HOUSEKEEPING 101

In Manufacturing, I can attest to the fact that as a Supervisor, Housekeeping is the lowest of one's priorities. However, my best boss ranked it highly as a priority. He would carry 3 X 5 cards in his shirt pocket and when he would see an area which needed housekeeping attention, he would leave a card. He would notify the supervisor of the area of the deficiency. In several days he would check the area and if he found the card still there he would confront the Supervisor by saying, e.g.: "On Wednesday, I told you about the longeron area needing housekeeping attention and it still looks the same way as it did then."

When a Supervisor was foolish enough to try to con him by saying that he had taken care of it and that it had gotten that way since then, he would then present the red-faced Supervisor with a card with the date and time when he had been notified. Being as guilty as all the other Supervisors, only really caring about Production and Quality, I was also lackadaisical about Housekeeping but I was only confronted ONCE by him. I am so glad I didn't try to lie about the situation before he handed the card to me.

When I became a Manager, I understood the importance of Housekeeping and utilized his "trick"!