Full Transcript for Creating Quality “New Year’s” Resolutions at Work, Part 2

that one. 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:42.160 I'm like, this is great. 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:46.879 I would like if I saw this online, I would definitely like listen to this thing. 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:47.199 Yeah. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:49.680 Um, but you know, I wrote it. 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:51.439 So you might be a little biased. 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:53.040 I'm a little biased, yeah. 00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:55.360 Just a just a little, just a tiny bit. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:05:02.800 Um anyway, we are gonna be giving other presentations and having panel discussions and uh workshops. 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:11.519 And if you do come to Technical Exchange, be prepared to be an active participant because um you will get the most out of it. 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:20.399 It's okay if you want to uh hang back in the beginning because you're not quite comfortable yet, but you will be comfortable by the end, so you might as well just jump in. 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:34.720 Yeah, I think with tech ex um my advice to attendees is always just like you everyone there, you can learn something from everybody there, all the attendees, the speakers, but they can also learn from you. 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:51.680 So don't hoard your knowledge, like realize that you are part of that exchange and that you do have valuable contributions and don't second guess that because I think a lot of I've seen a lot of people like, well, should I like what I do or what we do is whatever. 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:56.879 Um, but everyone's there to learn from each other, not just the presenters. 00:05:57.040 --> 00:06:02.319 So attendees make the exchange part possible of the technical exchange. 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:04.399 So that's a great point. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:16.000 And and that goes uh that that's related to this topic that we're talking about today, uh, with with New Year's resolutions related to quality. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:26.319 Uh, we we talked about quality yesterday and some of the ways that you know what that means to people and and how it uh manifests itself in different organizations. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:41.120 And I think that communication of quality, uh your thoughts about quality or your uh your the way the things that you are doing that you may not think are important for other people to hear about are important for people to hear about. 00:06:41.279 --> 00:07:05.439 And we see that uh even even in our own organizations, and we consider ourselves to be pretty quality-oriented, uh and it but there's always this uh moment where I might think about something, like let's say I just learned something, and I think should I share this with the rest of the team? 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:11.040 Or well, how what what not just the team but the organization? 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:14.560 Should I should I send this information to anyone? 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:17.279 Should I send it to my team? 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:20.240 Should I send it to another team too? 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:22.879 Should I send it to the entire office? 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:25.040 Should I send it to all of Ashto? 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:43.600 Like so you think about those things because you don't want to overburden people with information, but at the same time, you you do if it's something useful, and if you can create a culture in your office or your company where you do share those those good things that you've learned. 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:57.680 If imagine if everybody did that when they learned something new that was interesting to them, uh, and nobody said, Don't send, don't send me stupid emails, yeah, or don't waste my time with emails. 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:00.000 How what kind of environment that would be? 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:09.600 That would be a really environ a great environment of continual improvement if people were not afraid to share the things that they learned with their colleagues. 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:16.720 Um I would encourage people to do that, even if somebody says, Don't waste my time with this. 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:25.519 Ignore them because they they need to get on board with having a growth mindset and adopting continual improvement. 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:28.480 I was just gonna say, talk about growth mindset. 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:35.039 And so that's not only sharing what you have learned, but then also what you've learned from your failures. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:40.080 Like, so we talk about like what you've learned of like, oh, this is new information, other people should know this too. 00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:54.159 But then also when you've had a quote failure or something didn't quite go right, to then share what the lessons learned were there, like, oh, this ABC eh didn't really get us the outcome we wanted, but maybe it's because of this. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:55.600 Do you guys have insight, you know what I mean? 00:08:55.679 --> 00:09:14.080 And like it's a collaboration of sharing knowledge, you know, it's not a one-way thing, I think isn't important to of like you have that collaborative environment, and it's not one person sharing one thing, or you know, like things all the time to a group of people, that it's a conversation of quality. 00:09:15.039 --> 00:09:15.679 Absolutely. 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:21.279 And and though the you touched on another key point is the learning from failure. 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:26.559 Failure is truly the the best opportunity you'll ever have for learning. 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:35.279 Um, I I it it's funny when you're younger, you hear that from older people and you think like this, yeah, what is this loser talking about? 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:37.840 Like that that's not right. 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:42.559 And then and then you so like you continue to learn like theoretical things, yeah. 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:47.919 That it but without applying it, without applying your what you think you've learned. 00:09:48.240 -->

