Let's do age! How 'Old' are you? A poll - Version 2

[Claes Gefvenberg]

It used to bother me when I was not taken seriously just because I was "that young bloke". So I adopted a fail proof method to cope: However much I was patonized I "failed" to notice... and just kept dancing to my own tune.

Well, here I am.. 42 years young... and you know what: I'm still "that young bloke"... (And that tells you something about the age of the workforce in the company I work for these days ).

However, it doesn't bother me anymore. In fact I couldn't care less. Besides, I'm still as childish as I ever was.

/Claes

 

[Kevin Mader]

Sorry folks: no quotes since it was long enough. You'll have to scroll a bit.

Jamie,

You chopped off lots of hair! How will we recognize you now?

Firegirl,

I know what you mean. Now that I am getting older and looking it (I suppose), it is happening less and less, but still happening. Never had video rental troubles, but I can feel your pain!

Energy,

Enjoy it? You bet!!! I may have been carded, but never turned away. If someone took away my right to buy beer and lottery tickets, then I might ask you for a tear or two. But for now, your ‘manliness’ is safe!!!

Mike,

Believe it or not, I have plenty of gray mixing in these days. Probably more stress than actually getting old. What do you think?

James,

I agree: live life to the fullest! As was mentioned earlier, age is a state of mind to a large degree, especially when you have your good health. When I think of the fun stuff, I suppose I feel younger. When things ache after exercising, I suppose I feel at least my age and maybe beyond (no relative experience as you know). It doesn’t really matter provided you live a full life and with few regrets, at least to me it doesn’t. Still, it is a lot of fun teasing the older (and much wiser) crowd!!

Dave,

If I had a point to it all, it would make all my posts that much more enjoyable!!

SteelMaiden and Energy,

I had a ’66 Pontiac Tempest. Would that be close enough? I gave it up during my freshman year in college. Sold it and gave the money to my brother for a transmission for a ’71 Thunderbird (429ci Thunderjet with 365 hp). What a ride that was!!

ISOGUY,

This is a topic in itself. I might start a thread entitled “Credibility”. I feel your pain!!

Mike,

I use to see a ’71 Barracuda on my paper route everyday (as did I the ’66 Tempest). It had a crushed in rear quarter and sat in the side yard of my customer. I offered to buy it once and the mother of the kid who owned it jumped at the opportunity. Sadly, the kid talked his mother out of it and rejected my $250 offer. About three weeks later, the kid sold it for $300 (I would have paid him that at least) to a neighbor’s son. He wrecked it shortly there after (Boo Hoo)!

Energy,

You have experience on your side and you’re right to question assumptions. We are all full of…assumptions!!

Jim,

I wish I had my ’66 Tempest. I spent countless hours rummaging through junkyards looking for spare parts. I nearly restored the interior to mint condition.

Claes,

I’m the ‘big kid’ with my family and co-workers. It does keep you young…I think!!

Greetings everyone!!

Kevin

 

[Aaron Lupo]

Re: You can

Originally posted by energy


You probably do. It's just difficult to get that across to an older worker. Why? Like you, they think they're smarter. In fact, I venture to say that there is a fear of a bright younger co-worker because of the possibility that they may become their replacement. Acceptance comes sooner or later. Eventually the day comes that you know that your sharpest tool in the shed because you are promoted and your ideas are sought out, rather than Poo Poo'd.

I don’t necessarily think I am smarter (**** yes I do ) I know for a fact that I am more dedicated and thirst for knowledge. Where as it seems like you said want to rest on their laurels and don’t want to learn new and better ways of doing things. When they have questions don’t ask the young punk cause he may just have a good idea then we would have to take him seriously. Eventually the day comes when they seek out your ideas but you are no longer there, and that is when they realize how valuable you were.

 

[Laura M]

Been there

ISO GUY - I know how you are feeling. Early in my career I couldn't figure out why no one "respected" my knowledge. The seniority guys were convinced that their 20 years experience is worth more than any schooling I may have. Looking back - for alot of what was going on, they may have been right. There is no substitute for experience. You mention they never ask you what you think. My question to you is - do you ever ask them what they think?

