A Day in the Life of Today's Boss.

TOP MANAGEMENT IS living by a new set of rules today.

The days when the boss drove into the parking lot at 9 o'clock in the morning and immediately went to the seclusion of his office to tackle correspondence are long gone. Instead, the modem boss wastes no time getting around the plant. He exchanges good mornings with employees, giving some a pat on the back for a job well done while offering encouragement to new hires and those taking on new responsibilities.

Most importantly he shows a sincere desire to know what is going on. Are there equipment problems he should be aware of, or perhaps some trouble to finalize a big order?

The boss also meets briefly with the department foremen and quality inspectors. He lends them his ear; this is their chance to bring anything to his attention. The boss also asks a few probing questions about production schedules, waste factors and more.

The boss takes a quick peek in the finishing and assembly departments. He pays close attention to the quality of finished goods being prepared for shipment.

The boss who has this routine down pat still has an hour or two before lunch to catch up in his office. After lunch, he meets with the office manager to discuss everything from purchases to personnel problems. Next comes a meeting with the sales manager and maybe the head designer to talk about new product development. Does the sales manager think he can sell the idea the designer has come up with? Can the designer accept changes by the sales manager and boss that might make the product more saleable, such as substituting MDF parts for hardwood parts to make the product less expensive?

After catching up on any phone calls, the boss makes another quick round of the plant. Once or twice a week, he is almost certain to participate in an end-of-the-day department meeting. He uses these meetings as forums to point out recent accomplishments and new goals. Most of all he listens attentively to what employees from each department have to say about issues ranging from production quotas and machine problems to safety and quality.

In addition, about once a week or so, the boss ventures out to the lumberyard to check things out. He carries a moisture meter to verify the moisture content of a random sampling of boards. (He also uses his meter to do random checks of work-in-progress pieces throughout the company's process.)

Today's boss is always on the go. His employees know he cares, so they do too.

Q Would you use cocobola for any thing except carvings and such? Mr. B.

A Generally speaking, no. It's a great wood for railings, etc.

Q We make contract case goods. Because the doors and drawers we make are flat, most of the furniture pieces feature 1 1/2-inch edge mouldings. Since we store quite a bit of these mouldings for up to a few months, some of it tends to bend. We still glue edges in place and the form keeps it set until the glue hardens. By taking care in our gluing operation, we have never had any problems with it. Still, we would like to eliminate the bending because it would save us a lot of time in assembly. What do you recommend? Thanks. Mr. L.

A I suspect there is a variation in temperature and humidity between your storage area and assembly room. Try to keep both around 75F and the humidity near 35 percent. Make sure you have adequate ventilation in your storage room. The goal is to maintain moisture content for all of your hard-woods at 6.5 percent. Try not to inventory more mouldings than you have to. The longer you have to store them, the more likely they'll have time to bend on you. I conclude by saying that I think you have been lucky. I am surprised you have not had some sort of trouble.

Q We are in our third year using your inspection setup. One of our biggest assets is our chief inspector; nothing gets past her. The chief inspector oversees four other department inspectors. She also signs off a certificate of quality for each piece before it is shipped. Recently, she told me she wants to write up an inspection manual, which will include your suggestions by name. Is this OK? I thought you would get a kick from it. My thanks. Mr. McD.

A I am flattered and have o problems with her incorporating my ideas by name as long as the manual is used by your company only. If she has any thoughts on making it available to other companies in the industry, then I very much want to see it before that happens.

Q It has been some time since we last corresponded. The test for us is a plan to invest in a new finishing system. We want our finish to be the best possible quality. I know you made some suggestions in a past column for another reader in a similar position as us. Would you mind repeating them for our benefit? I can't wait to hear from you. Thanks. Mr. E.

A: Indeed, it has been a long time since we last spoke. I'm glad to hear business is going so well.

The first thing you need to do is to choose a finishing materials supplier. Interview the finishing technicians for the top three sources you mentioned In your letter. Find out which of them really wants your business and truly wants to help you. If it's too close to call, give each of them an opportunity to submit a proposal of their recommendations for your finishing needs, including equipment, material requirements, etc. Good luck!

Q: I am the owner of a discount furniture store that sells a number of lower-priced furniture lines. A good friend of mine, who gets you magazine, passed along a copy to me and suggested that I write to you. The reason for my letter is that many of my customers walk out of the store after looking at drawer bottoms. A couple of them have told me they think the drawer bot toms look shabby. Frankly, I agree with them. What might my suppliers do to spruce these up without pricing their wares out of the discount range? I hope you can help me. Thanks you. Mr. ??

A There are lots of attractive papers and plastics with pre-glued backs that make for very attractive drawer bottoms. You could easily install them yourself, thus giving customers an option of color and pattern. Give it a shot and let me know how things work out.

Q I have noticed lately that many of the latest designs in dining room furniture do not give much consideration to heavy-set people. Why don't these manufacturers make a small number of over-sized arm chairs and side chairs that could be special ordered? I think it would be a good selling tool. Thanks for your reply. Mr. H.

A It's not a bad idea. We have a very successful "big and tall" men's clothing store nearby. I don't see why the same concept shouldn't work for furniture, provided the premium paid by the customer for a larger chair is not cost prohibitive.

