Do you make a difference? (2003 Charles Edgar Hoyt Memorial Lecture).

In his Hoyt Memorial Lecture at the 107th AFS casting congress, former citation executive vice president R. Conner Warren challenged metalcasters to focus on performance and attitude.

Everyone has heard the phrase, "It's the dash that counts," which refers to the dash on a grave marker separating the date of birth from the date of death. What the phrase means is that a person's date of birth and death are not as important as what is accomplished during the period in-between.

Do you make a difference every day at your company? Is it in your company culture to collectively make a difference? To be successful, and survive in the long run, your company must differentiate itself from the competition by achieving consistent, above-average performance.

During my 28 years of experience in the foundry industry, I have had the opportunity to observe the performance of many of my associates. Some were great and really made a difference, but others left no "footprints in the sand" at all. Even though some of these associates were in decision-making positions, their presence made little positive difference in the performance of the company. After their departure, no one could point to anything of lasting significance that they had accomplished.

In this summary of the Charles Edgar Hoyt Memorial Lecture presented at the 107" AFS Casting Congress in April, my message is that every person at every job needs to make a positive difference. If all the associates in your company are performing above-average, your company will be performing above-average.

Staying Motivated 

How do we motivate ourselves and our associates to make a long-term difference?

Benjamin Franklin once said, "The way to be safe is to never feel secure." Once you feel that your company has maximized performance, brace yourself. There is always competition out there (both foreign and domestic) that is looking for a way to do things better than you.

Most of our stiffest competition is coming from foreign countries that are not free market economies. On top of that, most semi-free market economies, like ours, have very expensive, sometimes wasteful, non-productive, inefficient government regulations with which we must comply. To make matters worse, sometimes these regulations are not based on scientific knowledge and are not cost efficient.

There are many consultants that can help your company form a strategic plan in order to help you stay more competitive. Just be sure the timetable to implement your long-term strategy is moving fast enough to stay ahead of the competition. Remember, the person that is after your job is most likely not within your company, but rather works for your competition.

Our greatest, fastest and easiest growth always comes from our natural abilities. However, I believe that managers can aid every associate, from the janitor to the CEO, in becoming better at what they do. Who do you think would be missed the most during a two-month absence, the janitor or the company president? Every job is important in some way. We must therefore help our associates expand through education, experience and production methods.

Success in the future will have more to do with education and skill than physical strength. We need to train our associates to have the skill-sets or knowledge-base that will be needed in the future. This will help workers at all levels solve problems, handle exceptions and understand changing customer expectations.

Attitude and character

A person's attitude always affects their long-term performance. Many firms believe that they can tolerate a few "bad attitudes," as long as they are performing well. But as time goes by, it becomes evident that some good performers with poor attitudes can actually undermine the long-term goals of the company. You will not get long-term positive performance from a person with negative traits.

Another difference for many in long-term job performance is character. Take for example, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. He was once asked if he could explain how a black kid, from New York City, with average grades, could become a four-star general. Powell simply smiled and said, "It's a great country."

When he was asked about the first time that he experienced discrimination, Powell said that when he was 18 years old he worked a summer job in a factory as a floor sweeper. He noticed that only white employees were machine operators and all the floor sweepers were black. Instead of reacting angrily to this, he made the decision to be the best floor sweeper in the factory.

The next year, when he returned to the same factory for a summer job, the manager promoted him to be the first black machine operator. It's amazing how many doors of opportunity you can open for yourself with good performance and the right attitude.

Guidelines to Success

The following guidelines can help to encourage people to make a difference, both on the job and in their personal lives.

* Always Be Early--This sets the tone and demonstrates your attitude for whatever is taking place;

* Always Be Prepared--You have heard this many times in your life again and again. It is difficult to understand why so few people understand this;

* Treat Everyone with Respect-Friends come and go but enemies accumulate;

* Become Comfortable with Reasonable Levels of Risk--If you are afraid to lose, you will not take the risks that you need to take. Remember the old saying, "A ship is safe in the harbor, but that's not what a ship is built to do;"

* Develop Your Judgment-Judgment comes from education and experience, both of which can be developed. There are no worthless experiences but some are worth more than others;

* Always Act Morally, Ethically and Honestly--This always produces the best long-term results. When you are committed to honesty you don't do a lot of things that you shouldn't do;

* Believe in Yourself and Know Yourself--It is always important to know what you are talking about. Know your limitations and work to reduce them with education and experience;

* Focus on Your Goal--Focus is one of the most critical elements for success. You cannot effectively proceed down a dozen paths at the same time. You must choose one and devote your full attention to that goal;

* Take Full Responsibility for Your Actions--In the long run, no one but you is responsible for your success or your failure. Your actions belong to you and to progress you must take responsibility for them;

* Always Forgive but Never Forget--Forgetting only leads to repeating bad experiences, while true forgiveness is necessary for you to function efficiently;

* In the long run it's performance that counts--This is often obvious to upper management but may not be fully understood throughout the organization. While effort always precedes good performance, good performance does not always follow effort. Employees at all levels of your organization must understand this concept.

It is our responsibility to make a difference in our own lives, but it also is our responsibility to give our work associates the tools and opportunity that they need to make a difference. Everyone should try to not only make a difference in their job, but also in their personal lives and community.

Success is possible for everyone and is worth the effort. It is not easy, and requires hard work, sacrifice and focus. The world is open for business. If you make a positive difference, there is a place for you.

RELATED ARTICLE: R. Conner Warrant's Career

R. Conner Warren began his career in manufacturing before joining what is now Citation Corp., Birmingham, Alabama, in 1974. He has served various administrative, sales, financial and management positions at Citation before assuming the position of executive vice president in 1979.

Warren has been active in various foundry associations, serving as AFS president in 1991-92 and American Cast Metals Assn. president in 1990. He is also a past president of the Foundry Educational Assn., World Foundrymen's Organization and Alabama Cast Metals Assn.

In 1997, Warren received AFS' Grede Award for his contributions in expanding metalcasting worldwide. He also was awarded the Alabama Cast Metals Assn. Foundryman of the Year Award in 1991.