I don't know the folks you work with, so maybe they are a bunch of morons, and I agree with everything energy said about being "threatened" - I've actually had that stated to me before. But respect is earned. You may know something they don't. How you prove it earns respect. But they may also know something you don't. Your ambition in of itself may be "threatening." ISO is seen as BS to alot of those folks. I've seen that too. Whenever I think my ideas are being "dismissed" I say - "how do you think we should do this?"

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

You mention they never ask you what you think. My question to you is - do you ever ask them what they think?

Whenever I think my ideas are being "dismissed" I say - "how do you think we should do this?"

Very good point Laura. I think you really pinpointed the key question there. It's all about communication, and that's the very best way to get a dialouge going. Because: People *want* to talk and be heard.

/Claes

 

[Aaron Lupo]

Yes, I ask them what the think quite often. I sit back and listen to what they have to say, I take their ideas/suggestions and I store them away in my memory. While their idea my not work at this time there may come a time down the road when I can use it, or pass it on to someone else that may be able to use it. I have heard many times while working here that the idea I have is "stupid and will not work", I am not making this up. When that happens I ask how they think we should do it, and I listen and quite often there have been times they say the exact same thing I just said, but becuase it comes from an "older" person all of a sudden it is a great idea and they are so smart, and I just sit there and think to myself damn that is a good idea and it was a good idea when I said it 5 minutes ago.

You are also right when you say they think Quality is a bunch of BS. What is even worse is these are people in the Quality Department. If other employees see they have that attitude, they are going to feel the same way. They do the bare minimum and thats it, why do more than we have to. So it is not that I don't ask or listen to their ideas becuase I do, maybe my problem is I don't make enough noise.

 

[Laura M]

Careful

I said they think ISO is BS - not quality. The folks I'm talking about "know how to do things" so a written instruction is BS to them. I don't know too many that think quality is BS. I guess you do have a challenge.

So now its time for Creative comebacks. Then next time they repeat your idea say "Hey - that's a great idea? How did you think of it?" or "major deja vu - I thought I just heard that a few minutes ago." Ha ha - maybe a few will start catching on.

 

[Aaron Lupo]

Re: Careful

Originally posted by Laura M

So now its time for Creative comebacks. Then next time they repeat your idea say "Hey - that's a great idea? How did you think of it?" or "major deja vu - I thought I just heard that a few minutes ago." Ha ha - maybe a few will start catching on.

Sorry about that Laura, yes you did say they think ISO is BS and not quality. But the fact that where I work you have people in the QA dept. that project the feelings that quality just gets in the way is still true.

You know what it reminds me of, have you seen the commercial(I don't even know what they are advertising) where they are sitting having a meeting and they one guy states his idea and they just sit there, and a couple seconds later someone else in the room repeats it and everyone thinks its a great idea. Then the first guy looks at him and says something like you just repeated what I said except you did (makes a motion) with your hands. That is how it feels sometimes.

 

[Randy Stewart]

I know how you feel ISO Guy. I think ISO/QS etc. have some fault in how upper management views the standards too. Think about what some of the companies have gone through over the years. If you wanted to do business with the B3 you had the Pentastar program, the Marks of Excellence, and Q-101. Each had its own agenda and when your customer came out to audit they tore you apart. Then you hear QS-9000 will standardize the requirements, and what is it that they see? Customer Specific Requirements, Sanctioned Interpretations, and a rather large bill from the auditors. I can't say I totally blame them for thinking ISO is BS. What kind of training do they go to, they go to an Executive Overview for 1 day. After seeing it in a nut shell they come back and ask why its taking so long!!!!! But that doesn't help you does it?
Do you present out on the health of your Quality System? If so take some time and show the correlation between the system and product improvment, profit, customer sat, etc.. You don't have to have the bright lights and banners but blow your own horn. A couple sucesses will enhance the weight of your words. One of the things I did in my presentations was to leave out the word quality and replace it with business. It was the Business System not the Quality System, and so on. You would be suprised how the attention span changes.

 

[energy]

Quality People problems?

ISO Guy,

Is it the Quality group that generally show little interest in your ideas? I was thinking more on the lines that management in general or manufacturing were having a problem with your views on what a quality system should be. If it's the latter, age doesn't make any difference when it comes to dismissing ideas to try to improve the system. Quality Control/Assurance is usually viewed as stick in the wheels of progress. Trust me, that will never end unless you become one of them. More later when you define wherein the friction lays. Have a good weekend. I'll be checking from home, when I feel the need to be nosy!