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Month: August 2022

GBIG NEWS | 65 Stories and Links on the Internet 8/10/2022

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GBIG News

Get links to the latest news, events, stories, and interviews from our 5P news sponsors. Our goal is to remind the decision makers in Wisconsin of the importance of our industry both historically, and more importantly, into the future.

Read the latest 65 Stories and Links on the Internet below.

Industry

How Soccer Coaching Relates to Job Performance

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Five-year-olds have so much to teach us about employee performance. Years ago, Mike Quinn, consulting partner at 15dots™, coached his two sons’ soccer team. He loved coaching and learned valuable life lessons, right along with his kids. Here’s his coaching story:

I learned some valuable lessons coaching my two boys’ sports teams over the years, but one particular lesson made me feel worthy of being called “Coach.” What follows is the story of how, years ago, little Bobby helped me become a better coach. (Bobby’s name has been changed to protect the young and innocent.) Little Bobby is your typical 5-year-old coming out for soccer. He’s smart, listens reasonably well, loves to run and have fun, and comes from a good, supportive family. He absolutely loves to kick a soccer ball.

The Trouble with ‘Booming’ the Soccer Ball

Now, here’s how little Bobby helped me. As I mentioned, Bobby loves to kick a soccer ball. He loves it so much that during our first game, every time the ball came his way, he would “boom” it as hard and as far as he could. This was not exactly what I wanted and not what we had worked on at practice. (We practiced controlling and settling the ball.)

Building Self-Confidence

So, I asked myself, why does Bobby “boom” the soccer ball? Could it be that he doesn’t know how to control the ball? No, that isn’t it, because in all of our drills, he did just great. Maybe he doesn’t have confidence in his ability to control the ball in a game situation? Ah! That’s it, lack of confidence.

So, at the next practice, we worked on controlling the ball with defenders coming at us. However, that wasn’t it either! Again, Bobby did just great settling and controlling the ball. The problem definitely was not a lack of skill or self-confidence. Well, I thought, maybe I haven’t been clear enough with Bobby about the importance of controlling the ball.

Setting Clear Expectations

So, before the next game, I explained to the team how controlling the ball is much more effective than just kicking it away to our opponent or kicking it out of bounds. Everyone said they understood, and I looked forward to seeing what would happen.   

To my surprise, Bobby and some others as well, were still “booming” the ball. In Bobby’s case, he “boomed” the ball almost every time it came near him! Feeling rather frustrated, I tried to shift my thinking. Instead of asking, Why does Bobby “boom” the ball? I asked, What happens to Bobby when he “booms” the ball? Once I found the right question, it didn’t take long to figure out the answer. You see, every time Bobby “boomed” the ball, his good and supportive family (and others) cheered, “Great kick, Bobby! That’s the way to do it!”

The Power of Positive Reinforcement

Wow, poor little Bobby. I asked him to stop doing something that got him positive reinforcement. Now what should I do? Well, before the next game, I met with the parents. We talked about “booming” the ball and decided to establish clear expectations for players and family members. 

Expectations set for the players:

  • Have fun 
  • Control & settle the ball 
  • Play positions  
  • Shoot the ball at the goal (when open and within 10 yards) 
  • Pass the ball to a teammate (when they’re open and in a better position than you)

Expectations set for family members: 

  • Cheer for players doing or attempting to do any of the above 
  • Be silent when players do things inconsistent with the above 
  • When in doubt, discuss it with the coach

The Remarkable Wins We Achieved

Well, as you might expect, things didn’t change overnight, but they did change. In time, with no more cheers for “booming” the ball, Bobby and the others got the idea. It was remarkable. Our 5- year-olds were passing the ball, playing their positions, taking on defenders with the dribble, taking shots on goal, and controlling/settling the ball. And they were having a great time in the process. 

No, we didn’t win all our games – if you measure winning by the traditional means. But if you redefined winning as learning, using new skills, and having fun, we were big winners that season. Even more importantly, we created a foundation of knowledge, skill, and love for the game. I’m happy to report that Little Bobby played soccer well into high school.

The 4 Performance Prerequisites

These coaching lessons apply to workplace, also. Creating a winning environment requires positive reinforcement and purposeful actions. For high performance on the field or on the job, four things must be present:

  1. Skills 
  2. Self-confidence 
  3. Opportunity to perform 
  4. Supportive environment

Coaching Lessons for the Workplace

To learn more about “coaching” in the workplace setting, contact 15dots. 15dots provides the tools and training necessary to repeatedly, reliably, and independently choose the right hires for your team.

