Maquiladora in Downtown El Paso

In 2006, My family and I relocated to El Paso, Texas. At first I had difficulty finding a job in distribution/fulfillment/e-commerce. In order to support the family, I took a temp job running the receiving department for a company that manufactured server racks in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. I was making minimum wage (a huge pay cut from what my family and I were accustomed), but by paying off bills, and reducing monthly expenses we made it work. By the way, the organization took me on because they had difficulty finding someone with SAP experience–although I did have to convince them that I knew what I was doing. Lucky for me, I started my career in the Dotcoms of the 90s, so I had experience with SAP implementation and staff training.

I enjoyed the job–it was a swing shift position, but I enjoyed the camaraderie of my coworkers. I purchased a 4×4 Chevy Blazer and that made ride home enjoyable. Once my shift was over, I sat behind the driver seat, put on my black cowboy hat, started my car, and drove the dark dessert rode home. I was blasting country music–the only thing on the radio. It turned out to be a nice competition to see who reached El Paso first. I truly enjoyed the drive.

Before starting this job, I applied at various organizations, so I did eventually find a better paying job running HSSE for a manufacturer in downtown El Paso–it was a multi-plant operation.

I was excited to positively contribute to the well being and safety of the organization’s workforce. I was excited to no longer be making minimum wage. I sat in my office in the morning, turned on my computer, poured a cup of coffee then began my morning by walking the main facility. I loved greeting the employees when they reported to work, checking in with the security officers to see what was reported in the log books from the night before.

The company made blue jeans for larger well known brands–like The Gap (this is important later).

I soon found out that the company had had an explosion and fire before I moved to El Paso–luckily, no one was hurt with that explosion. As a consequence OSHA was frequently inspecting the site. also started to realize that the HSSE role was there as a show and was not a role that was truly valued nor supported by the organization. The intent of the company was not to resolve issues nor mitigate possible injuries, but rather to make it difficult for employees who got injured or wanted to discuss deficiencies. Nonetheless, I was determined to make changes and positively impact the organization.

I recall the first time someone got injured I was reproached for documenting it instead of encouraging the employee to just get back to work. I believe the company got away with it’s tactics because it’s workforce was made up mostly of Mexican nationals who legally crossed the border every morning to come to work.

Flammable

As I was leaving to lunch one afternoon, I looked left towards the chemical storage area of the facility. I was already at the main entrance and I continued to walk out and making a mental note to visit the area upon returning from lunch. I stepped outside, but I kept getting a feeling that I truly needed to check that area. I turned around, walked back into the facility, and made my way into the chemical storage area.

When I walked through the plastic curtains that separated the area from the rest of the plant, I saw a maintenance technician getting ready to start a welding torch next to a large chemical container with labels on it identifying the contents as highly flammable and to keep away from flames. He was right next to it.

I informed him that the situation was not safe and that I need him to please move to a safer and more distant spot. He very sternly replied that I was not his boss and that he had a job to do, and that he was going to do it. I showed him the labels and explained the severity of the situation, but he was undeterred. Finally, I explained to him that he may not be concerned for his safety, but that I was concerned for the safety of his colleagues. I asked him to wait until I evacuated the area before he continued. He looked at me, looked at his colleagues who began to leave and reconsidered. He picked up his equipment and went somewhere safer to complete his task.

Wrinkly Jeans

On another day, I was walking the area where they create the distressed or wrinkle look on jeans. The process entailed placing jeans on a mannequin then spraying the jeans with a resin to create the look. The area was a separate enclosed room with many mannequins lined up next to each other with glass walls so that people passing by can look in. I looked in and realized that no one is wearing safety glasses, gloves, respirators, nor safety suits. I am immediately concerned, walk in, and stop production.

I inform the team that they need to wear full suits and gloves to prevent spraying on their skin, that they need to wear respirators so that they do not breathe in the chemical, and that they need to wear safety glasses to protect their eyes. I informed them that they are in close proximity to each other and that they can spray one another by accident. The employees put on the PPE I required, so I move on to another section of the facility.

The next morning I come in, and I am informed that everyone took the PPE off after I left. I am also informed that one of the employees working in that area was sprayed in the eye with resin and he had to be rushed to the emergency room.

