Posts Tagged ‘Team BCI’
Monday, August 16th, 2010
A wise man once told me that “we need to help each other be right; rather than finger pointing or placing blame”. He has tirelessly been repeating this lesson to our management team for years. For some, this lesson has fallen on deaf ears. In others; the seed has been planted, roots have sprouted and the fruits of his labor are being seen.
A team player desires for the other players on the team to succeed, ensuring the greater good of the team. Help those around you be right. Any time spent proving them wrong or hoping they will fail is fruitless to the team and time wasted.
Tags: BCI, Bremen Castings, status quo sucks, Team BCI, teamwork
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Friday, June 18th, 2010
It is the season to celebrate graduations from college or high school and reflect on what has brought us success. While our experience cannot be a road map for everyone looking to succeed, it can provide important tried and true lessons for success. (1) you need a passion for your career choice, it is more than a job, (2) you need a passion for the organization that you work for and a belief in their mission, (3) you need to see the “big picture”, and lastly (4) you need to jump in with both feet and your whole heart; half way never leads to success. Success comes from loving what you do, the organization that you support, your fellow team members and waking up every morning excited to do it all over again.
Tags: Bremen Castings, Bremen Foundry, status quo sucks, Team BCI
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Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
The fear of asking for help has derailed quite a few extremely talented employees. Asking for help is viewed by these individuals as a sign of weakness. This myth could not be further from reality. One could argue that knowing your own limitations and continuing to stretch those boundaries without breaking yourself; truly forms an “A” player. This also extends to managers, whose job has evolved from “doing” to “managing doers”. You are managing the talent assigned to your department; understanding the function each of your direct reports performs, delegating job assignments/tasks, holding direct reports accountable, and stretching your talent to maximize your departments output without breaking them. If you are successful in these managing aspects, you are the cream of the crop or the top 10% for that position. Ask for help, teamwork is what makes World Class companies.
Tags: BCI, Bremen Castings, Team BCI, teamwork
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
In every organization there is a talent pool of highly skilled and highly motivated employees; the size of that pool (big or small) has a direct impact on the success of that organization. I find it interesting that we are quick to point out errors and problems; however often slow to offer praise. Stephen Covey gave the best illustration of this concept of having an equal balance between deposits and withdrawals; as he described the emotional bank account. Too many withdrawals without deposits will overdraw the emotional bank account; leaving the employee with nothing left to give. Instead of focusing on the negative or the problems; take a little time to smell the roses and realize that not everything is bad. Don’t overdraw your emotional bank account or anyone around you. Correction is a necessary component to change; however we should step up and be faster to tell someone when they are doing a good job. Positive words reinforce, encourage and motivate.
Tags: Bremen Castings, emotional bank account, Team BCI, teamwork
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Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
At 71 years of age, BCI still resides in Bremen, IN. Over the years BCI has gone through many changes as we all do. From no shirts and pitch-forking coke to the cupola to CNC grinders and painted assembled parts to our customers. All of these changes have come and gone with great team members through-out the years. BCI has always taken care of itself to prepare for the future to ensure a long life and just not a place of employment but a family style organization to help cast everyone and everything we touch into a valuable and responsible individual. It is crucial for everyone to be a team member and a active citizen within our communities. We do this under our core values followed up with the statement that we push down to everyone that “Status Quo Sucks”! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BCI!!!!!
Tags: BCI, Birthday, Bremen Castings, Bremen Foundry, bremen indiana, SQS, status quo sucks, Team BCI
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Saturday, March 13th, 2010
Where the rubber meets the road, is the moment of truth. It really doesn’t matter what you say or how you do it; results are what really count. Team BCI has embraced this “Status Quo Sucks” (SQS) culture over the last couple of years to bring Bremen Castings to new heights of performance and achievement. We have weathered this economic recession like we were playing for the Gold medal at the Olympics; building endurance, strength and teamwork.
Today, we are accomplishing tasks that would have been difficult, if not impossible just a few short years ago. Team members are working hardly and smarter than any other time in their tenure. New records are being set and then broken daily. The bar keeps raising; Team BCI reaches and then exceeds the bar. We can take pride in our accomplishments; however we will not take it for granted, nor lose sight of our mission. Our core values define us and SQS has become a way of life.
Tags: Bremen Castings, SQS, status quo sucks, Team BCI, teamwork
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Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Agreeing for the sake of “wanting to agree” is patronizing. This condescending treatment, usually of superiors in the organization, is disgraceful and makes your position unnecessary. Often those that simply agree to keep the boss happy; really never sign onto the decision or fully support it. Employees that say “yes” are a dime a dozen; only those willing to speak up even when it is not politically correct are “true gems”. Have some backbone, speak up and better decisions can be made.
Tags: Bremen Castings, status quo sucks, Team BCI
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Monday, March 1st, 2010
Listening to the continued controversy regarding water boarding, it suddenly clicked that everyone has their breaking point. It may take longer for some to reach that point, but internally we all possess a breaking point. Reaching that point for some has meant violence from otherwise normal citizens. Still others end up in psychiatric hospitals, a prisoner of their own body. Interrogation techniques have evolved over the years as it has taken more extreme measures to abstract vital information from terrorists; terrorists that train long and hard on how to withstand our interrogation techniques.
Pushing employees to their breaking point is never an objective of any management style. Teamwork, accountability and peer pressure are far more effective management techniques; than brow beating an employee to their breaking point. If an employee is not on the right bus, help them find an alternate bus route. If they are in the wrong seat on the bus, help them change seats if one is available. With employees honesty is always the best approach, not always the easiest conversation but definitely the best. If you feel you are being pushed to your breaking point; your options include (1) giving up, (2) recommending changes that are good for the organization and yourself or (3) you can remove yourself from the bus and find your own alternate route.