The Final De Pere Walk

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We will be doing the FINAL walk in De Pere. We recognize that De Pere has a number of other companies in the 5P Industries! We will be covering other cities in the upcoming issues in the GBIG NEWS to show the strength of our 5P, Converting and Supporting Manufacturing Base providing services to the Paper Industry in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, the Paper Industry in Wisconsin has been declining and we as a business community need to address it. The Green Bay Innovation Group will be putting together a group of individual and companies to focus on RE- BUILDING the paper industry. We are in process of putting together an overview of the industry and the strengths of Wisconsin to support re-investing in paper. We will be putting out information in the upcoming issues. If you are interested in joining our group, please contact me at: 608-698-3333 or email at martinpochs@gmail.com Remember, the Paper Industry built Wisconsin!

Be the Leader you would like to have

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I recently spoke at a conference on Leadership. A portion of the presentation was centered on some simple concepts to prompt attendees to reflect upon their personal approach to leading. This was one of the “aha’s” I shared. “Be the leader you would like to have”. It sounds rudimentary, but it resonated with many and lead to several subsequent conversations.

When I think back over my career and time spent with clients, I was able to work with both good leaders and some that I would categorize as “not so good”. I worked with a client that was one of the best technical experts in their field and were known and respected for their technical expertise. This leader’s approach proved to be ineffective, and their company struggled to survive. Their default style was one of judgment, volatility and explosive anger resulting in a culture that was reactive at best. No matter how much they yelled, screamed, and fired people performance did not improve. Turnover at this company was extremely high and team members lived in fear of who was the next person to feel the boss’s wrath.

Another leader I worked with was very nice and seemed open to conversation when someone sought them out. They also softly avoided conflict at all costs. Team members loved the owner but remained frustrated and feeling that issues they brought forward would not be acted upon. They also observed team members who were destructive to the company and culture be disrespectful and at times knowingly produce bad product with no repercussions. It also created a very divided leadership team.

In assessing the effectiveness of their leadership styles, we uncovered similar outcomes perception of ineffective leadership with the company struggling to remain profitable. Other typical symptoms range from team members giving up, poor quality and unpredictable processes. People are looking to their leader to provide vision and set the tone for culture.

When I lead teams through a Strategic Planning or Leadership Development process, I often ask the participants to take a few minutes and summarize traits or characteristics of a great leader. Traits like these often are brought forward:

  • Visionary
  • Good listening skills
  • Produces results
  • Empathy
  • Tough but fair
  • Consistent
  • Team focused

I challenge each of you to think about the kind of leader you are and if you are the leader you would like to have.  Seek input from your team on their perception of your leadership style.  It could be the first step in becoming a stronger leader and the becoming the leader your team is looking for.

Brian Van de Water
CEO
SPL Consulting, LLC.
vandewaterb@outlook.com

Printing is Alive and Strong!

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The Green Bay Innovation Group announced an event:  The Printing Showcase on September 27, 2022. 

The exhibit starts at 10:00 am to 4:00 pm followed by networking to 5:00 pm.  The event will focus on the printing industry.  It will be at the Stadium View Bar and Conference Center.

Wisconsin has a large concentration of offset, flexographic, gravure, screen, digital and ink jet imaging second to none.  We have an outstanding group of exhibitors from ALL sectors of the printing industry. To register and exhibit, go to:  www.greenbayinnovationgroup.com EVENTS – Printing Showcase 5P Expo.

Printing is Alive and Strong!  If you go to any store or order online, you will see row’s and row’s of printed cartons, labels, overwraps, displays, information sheets and many other printed products.

The Essential Types of Printing for Paper, Paper Board, Corrugated, Labels and Other Substrates:

Gravure printing is a direct printing process using an etched cylinder printed directly to the printing medium with superior reproduction.  Gravure is used in packaging and publication printing for high-volume printing requirements.

Flexography is a process which utilizes a flexible relief plate utilized in label, flexible packaging and the corrugated printing industries.  

Offset printing is a very common used process with a plate transfer to the image onto a blanket cylinder, then onto the substrate. Offset can produce a vast range of products with sheets and roll applications with a lot of flexibility with excellent reproduction.  

Screen printing is not as widely used as the other printing processes.  It is perfect for non-traditional substrates like fabric, stickers, signs vinyl, posters, point of purchase, etc.  With the screen process, you can produce just any quantities with any material.

Wide Format uses large inkjet devices to print graphics onto large sheets or rolls of substrates including paper, vinyl, point of purchase, floor graphics, apparel, fabric, etc.  This relatively new technology incorporates advanced software, design, cloud computing offering endless versatility and cost-effective for short and medium printing runs.  The inks are printed through inkjet printing heads and then cured by oxidation, heat or UW.   

Digital Printing is the process of printing digital-based images directly onto a variety of media substrates. There is no need for printing plates with direct transfer of the image. Digital Printing is the fastest growing area of printing due the ease of set up and flexibility.  Digital is evolving with improved print quality for high-quality images and variable data requirements.

A Perfect 10 At Legacy Flexo

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This article is one of our features on printing leading up to the event, PRINTING SHOWCASE, September 27 in Green Bay at the Stadium View Bar & Conference venue (just a couple blocks east of Lambeau Stadium.) Legacy Flexo will be on hand as an exhibitor. Contact us for details or sign up today online at www.GreenBayInnovationGroup.com and register at the Event tab.

