Thoughts on Manufacturing Leadership in Difficult Times

Like every other manufacturing company, our team at Falcon Structures was forced to quickly adjust to the coronavirus pandemic. Our fear began to settle in when we asked, “how will the coronavirus impact our team… our bottom line… customers that rely on us… the manufacturing industry at large?” But instead of hopelessly pursuing answers to unanswerable questions, we chose to regroup as a company and turn to elements of our situation that we could control – our outlook, our effort, and our continued commitment to each other.

Our leadership team gathered to lay down new ground rules. They sent our office staff to work from home, implemented strict social distancing measures for our production team, and set new goals for each department. The leaders in our organization prioritized transparency and leaned on our established culture more than ever before.

Of course, we were not alone in our efforts to adjust to the pandemic. In fact, every business, big and small, has had to make difficult decisions on how to move through these uncertain times. It was hard for us to change our plans at the drop of a hat, but we have grown into a greater self-awareness despite the circumstances. So, in honor of other organizations facing similar challenges, we decided to share our efforts and our outlook on business leadership in difficult times.

With our CEO Stephen Shang at the helm, we decided to document his take on leadership with a three-part Q&A video series that would support other manufacturing leaders. We want to spark a conversation with the entire manufacturing industry by sharing Stephen’s “Thoughts on Manufacturing Leadership in Difficult Times.” It’s difficult to lead a manufacturing company during a global crisis, so in no way is Falcon or Stephen claiming to be an expert at working through a pandemic. But collectively, we are eager to support our industry at large.

In this series you can expect to learn more about the current state of the manufacturing industry, what Stephen has learned as a manufacturing CEO for over 15 years, and how he has adjusted to recent business challenges. We hope you find a moment of solace or a nugget of inspiration from these videos as we all continue to support our colleagues and neighbors in these difficult times.

PART 1:

“We had to simplify our assumptions and say, hey look, this is what we believe – just put a stake in the ground.”

1. “What’s your take on the current state of the manufacturing industry?”
2. “What was your approach to ensure Falcon adjusted to the sudden changes brought on by the pandemic?”
3. “How did you implement your plans and share them with your team?”

PART 2:

“I’ve learned that a good decision today is better than a great decision tomorrow.”

1. “What would you say is the most important thing a leader should do in a time like this?”
2. “What do you think makes a good leader? How does this apply to manufacturing?”

PART 3:

“Nobody knows your business as well as you.”

1. “How have you maintained progress towards your personal goals as a leader in these difficult times?”
2. “How do you think a company’s culture impacts its ability to handle adversity?”
3. “Looking back, is there something you wish you would’ve done differently at the beginning of the pandemic?”

Contact Falcon Structures by calling 877-704-0177 or email us at  Sales@FalconStructures.com.