How to improve collaboration in work teams
15
Nov
Tips

How to Grow by Setting Professional Goals

Posted on by Daniela Pineda

Professional goals are how we visualize ourselves in our professional future.  They motivate us to move forward if we plan continuously. The Professional Development Plan is the tool to define strategies for meeting these goals.

What are some examples of professional goals?

  • Creating collaboration networks at your workplace.
  • Learning new skills or how to perform different tasks at work.
  • Learning a new language.
  • Learning how to use a new digital automation tool or alternative that makes work more efficient.
  • Improving the metrics of your work by setting Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Bound (SMART) goals. For example, increasing production yield by X% by the end of the year versus the previous full calendar year.
  • Reducing job burnout by creating a more positive and energetic attitude.
  • Making lateral job movements to another area or department at your workplace.
  • Taking courses or webinars or completing tests to measure your knowledge in a given area.

How to further your goals through a Professional Development Plan

Remember, your plan must always be SMART! It is also important that you realize this is all about continuous development, not just a temporary process for a single goal, but constant growth.

To create a Development Plan you must:

  • Determine what skills or qualities you need to develop, learn, or improve upon.
  • Prioritize your goals.
  • Distribute your goals over time based on the priority you established.  You don’t have to meet them all at the same time, or in the same way but set dates to meet your goals.
  • Work to fulfill your goals, do not expect them to be fulfilled by themselves or by someone else.
  • Respect your own processes if you have been successful.  If not, be willing to change your processes.
  • Evaluate if you have achieved your goals in specific intervals.  At least quarterly if not monthly.

Growing professionally requires you to dedicate time to this process.  It requires patience and discipline.  It is your career, so you must take complete ownership of this process.  It is not your supervisor’s job or the job of your HR department.  While they can help and you should ask for their assistance, you must have this process firmly in your control.  You can do it!

01
Nov
Tips

How to improve collaboration in work teams

Posted on by Daniela Pineda

Collaboration can be a way to innovate and promote positive change. It can also boost productivity and efficiency.  When this happens, we improve our work relationships because we build a higher level of trust within our teams.  At Optimus Steel we want to create the type of environment where collaboration leads to success, which leads to higher performing teams and this positive cycle can repeat itself for continuous achievements.

Communication is a value

Communication is an essential tool in work teams, but we must also learn to understand it as a value. Communication and collaboration must be promoted and information must be shared in order to foster improved relationships, so that we can all better understand work processes and projects.

Being clear is essential, and for this we must learn to listen. We suggest you read our other blog article in which you will learn more about the advantages of active listening. 

Focus on your mission … and others

Everyone on the team must take care to fulfill their functions and achieve their goals.  However, to the extent that you can be mindful of your tasks as well as those of others, and in areas outside of yours, you will be more effective for the wider enterprise.

Thinking in terms of common goals is more useful than thinking only of your personal or department goals, because you may fail to take into account how these may or may not affect other areas.

All team members must be aware of common goals and understand that there should not be destructive inside competition, but rather an environment of building together.

Encourage openness and trust

Trust and collaboration go hand in hand: it is important that we all feel taken into account, listened to, and immersed in an environment where innovation, participation and joint efforts are welcome.

There may be differences, it is not about everyone agreeing all the time, but rather about one being able to communicate differences in a calm, sincere way, and without anyone feeling affected or offended in their work.

Tips for Boosting Leadership at Work
15
Oct
Tips

Tips for Boosting Leadership at Work

Posted on by Daniela Pineda

Leadership is an essential quality in all professionals; it is not an exclusive skill for managerial positions, and  is applicable to any position regardless of  place in the organizational chart.Leadership is not about commanding or controlling, but rather about inspiring performance from any place we may find ourselves in.

In the workplace, leadership is intended to help us be the best version of ourselves, by harnessing our talents and encouraging us to empathize with those of others.

