Before I say anything I want to start of by saying thank you. Thank you for a programs like Kenan Fellows, thank you to Caterpillar for making this leap, and thank you for allowing ME, Annah Riedel, to do this.
Before I started my time at Caterpillar I sat down to create a vision about what I hoped to accomplish in my time at CAT. This vision has helped me maximize my time with each person I have met with thus far. Having a consistent, clear plan for how I will go about forming relationships and asking questions has to helped me approach this new and challenging situation with the right heart. As you continue to read you can see my hopes and questions I have been addressing with all employees I have made contact with.
What do I hope to accomplish in my time at Caterpillar?
- I hope that I am able to capture what CAT does as a company through my fellowship.
- I hope to gain insight around what practical skills are needed in each position.
- I hope to better understand what Caterpillar is looking for in students coming out of school (both high school, and college)
- I hope to learn about the sustainability initiatives and the work to get girls more invested in STEM careers.
- I hope to leave with ideas on how I can tie this into 4th grade curriculum.
- I hope to understand if there is anything I can do to help Caterpillar expand it’s programs in early education.
- I hope to build relationships with people at Caterpillar that I can call upon throughout the duration of my fellowship to help make the upcoming year an amazing year of exposure of STEM ed to my students.
When meeting Caterpillar staff/mentors what are some questions I might ask?
- Basic Information ex: name, schooling, years experience, etc
- What pieces in your education do you think were critical for leading you to your current line of work?
- What are the skills you have had to learn do develop over time?
- What are some skills that you were equipped with in school that you would say are not applicable in the workforce?
- What was school like for you? (like, dislike)
- Can you tell me about your favorite teacher?
- What do you remember about them?
- What about that teacher/experience makes it memorable?
- Tell me something you like about Caterpillar.
- Think back to when you were a kid in 4th grade (no matter how long ago it was), what is something you would have loved to have done in 4th grade?
- Are there any specific trade skills you think should still be taught in school?
Now that you have a concept of my hopes, visions, and questions I would like to share more about my first week with CAT. Instead of giving a play by play of my week I will summarize some of the key messages I heard throughout my first week.
Safety First, Quality Always
It was apparent to me upon entering the CAT facility in Sanford on Monday that safety was imperative to Caterpillar’s mission. Michael Bastin, a Visitor & Training Center Manager was the first to talk me about safety in my time at CAT. Some things CAT does to keep it’s employees safe is continuously reviewing safety protocols. Even for a short term “employee” like myself safety is a priority. In addition, all employees look out for one another. When employees see someone not abiding by safety norms they are quick to remind one another of safety protocols. Some examples include; wearing steel toes, safety glasses, and ear protection. At each new site I visited (Clayton, CMDC, Sanford) these safety protocols were reiterated to me as well as other employees. Safety is the first priority for Caterpillar as a company. However, safety goes beyond just wearing the correct protection, it also extends into health and wellness as well as ergonomics. Caterpillar believes that if work stations are comfortable that employees will be more productive and are more likely to do quality work.
Continuous Improvement Plan
Merriam Webster defines ergonomics as, “an applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely.”
Think about your work environment? Is it perfect? Are all conditions exactly they need to be to have maximum productivity? The chances are your answer is no. So Caterpillar decided to do more than just have a “suggestion box” that goes unanswered or unheard. Instead they instated a Continuous Improvement Plan. On all job sites you will see a board posted where ALL employees can voice concerns and suggestions for improving their working environment. Once a card is submitted an admin is assigned to finding a solution to the problem/idea listed. A card or a “case” cannot be closed until a solution has been provided and the person whom submitted the card signs off on the solution. With this Continuous Improvement Plan there is accountability and employees are empowered to improve the quality of their working environment.
I really appreciated this approach. Employees should feel empowered and valued in their work environment.
“Our Solutions Help Our Costumers Build A Better World”
In my beginning years of teaching my mantra has been, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”- Mahatma Gandhi To me Caterpillar’s mission and vision aligns well with my own. I like that Caterpillar is doing more than building machines, but they truly believe that their contributions are making the world a better place. This goes beyond just building machinery for the community. It also extends through the programs taking place globally as well as locally; such as, the Apprenticeship programs, and Internships.
Needed Skills in Industry
By conducting interviews with several employees there were a few emerging trends. I would like to share some of those.
- Effective Communication is critical. All departments and divisions must work hard to ensure that communication is strong.
- Employee Development is essential. Not every employee will be able to recognize their own strengths. If you are a manager it is important to understand your employees strengths and help them to their maximize potential and to delegate tasks to them that enable them to be successful.
- First impressions matter in industry!