Tags: BCI, breaking point, Bremen Foundry, SQS, status quo sucks, Team BCI, water boarding
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Sunday, February 28th, 2010
Transparency in an organization is a state the many organizations strive to achieve, but few will every reach. The light projecting through the organization to show every aspect, the good, the bad and the ugly; brings forth plentiful opportunities for improvement. Status Quo Sucks at Bremen Castings means no rock unturned and no aspect hidden. While human nature is that of survival of the fittest and playing politics; only transparency and hard work are our rewards. At the end of the day, the most important thing that we can hear is that we have done a “good job”.
Tags: BCI, Bremen Castings, SQS, status quo sucks, Team BCI, teamwork
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Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
The synergy that comes out of teamwork means the output from the team is greater than the individual parts. If we all agree with this concept, then why not always put the good of the team before our individual needs? Team players often put the team first; occasionally they can temporarily lose focus of the mission; however they come back for greater good of the team.
Non-team players can only focus on their little piece of the pie and, because they do not value being part of the team; often head in a direction either different or detrimental to the team. Remember, the team is guiding and directing the bus to their final destination. Their seats on the bus are strategic and give greater output to the goals and objectives of the organization.
Non-team players, you don’t have a seat on the bus; you are under the bus, hanging onto the carriage, and likely will fall off at the next speed bump. If you don’t like being under the bus, get with the program! Focus on the team mission and take your rightful seat on the bus to help the team achieve even greater output.
Carol Senour
Tags: BCI, Bremen Castings, bremen indiana, non team players, seats bus, SQS, status quo sucks, Team BCI, teamwork
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Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Everything has a shelf life including people; an expiration beyond which their usefulness to the organization is null and void. A hiring decision was once made, because of their qualifications and cultural fit with the organization’s core values. Here is where we often miss the boat, the organization is evolving and we too must evolve or face extinction. Those stuck in status quo are often the first to expire, because they cannot accept change. We need to be refreshing, renewing and redefining ourselves; in step with the changes within the organization.
The easiest and most practical way to make sure your shelf life expires on your terms; read a variety of material daily, embrace change, challenge the way you do everything, learn something new from others in the organization every day, and keep up on technological changes in your field of expertise.
Tags: BCI, Bremen Castings, Bremen Foundry, bremen indiana, SQS, status quo sucks, Team BCI, technology
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Thursday, February 4th, 2010
The struggling economy has made most companies and families tighten the screws of spending and involvement in profit and non for profit organizations, with that being said this should be a best practice that is always followed in any kind of economy as a fiduciary responsible party of that particular family or company. I can say that I have not really given this any thought before the last qtr of 2009. Most companies join their industry associations and probably another half dozen or so. Why does one do this? Does it make the company feel better? Is money no issue? Because they asked? You love acronyms? What ever the reason for joining these associations, I bet you can find waste. I have lately made a list of all the associations we belong too and five bullet points under each association. If I cannot list five significant benefits that we are receiving from that association, then our membership must be evaluated and dealt with.
Tags: associations, BCI, Bremen Castings, Bremen Foundry, Bremen Machining, junkies, Machining, Manufacturing, SQS, Team BCI
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Monday, December 7th, 2009
I do not understand why change is viewed as such a negative thing in most organizations. We all know that the frequency of change correlates with the frequency of improvements, so why would you not welcome change? How can you experience improvements, if you are unwilling to give change a try. Embrace change, it could be the best improvement your organization has experienced that will keep you ahead of the competition. Daily challenge the status quo, challenge the way you do things and look for opportunities to improve. Change is good; it is only our perception that change is bad that holds us back from greatness.
Carol Senour
Tags: Bremen Castings, Bremen Foundry, bremen indiana, Change, status quo sucks, Team BCI
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Thursday, November 26th, 2009
Bremen Castings pours out well wishes and blessings to our BCI family and friends on Thanksgiving Day. As a tough economic year 2009 comes towards an end; we will be thankful today for all of you that helped us grow and remain strong during times like these. Families grow stronger weathering storms together and working together as a team. Today focus on all the things that you have to be thankful for; write them down and as the length of the list grows may you realize just how fortunate you are today and every day.
Carol Senour
Tags: BCI, Bremen Castings, Bremen Foundry, bremen indiana, Bremen Machining, casting machining, Ductile Iron, Giving, Gray Iron, Indiana, Machining, Manufacturing, metal casting manufacturer, SQS, Team BCI, technology, Thanks, Thanks Giving, tooling
Posted in Manufacturing | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
The demise of customer service in America seemed to come about through a gradual decline over the last decade. Today, with the current economic climate, we are seeing significant improvements in our treatment as consumers. In the past, we were consuming in large amounts regardless of how we were treated as the customer. Contrast that with the current climate, where we have all reeled our consuming in favor of more saving and you see the decline in demand has dictated better customer service.
Consumers today are diverting their reduced dollars to those providing the best customer service. We have grown intolerant of poor customer service or have we always been intolerant? I would argue that we have always been intolerant and that we did not demand good customer service. We received exactly what we demanded, nothing more and nothing less. Today, we are demanding more and we are getting it or moving to where we receive better customer service. If consumers are smart enough to learn from the past, then we need to continue to demand good customer service even when we return to a new level of normalcy in the economy.
Tags: BCI, Bremen Castings, Bremen Foundry, bremen indiana, Bremen Machining, casting machining, CNC, customer, customer service, Ductile Iron, Foundries, Foundry, Gray Iron, IN, Indiana, machined complete, Machining, Manufacturing, metal casting manufacturer, service, SQS, Team BCI, technology, tooling
Posted in General | 4 Comments »