Ways you can improve your personal leadership skills in the company

Learn to look at your mistakes as areas of opportunity

When we fail to acknowledge our mistakes, we create bad habits; these may range from stubbornly and personally denying our mistakes, blaming others for them, and even hiding them. All of this damages the work environment.

Accepting our mistakes is the wise thing to do. Although nobody likes to be criticized, we must learn to assimilate this information so that we can benefit from it, which will then translate into a friendlier work environment.

Plan and work in a disciplined way

An essential quality in leaders is decision-making power, but so is being able to plan and make those decisions intelligently. All this requires planning and resource management.

Learn to make the best of your time by scheduling activities, deliverables, and tasks, so that you can be certain they will be fulfilled in a timely manner. This will also help you be ahead of possible delays or incidents, so that you can also respond quickly  to  events by readjusting the original plan.

Develop a team growth mindset

The development of a leader does not depend  on themselves, but also their team growing together: when someone learns something new, overcomes a challenge, or innovates, the whole team advances.

Hence, a mindset of growth in union with empathy must be shared between all parties, so that everyone feels included. One way to achieve this is through active listening; learn more about it in this other article on our blog. 

Focus on the positive 

Applying positive thinking in your life drives away stress, and will make relationships consistently favorable. It is important to create environments of motivation, empathy, camaraderie, and then trust is created.
Celebrating small achievements, open communication,  and transparency are ways to align ourselves with positive thinking, away from defeatist thoughts, uncomfortable criticism, and negative work relationships.

active listening
01
Oct
Tips

Active Listening: Techniques and Examples to Practice it At Work

Posted on by Daniela Pineda

Active listening is much more than just listening; it is defined as a communication strategy that puts empathy into practice.  In addition to paying attention to what the person is telling us, it also involves paying attention to their emotions, ideas, and thoughts that underlie the main message. The listener should demonstrate that they have understood what the other wants to share.

Active listening is put into practice by paying attention to the message before taking action. Sometimes when we are told something, we react too quickly.: instead of paying close attention to them, we focus our attention on our response..

How to put active listening into practice at the workplace:

  • It is essential  the  person feels listened to, cared for and free to express themselves. A conscious effort on your part is required to pay attention.
  • It is not about pretending to be attentive or interested, it is about really allowing ourselves to listen to the other, giving them space.
  • Active listening is about building a sense of trust, closeness and being safe.
  • Learn to interpret non-verbal language  such as body language.
  • Active listening avoids automatic responses and making judgments, and it is not about pretending to be a psychologist for others – it does not imply or seek to give advice.
  • When we listen to the other person, we may not like what they are telling us; however, active listening is about allowing them to express themselves without feeling judged. Reproaches should also be avoided.
  • It is essential not to interrupt the other person; questions should  help them express themselves  to a greater extent.
  • You may repeat or paraphrase the other person’s ideas so that they know that you  understand them.  do not change the nuance of what was said or use it to try and read between the lines.
  • Assume a physical posture that lets the other know that you are willing to listen.

Why should we practice active listening at the workplace?

Here are some of the benefits of active listening in the workplace:

  • Improves communication in work teams , in addition to taking into account the emotional and human side of professional relationships.
  • Allows establishing relationships of trust in the work team.
  • Prevents misunderstandings.
  • Motivates others by making them feel heard.
  • Allows everyone to participate in continuous improvement.
How to manage pending work
15
Sep
Tips

Tips to Manage Your Pending Work

Posted on by Daniela Pineda

It is not uncommon for work to accumulate and then it becomes  an endless list of pending tasks. It is worlds apart from getting done with your daily workload and feeling productive. Procrastinating allows projects to pile up and you feel like the to-do list only gets bigger..

This can become  a problem when larger processes or tasks begin to be delayed, or when other teammates or collaborators cannot complete their own tasks in a timely manner, thus affecting various parts of the work structure.

Here are some tips and ideas that will help you finish your pending work and be more productive.