Wrinkly Too

On a separate day, I walked into another station where ladies were lined up at ironing stations. Their job is to put jeans on the device, spray resin on the jean, and press a hot iron onto the jeans. As I walk by I notice that they are not wearing, safety glasses, gloves, nor masks. I mention that they should wear them and I begin to listen to complains about how uncomfortable PPE is. As I walk away, I chemist who happens to work at the plant tells me that he is happy to hear what I did. He said he was always concerned that they do not wear appropriate PPE. He continues to tell me that that resin at high temperatures is a carcinogen.

The next day I walk into the same area and no one is wearing their PPE. I speak to the department head who informs me that buying PPE is too costly. He said he’d consider it if the employees can reuse the same gloves and face masks so that his cost does not increase.

24 Hour Shifts

As I was making my rounds one morning, I walked into the area full of sewing machines and saw a group of ladies who I said hello to the day before. i don’t know why I noticed it, but I noticed that they were wearing the same clothes as the day before. I walked over and said hello and asked how they were doing. They replied that they were tired from their long shift. I was a bit surprised because I saw them yesterday and said that they’re sift just started. They told me they had yet to leave and had worked a 24 hour shift. Another lady replied that she was on 26 hours.

I was shocked. I went to their boss and asked it that is possible and he replied that it was true. I then went to HR to find out why we have employees working such long shifts. I mentioned that that cannot be good, and how is that even legal. I was told that no laws were broken. I was also told not to worry because they weren’t going to get overtime pay because they’d only be allowed to work 40 hours. I mentioned that I wasn’t worried about the overtime pay rather their health and well being. How can it be safe for anyone to work 24 to 26 hours sitting behind a sewing machine. Again I was told the company did nothing illegal.

At this point, I knew the practice of having employees work shifts this long was antithetical to everything I learned and was taught about leadership. I had to do something. I went directly to the owners to plea my case, but I was met with the same stance that the organization did nothing wrong. By this point though, I knew the company was acting contrary to clauses within the contract they had with The Gap. The contract clearly prohibited such actions and enumerated the maximum number of hours an employee can work daily and weekly (including overtime). Ultimately, The Gap did not want to be working with sweatshops and expose workers to unsafe conditions. I brought this up to HR and the owners and was told that that is why they have employees carry two timecards–one for regular hours and one for anything beyond the specified number of hours in a day or week. If the company gets audited they just hide the second timecard and as far as the clients know they are always compliant.

Ambivalence

I did what I thought was right. After my appeals failed, I called The Gap and informed them of the work practices along with how they bypass any client audits. I then submitted my resignation effective immediately. I couldn’t help but have mixed feelings about the whole thing as I drove away in my Chevy Blazer. Was there anything else I could have done? Will the employees coming over from Mexico be okay? Oh, and then there is the matter of not having a job.

Lucky for me, I received a call about a job with Canutillo Independent School District.

March 31, 2021 0

California or Bust

It’s been one year! In February 2020, my family and I decided to start a new adventure. The day after my daughter’s 17th birthday, I packed a couple of bags and started the drive to Southern California to start a new role with a new organization. Goodbye Texas.

I arrive in Phoenix, Arizona on March 2nd and checked in for my first day with JLL. I spend a week with Jennifer Russo, a peer who helps me with org charts, portfolio summary, tech access. This is one of the best onboarding experiences I’ve had with an organization–usually it’s sink or swim. I am back on the road on March 6th leaving Phoenix headed to Los Angeles.

The plan is simple. I will arrive in Los Angeles and I will stay with my brother until the school year ends in San Antonio, TX at which point my family will join me in Southern California. I will stay with my brother three months tops–my family and I will be in our new home by the end of May.

Shortly after arriving in Southern California, Los Angeles went into lockdown and the rest of California followed shortly. There was uncertainty in the real estate market–inventory was tight and I found myself chasing after houses in the little inventory that was left. When I found a house that met our needs it was off the market by the time we reached out. When we finally found a house we discovered a new protracted funding process–financial institutions were nervous because of layoffs and furloughs.

I was introduced to my my new team. I am so lucky to have such a talented team–knowledgeable and professional. I was prepared to implement my 90 day routine that consists of observation, notes, learning, SWOT analysis, and formulating a plan. That all went out the window as the team and I adjusted to the reality that everyone was learning to deal with the pandemic.

We found ourselves implementing enhanced cleaning protocols, sourcing masks, disinfectant spray and wipes, ordering signage, and staying abreast of changing CDC recommendations. Also important, I was trying to keep the team from burning out.

