January 2011 HiTEM awarded 2010 Best of San Diego
The U.S. Local Business Association presented HiTEM their "Best of 2010 San Diego Manufacturers". Read More
August 2010 HiTEM recertified to the AS9100B standard
HiTEM earns AS9100 certificate. Read More
January 2010 HiTEM recognized as World Class Supplier
Northrop Grumman awarded the 2009 World Class Supplier to HiTEM. Read More
Feature
Continue to Improve
By Thai Nguyen, CEO
A few years back I did double duty as both HiTEM’s CEO and as a professor teaching courses in an Executive MBA Program. In the courses I taught, the students were a highly diverse cross-section of graduate candidates.
If I were still in the classroom, a message I would stress to my students is skilled workers are in high demand, yet most of this demand is based on a shortage of highly effective multi-skilled laborers trained for multiple tasks.My thesis is straight forward, yet simple - there are no specialists anymore. I call as my witness sports: where basketball no longer has room for pure three point shooters – everyman must be able to play defense too; where football no longer has room for pure drop back quarterbacks – they must be athletic enough to make plays with their feet as well as their arms. I call as my witness manufacturing: where the Quality Manager has to be able to teach as well as inspect; where the SMT technician has to be able to help solder as well as program the SMT machine; where the CEO has to be well versed in accounting as well as have a vision for the direction of the company.
As we have seen in the demise of the great American car manufacturers, there exists a failure in the majority of their products, to pull in a cross segment of the population. Sure the Chevy brand will survive, but the “luxury” brand of Buick will not, the “sports” brand of Pontiac will not, and the “manly” brand of Hummer will not. Where ever you are, don’t become complacent in your current position; make sure you stay relevant by continually learning, by continually growing, by continually improving. HiTEM has accomplished that feat; we are not sitting on our laurels.
