L for LOTRIČ Metrology
24. 07. 2024
I have already written about this in a previous letter, so today a little differently. I could write about what we do, what our activity is. But anyone who is interested can find it on our homepage or simply call us to arrange a presentation. Today’s letter will be largely devoted to the essence of LOTRIC Metrology. People. People are the essence of business, the essence of everything. And people are what make LOTRIC Metrology different, unique in a way. We don’t want to follow, we want to be different. We want to be better. And one of the policies that we pursue and that is anchored in our consciousness by our founder is that we believe in the power of knowledge. Knowledge is the one thing that no one can ever really take away from you (us).
Every individual is important, but nothing is more important than the organisation. People come and go. As it is in life. Each contributes a small piece to the mosaic of a brand that builds, develops and grows. We need to make sure that the individual has constant motivation. Because sooner or later there comes a time in life when not everything is as it should be. And that’s when it’s important to have your environment by your side. To allow you to sort things out. Helps you as much as it can. The most the environment can do for people is to empower them. To give them knowledge. Experience. To help them weather the storms. I think we pay too little attention to the fact that we spend a large part of our lives at work. Almost as much as we devote to sleep, and we know how important sleep is. So why do we persist in a workplace where we do not feel well? If it were that simple, we would probably all be doing what we enjoy.
For myself, I can say that it was always a pleasure to go to work. This is the first indicator of how you feel at work. Maybe I have been lucky that every so many years, I have changed my work tasks within the company, but that is not the only reason. I have always got on well with my colleagues. There has always been a lot of joking around, within the bounds of good taste, of course. We always knew how to have fun. Prank somebody, give them a hard time. And we always knew how to celebrate our victories, important milestones, anniversaries and so on. You can’t like all people, but if you understand the business and private separation when it’s necessary, it’s much easier. Some of us have become friends over the years, and we hang out even outside working hours. Some of us are very good friends.
I am often asked what you do then. How do you manage? There is no one simple answer. There is no magic stick. There is a lot of effort. A lot of little things, because you cannot just do one thing, as far as the employee’s concern. I would say it is our culture, our way, something that has always come first. Since I started at the turn of the millennium, I have felt that values such as honesty, trust, respect are important. Respect for each individual is the key to success. Anyone who thinks he is worth more than another, I don’t think belongs in our team. There are only greater and lesser (or even better different) responsibilities, not superiority and subordination. The management of a company cannot depend on coincidence, and that is why responsibilities are necessary. In any case, there must be an awareness that every job is important, every job. Regardless of one’s position on the management ladder or one’s responsibilities. Why should one be worth more than another? Why? We are all human beings, and each must do their part for the common good.
Somehow, over the years, we have developed a horizontal distributed management, where everyone has a share of responsibility. Perhaps this is also due to the standards that we have in place within the company and that are also accredited (by the way, we are talking about international recognition and official endorsement of organisations for the performance of activities). These are the ones that largely shape the whole structure of the operation. Our (quality) management system is deeply embedded in every part of our operations. In a sense, it forces us to describe in great detail the responsibilities of each function. Every function. Every single employee has a responsibility. Whether it is a calibration or testing operator (metrologist) who has to approach every measurement responsibly, even though he was never taught this in school and had no idea what a calibration or test was until he came to us. Or is it the inspector who has to carry out the inspection and/or legal verification in a responsible manner and who has to know a bunch of legislation, because he carries out the verification as an extended arm of the State, as a State task. Or is it the developer of the measuring and control equipment who has to think responsibly about appropriate solutions, even though he is not sure how it will work and for how long it will work. Or it is the head of a department or sector who has to be responsible for all the resources and staff satisfaction, even though he is not trained for this, and it is something completely new to him, but he has been prepared to take on a greater responsibility which, in reality, just means more work. Or is it the logistician who has to responsibly organise all the routes for staff and equipment so that the operators and customers are satisfied, and everything is in place when it is needed, and we all know that everybody is in a hurry these days. Or it is the lawyer who has to check the contract responsibly, despite knowing nothing about metrology and the business, and who is watching with open eyes and learning something completely new. Or is it the accountant who has to issue every invoice responsibly, even though he is not informed about all aspects of the transaction and is often the one who conveys the bad mood of the customers. Or is it the programmer who has to responsibly write the code for a programme about the content of which he knows nothing and has been given only instructions on what to do and how to do it. Or is it the salesperson who has to approach the customer responsibly and is subject to personal contacts that can sometimes be difficult and exhausting. Or is it the marketing person who has to present technical things in a simple way so that even ‘non-experts’ understand the content, despite having been trained in design and similar. Or is it a CEO who is in charge of everything but doesn’t even know what is going on and has to have unconditional trust in his people. Or is it the janitor, who is responsible for making sure everything works and looks nice, because that’s how the customers look at us when they visit. Or last but not least, it is the cleaner who makes sure that all the employees feel good, that they work in a tidy and clean environment. Sometimes we overestimate those with the biggest responsibilities and forget about the people who really matter to our well-being. The people who make us feel at home. That make us feel comfortable. I must certainly take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all those with whom I meet and work on a regular, daily basis. Thank you for understanding each other. Because we understand each other. Because we know how to get along even when it is not pleasant. Because we are and we can.
Mutual respect and understanding is our culture, and we pass it on to our customers and others we work with, meet or otherwise come into contact with. This is what makes us different and what we want to continue to be. In the profession, responsibility to the field in which we operate is considered to be the greatest part of our responsibility. That is why we are actively involved in and co-shaping the professional field of metrology. Ultimately, we want to pass on all the knowledge we have gained – and there is a lot of it – to our customers. Because the more our customers know about metrology, the more they need us. The more satisfied they will be and the fewer problems they will have in areas where they are not fundamentally experts. In principle, every company should concentrate on its core business, and not on everything else that is just sapping energy and causing unnecessary costs.
We are a commercial laboratory with a customer focus. Yet it is difficult to focus on the customer if the employees are not happy. They are not in the thing. You can write a thousand instructions, make a thousand suggestions or a thousand recommendations, but it will have no effect if it is not put into practice by someone who has a heart, or at least a brain, in the thing. That is why one of the principles that we want to put into practice is that no one is punished for their mistakes, but the desire is to reward those who deserve it, when they deserve it.
I myself have participated in countless workshops over the years. Most of them have not been on professional topics at all, but all other topics related to interpersonal relations, work processes, behaviour, communication, dressing… Everything that helps me in my daily work. And we want to give the same to all our employees. We have never denied anyone the training we organise. In fact, most of the suggestions for organisation come from the employees themselves.
LOTRIČ Metrology is a modern family business. For some time, family businesses had a negative connotation in Slovenia. I don’t know why, but family values are important, because entrepreneurship is not built on profit alone. It is important, of course, and it is (must be) the fundamental principle of any business, but not at any price. Or rather, not in the short term. Creating a culture takes time and perseverance. Above all, it means persistently upholding and putting into practice values where there can be no let-up. It must be a way of life, DNA as we like to say. And that is LOTRIČ Metrology and will be for some time to come.
Primož
Next time, 7 Avgust 2024, metrology and metrologist