Re:Rich people do have trouble understanding what it's like ...
by wpietri on Monday May 24, 2021 @10:57AM
(#27265103)
Totally. I only did factory work as summer jobs and loved it because it was fun to learn a new domain and try to optimize things. But yeah, I would have been deathly bored eventually.
Interestingly, Toyota's factory culture is very different. It's part of company philosophy to seek continuous improvement. They're also big on cross-training and investing in staff. Basically, they respect that hands come with brains, and that it's worth engaging both. I suspect I would have enjoyed that much more. If you're curious, the This American Life show on NUMMI gets at the contrast between the two approaches.
Re:Rich people do have trouble understanding what it's like ...
by detritus on Thursday May 27, 2021 @06:43AM
(#27301324)
Kaizen culture was a big meme back in the 80s and 90s in the North of England as Japanese car manufacturers set up shop and the differences to then-declining local manufacturing culture became evident.
I do a lot of 'proceduralised' jobs, but I'm 'lucky' in that I get to define and hone the procedure and then it tends only to be necessary for a few hours or a day or three, before I move onto something else entirely. I get a wee quick out of making things more efficient, then get to move on before my brain calcifies.
The thought of acting a mere part of a machine for 8 hours a day, weeks, months and years on end is ... well, it makes me appreciate my job, even at its worst!