I was nervous when the end of April approached. The movers were scheduled with no place to go. The family was heading out the following month. We scrambled–my brother let me stay with him longer, my in-laws took in my wife and kids (in Arizona).

We found a house, made an offer, it was accepted and we were looking forward to closing in early June.

I made tactical and incremental changes at work–small wins. The team and I analyzed data behind some pain points and monitored for improvement. I hosted my first quarterly business review. The team managed to meet targets, deadlines, and anticipated what was around the corner. All actions that positively affected the customer experience.

The close was extended and I had to divert the movers to a month-to-month storage space.

In July, I was preparing my second quarterly business review while finalizing the close, scheduling movers to pick up and move our belongings from storage to our new home. The agent met me to give me the keys, I prepared the house–made sure utilities were on. The family arrived. I hadn’t seen the kids since February 29th (it was a leap year). While the kids explored the house, I took off to the office to present the quarterly business review.

Schools were closed to in person class when the school year started. My kids attended class via Zoom. Because we tend to relocate every three to four years, our kids are adept at going to new schools and making friends. This year they learned to make new friends online and cultivate those relationships. My introverted son seemed fine, but my extroverted daughters had a difficult time.

We are fortunate that my wife jumped into action to help our daughters manage the challenges of isolation.

What a year! March 2nd is my one year anniversary with JLL and I love it here!

February 28, 2021 0

Fear Makes The Wolf Look Bigger

I found this picture on the Internet. I tried to find the original location and name of the person who took it to give credit without any luck. Beyond the graphics this has a power statement based on a German proverb.

What a true statement! A pause for reflection about what could have been, what I may have missed out on if it wasn’t for fear. At the same time though, an opportunity to reflect on the opportunities when I took a deep breath an carried on or took a step in a different trajectory.

My family and I are working through a relocation. This isn’t out first relocation, but it is the first one during a pandemic where my wife and kids are in one state while I am in another with stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions. The situation is stressful, yet manageable.

We are moving to California, leaving Texas. Texas grew on me and I learned to love it–my favorite city is Dallas and the surrounding area. I have a comfortable life in San Antonio, great friends, great neighborhood, but I was looking for that next challenge and opportunity. I was lucky to find that opportunity in California with a phenomenal company where I am surrounded by brilliant peers, coworkers, and leaders–subject matter experts in our industry.

We pulled off our relocation to San Antonio from Dallas in two weeks. Just like now, we had some trepidation about the move. We didn’t know anyone in San Antonio; we were pulling the kids out of school again; we pulled our son when he was starting his senior year; and I took a role with a smaller company–ISS. My colleagues questioned my motives. Why leave CW when I have it so good, when I made a name for myself? Why leave to a company like ISS who doesn’t have a good reputation in the US? Did I not hear of all the trouble the company has? Did I hear the CEO and COO were fired?

All valid points, but as I stood firm with my decision, I thought of the opportunity to contribute to a new organization. Sheryl Sandberg’s word in Lean In. How she left Google for opportunity for a smaller company–Facebook. I took a deep breath and carried on.

When I arrived at ISS, I stopped in middle of the street and questioned whether I made a mistake. I traded my office on the 10th floor in a class A building in Dallas for an office of what used to be a mechanic’s shop with the roll up gate serving as a wall behind my back. I inherited an operation with high turnover, low morale, old technology, and a P&L in the red. There was no turning back.

One of the first challenges I took on was the high turnover. The high rate was affecting morale, service delivery, and the customer experience. The turnover was so high the operation consisted mainly of temp labor. There was no consistency in service and customers were upset. I performed a market wage analysis and discovered that we were paying minimum wage, we were below market, and below our competitors. I understood why we could not attract nor keep employees.

In addition to starting new training and onboarding programs, I decided to give my team a wage increase to be competitive. My team expressed their worry. How could I justify giving a wage increase when the operation was losing money? I informed them of my findings and that I was taking a calculated risk that by increasing wages we would attract and retain employees. If successful we would eliminate the temp labor that came with a 35% markup. They were not convinced but followed my directive.

We had just relocated to San Antonio, I went home and told my wife not to fully unpack. I told her what I was doing at work and told her that we are if I still had a job at the end of the quarter.