00:09:52.159 And then as soon as you start applying it, you start making mistakes and you start really learning. 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:52.960 Yeah, right. 00:09:53.120 --> 00:10:01.039 But it's so hard to it's hard to come to terms with that when you're young and and you you haven't really done a whole lot uh yet. 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:03.759 But it's uh it's so true. 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:09.360 Like it and it's uh if you could if you could come to terms with that earlier, it would be very helpful. 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:19.919 So and I think I'm trying to teach my kids that I think that's something that you have to keep on you have to keep on relearning that, at least I do, because not like I don't love to fail. 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:24.879 Like I don't think anybody no most people, yeah, most people are like awesome. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:26.799 Like I learned how to not do that. 00:10:26.879 --> 00:10:28.879 Like, yes, you can say that logically, right? 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:34.720 Like I learned what didn't work, but like you don't you want things to work like the way you want them to work. 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:54.960 So um it is definitely a lesson that I keep relearning and having to reteach myself that failure is okay, and sharing what like the the failure with other people, it's not a thing to be ashamed of, it's a it's a growth opportunity, and you have to look at it that way, but I have to remind myself to look at it that way a lot. 00:10:55.120 --> 00:11:00.960 It is not easy, it is not fun to be like, hey guys, I failed at this. 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:05.759 Like I wanted X, Y, and Z and A, B, and C happened instead, or something like that. 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:14.000 So it is something you have to relearn, and I think just keep practicing being okay with failure. 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:15.440 Sounds weird to say. 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:17.759 That sounds so weird to say out loud, but it's true. 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:23.840 You're you are right, and I actually have a tip that none of this was what we were gonna talk about today, by the way. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:30.879 Um, but I I had an experience this weekend that is a great learning opportunity. 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:32.240 I encourage other people to do it. 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:41.039 It's a low-stakes way to fail that you can if you like you you said you can train yourself to be okay with it, right? 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:54.080 And I would say take some low-stakes activities that you can fail at and think about, like, try to really absorb that concept as you do it. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:56.399 So I will tell you what my failure was this weekend. 00:11:56.639 --> 00:11:57.440 Perfect. 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:01.600 Uh, I decided I really wanted to make some biscuits. 00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:02.399 Okay. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:04.720 And I was like, you know what I'm gonna do? 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:11.440 I'm gonna make the the best biscuit, bacon, egg, and cheese

sandwich I've ever had. 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:15.919 And I looked up some recipes on biscuits, watched some videos, I'm like, okay, I got this. 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:16.320 Yeah. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:22.720 So I I did it, and uh, I made the biscuits, and they were they were not great. 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:25.440 They were they were okay. 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:31.919 Uh, they were, I would say, uh very average. 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:32.480 Okay. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:38.399 If I went to a restaurant and I was served those biscuits, I would say those are those are biscuits. 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:43.679 I identify those as that food, but they are not the best ones. 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:47.679 They weren't terrible, but then I started looking after that. 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:50.879 I was like, I can't wait to make them again. 00:12:51.039 --> 00:13:15.600 Yeah, because I know, like, I I consider it a failure, what I did, and I know that the next time I'm gonna improve, and I'll probably fail in a different way, but I am gonna keep doing it until I get what I want out of this thing, and then I'll I'll I'll be happy with it, and then I'll probably uh lose interest in making biscuits, but that's okay. 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:19.120 Your hyperfixation on getting the perfect biscuits. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:20.399 I really want to do it. 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:21.759 Yeah, I get it. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:25.120 And and I'm not I'm not a perfectionist. 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:28.159 Yeah, I'm I I like continual improvement. 