was a great relief to them to know that soon they would not have to tolerate this person any longer. **** Jim Thompson is back again...with a new book on a taboo subject: the personalities in the pulp & paper industry. Jim has written in the past on many subjects based on his four plus decades in the worldwide pulp and paper industry. This new book is packed full of information valuable to the senior member of the industry as well as the recent entrant. A must for every pulp and paper library. **** In my own case, I know that I often come across as being brusque and cold with employees. Actually, I swing from being brusque and cold to being overly friendly. The first mood is just me being all business. The second is me feeling guilty about being brusque and cold. In reality, neither is a good read on where I am at any given time. In my case, watch me over the very long haul. I stick with people and concepts I believe in and I separate from those I don't. We don't have an employee here today that has been with us less than four years, some over twenty. That is a message for those looking for a message. **** Nip Impressions has been honored for Editorial Excellence by winning a Tabbie Award! ________ Other interesting stories:
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