Take care of your people inside, and you’re
bound to make an impact outside
Many companies associate words such as “coveted”
and “earned” with industry or association awards they receive. At Ace Metal Crafts Company, we like to use the word
“symptomatic.” Because we think receiving an honor is symptomatic of underlying
behaviors within our plant that our customers see every day.
 Recently, the American Psychological Association
told us that our leadership team and our associates are doing a good job inside
our company. They honored Ace with its “2015 Psychologically Healthy Workplace”
Illinois Award, and we’re very thankful. The APA annually evaluates companies
on their efforts in the areas of employee involvement, work-life balance,
employee growth and development, health and safety, and employee recognition.
Yet what has surprised us is how even the
smallest changes – the ones that come with no capital or expense – have a
significant impact on an organization and customers. Our recent work with the
Toyota Production System (TPS) showed how making small changes to a
manufacturing process yield big results for our customers. As Toyota made us
understand, it starts with respect – each employee is part of the team and as
such commands respect. Because associates feel respected, they feel valued and responsible
for creating processes that improve; they then perform individually and grow collectively
to achieve success.
“Ace has developed a positive, productive
culture. What TPS taught us is that when your employees feel a
part of improvement, they show a level of productivity and sense of purpose that
energizes your culture,” says Ace CEO Jean Pitzo. “TPS doesn’t just make a
difference in a company’s processes and procedures; it also makes a difference
in the lives of our associates. We now know that meaningful process change can
only happen when you have an underlying healthy culture. That’s how you transform
your value to your customers.”
“It is better to take many
small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to
stumble backward.” Chinese proverb
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