How to get done with your pending work list

Prioritize tasks and solve the most difficult ones first

It is essential to prioritize the list of pending tasks and establish which ones require the most immediate attention. Try to dedicate your first working hours to these tasks and avoid procrastinating.

Accept your abilities and face challenges

Sometimes, we avoid tackling difficult tasks we believe “this is not the right time”, or perhaps those that are too complicated, or that require a learning process.  At other times, the opposite happens: certain tasks seem so simple that we simply forget about them, since they do not require our immediate attention.

Addressing these tasks as small or big challenges can make a great difference when it comes to forgetting a pending task or not.

Say no to multitasking

Some people mix the idea of ​​being highly productive with multitasking. Contrary to popular belief, addressing several tasks at the same time does not make processes easier or faster; in fact, it delays them and is not effective.

Perform one task at a time and always try to finish it before starting another, that way the workload will be managed effectively.

Avoid unnecessary social distractions

If you’re on task, it’s best to stay away from your phone’s notifications, from replying to work conversations, or other distractions. Turn off or put away your phone, and choose a different time to check messages that would otherwise delay you.

Learn to take breaks

You can take breaks during your working day; these should be short and allow you to disconnect for about 5 minutes. These are not 5 minutes so you can check your social networks, but to relax, to take a moment for yourself, and to be able to focus again on your work.

tips for safety at workplace
01
Sep
Social Responsibility

5 Safety Tips for the Workplace

Posted on by Daniela Pineda

Safety in the workplace must be constantly built and maintained. Safety is the responsibility of everyone at Optimus Steel and is not something we should take for granted.

Our plant is a facility where strategic planning, technological improvement, and efficient production work together to ensure all of our team members work and arrive home safely.  It is important to be able to recognize hazards with their associated levels of risk in order to prevent them. 

Prevention is important because:

  • Accidents  are avoided.
  • It gives everyone peace of mind, allowing people to function productively and efficiently.
  • It guarantees quality in our operations and production processes.

Tips to Improve Safety in the Workplace

Stay alert and always report risks

In your daily tasks, it is important to concentrate on your work without losing sight of the surrounding environment; you must stay alert and always aware of the activities around you in order to detect any possible risk, incident, problem, or factor that could result in a possible accident.

When detecting an incident, it is the responsibility of the team to report the event and not overlook it. It is important that you know the procedures and protocols in order to keep everyone safe.

Make sure your work environment is always clean and unobstructed

For safety purposes, and to make processes more efficient, work areas must remain orderly; this also implies that we must be alert to items on the ground that can cause anyone to trip and fall.

Avoid running inside the plant. Always walk, watching your steps, paying attention to where you are stepping, and where you are going. Always avoid having food or drinks on or near machinery, devices or electronics.

Never skip steps

All procedures in the plant are carried out according to protocols that build safety in each step. Processes have a specific sequence of steps. It is important to never skip or modify steps in established processes; avoiding rushing, or skipping steps in the sequence, which can lead to the creation of accidents.

Always wear your PPE

Personal Protective Equipment is designed to be your ally in safety while you are in certain operating areas of the plant. It is the last line of defense when a potential hazard is present. 

It is important to always make proper and full use of PPE, without discarding elements due to discomfort, as this could cause problems. The protective equipment cannot help to protect you if it is not worn properly.  

Always use machinery and tools correctly

Our plant processes involve melting scrap, at very high temperatures, to convert the scrap to molten metal. It is ultimately important to follow all procedures and use machinery, tools, and equipment, with care according to protocols during this process.

Keep the floors clean, removing unnecessary debris. Remember to stay well hydrated and aware of signs and symptoms indicating potential heat stress conditions.

Servant Leadership at workplace
30
Aug
Social Responsibility

Servant Leadership: How to Lead by Helping Your Team

Posted on by Optimus Steel LLC.

Servant Leadership is a  management style in which the personal well-being of the  team is priotitized,  generating an environment where respect and communication are the norm.