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:32.480 I mean, I'm very into that, but I I'm not like it doesn't have to be perfect. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:35.440 I mean, it'd be great if it was, but that's okay, that's okay. 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:35.919 Yeah. 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:46.320 Um, but it it's a way it's a way you can kind of like get that mindset if you don't have it, and failure is okay. 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:51.440 Like you can pick something kind of low stakes, yeah, and work on it. 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:52.080 Yeah. 00:13:52.320 --> 00:14:01.840 I I think I've seen a quote or something on social media uh from someone smart, maybe I don't know where it even came from, but I like it. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:05.759 And it's you have to be brave enough to fail at something new, right? 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:08.480 So, like that is part of what you're saying, right? 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:12.080 Like, you're not necessarily like a baker by trade, clearly. 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:18.080 Um so like to be brave enough to fail at something new, I think is is important. 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:22.960 And that does that is a good way, like you're right, low stakes way. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:28.639 Like, yeah, maybe don't try like brain surgery as like a thing to practice and fail at. 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:35.440 But you know, making biscuits or making a new recipe or trying something new or learning a new hobby that you kind of stink at. 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:44.960 Um, yeah, I think that's definitely a good lesson to learn and a good way to practice failing. 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:47.279 Yeah, yeah, and it and it's okay. 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:54.639 Like if you're if you're not like if you don't need to teach yourself how to fail, uh that that's good too. 00:14:55.120 --> 00:15:09.600 I mean you can you can apply this to anything, and and really it's like you should just be doing stuff, like taking chances, doing things that you're not a hundred percent sure are gonna work out yes to to get in that mindset. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:18.159 Yes, the I'm showing not my age, but uh taking chances, make mistakes and get messy. 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:20.080 Miss Frizzle, Magic School Bus. 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:29.120 Oh lessons, yeah, lessons to live by from Miss Uh Miss Frizzle and the Magic School Bus is take chances, make mistakes, and get messy. 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:32.080 Were your kids not a fan of a magic school bus? 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:33.039 That's great, yeah. 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:35.519 Uh so we did we did watch the magic school bus. 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:36.960 They did it, they did reboot it. 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:40.399 They did uh a new a new version of it. 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:42.879 I don't know if I don't know if I approve of that, but okay. 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:43.759 Um all right. 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:53.840 Now now that we've we've talked for 20 minutes about uh stuff that was not planned to discuss, let's get into our actual uh quality resolutions discussion. 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:57.840 So yeah, I got a great response from John McCarthy of ECS. 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:00.639 Uh he's the senior director of quality assurance. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:05.279 And he touched on a lot of the points that we often talk about. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:08.159 Uh so number one is training. 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:33.919 So he has he has a goal this year to work on some internally developed training modules on various uh QMS quality management system components and teach people all through the organization, you know, from technician to uh director-level people about some of these concepts and some of their policies and procedures that lead to quality improvements. 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:53.840 I training is I I think that's probably if that's not something you're working on, put that on your list because that's where I think that's like the biggest shortcoming our industry has is actual training related to quality uh topics, um, instead of just here's your job, this is what you're gonna do. 00:16:54.159 --> 00:16:57.600 Um another thing is more communication related. 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:10.240 So, like kind of what we were talking about earlier, uh sending out these little newsletters, QA moments sent out weekly or bi-weekly, emphasizing lessons learned uh and changes to standards and other things. 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:11.599 Um yeah. 00:17:11.839 -->

00:17:19.039 One of the things that I saw that he sent that I uh am just like, yes, we need to do this internally as well. 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:30.000 Like I feel like this should be part of ours, but is the standardized folder and file structure for records and stuff, so that's standardized and consistent within the organization. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:35.519 Um, I think that's probably something a lot of organizations have uh an issue with. 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:38.960 I'm assuming maybe it's just my bias that I know I have an issue with it. 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:43.119 So, but I'm assuming other laboratory, like laboratories have that. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:52.960 But I think it's something like that that you might not think necessarily is a quality, you know, goal or you know, New Year's resolution. 