Q We have seen some great finishes lately on medium-priced case goods that looked rubbed but are not. Have you seen any of this? If so, what do you think about it? We are intrigued by what your answer will be. Many thanks. Mr. G.

A If you want to do this, try using a good seal coat before the final coat of lacquer is applied. Lightly sand when the finish is thoroughly dry. Coat evenly and smoothly with a high grade #10 sheen lacquer and see if you like the results. Make sure your finishing supplier assists in the process.

Q A recent issue of Wood & Wood Products asked for reader comments about single-vendor sourcing. I am the foreman's assistant in the sanding department of a mid-size cabinet shop. About a year ago we went from working with three sources for abrasive belts to one vendor. Our decision was based more on service and the product knowledge of our contact than on price, though that was factored into our decision. Since doing so we have gotten great help in regard to abrasive selection and maintenance, plus advice on choosing a finishing supplier. Our quality is better than ever, production is up and every one is happy. Now you know. Mr. W.

A I assume the two suppliers you stopped doing business with were not too happy. If they're smart, they'll stay in contact with you in the event your current relationship goes sour. Competition is good, even when that competition is from a company trying to win back your business.

Note: I've gotten some other comments (including the two that follow this one) over the last few weeks and hope to receive more from readers over the summer.

Q. We manufacture case goods. After much cajoling, we finally got our boss to switch over to using one main supplier each for finishing materials, sandpaper and some hardware items. Would you be surprised to hear that after only a few months we are way ahead of our old way? Improved service and better, more consistent quality are just a couple of the benefits we have enjoyed since doing it your way. Thanks ever so much. Mr. H.

A I would have been surprised if you would have told me otherwise, in which case I would have questioned the selection process you used to choose your single sources. I know its very hard for a corporate culture driven mainly by price to make this sort of commitment, but as you have discovered, it pays back big dividends in other ways.

Q: I am one of the finishing technicians you regularly tell readers to work with. My job is as interesting as it is diverse. It includes helping clients choose finishes, making samples, monitoring quality, training finishing room workers and recommending changes that will improve the process. I have worked with a number of clients that said they got the idea of working with someone with my qualifications from reading your columns. How do you like that? Mr. N.

A: I think that's fantastic. The reason I keep harping on this point is that I firmly believe it is the way to go, especially considering that companies are having a harder time than ever finding anyone with true finishing expertise.

Even if your company charges a little more for its finishing materials, I'm willing to bet that it's still a lot cheaper than buying from several sources and hiring a consultant to smooth things out.

Q: I recently received the latest copy of Wood & Wood Products that is routed from foreman to foreman. In your column you requested that we supervisors write to you with what we like and don't like about our jobs. I'll bet I am one of the few that responded.

Even though you only use initials, most of us writers still worried about being identified. After all, we're professionals. We don't want to admit to our peers that we make mistakes.

Anyway, I do have a few things to say. Above all, the foremen at our shop have a monthly schedule with an exact payroll allowance. In other words, the superintendent does not take kindly to requiring employees to put in overtime to meet our production quotas.

I am the machine foreman. I am in my mid-twenties and have been with this company for seven years. I can program and run any machine and also teach others. I come in to work early to plan my department's day and spend a couple hours on Saturday to be sure things are where they should be for the start of the next week.

I have never complained about putting in extra time, but it does bother me that none of the other foreman routine, put in more hours. Am I a sap, or what? Thanks. Mr. L.

A: I would hope that your bosses know that you put in the extra time and consider what that means to the company at the time of your review. On a personal note, I assume you like your job and take pride in your work or else you would find a job elsewhere.

Meetings that Work, Meetings that Don't

Q I am a foreman in a medium-sized plant. We hold monthly meetings that are usually pretty interesting because we encourage our workers to bring ideas and speak their minds. Employees who provide ideas that get implemented are recognized in the company newsletter and receive a small stipend. We all look forward to these meetings; our boss usually has some nice things to say. My point in writing this is that we got the idea of holding these regular meetings and soliciting employee input from your column. Aren't you glad to know someone is paying attention? Keep on giving us new ideas to consider. I thank you Mr. J.

A I'm glad to hear things are working out great. We did it at Metz Furniture, and it really paid off great dividends for the company and individual employees.

Q I know my friend (Mr. J.) is sending you a letter telling you how great his monthly employee meetings are. I wish I could say the same for the ones my company runs. The boss usually uses the meeting as a forum to discuss faults he perceives with our processes. Frequently these criticisms get taken personally by one or more people. Sometimes two or more employees get into a "your-fault-not-my-fault" vicious cycle. Rarely does anything constructive come out of these meetings. Maybe if you respond in the magazine, my boss will see it and take heart. Thanks. Mr. N.

A Meetings are meant to increase production and quality, not to assess blame. That should be done privately. Certainly, problems and ideas for improvement should be addressed, but not at the expense of hurting feelings or morale. Meetings are about teamwork. The boss should always try to find some good things to say to balance against anything negative. Hopefully he'll not only see your letter, but take note of Mr. J.'s as well.