"The Art of Building Relationships in the Food Manufacturing Industry"
It is often said that quality folks must “beg, borrow and steal” to make a difference in a manufacturing facility. Because of how hectic factory life can be, it is easy to forget the importance of relationship building. However, creating strong connections with suppliers, customers, production employees, and industry peers can greatly impact your success, speed up results, and influence how others see you. As a member of the Quality Department, whether a manager, supervisors, or technicians, we need to use our leadership skills to encourage others to follow us.
Over the years, I have realized that the most important relationship you can cultivate is with production personnel. Production employees carry out the processes we create and ultimately make day-to-day decisions about food quality; however, they do not report to Quality. By building solid relationships with them, the Quality Department can better use its influence to motivate, educate and ensure the food safety message is communicated effectively and followed.
Being a Spanish speaker is most definitely an advantage. With a significant portion of the workforce in manufacturing facilities being Spanish-speaking, it allows me to connect with them on a more personal level. This linguistic connection strengthens the relationships I establish with production employees.
My favorite trick to foster connections is having an open-door policy. There will always be employees that share issues, observations, and learnings when you are willing to listen. Another valuable approach is to ask, "How can I make your day-to-day easier or better?" This shows that you are available to them as a service provider and invested in their day-to-day as your stakeholders. Make sure to do this before you need something from them, follow up and deliver results; this will leave you with a level of trust and respect that can pay off in the long run. These small gestures can go a long way in building trust and rapport.
Taking the time to recognize and appreciate employees' hard work also helps create positive relationships. When problems arise, a quality manager with a good relationship with production or line employees will be better prepared to handle them.
Attending trade shows, networking events, and industry conferences are great ways to meet new people and build your network. If you are already working with someone, take the time to check in and see how they are doing and if there are ways of connecting further.
Ultimately, I think it’s best to develop these relationships early on. When you can answer questions for your stakeholders, fix issues for them, and let them know they can count on you, you will be able to lead them where you need them to go, which is a food safety heaven!
" Collaboration and trust between you and your stakeholders lay the foundation for success in an industry that relies on integrity, efficiency, and reliability."