I am a typical woman. I've studied, worked hard, and earned what I have earned. I appreciate the people, both women and men, who have mentored me, encouraged me, and given me suggestions on how to improve and move up without compromising who I am.


The company is a medium sized company with about 100 employees. My promotion put me over a department that could really make the company grow. The challenge was heady and just what I was looking for.


There are ten people in my department; five men, five women, a good mix. Each one has a different strength that would be very helpful in the direction we needed to go. Each one has come from different areas of the company which helped to give a good overview of what each department needed. A big plus. The team is ready for this new challenge. Hoo Rah. Three years in the marines. What can I say.


The plan for this department is to expand sales, production capability, and customer satisfaction without compromising quality or delivery times. Reducing cost and improving profit is also a big plus.


Our first meeting went well. Teh plan was understood by the team. Each one looked at their own experience and what could be done to improve their area of expertise. However, one man seemed to focus on potential problems with each idea. Not necessarily in a negative sense but seeing little flaws. This was annoying to the other team members. He also quoted the various Murphey Laws to back up his thinking. Each team member took the assignment and began to work towards implementing improvements. Except this one man.


He went back to his desk and, of all things, began to doodle on a pad of paper. He didn't seem to take the assignment as seriously as the others. I began to, I hate to say this, micro-manage him. I gave him instructions. I gave him extra paperwork. I had him go to different parts of the company to see what was going on there. I told him I wanted a report by 4:30 that afternoon. I buried him with all of this.


Much to my surprise, he said nothing. He proceeded to do the things I assigned him. He also kept doodling on his note pad. Paper! Who uses paper in our modern world?


Promptly at 4:30 he came knocking on my door. He had done all of the things I had asked. He still had his paper note pad with him.


He gave me all of the information that I had requested. Then he showed me his paper doodlings. He had laid out a way to streamline the flow of materials to and from each department. This would cut down on time and costs for each department. He eve showed that this would eliminate the need for two people who were currently required as material handlers. An idea man who could see the big picture that I had not been able to see. From then on I let him doodle on paper as much as he wanted to. I knew that he would come to me with an idea that could save money, labor, improve quality, and guarantee delivery times. All on paper!