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/insight on manufacturing
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March 2014 w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g . c o m
W h i l e W o r k i n g o n a
floating factory offshore of alaska,
a.l. ranen Mclanahan saw firsthand
what happens when employees
lack crucial so skills, such as good
communication, conflict resolution,
strategic thinking and personal
effectiveness.
"i was there with some interesting
characters and we really ran into problems with motivation
and saw that miscommunication between workers can
be costly," says Mclanahan, now an assistant professor of
engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley. "i
also realized the problems i saw were not unique to a small
alaska manufacturer; they are in all workplaces."
at experience is behind Mclanahan's initiative to offer
customized free workshops and seminars on so skills to
manufacturers. Called the Mclanahan Solidarity Project,
e d u c at i o n & t r a i n i n g
Smart skills
uWfox offers free workshops to help employees improve communication, teamwork
By MaryBeth Matzek
"If people aren't
talking, there
may be an
overlapping
of efforts or
something may
fall through
the cracks. In
addition, if a
workplace is
toxic – and it
can get that way
if people aren't
communicating
effectively –
employees won't
be happy and
they'll move on."
– A.L. Ranen
McLanahan,
assistant
professor of
engineering
at the University
of Wisconsin-
Fox Valley