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Paolo Nogueira
His Behavior Modeling Strategy has impacted many
lives.
Enrique Mora
It has been a lesson for a lifetime. My
first contact with this impressive Brazilian was in 1966 and for more than
40 years I have probably practiced his advice several Thousand times. It has
always worked with people from all races, cultures, educational levels, and
time after time people enjoy learning this.
Paolo started his career at Ford Motor
Co. in Brazil from a bottom entry level as he would proudly say it. He was
always smiling and would look at everyone in the eye. He knew how to be a
mentor and a good friend. He learned Spanish in less than a year to a very
high level of command. More than anything, he became a friend to all the
hundreds of people at the Mexico foundry plant where he was the director. An
authentic leader, no doubt!
One day he invited a group of us in the
management team to do a plant tour. As soon as we left the offices area, he
started spotting all kinds of trash and picked it himself from the floor. At
some point his hands were full, he turned to the Plant Engineering Manager
and said: "We need a trash can in this place." In less than one
minute the can was in place and he pulled a piece of chalk from his shirt
pocket and marked the place. We kept walking through. Of course at this
point all 5 of us were picking up wrappings, napkins, soda caps (no cans or
plastic bottles at the time), pieces of wood from the pallets, pieces of
wire, gloves, earplugs, rags, etc. a total of 6 or 8 spots were marked as
needed to bring trash cans where they would be accessible. He did his best
to say "hello" in his mixed "Portuñol" and shake the hands of most operators and other
employees during the tour. Just about a year later he knew by heart the
names of almost everyone in that plant, and he demanded to be called Paolo,
not "señor" or "jefe". He would talk with them about
soccer, children, cars, anything he knew they were interested on. After one
year of his excellent management, the Mexico foundry plant earned the
recognition as "The Cleanest Ford Foundry in The World." To
celebrate this he was pictured on the cover of the Ford Corporate Magazine,
sitting on the floor by the pouring area having dinner. He would say:
"If we can keep a foundry this clean, there is no plant in the world
that can't be this clean." Indeed, graphite, sand, starch, resins,
water, cast iron grindings, hydraulic and lubricant oils, machining steel
shavings, saw dust, and many other materials are a constant contamination
challenge, but we all learned that it can be done!
Your
company can have the services
and continuous support of a
Lean Manufacturing Expert
without having to pay for one!
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