Teams & Teamwork

 

Carolyn Brandt at age 5 on Beauty and LeRoy Walls, age 3 on Babe. Team concepts were learned early by my sister and I, born only 19 months apart we often teamed up to make mischief for two brothers, a sister, parents, grandparents, aunts uncles, and lots of cousins. 

Photo by

  
Margaret Walls  

 

Written by 
LeRoy Walls 
CEO 

On our farm we had a team of work horses (Beauty and Babe.) Beauty was taller and was the best of the two for working singly in the garden. Together (though not perfectly matched in size or color) they made an excellent work team as measured by their combined performance and by their pulling in unison, their work speed and their power. Even though two horsepower would seem rather small on today’s farms they filled the needs of our Ozarks farm until 1952.

At Woodpro Cabinetry we changed our entire production area and support areas to self-directed work teams in early 1993. This change followed several years of preparing our company culture for teams by removing layers of management and empowering individuals. Our goal is for empowered teams to manage their own improvements, quality, priorities and relationships with upstream suppliers and downstream customers.

The change to teams was not without some bucks and snorts but luckily we had no out and out runaways!

Woodpro teams are responsible for:

  • Their daily schedules.
  • Coordinating the implementation of ideas.
  • Evaluating ideas so that $2 bills are awarded.
  • Selecting Team of the Quarter and Team Player of the Month.

On the farm where I grew up in the 50’s, I observed not only teamwork through our horses (and driver) but also by the way three brothers worked together. My dad (Lloyd) and his brothers, Floyd and Warren, lived on adjacent farms and shared equipment and the hardest farming chores such as putting up hay. Warren (who is Dennis Walls’ dad) owned a mowing machine, Floyd owned a hay rake, and Dad owned a baler (after the horses were replaced by a tractor). They and their kids would start at Uncle Floyd’s farm and put up his hay, then go to Warren’s and then on to our place working as a team. Work then (and now) is easier and more fun when shared with others.

So, wherever you work and whatever position – I encourage each of you to gain the benefits of sharing yourselves, your ideas and your concerns with your co-workers.

Today as in the days back on the farm:

A good team working together is an effective way to complete much of our daily work!

 

12/31/1999