- Listening and being responsive is important, especially to the customers needs. At all stages (design, retail, engineering, assembly, etc)
- Be able to back up what you do. You should feel good about the work you produce! Do it right, and speak up if there are concerns.
Stick Time
The best way to learn about the machines is to drive them! It was hard for be to understand all of the terminology, skid steer, excavator, back loader, and so on. It helped me to learn the different kinds of machines and their functions. This served to remind that experience is a great way to learn. When I went out for “Stick Time” I was participating with interns, new hires, and some long time employees of CAT. It was great to see several generations of employees coming together to play. The other important note to make here is these machines can be quite complex, so for every machine we tried their were two trained CAT employees to explain and ensure safety for all operators. I will remember that experiential learning is the most meaningful approach this upcoming school year.
CAT Culture
I was most impressed by the culture at CAT. Every single employee I encountered was positive, welcoming, and interested in what I was doing at Caterpillar. The hospitality was remarkable. Beyond the openness of all employees I spoke with I was also impressed by retention rate of the employees at CAT. Many of them have been there for 10-20 years. This says something about the way Caterpillar treats and empowers their employees. Additionally, many workers love and embrace the challenge of building new designs. Mike Sekulich an Engineering Manager for Small Wheel Loaders, said, “Everyday I come to work and I feel like I get to access my inner 5 year old. It’s like playing with Tonka trunks. All day long I get to figure out why things break and fix them to make them better.” I loved this, it made so much sense to me why Mike loves showing up to his job everyday. It was the same feeling I had when driving a Skid Steer for the first time during Stick Time. I like the culture at CAT and that it transcends throughout the company.
….
If you are still reading, I am truly impressed. You probably deserve a pat on the back… It’s okay to go ahead and give yourself one… No matter where you are; a coffee shop, your couch, or your office! Just do it. We all deserve a pat on the back. 🙂
Leadership Impact Summit
On Friday, I got to attend a Leadership Impact Summit with 72 Managers across the company (Sanford, Cary, Clayton). I was surrounded by a room full of long time Caterpillar employees who came together for training from 7-4 PM on a Friday none the less! I sat in the back and played an observer role all day long. I watched how all employees were engaged, listening, learning, and asking questions. I liked that all of these managers, whom you would assume “knew it all” were coming together to improve their practices and realign their personal values to the company vision. To me this reflects well on the company that they are continually investing time back into their people. Making sure that people are energized and knowledgable about their company. I hope that all companies take the time to invest in their employees the way CAT does.
Trade Skills
Again, there were some common themes that emerged in my first week. Another one was that welding and shop class needs to be brought back to schools. There is a large gap in industry right now. Unfortunately, companies cannot fill these positions and it is becoming even more scarce with time. Schools need to continue to prepare students for the blue collar workforce and not just the white collar. While we should all want the very best for our students, we as teachers often assume that “best” means college. This is not the case, best or success should not hinge entirely on a person receiving a college degree. There are so many jobs of great importance in our society and industry that need hardworking men and women to fill. As a school system we have a responsibility to prepare and inform our students about all future career options. As of last week, I was unaware of jobs such as these. I will be doing more to educate myself on these types of jobs in the coming weeks to make sure I am able to lead by example in this area.
Finally, I want to end with a few ideas for lessons/curriculum I will be writing this fall.
Idea #1 Assembly
I was most intrigued by the assembly line this week and how many components have to work conjunction to make a single machine. I am hoping to facilitate a lesson/activity about assembly line. Using concepts of the continuous improvement plan, design, and also teaching about the history of Assembly Line. I am already excited to facilitate this in my classroom!
Idea #2 Error Analysis
I really like how Caterpillar uses examples of operator errors as teaching tools for current employees to improve their designs and increase safety. For example, many CAT machines are used by operators incorrectly. As a result accidents have occurred where machines have completely flipped over or landed on their side. Because of CAT’s emphasis on safety many of these operators have walked away with minor or no injuries. In my classroom I think it would be interesting to have students interpret images or make inferences about what happened, why it happened, and how it can be prevented in the future. It does not necessarily need to be utilizing Caterpillar equipment as examples, and could expand to other areas like math or writing.
Thank you Michael, Jamie, Sean, Lisa, Jessica, Adam, Alex, Claire, Jody, Ryan, Trevor, BJ, Eric, Patty, Rocco, Wanda, Annette, Rachael, Mike S, Gabby, Mitch, John, Melissa, Jason, Tony, Doug, Jan, Vic, Bill, Judy, Alfredo, Dante, Peter, Wendi, Kevin, Scott, Lexi, Heather, Dianne, Maggie, Teresa, Lisa, Sara, Zach, Jay, Dave, and all the names of people whom I encountered this week that I cannot remember or did not name here. Your kindness and welcome means a great deal to me!
Until next time.
Ms. A