[Post by Chuck Krugh, April 21, 2023]
Giving my best effort in anything I do has always been important to me. I take pride in my job and in a job well done. I enjoy looking at the finished product and considering what it took to accomplish it. I usually find myself critiquing my work, assessing how it turned out and identifying what I could have done better. Whether it’s this blog, a presentation, an interaction with a team member, building something, or cooking a meal, I want to do it to the best of my ability – giving it 100%!
Two weeks ago, in Pride in Your Work, I spent some time describing what taking pride in your work means to me. This week, I’m offering our team a slightly different way to look at how we demonstrate pride in our work. Taking pride in our work and passionately caring about what each of us is responsible for results in a destroyer that earns the Bath-Built-is-Best-Built label. But there is so much more that each of us contributes to our team and company when we demonstrate the pride we have in our work. The sum is truly greater than the parts!
In my blog Standing Apart from last August, I wrote about three qualities that make a company stand apart from its competitors: leadership, process discipline and can-do attitude. It’s important that we make our company stand apart from other companies – both within and outside our competitive space. Having a reputation of standing apart from other companies does many things for us. Here’s a short – but not exhaustive – list:
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These are many good reasons to stand apart from our competition!
How do we stand apart? Well, it starts with each one of us. You as an employee must choose to be impactful in your daily work. Impactful? Yes, impactful – bringing your “A” game to work. What are some ways in which you demonstrate that you’ve brought your “A” game to work? Bring a positive attitude – even when it’s hard or unpopular. Give 100% every day at work. Be as efficient as you can as you do your work. If you see a better way or need help, say something or ask. These are just a few ways of showing you are bringing your “A” game.
Being impactful requires you to consider:
- How you will do your job every day safely and efficiently with a focus on quality.
- How you will manage your relationships at work with your boss and coworkers.
- How you will embrace our special mission to deliver ships that will protect our country and families.
Being impactful at work is a form of personal leadership. To me, personal leadership is how you conduct yourself – at work, home or in your personal business – by not only differentiating yourself from others, but doing so by being the best at what you do. You should never underestimate the influence of what you do and how you do it. Some of the most effective leaders at BIW are the informal leaders on the deckplates. They exemplify the quality of personal leadership. I encourage every employee to develop and use your personal leadership to influence others and make a positive impact. You will benefit both personally and professionally by developing your personal leadership. Our company will, too.
Our company performance, which starts with you and me at the point of execution, determines how well our company does. More efficient performance at the point of execution means better overall performance. Increasingly better performance helps make our company stand apart.
As I wrap up for this week, I leave you with these last thoughts. I want our company to outperform our competitors and win the majority of ships based on our performance. It is partially due to my nature, but more so, I want this for you and our future BIW employees. A strong BIW is important for all of us and for Maine!
See you on the deckplates!
Safely Execute High-Quality Work
Chuck
President, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
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