Thankfully my gamble paid off and turnover reduced to industry standard with the added benefit of eliminating the temp labor markup that went back to my profit margin. We were on our way!

There were many deep breaths in my life. When I relocated to Argentina, I stopped in my tracks when I landed in Ezeiza–the sounds, smells, and signs hit me. I realized I was not in the US. I was in a different culture, with a language that I used only occasionally. When Scrappy and I were in the helo, locked and loaded, looking out the window before we landed–I could have frozen.

Fear makes the wolf look bigger.

April 25, 2020 0

Don’t act like a Marine

“Don’t act like a Marine.” I am paraphrasing the best piece of advice I received by my then boss, and mentor Jon Oka.

How Marines Grunts Perceived

Bossy, loud, obnoxious, and lacking emotion. Speaking about veterans in general, “they’re seen as doers, people who can sort of take action and get things done, but the consequences of that is people see them as sort of less feeling, having less emotion,” said Dr. Steven Shepherd, a marketing professor at Oklahoma State University speaking to Richard Sisk writing for Military.com.

Here are a some more stereotypes I have heard regarding the military in general:

they can lead when their direct reports are obligated to do so but leading in the civilian world is not the same as leading in the military.
Prior service members do not know how to take initiative.
The military makes robots

A year after getting out of the Marine Corps, I started working for Jon leading a team tasked with replenishment, reverse logistics, inventory control, inventory maintenance, and customer service. I did a good job monitoring metrics and making sure that we met them and take corrective action when possible deviation was detected.

I was focused on the mission and like a good Marine I took care of my team—making sure they had what they needed to get the job done. All lessons I learned from the Corps. I also picked up the habit of being direct, to the point, and assertive. The truth is I fit the stereotype of a Unites States Marine grunt.

In the fleet, grunts follow orders—swift, immediate obedience to orders. What is a grunt? A grunt is the infantryman whether in the Army or the Corps. Grunts are the ground stompers at the frontline everyone else is support. There is room for initiative, swift thinking, and on the go decision-making necessary for successful small unit tactics that is another story.

I was good at barking orders and making sure they were followed. One day Jon approached me and had a one-on-one with me. He told me that I was good at organizing, planning, and controlling, but that was not enough. He gave me some advice. He said that if I wanted to be a leader higher up in the chain of command that I would have to develop soft skills especially the ability to use diplomacy and navigate corporate politics. He said that without that skill I would be successful, but that he did not see me leaving the supervisory or frontline management ranks. Act less like a Marine

Fast forward to 2015, I was in my office when the Director of HR walked into my office and said that heard that I was a veteran. When I responded that I was, he said that I must have been in the Air Force. I responded that I served in the Marine Corps. He returned that I must have been an officer to which I replied that I was enlisted. He then said I must have worked supply. I replied that I was an infantryman. He then stated that I must never have been sent anywhere were someone was shooting at me to which I replied that I had. He shook his head in disbelief. The point I did not fit his notion (stereotype) of a Marine.

I have read some posts refuting the stereotypes. My interactions with sailors, airmen, and some soldiers in San Antonio have taught me that in fact that stereotype does not hold true—the caveat to all servicemembers. I have interacted with Marine Corps and Army grunts for whom the stereotype of lacking tact and IE/EQ holds true—I was one of them.

Of course, this advice is geared toward those already employed. My intent in this post is not to address the obstacles in gaining employment of which there are many articles already written. I will write about some traits inherent in Marine Corps’ grunts.

Marines run toward the sound of chaos

I cannot count how many times I have heard the saying Marines run toward the sound of chaos/Marines round toward the sound of gunfire. Well, in my case both are true, the latter in a literal sense as rounds were aimed at us, and I have run toward chaos ever since leaving active duty.

I have made my career running toward organizations whose divisions or business units are in distress, running at financial loss, or have toxic cultures that need to me addressed. Where others may have run away and preferred a turnkey operation with opportunities for nominal improvement, I have thrived while keeping a cool head, and bringing up morale. I have been called the fix it guy more than once.

My wife once told me something shocking. She called me the fix it guy then added that what makes me different is that while other fix it guys are known for coming in and firing staff, I go in work with existing teams, develop them, and via influence get their buy in for my vision of how the operation will run.

Small Unit Tactics

Isn’t that what Marine squads do? We cannot choose who is assigned to our squads. We must train our teams to eliminate deficiencies and perform at optimal efficiency—all those gun drills. Marines sharpen their skills and develop teams. The belief that Marines follow orders and cannot think for themselves is a fallacy.

