From personal goals to business success

Lean manufacturing expert Mr Norman Bodek has made a call for local manufacturing firms to train employees to be self-reliant and active in pursuing own goals if they want their businesses to produce better results.

 

 Speaking at the MAXA Manufacturing Excellence Community (MAXA MEC) Event 2011, Mr Bodek said: “Employees can be self-reliant by making decisions for the company and the company needs to trust the employees in making good decisions.” 

 

This is a basic principle of the Harada Method which he advocates. The method, originally developed by Japanese management consultant Takashi Harada, encourages employees to set their own goals and action plans. This will motivate the employees to hone their skills and capabilities to strive for personal success, which in turn brings benefits to the companies in terms of productivity, sales output and cost savings.

 

The Harada Method is gaining recognition as one of the most systematic ways to enhance employee development, and has been adopted by companies like Kirin Beer, Uniqlo, Nomura Security and The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd.

 

The mechanics of this method was shared by Mr Bodek over a one-day workshop at the MAXA MEC Event 2011 jointly organised by SMa and Singapore Economic Development Board on Nov 16 at Marina Bay Sands. This annual event was concluded with a forum and plant tour the next day. 

 

Other speakers at the event included Mr Hong Kok Leong, World Class Manufacturing Champion, South & Southeast Asia, Tetra Pak; and Mr Terry Huang, a strategy and management consultant at NBBJ. About 150 participants attended the two-day event.

 

For more information, email Mr Norman Bodek at bodek@pcspress.com.