00:17:53.119 --> 00:18:08.640 But even something simple like that, I think is an amazing and probably harder than you think it's gonna be from personal experience to come up with the the you know, the storage and hierarchy and naming structure, like uh so good good luck with that one. 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:24.640 I but I think that's a example of something that you think is small but would have a big impact across a lot of like improve a lot of employees' interaction with quality related things, if that was the way to say that. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:28.799 But yeah, I I rambled there for a little bit, but I think I think you get it. 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:40.640 Uh definitely, and I know that formatting, organizing, uh all that stuff is really important, but it's hard to find time to do it because it does to do it right, it does take time. 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:51.200 Um and sometimes other people need to get involved, and uh it's hard to collaboration on things that are really tedious is is a challenge. 00:18:51.440 --> 00:19:12.799 Um, we we've always struggled with kind of a knowledge management uh issue over the years where we have so much uh information kind of scattered about uh that we haven't really found a great way to consolidate it and to uh make it so that if you have a question you can quickly get to the right answer. 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:20.799 Um there's a lot of noise from discussions because a lot of times the questions that come up are things that have never been standardized. 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:35.279 Uh and there's no there's no uh clear answer, but there has to be a consistent direction to that answer for us. 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:43.200 Uh so it it's it's a a bit hard to pin down, uh but we have to have something. 00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:48.720 There has to be some decision made on these ambiguous things so that we can move forward. 00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:50.400 Um so that's been a challenge. 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:55.839 And documenting that for easy reference later, like what you were saying. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:15.039 Like that I think is like we make decisions, but then in X amount of time, do we remember

that we made that decision or why we made that decision, or when that question gets brought up again, do those factors still warrant the decision that was made, or do we need to make a different decision or whatever? 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:16.079 That kind of stuff. 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:20.640 Yeah, and and the the people who are who bring this to light, the best for us are always new employees. 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:21.039 Yes. 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:24.799 Anytime we get new employees, they ask a million questions and it is awesome. 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:25.279 Yeah. 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:31.039 Because when when we're like, uh we don't know, like, well, put it on the list. 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:32.960 Yeah, that's something we have to do. 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:34.160 Let's fix this. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:38.240 So I I love when they when we get new people who ask a lot of questions. 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:48.319 And I I know some people don't like that because it it can't, it, it, it it can be irritating if they ask a lot of them, but you have to like that's where you get a lot of growth. 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:51.839 Continual improvement. 00:20:51.920 --> 00:21:06.880 You have to look at that, the questions, as like the opportunity of like, oh, we've lived in this so long, and like we know why X, Y, and Z, but if it's not easy for an outsider's perspective or a newcomer, that's not great. 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:08.240 Nope, it's not great. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:09.119 It's not great. 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:10.640 So you can do better. 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:12.079 Okay, so uh other one. 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:23.359 So John gave us just so many good ones, you know, some about doing better internal audits and management reviews, and um there's just a lot there that's awesome. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:31.200 And I would encourage other people to sit down and think about what they want to make improvements on and start start working on it. 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:37.279 Uh when you make those goals, uh let me ask you, you you talk about goal setting a lot. 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:59.599 Um do you have any tips for people about um ways that they can uh I guess take those thoughts that they have about things that should be done and try to put them down and and make them actionable. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:04.640 And and help them lead to success in in solving those problems. 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:16.799 With goal setting, personal or organizational goal setting, is that it really needs to connect to your values, mission, and vision. 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:39.519 If you cannot, if you have a goal or you have something like, oh, I'd like to do this or we should be doing that, taking the time to really draw the clear, direct line from the outcome that you want to the organizational principles, to your quality objectives, to your organizational values, vision, mission, that kind of stuff. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:43.759 Draw the draw the clear line of the outcome. 00:22:43.839 --> 00:22:45.920 Make that very clear. 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:57.680 Because I will say sometimes your the why, like why that outcome is important, is more important than the goal itself because the how can change. 