"If you were in my chair tomorrow morning, what would you do for a day?" asked Ford CEO Jim Farley at last week's annual fireside chat with our summer interns. "I think I would take a Mustang out on the track," replied co-host and software engineering intern Sophia L. Great idea, Sophia!
Last week, I had the privilege of speaking with Ford Motor Company’s summer interns at our annual fireside chat. The interns came with some great questions, and I shared a few pieces of life and career advice, including some things I wish I'd learned when I was their age. As a leader, it's important to keep growing. There’s always more to learn! Here's some of the simple, but impactful advice that I shared with them. Hope you find it useful, as well.
Am I getting your pay for a day?? You know the old saying, “you get what you pay for?” If I am getting paid for sitting in your chair then: I would reverse every decision dealing with the gradual elimination of the V8 combustible engine. I would actually produce even more due to the fact that they are in high demand(I can’t find a new, affordable 5.0L HO anywhere for a reasonable price) but low availability. I would increase productivity on the hybrid side of the company. I would totally nix the EV side of the company due to lack of interest, exorbitant cost and the mounting uncertainty of future issues with disposal of the batteries. If I am not getting paid to sit in your chair then: First, I would forever retire the Mustang name due to the fact that they(Ford) have literally destroyed the Mustang name and all it has ever stood for. Muscle car no more. Then, I would let the company bury itself like it’s been trying to do over the last 5-10 years by trying to force feed technologies that are not working and are not what people want. That’s not how you win over the masses and increase profit. Just my opinion……
I’d talk with hourly personnel to get some real feedback on ways to improve productivity, waste, sales, flow, etc and actually listen. Which I think you have done it’s just diluted by the time it gets to your level because management doesn’t want to look bad if an idea comes from hourly when salary actually gets paid the big bucks to improve.
If I was the CEO of Ford, I would stop putting the Americanism influence to all Ford territories. ie. Ford of Europes custeromers are totally different and require vehicle suitable to their roads. Jim Farley decided to stop production of smaller vehicles like the Fiesta and Focus, which were not only high volume European vehicles, but also lead in vehicles to customers. I think the decision to stop manufacturing small vehicles in Europe was very short sighted decision.
If I was in your chair, I'd make sure that all the interns were from all walks of life, from University and Community colleges, and occasionally walk the plant in the productiv areas daily and show my appreciation by speaking and asking them of their concerns..knowing it took a special type of person to do what they do and get my where I am today.
Tim Norton
1w
Reconsider your strategy for the UK. You will never rebuild what you are about to abandon
Ford Motor Company Terrible customer service! My 2021 expedition has been in and out of the shop numerous times for TRANSMISSION FAILURE! JIM FARLEY is ridiculous and doesn't stand behind FORD or its principals!
Bob Wiffen
5d
Dismantling the very dealer network in UK that brought Ford so much market share in the past is not the way to maintain leadership. Only one Ford car in the UK top ten. Remember when Fiesta and Focus were in the top five?
Slash EV programs and lobby the EPA against EV mandates. Stop mocking your customers by making an EV mustang.
Have a surprise skip level meeting without VPs that usually attend and only one dept at a time. This will give you a clearer view of where the company is at and going in other employee’s minds Multiple meeting at different levels directly may uncover some interesting faults in the systems communications and direction
Be smart enough to know what you don't know. Good technicians know to always keep learning.
1wSitting in Mr. Farleys position I would call a meeting between engineering/design/purchasing and workshop ways to develop synergy to assist reliability and lower warranty costs. I'm smart enough to know what I don't know and I'm smart enough to know who does, why not leverage the combined attributed and intelligence of some of the biggest assets at Ford it's people. I would visit some local dealerships dressed down and experience the new vehicle purchase experience first hand (news flash it isn't great) and get a sense for how my customers feel and work with various teams on how we can improve the experience. If I'm in the chair I'm working overtime that day and breaking down cost per vehicle on new trucks and and work out ways to bring a dirt cheap ranger to market and help North American small businesses build back better so when we fully recover the economy in world we can build another chapter of our legacy on how we took the world and put it on the back of a ranger and built it back better.