Herro Horrander
1
L ETTERS It's good to be reading the changes! Sir • Congratulations on a particularly interesting December/January edition of Manufacturing Engineer. I was espe- cially pleased to see a re-emergence of participation, job enrichment and the like as practices which can assist the processes of management change and productivity improvement. Members will remember the numer- ous papers, seminars, even some im- plementation of these ideas, in the Seventies. Hopefully these restatements are not just the recycling of a manage- ment gimmick, but a genuine re-dis- covery of some basic principles linking involvement and motivation. Some of those who disagreed with such ideas in the past were too ready to assume that more involvement of em- ployees was necessarily going to be an expensive option. 'Journey's Start' suggests that invol- vement in decision-making leads to fas- ter implementation of change and re- sults with worker satisfaction and mini- mum resistance. 'All Join Hands' on group technol- ogy says "job enrichment makes good business sense". Will sceptics please note, it is not just a case of being kind to the workers - not that there is anything wrong with that. It is a matter of adopting a management and organisational style which reflects the realities of human be- haviour - people are not machines and need to be treated by a different set of rules. Perhaps now that consensus is looking as though it might be back in favour in other fields, organisations should look again at how they use their human resources! The excellent 'Journey's Start' con- tained much that I agree with, but for one false note. Under the heading 'Hints for change managers' was the following sentence: "Engineering others to make the suggestion you have in mind can simply be a question of presenting the facts and background to the problem and encour- aging your audience to suggest the proper solution". I am sure the author has not got manipulation in mind, but there will be others who will see this prescription as just that. If there is one single objective for all managers to have it to create trust. Better stick to hard- nosed authoritarian rule if the only alter- native is to pretend that you are invol- ving your staff! AV Gilbert MSc CEng MIMfgE Cranleigh Surrey This correspondent is a retired manage- ment consultant and author of 'Organi- sational Change', which was published by the Institution in 1980. Sir - What a lovely breath of fresh air from the wind of change, in the article 'Engineering Change' (ME Dec90/Jan91). Maybe as the ball starts to roll even the large engineering companies will get the message; a professional engineer is the person to have in managerial and directorate positions, in any company which relies on engineering or its pro- ducts for the survival. Let's face it, if someone has the in- telligence and endeavour to get qualified for his or her chosen profession, then their worth in that profession must be far greater then those who do not. Good luck to the owners, Peter Bur- ton and his team at BEL. It is companies like this that will lead us into Europe and the 21st Century. H Hindle CEng MIMfgE Broadstone Dorset STANDING BY ITS EXHIBITIONS Sir - We read the letter entitled 'Exhibi- 4 tion Stand' (ME Dec90/Jan91) with in- terest and would like to reply to the y issues raised by the writer. The MTTA has always recognised j the need for change in its many guises, as well as in the instances cited in the A above. The writer's view of the need for ac- < commodating systems engineering is serviced conveniently in the all-encom- j passing MACH series of international machine tool and manufacturing tech- nology exhibitions organised by the MTTA. ) The EMO rules - and by those I believe you mean Clause 1.7, are en- dorsed by the EC as a reflection of the orderly market situation that CECIMO has striven to establish in the interests of all. Exhibitions are, in the main, horses for courses and we feel that both the EMO and MACH series of shows cater for a large cross-section of exhibitors and, as such, are eminently suitable for current practice and future demands. Simon Brown Administration Manager MTTA Bayswater London > HERRO • HORRANDER! Sir- With regard to 'Spaces in Between' < in October: "Good Morning, my name is Hollander "in Japanese is: "Ohayo gozi- s mas, watashi no namae wa Hollander des"! • GS Brosan CBE TO PhD CEng Hon FIMfgE > Godalming Surrey Make the most of your post! The letters tray has been a bit lonely recently, so put pen to paper! The Editor reserves the right to shorten letters. Send to: The Editor Manufacturing Engineer Rochester House 66 Little Ealing Lane London W5 4XX or Fax to 081-579 2244 PUBLIC RECOGNITION Sir - Assuming that the proposed mer- ger between the Institution of Manufac- turing Engineers and the Institution of Electrical Engineers takes place, I would suggest that members of each relevant discipline continue to use their designa- tory letters of MIMfgE and MIEE, as ap- propriate. In this way, individuality will be re- tained and no confusion would occur in the minds of the public that a member of the Manufacturing Engineers is necess- arily an expert in electrical engineering and vice versa. Eur Ing Henry Watts Kingsgate Castle Broadstairs Kent IMfgE conferences and seminars 1991 The EC Machinery Directive - One-day seminar, Birmingham. March 6 The Management of Product Innovation - One-day interactive seminar/workshop, National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull. March 20 Simultaneous Engineering - One-day seminar with Associated Workshops, Coventry. March 14 and 15 More details from the Conference Department at Rochester House on 081-579 9411 ex 243 MANUFACTURING ENGINEER FEBRUARY 1991
Transcript of Herro Horrander
L ETTERS
It's good to be reading the changes!Sir • Congratulations on a particularlyinteresting December/January edition ofManufacturing Engineer. I was espe-cially pleased to see a re-emergence ofparticipation, job enrichment and thelike as practices which can assist theprocesses of management change andproductivity improvement.