00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:09.119 Like if you want uh you know consistent whatever for the outcome, maybe it's not what you think, it's the naming structure, maybe it's a different thing, maybe it's something else. 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:22.720 So you might be thinking the avenue to the outcome is one path, but if you focus on the outcome and not the path, um, and make sure the outcome is connected to your things, you may find better ways or different ways to get there. 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:25.759 If that might not answer your question. 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:26.799 Did that answer your question? 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:36.799 Are you saying, okay, let me let me ask you if I understand that yes, are you saying not to be transfixed on the methodology? 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:37.599 Yes. 00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:43.359 And like be open to changing it as you learn more things along the way, is that what you're saying? 00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:43.920 Yes. 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:52.160 I so what I often say is the why is so important, and that's the connection to the other things, the and the outcome that you're looking for. 00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:55.440 The why is so important because the how can change. 00:23:55.680 --> 00:24:08.799 So if you are wanting a specific outcome and the things that you're doing are not getting you there effectively or just at all, then your how might be the wrong how. 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:23.200 Like your avenue, your methodology, you know, like oh, this online tool or this out-of-the-box solution that we're gonna buy, or all of these things, or this training that we're gonna do, might not be the right thing for the outcome that you want. 00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:32.319 Because if you're not getting that outcome after multiple attempts at different strategies, like that's what a lot of the missing pieces are sometimes. 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:50.480 That if you're focused on the how or the why, and then the connection to your bigger organizational picture and your personal picture of your values, mission, vision, quality principles, if those are aligned with the outcome and the why, then the how is will find its way. 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:52.799 You can like be creative in the how. 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:56.319 You don't have to be rigid of like, well, we're gonna do this with this. 00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:00.720 Like does that make sense? 00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:02.640 I don't know if I made it more confusing. 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:04.079 Probably. 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:16.000 Um, yeah, it it does, but if you aren't watching the YouTube video, you should because Kim's uh Kim's hand motions made it made the uh the response very complicated. 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:19.599 You're not

wrong. 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:20.880 I might cut all of this out. 00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:22.079 I have the power in editing. 00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:22.799 I might cut it all out. 00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:23.279 That's true. 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:24.160 You have the power. 00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:25.920 You can you can make it what you want. 00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:32.880 But but I would say like I think I think sometimes, you know, we are we call ourselves resource for a reason. 00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:39.279 Uh we we have a lot of um a lot of experience in in things that people don't have experience in. 00:25:39.599 --> 00:25:45.119 And uh, you know, if you if you want to follow up with Kim on any of these things that she's talking about, feel free. 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:45.920 Oh yeah, for sure. 00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:52.799 Uh feel free to reach out if you're like, hey, I I'm I'm interested or I'm curious about what you were talking about with with goal setting. 00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:54.079 Uh I'd like to know more. 00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:58.079 Based on based on previous experience, nobody will. 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:00.319 I love, oh yeah, for sure. 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:02.319 I would love that. 00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:05.599 Yeah, I mean, use use what you got, right? 00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:07.359 Yeah, like no, for sure. 00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:20.799 We're we're here, we're here, and we we're happy like uh so John McCarthy, who submitted some of those ideas, um, he and I communicate regularly about all kinds of stuff. 00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:26.160 It's not all just like, hey, what's going on with this laboratory accreditation issue? 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:39.119 Uh it's like we we're trying to build this culture of quality, not just in our organization, but in this in this testing field, this construction materials testing field, industry in general. 00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:44.480 Uh, so so be be part of it and and and reach out uh at any time. 00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:52.480 Uh it and I've got another another respondent, uh John Maroon from UES in Reno, Nevada. 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:54.480 He's a lab supervisor. 00:26:54.640 --> 00:27:00.960 Uh we we've been communicating about a couple things recently, and and we haven't communicated much before this. 00:27:01.200 --> 00:27:04.480 So I was really appreciative that that he reached out. 00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:09.680 Um, but he's got he's got some things he's working on too, which I think are really awesome. 