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Ford (MP&L) Team Learning & Creativity Center
Accepting the award for Ford was Rick Gutherie, supervisor of the center. In 1981, the Material Planning & Logistics department was the first all salaried group at Ford Motor Company to embrace the employee involvement/participative management concept. To further this concept they embraced a "family work team" training program to encourage teams to learn new skills and challenge old paradigms together.
In the late 80s, as part of this emphasis on training, the MP&L Team Learning Center was established in an Italian-style monastery, surrounded by open land and forests. The center remains the longest running Organizational Change effort in the automotive business. However, in 1991 it's viability was challenged when a corporate edict was issued eliminating offsite training. The Center circumvented this policy by renegotiating its lease as a "warehouse, storage-only lease." During that time, Center associates were "stored" at Duns Scotus Monastery for their Team Learning sessions.
The recently renamed Team Learning & Creativity Center began specific innovation training in 1987 when each associate attended a four-day seminar that defined the environment, skills and leadership traits necessary to encourage innovation. This program provided the pivotal structure that helped transform the role of the Learning Center from just skills training to the application of skills and new learning to support key business issues, strategies and goals.
During the past year, all 1300 MP&L employees have had a minimum of two non-technical training days focused on roles and responsibilities and Ford's new Vision and Key Strategies and over the years, MP&L has saved millions working on innovation goals that have improved quality and reduced costs. Additionally, employee satisfaction, as measured by Employee Involvement surveys, shows a level 65% higher than the average corporate norm.
Ford MP&L defines innovation as the "relentless application of our natural ability to create new and better ways of enjoying life and working together. Successful innovation lies in our willingness to harness the power of chaos at the individual, team and organizational level. The innovative spirit is truly in every one of us and it can only be fully released in a supportive, team oriented culture.
Clearly the focus of 21st century business will be the transformation of its workforce into a culture that brings out the most innovative and collaborative thinking of everyone at every level -- harnessing the power of chaos."
Recognizing that overcoming fear and encouraging risk-taking was a major challenge, they developed an overall strategy to create an empowered, team-oriented work culture that owns the decision making process from start to finish. Through the upfront involvement of all affected team members, everyone shares in the total development of major projects that carry high risk. This sharing of information allows team members to help each other with tight deadlines and support each other when presenting the status of projects to senior management. This move away from a culture of "shooting the messenger" creates an environment that looks for the merit in mistakes and sends a strong signal of encouragement to risk takers.
More detailed information about these innovation initiatives, including the complete award application form, is available in report form for $24.95 each (plus $3 shipping and handling). To order call 805-965-8477; FAX request and credit card information (VISA or Mastercard) to 805-963-8220; or e-mail information to staff@thinksmart.com