MAPP Conference Highlights Power of Influence
Plastics Business
Conference attendees gathered with peers with similar job descriptions to ask for feedback on one issue pertaining to their day-to-day routines.
More than 500 attendees converged on the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the 2015 Manufacturers Association of Plastics Processors (MAPP) Annual Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference, on Oct. 22-23. The Power of Influence was felt through inspiring keynote speeches, peer-to-peer discussions on issues common to every molding facility and exchanges with industry experts in economics, behavioral change and market trends.
Executive Director Troy Nix opened the conference by sharing the ways in which starting each day with intentional gratitude has shaped his effectiveness as a leader. Author and speaker Joseph Grenny taught attendees the scientifically quantified methods for influencing behavior, providing step-by-step blueprints for increasing productivity, shaping culture and resolving conflicts by understanding how best to influence others toward positive change. Leaders from plastics processing companies across the US talked to fellow attendees about
- mold maintenance strategies that saved one injection molder more than $200,000 over a three-year time period;
- adding camera equipment to an injection molding line as a visual management technique in a way that was embraced, rather than reviled, by employees; and
- pre-hiring assessments that are being used to screen job applicants to increase the chances of a successful hire.
While the speakers were top-notch, it was the interactions among attendees that created many of the most valuable takeaways. On the second morning of the conference, attendees gathered with peers with similar job descriptions to ask for feedback on one issue pertaining to their day-to-day routines. Operational and processing personnel discussed shift changes, procedure documentation and scrap issues; senior company leaders gathered to talk about training the next generation of management and assessing expansion needs; while human resources professionals talked to each other about training programs, shift incentives and employee retention programs.
The MAPP Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference will return to Indianapolis on Oct. 13-14, 2016. For more information, visit www.mappinc.com.