00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:17.759 Uh using an automated Excel-based calibration log uh to improve consistency and reduce human error, that's great. 00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:20.640 That's that's those are those are awesome things. 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:26.240 Like we've we've been trying to do that too, because anytime you've got humans involved, there will be error. 00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:31.119 Uh and and those are learning opportunities, as we talked about uh before. 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:42.960 But but making, you know, automating certain things that can be automated and and help improve, make things more efficient, uh, more repeatable, like those are those are great. 00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:52.000 And also by uh trying to incorporate email notifications and alert staff when when there are deadlines coming up. 00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:55.200 Uh that's another thing that John's working on. 00:27:55.359 --> 00:27:58.240 Uh so that those are those are great improvements. 00:27:58.640 --> 00:28:04.400 And I'm sure that those are heavy on people's minds if they're lab managers or supervisors. 00:28:04.799 --> 00:28:12.240 Um and I would also encourage people uh to reach out to their their uh other people in the industry too. 00:28:12.400 --> 00:28:14.720 I mean, you can talk to us, you can talk to other people in the industry. 00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:20.400 A lot of times there's regional groups that get together regularly and talk about some things. 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:30.160 Uh, they may not be focused on quality topics all the time, but use those opportunities to have side conversations about things you're working on. 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:35.920 Yeah, it especially like we were talking about at the beginning at the technical exchange next month, right? 00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:44.240 Like it's that opportunity to expand your professional network with quality-minded people in your field, right? 00:28:44.400 --> 00:28:47.920 Um, that you can share and get ideas with. 00:28:48.160 --> 00:28:57.680 And going I guess the tip that you asked for forever ago, and I didn't say because I was working around it. 00:28:57.839 --> 00:29:00.079 Um, it's be creative with the solutions. 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:13.599 It's basically what boils down, where you have that desired outcome that you want, and you think email reminders are gonna be the one that gets me that outcome, or like this one system and these tools are gonna get me this outcome. 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:17.359 And maybe it's not, maybe there's a different way to do that. 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:25.680 So get buy-in and input from other people as well, because there might be a better way to get the outcome that you're hoping for. 00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:34.000 So really it's about not being rigid in the in the how of your outcome. 00:29:34.480 --> 00:29:34.960 Yeah. 00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:35.519 Yeah. 00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:36.480 And and you know what? 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:41.119 Sometimes you're gonna work on things and you're gonna throw it out and you're gonna say, like, oh, I just wasted all this time. 00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:47.839 Don't, don't ever feel like you wasted time because everything you threw out was a learning opportunity for you. 00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:52.640 And you it it's just it's just part of the part of the way things work. 00:29:52.799 --> 00:30:07.279 If I if I got mad every time I did something that didn't get used, or or you know, like wrote a document

that was never published, or yeah, any of that stuff that I have tons of stuff like that. 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:08.799 And and you know what? 00:30:08.880 --> 00:30:13.359 It it makes something else better, whether you know it's none of it is a waste. 00:30:13.440 --> 00:30:15.039 I'm never gonna feel bad about that. 00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:17.359 And I don't think anybody else should either. 00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:25.920 Yeah, I will say I do get frustrated when that happens, but uh yeah, it is you have to think about what you can take away. 00:30:26.079 --> 00:30:32.160 Like, all right, well, that that's not what I wanted, or that's not um how I wanted that to go. 00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:35.440 Again, the failure part of it, but it's you know, okay, what did I learn from it? 00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:41.039 How can I take this and incorporate it into the next go-around or something like that? 00:30:41.359 --> 00:30:49.039 So I think, yeah, that's easier said than done sometimes of not get too frustrated, not feel like you wasted time. 00:30:49.599 --> 00:30:57.599 Yeah, it it is easier said than done, and it definitely um your experiences will shape how you and it how you deal with that. 00:30:57.920 --> 00:30:59.200 I got I got another one. 00:30:59.279 --> 00:31:03.119 So I was I wasn't sure if I had time to talk about this, and I don't, but I'm gonna say it anyway. 00:31:03.279 --> 00:31:06.799 So, one one update that I wanted to tell people about that we made recently. 00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:14.559 This was something that this is in the category of we did this a long time ago and never actually enacted it because we weren't really sure what to do. 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:19.039 So there was like a lot of stuff done that never never actually came to fruition. 00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:22.240 Uh, but we did finally take action on it. 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:31.039 So we we had this stand that so there's a standard C42, it's uh drilling and testing cores of concrete. 