Marines have been operating in small units with independence and autonomy since November 10, 1775. They operate in small units with a high probability of injury or death, (my MOS had a 6 to 10 second life expectancy) someone always must be ready to step in, to think on their feet as the situation unfolds. We were able to make decisions as long as the mission objectives were met.

I have plenty of examples where I made the call for high risk decisions that others before me were scared to make. One example that comes to mind is when I took over an operation that was losing money. After analyzing the situation, I made the call to give the staff a 16% wage increase. The operation was paying below market rate and was experiencing high turnover. Because of the high turnover, labor was being supplemented via a temp agency at a cost of a 35% markup. I took a calculated risk that increasing wages would reduce turnover thus eliminating the need for temp labor.

The leadership team that reported to me said it was a crazy idea. How can I increase cost when we’re already losing money? My tactic worked, and I was able to return an annual 84K USD back to my P&L that would have been margin paid to temp agencies. My mission was to get the operation back into the profitability.

Mission Focused

Leading teams during difficult times requires focus, determination, tenacity, and the ability to navigate ambiguity. This is the case in business as it is in a combat environment. In both situations, the rules of engagement are not clear and/or are constantly changing. Irrespective of what difficulties pop up, situational awareness is necessary in order to navigate through and around obstacles while reaching mission objectives.

My Advice to Marine grunts is learn the soft skills, learn about emotional intelligence, and get a mentor. Be proud of being a Marine, act like a Marine—adapt and lead.

November 10, 2019 0

…start considering those who have high potential, not just top performers

The title of this post is takien directly from HBR’s Hire Leaders for What They Can Do, Not What They Have Done. Josh Bersin and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic recommended three questions to help determine whether you’re considering the right peron:

Does the candidate have the skills to be a high-performing contributor or the skills to be an effective leader?
Can I really trust this candidate’s individual performance measures?
Am I looking forward or backward?

My point is not to summarize the article (the link is above), but to highlight an individual who this made me think of, Jennifer Ruiz, FMP, SFP and take a moment to brag about her and how lucky I was to have worked with her.

I met Jennifer when I was recruited to help guide the operation through change.

The operation I took over was part of a legacy team from a 2007 acquisition that after several years was resistant to change, and was not aligned to the organization’s mission and vision.

Jennifer joined the organization 2011, and after some time in the corporate office decided to transfer to operations in early 2015. She was welcomed into the operations team, but was relegated to the status of junior member who had to prove her worth to the team because of her lack of operational experience. For some reason, her lack of experience was the first thing that was brought up in discussion regarding opportunities for Jennifer–yet I never heard efforts to help her gain experience.

When a leadership role opened up reporting directly to me, I interviewed several people who were recommended by the senior leaders reporting to me. There was nothing wrong with them, in fact they had many years of experience in facility services, and many years with the company, they new the local market, and intimate knowledge of our clients. I also saw that they were being recommended because of their past performance and success.

I also knew that the individuals who were being recommended did not have working MS Excel knowledge, could not read a P&L, and were apprehensive about taking initiative and making a call. I knew that the organization was changing and the aforementioned skills were vital to future plans.

Jennifer did not have the many years of facility service experience, but she can dole out a spreadsheet in seconds, she has an accounting background so she knows a P&L. She was in the procurement department so I can trust her to read a contract. She is also a former teacher so she can present in front of customers, employees, and colleagues, and teach/coach her team.

I promoted Jennifer and did not regret it. She exceeded my expectations and continues to amaze me. In addition to successfully running her account, she sits on the board for the San Antonio Chapter of IFMA where she is chair of Professional Development. She is also on the board for Prospanica San Antonio. She does all that while being a mother to her daughter and wife to Dr. Ruiz.

I don’t know how many times I have had someone ask me how is Jennifer able to be everywhere all the time. Well, let that be a testament to her organizational skills and ability to prioritize effectively.

Rounding this back, I have to ask myself the questions with which I started this post:

Did Jennifer have the skills to be a high-performing contributor or the skills to be an effective leader?
Can I really trust Jennifer’s individual performance measures?
Am I looking forward or backward?

I have not had one regret promoting Jennifer, and I see great things in store for for her in the future.

October 14, 2019 0