Members will remember the numer-ous papers, seminars, even some im-plementation of these ideas, in theSeventies. Hopefully these restatementsare not just the recycling of a manage-ment gimmick, but a genuine re-dis-covery of some basic principles linkinginvolvement and motivation.
Some of those who disagreed withsuch ideas in the past were too ready toassume that more involvement of em-ployees was necessarily going to be anexpensive option.
'Journey's Start' suggests that invol-vement in decision-making leads to fas-
ter implementation of change and re-sults with worker satisfaction and mini-mum resistance.
'All Join Hands' on group technol-ogy says "job enrichment makes goodbusiness sense". Will sceptics pleasenote, it is not just a case of being kind tothe workers - not that there is anythingwrong with that. It is a matter of adoptinga management and organisational stylewhich reflects the realities of human be-haviour - people are not machines andneed to be treated by a different set ofrules. Perhaps now that consensus islooking as though it might be back infavour in other fields, organisationsshould look again at how they use theirhuman resources!
The excellent 'Journey's Start' con-tained much that I agree with, but for onefalse note. Under the heading 'Hints forchange managers' was the followingsentence:
"Engineering others to make thesuggestion you have in mind can simplybe a question of presenting the facts andbackground to the problem and encour-aging your audience to suggest theproper solution". I am sure the authorhas not got manipulation in mind, butthere will be others who will see thisprescription as just that. If there is onesingle objective for all managers to haveit to create trust. Better stick to hard-nosed authoritarian rule if the only alter-native is to pretend that you are invol-ving your staff!
AV Gilbert MSc CEng MIMfgECranleigh
Surrey
This correspondent is a retired manage-ment consultant and author of 'Organi-sational Change', which was publishedby the Institution in 1980.
Sir - What a lovely breath of fresh airfrom the wind of change, in the article'Engineer ing Change' (MEDec90/Jan91).
Maybe as the ball starts to roll eventhe large engineering companies will getthe message; a professional engineer isthe person to have in managerial anddirectorate positions, in any companywhich relies on engineering or its pro-ducts for the survival.
Let's face it, if someone has the in-telligence and endeavour to get qualifiedfor his or her chosen profession, thentheir worth in that profession must be fargreater then those who do not.
Good luck to the owners, Peter Bur-ton and his team at BEL. It is companieslike this that will lead us into Europe andthe 21st Century.
H Hindle CEng MIMfgEBroadstone
Dorset
STANDING BY ITSEXHIBITIONSSir - We read the letter entitled 'Exhibi-
4 tion Stand' (ME Dec90/Jan91) with in-terest and would like to reply to the
y issues raised by the writer.The MTTA has always recognised
j the need for change in its many guises,as well as in the instances cited in the
A above.The writer's view of the need for ac-
< commodating systems engineering isserviced conveniently in the all-encom-
j passing MACH series of internationalmachine tool and manufacturing tech-nology exhibitions organised by theMTTA.
) The EMO rules - and by those I
believe you mean Clause 1.7, are en-dorsed by the EC as a reflection of theorderly market situation that CECIMOhas striven to establish in the interestsof all.
Exhibitions are, in the main, horsesfor courses and we feel that both theEMO and MACH series of shows caterfor a large cross-section of exhibitorsand, as such, are eminently suitable forcurrent practice and future demands.
Simon BrownAdministration Manager
MTTABayswater
London
> HERRO
• HORRANDER!Sir- With regard to 'Spaces in Between'
< in October: "Good Morning, my name isHollander "in Japanese is: "Ohayo gozi-
s mas, watashi no namae wa Hollanderdes"!
• GS Brosan CBE TO PhD CEng HonFIMfgE
> GodalmingSurrey
Make the most of your post!The letters tray has been a bit lonelyrecently, so put pen to paper!The Editor reserves the right toshorten letters.Send to:The EditorManufacturing EngineerRochester House66 Little Ealing LaneLondon W5 4XXor Fax to 081-579 2244
PUBLIC RECOGNITION
Sir - Assuming that the proposed mer-ger between the Institution of Manufac-turing Engineers and the Institution ofElectrical Engineers takes place, I wouldsuggest that members of each relevantdiscipline continue to use their designa-tory letters of MIMfgE and MIEE, as ap-propriate.
In this way, individuality will be re-
tained and no confusion would occur inthe minds of the public that a member ofthe Manufacturing Engineers is necess-arily an expert in electrical engineeringand vice versa.
Eur Ing Henry WattsKingsgate Castle
BroadstairsKent
IMfgE conferencesand seminars
1991
The EC Machinery Directive - One-day seminar, Birmingham.March 6
The Management of Product Innovation - One-dayinteractive seminar/workshop, National Motorcycle Museum,Solihull. March 20
Simultaneous Engineering - One-day seminar with AssociatedWorkshops, Coventry. March 14 and 15
More details from the Conference Department atRochester House on 081-579 9411 ex 243
MANUFACTURING ENGINEER FEBRUARY 1991