Use of 10-color flexographic technology has taken companies making that investment into far more than 10-deck printing. Still this question often opens a discussion: “What kinds of jobs require you to run that many colors?” It’s a question that managers hear all the time. “I’m constantly asked why 10 decks are needed,” says Dan Aberly, at Legacy Flexo, Green Bay, WI. The answer to that question and another,”Why invest in this type of press?” are keys to a wide-ranging summary of advancements in flexo printing. This overview explains some of the basic reasoning as well as the increasingly sophisticated jobs being printed.

The capability of a 2021 COMEXI F2 MP10 installation of a 10-color, gearless press sports cutting-edge features like second pass in-register printing, automatic impression setting, automatic viscosity control and the ability to track performance 24/7 worldwide. The press is a symbol of continued, steady growth and a commitment to providing customers with high-quality, cost-effective products.

Worry-free installation was closely related to the quality of pre-planning, specifications and communication with the press design-build provider. Some of the elements on the rundown of considerations for major installations like this, include the long list of capabilities as well as safety, environmental, plates and sleeves, workflow, storage, quality assurance, waste handling, recycling, and more.

Support items such as material handling, trim removal, roll delivery to the press, nearby fixtures, racks and other surrounding systems are all part of a complete installation process. “Everything from washer stations to storage were planned as part of the project,” says Aberly. “We learned a lot from earlier installations and startups.” Operation of eight-color flexo presses has steadily moved Legacy into better press sleeve turnaround and nearby storage; as well as total quality, touch-screen paperless press-side systems.

No-Surprise Installation

During the installation timeframe, a good working relationship between the press provider and printer are especially crucial in terms of:

  • On-time installation and trouble-free startup
  • Flexibility in the build and installation or add-ons
  • Determination of what and where “shakedown trials” will occur
  • Accuracy of dates for start-up and commercial production
  • Definition of turnkey delivery & results
  • Problem solving process when problems occur

Working a good plan and having a committed, flexible team allowed Legacy to bring in this installation on time. “We drove a lot of this because our customers for the press grew their business fast,” said Aberly. “We had customer service incentives to expedite the assembly and installation since our other presses were rapidly becoming sold out.” Helping to determine needs and meet the timeline was a project with key customers. Together we worked on developing new products, plus running print trials. A new product launch and resulting high growth are compelling motivators when an investment is pending.

10 Decks and More

How are the 10 decks used? The need for six stations is easy to understand with jobs that require four colors, plus a metallic and a protective overprint. Beyond that, Aberly says Legacy does much of these on various jobs:

  • Break some colors onto two decks. For example, some heavy coverage colors can be printed with better results using higher volume anilox rollers. Or break out a color using a deck with a screen for delicate shading and another one with line color.
  • Use of colors beyond CMYK for spot color or enhancement of specialty colors.
  • Addition of fluorescent, metallic or precise ink matched colors.
  • Logo or customer-requested special color add-ons.

Examples of particular print jobs rounds out the picture of capabilities. One job category consists of a primary product and line extensions using five-to-nine colors. “Even though this family of printed products does not usually require all 10 decks, the sophistication of the technology provides better results than other presses,” notes Aberly. “In addition, these latest presses allow us to handle a range of film substrates.” 

Special inks are part of the picture where the printed area may be subjected to high heat and require good water and rub resistance. Print developments led Legacy to meet market demand by brand leaders.

When all decks are not being used on a current job, there is also the ability to begin to set up the next job on unused decks.

Runnability Advancements

Web handling advancements, automatic registration, superior drying systems, fast changeovers and great defect detection—are all factors that contribute to the ability to run complex jobs. Other examples of print jobs made possible by this latest flexo technology include:

  • Running substrates such as films that have challenging properties like high-stretch or new synthetic content.
  • Handling shrink film that many 6-color presses don’t process well.
  • Other specialty film substrates such as those used to connect and pick up a 36-pack of water bottles.

Efficiencies Pay Off

Investors in 10-color flexo continue to sing its praises in terms of quality and output. From setup to line speeds, changeover and washup, precision automation has allowed printers to process high volumes.

Even training time on start-up and for new press operators occurs in a short timeframe, at modest cost. This is largely due to automation systems that reduce the need for operators to make adjustments.

Flexibility for printers to assist in the design of the press to meet their market requirements allows them to assure results. For printers pushing the edge on complex jobs, or just pushing the multi-color envelope, the latest 10-color flexo presses cannot be overlooked. And at Legacy Flexo, a full lineup of 10 presses rounds out capabilities. See LegacyFlexo.com.  

– By Susan Stansbury

Become More Innovative & Competitive with 3D Printing

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Join GBIG for a free webinar with experts from Advanced Tek and Stratatsys 3D Printing

10-11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25 | Webinar Hosted by Packerland Websites

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