00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:35.759 Well, of course it is ASTM C42, Ashto T24. 00:31:35.839 --> 00:31:39.599 It's kind of interesting that those numbers are are flip-flop between Ashto and ASTM. 00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:44.400 I'm sure that was not done on uh intentionally, uh it's just the way it worked out, but I like it. 00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:50.799 Uh so anyway, these this standard we had been accrediting for it just alone. 00:31:51.359 --> 00:32:08.640 Uh like you'd be accredited for this standard, but we didn't always know which labs were doing the drilling, and which labs were just doing like drilling and testing, or just the testing of the cores. 00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:16.000 So we have recently I emailed everybody who's accredited for those standards, and I said, What are you doing? 00:32:16.240 --> 00:32:20.079 Um, are you doing the drilling or the testing or both? 00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:24.559 If you're doing the drilling, please send me information about your your drilling. 00:32:24.720 --> 00:32:26.640 And I got such a great response. 00:32:26.960 --> 00:32:27.359 Nice. 00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:34.319 Uh, I was really it it was so it was interesting because what I was told would happen was not what happened. 00:32:34.480 --> 00:32:40.640 I was told that almost every one of those laboratories would tell me, yes, we do the drilling. 00:32:41.440 --> 00:32:42.400 That was not the case. 00:32:42.559 --> 00:32:45.359 It was actually closer to uh it was under 20%. 00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:46.400 Oh, wow. 00:32:46.880 --> 00:32:48.640 Responded to me and said that they do the drilling. 00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:56.960 Some people said we specifically don't do the drilling because we don't think it's something that we want our technicians to be doing due to safety concerns. 00:32:57.119 --> 00:32:57.279 Yeah. 00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:58.960 And I was like, okay, that's cool. 00:32:59.119 --> 00:33:02.079 So those laboratories they don't have to be accredited for drilling. 00:33:02.160 --> 00:33:03.359 That's why we split it up. 00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:05.519 So if they don't do it, they don't have to worry about it. 00:33:05.599 --> 00:33:05.920 That's fine. 00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:07.200 You don't do it, great. 00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:18.559 Uh, if you do it, we'll we want to uh credit you for that so that if there's an agency that's looking for a testing firm that drills and tests it, they can find that. 00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:19.279 Yeah. 00:33:19.519 --> 00:33:22.319 So anyway, we did it, we got the survey. 00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:30.559 I I sent the survey out, got lots of great responses, photos and reports and videos, and all sorts of cool stuff. 00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:37.359 And the people, this is what I really like my job sometimes in these interactions. 00:33:37.519 --> 00:33:38.799 I mean, not always, right? 00:33:39.119 --> 00:33:49.759 Uh, but uh I got so many people who were like, we are very proud of what we do for this, and here's some great examples. 00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:54.319 Like, yeah, and I love hearing when people are excited about what they do, yeah. 00:33:54.480 --> 00:34:10.159 And I got this really great training video from somebody too that they share with their staff, and I was like, ah, this is so great! Like, I I love I love the the excitement that people have with their work. 00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:11.679 So I got some responses. 00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:14.400 We made the updates of the directory, we're all done with it. 00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:19.039 Uh, and some are still trickling in, and that's that's fine, and we're we're dealing with those. 00:34:19.119 --> 00:34:24.079 Um, but but then other people like as we go through the tour, we'll split it. 00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:35.599 Like if they want to show us their drilling or or C CRLs, actually, the ones who would see it, they can present it then during their assessment, and they'll we'll add it to their directory listing. 00:34:35.760 --> 00:34:45.760 Um, but when we first split it, we just we split it for those who responded and and and just went in with the assumption that they had always been doing it. 00:34:45.840 --> 00:34:47.360 We just hadn't recognized it. 00:34:47.519 --> 00:34:53.440 Um, so their accredited sense date for the ones who did response matches the old like the old one. 00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:57.440 But for new ones, they'll get a new accredited sense date on the drilling part. 00:34:57.920 --> 00:35:02.880 So I wanted to let people know about that because I this is the kind of thing that doesn't go great with an email. 00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:07.199 It's like I think it's better to hear uh uh an explanation of it. 00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:12.400 Uh but that that's I think that's it. 00:35:12.559 --> 00:35:18.480 I think we've we've uh we've covered this topic uh the way we wanted to, and and then some. 00:35:18.639 --> 00:35:23.519 So uh that's gonna do it for this episode and uh hope to see you at the technical exchange. 00:35:23.760 --> 00:35:29.039 Yep, and go to ashtoresource.org slash events for information on the technical exchange. 00:35:29.199 --> 00:35:33.199 And again, be sure to ask Brian for his autograph when you see him there. 00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:36.639 Thanks for listening to Ashto Resource QA. 00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:44.000 If you'd like to be a guest or just submit a question, send us an email at podcast at ashto resource.org. 00:35:44.159 --> 00:35:48.960 Or call Brian at 240-436-4820. 00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:57.119 For other news and related content, check out Ashtoe Resources social media accounts or go to ashto resource.org.