Servant Leadership focuses on understanding and serving the work team, without seeing its members as mere parts or gears that can be replaced. Instead, the leader places high value on the individual  and their talents.

What are the qualities of a Servant Leader?

A Servant Leader listens, offers support and provides the confidence needed for a workplace to function as a common-purpose community, going beyond the business purpose of the company by achieving well-being for all.

A Servant Leader works under these principles:

  • Active Listening: a Servant Leader listens before making decisions. It is important to take the time and allow others to express themselves.  This does not mean that others are necessarily right all the time, yet it does allow for a better dialogue.
  • Empathy: this is not just “putting yourself in the place of others”.  This is  about acknowledging the place of others by accepting they are different and allowing each person to speak from their own reality.
  • Foresight: a Servant Leader learns from mistakes, and when he sets a direction for the team, he does so according to reason. Furthermore, instead of dealing with incidents when overwhelmed, the Servant Leader addresses issues from the perspective of crisis prevention or control.
  • Overcoming: there is learning in everything and everything can be overcome; perfection is built every day and maintained with discipline. We can always learn something and improve by not assuming that there should be no mistakes.
  • Persuasion: a traditional leader tends to be authoritarian, whereas the Servant Leader seeks to persuade others to be a better version of themselves, to learn more, or to improve themselves. In addition, a Servant Leader will help others find the best methods to achieve those goals.
  • Commitment to Growth in Team: a Servant Leader puts himself in a position in which he will also learn, promoting empathy or foresight, that is, Servant Leadership is a form of horizontal work in which the leader is in the same process as the entire work team.

Why promote Servant Leadership?

This way of thinking encourages team participation, recognizing that mistakes can happen and one can always improve upon them, it does not seek punitive measures but rather constructive ones.

Talents are positively reinforced, integrating the qualities, personalities and skills of each team member in an environment of trust, productivity and human value. 

And stay tuned for our upcoming blog on Situational Leadership.

lowering emissions industry
15
Aug
Social Responsibility

How our industry is lowering emissions

Posted on by Daniela Pineda

Today, the metals industry, and especially the steel industry, is working hard on a historic technological transformation, meant to generate production processes not only more effective but also sustainable.

It is also a reality that the reduction in CO2 emissions is much more than a commitment: it is an industry goal   with positive actions  already  taking place.

Sustainable steel

Steel can be found in practically all areas of modern life, and in 2019 alone it is estimated that around 240 kg of steel were produced for every person in the world. It is also estimated that at least 6.7% of CO2 emissions in the world come from the steel industry, while that figure is only 1% in the United States.

That is why the sector demands a real and tangible change with real actions that help develop cleaner and more environmentally friendly processes, producing steel in sustainable and responsible ways, with the US continuing to lead the way.

EAF: a sustainable way of producing steel

Electric Arc Furnaces are an alternative to significantly decrease CO2 emissions via electrification, unlike other traditional methods that can generate up to 400% more emissions.

Today, at least 70% of steel companies in the United States employ EAF technology, which allows them to operate in a more efficient, greener and safer way, also thanks to automation.

However, this reality contrasts with the rest of the  world, where only 25% of the steel producing mills make use of this type of technology.

Tidbits on sustainability  in the steel industry:

  • Steel is 100% recyclable.
  • The US Geological Survey reports recycled steel consumption in America was equivalent to more than 115,500 tons every day for the first half of 2022..
  • 99% of steel co-products can be recycled.
  • The steel produced by EAF generates 75% less CO2 emissions.
  • 17 million cars are recycled by the EAF steel industry.
  • At least 90% of the water used in EAF steel mills is cleaned and returned to the environment or reused in the operation.
steel industry in USA
01
Aug
Uncategorized

Reasons why steel is America’s backbone

Posted on by Daniela Pineda

Today, the steel industry represents one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the United States. Without a doubt, ours is a solid industry built by men and women whose work strengthens the economy and seeks technological advances in order to always go further.

