Making the Choice for Compliance

Successful Welding Leaders take a 'personal approach' toward making choices for compliance. Customers expect projects to be welded in accordance with established welding codes. Compliance with published safety standards for personnel and property are required by commercial cutting and welding projects.

Compliance choices for welding involve these key categories: design, materials, processes and quality. Managers in each category must understand the welding processes being applied, and the means and methods necessary to achieve contract and code compliance with every decision. Current information about welding technology is readily available from the internet, Google, technical trade journals, welding society meetings and classroom handbooks. The cost of education is expensive, the cost of rework is more. Industry longs for managers of welding processes who are pursuing excellence, with a positive attitude and making good choices for compliance.

The Welding Leader's role in “leading the charge” is an extended network of choices. When business is only driven by what has been described as a “front office MBA and CPA mentality”, then improving shop schedule and reducing labor costs obscures efforts for welding contract and code compliance in the shop. The welder actually makes the first quality choice while looking into the molten puddle of weld metal. Every welder's thoughts should be “accept” or “reject” each weld before the metal solidifies. There is a shortage of good welders. There is a strong demand for good welding leaders.

One common complaint heard from committed team members is that top-management is not dealing with other employees that everyone knows is not carrying their load. Managers must invest in 'team time' and develop every team member's talents. Use this time wisely, 80% team dialogue and 20% topic presentation.

The Welding Leader takes “pride in welding process ownership” and chooses compliance. Welding Leaders do the following:

• Make every choice personally meaningful.
• Know the truth and tell the truth.
• Lead by example.
• Are role models for the desired mind-set and personal behavior.
• Are a part of a strong and committed top management team.
• Maintain construction relationships and the self-esteem of others.
• Relentlessly pursue impact.
• Avoid the 'no personal responsibility' terms “we”, “us” and “they”.
• Use the personal commitment words “I” and “my”.
• Roll-up their sleeves and get personally involved.

The Welding Leader is a publication of Welding & Joining Management Group
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