The origin of the steel industry in the United States

It was the Industrial Revolution that promoted the development of activities such as the steel industry throughout the world, and it was in the 19th century that a nascent steel industry began to gain strength in our country.

It is estimated that by 1880, steel production in the United States grew from 1.25 to 10 million tons, and by 1910, 24 million tons were produced domestically.

It should be noted that the production of steel has been with humanity for much longer, yet it was not until the modern era that steel production was industrialized and new technologies were developed.

Some fast facts about our country’s steel industry:

  • Currently, the industry is estimated to produce more than 106 million tons per year.
  • Most of the steel produced in the United States today comes from recycling, thus ensuring a sustainable industry.
  • The steel industry strengthens other sectors such as infrastructure, construction, car production, appliances, electronics, safety, healtcare and sustainable development.
  • 75% of the steel varieties available today have been technologically developed in the last 20 years. 
  • As of 2017, the steel industry produced more than 2 million jobs for Americans , both directly and indirectly.
  • Steel is a dynamic part of America’s economy, accounting for more than $520 billion in economic output. 
  • Since 1990, measures have been promoted to reduce carbon emissions in steel production with new, sustainable technologies being developed and implemented today.
  • Approximately 70,000,000 tons of steel are recycled every year.
Education Optimus Steel and the Thad Boudreaux Memorial Scholarship
01
May
Social Responsibility

Education: the key to a better tomorrow. 

Posted on by Daniela Pineda

Optimus Steel and the Thad Boudreaux Memorial Scholarship

At Optimus Steel we believe the future is built through actions able to transform lives, such as the opportunity to study and develop a professional career.

For 2022 we were happy to award the Thad Boudreaux Memorial Scholarship for a second year, to young dependents of active Optimus Steel employees.  This year we expanded the applications to include the grandchildren of our employees.

What is The Thad Boudreaux Memorial Scholarship?

This scholarship is in memory of the late Thaddeus “Thad” Boudreaux (1954-2020), an outstanding citizen of Beaumont who worked at our mill for almost 44 years and served in various roles, the last being Technical Services Manager.  He was a trusted friend and colleague who touched our lives and will forever be in our hearts.

Thad was a generous man who always looked for ways to support and contribute to his community and our mill. Today, the scholarship is in his memory and is managed by the International Scholarship and Tuition Services (ISTS), a 100% women-owned corporation founded in 1985.

Before this year’s opening of the application process, Thad’s eldest son, Aaron Boudreaux, wrote a letter encouraging our employees to have their children and grandchildren apply, particularly from our hourly team members.  The applications were so strong we decided to add another scholarship, so now we are up to four every year and three of the four winners for 2022 were children of our hourly team members.  We could not be happier about this fact as our team members are the backbone of our company.  It is also worth noting the overall applications increased by 50%.  Aaron’s letter was very successful.  Thank you, Aaron!

Through this scholarship, talented children and grandchildren of our employees obtain additional support and encouragement to further their studies and create a better future for themselves.  We are humbled to be able to offer this program now, and for years to come.  Please congratulate our winners who will be formally presented the scholarship on July 14th at our mill.

Who are the talented winners this year?

2022 winners:

StudentParent or GrandparentWork Area
Pablo ArredondoMiguel ArredondoRolling Mill
Aleigha RaymerTravis WindhamQ.A. Inspector
Gracie SmithSteven SmithMelt Shop
Mechanical Maintenance
Frank RelfordFrank Relford Jr.Reheat Furnace Operator

A reminder of our winners for the inaugural year of 2021:

2021 winners

StudentParent or GrandparentWork Area
Pablo ArredondoMiguel ArredondoRolling Mill
Carly D. LivelyTravis WindhamMiles Stone
Dagan H. LottJosh HerronIT Field Support Technician

The Thad Boudreaux Memorial Scholarship, an initiative we hope to grow year after year in memory of a man who positively impacted many lives.  We hope this scholarship program will do the same thing.  #OurMill #OurCompany