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SPRING 2023

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Distributor's Link Magazine Spring 2023 / Vol 46 No 2

58 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

58 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK Robert Footlik Robert B. Footlik, PE is a retired Professional Industrial Engineer. With over 50 years’ experience as a Warehouse and Logistics Consultant to a wide variety of clients including Fastener Distributors, Bob has a wealth of valuable information for our industry and he is willing to share it. While Footlik & Associates is now closed, his expertise is still available to his friends and our readers. For friendly advice, a second opinion or just to start a conversation, he can be reached at robert@footlik.net. TAMING THE TOXIC WAREHOUSE Ten years ago, if someone told you the warehouse was “toxic” the first thought would have been to check the Hazardous Materials Data Sheets for environmental contamination. Today the term is applied to far more dangerous conditions that can lead to litigation, death and destruction. You cannot isolate your company from social change. One way or another what is happening in the outside world will find its way in and taint everyone. Regardless of your personal politics what is happening in kindergartens, elementary schools, high schools, colleges, universities, governmental agencies and politics will indeed manifest itself in a multitude of ways. As The “Woke Movement” Advances Equity is not the same as equality and racial preferences are by definition racist. When being a “protected class” under the Equal Rights laws takes priority over merit, mediocrity and stifled initiative will rule. This does not bode well for a customer centric service business such as Fastener Distribution. In today’s business environment political correctness and tainted Human Relations Departments are sinking more companies than economics and the looming recession. Every generation is convinced that their parents have been wrong, pig-headed and misguided. My generation had Woodstock; my parents fought a war with moral clarity and grew up fast while shocking their parents with loud, CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE jazz music. If one looks at history, the ancient Roman and Greek civilizations also struggled with generational issues. As a practical, hardworking, creative individual, l do not understand all this. No amount of research can provide a sound basis for these societal changes. I can however state unequivocally: Wokeness In The Workplace… Does not belong and should never be tolerated. You, however, are probably experiencing these toxic attitudes in your warehouse, office, workplace, and/or in many aspects of your life outside of work. How are we going to cope with this? Lessons From The Past Around 1996 I visited a plumbing supply branch warehouse in a Midwest city. As I toured the facility, it became almost immediately obvious that there was a larger, unaddressed situation. The workforce was focused on bullying, taunting, hazing and embarrassing two coworkers, brothers who happened to share a notorious last name with a cousin who was convicted of sexual crimes, serial murder and cannibalism. At every opportunity, the warehouse and office staff “picked on” the hapless duo and the comments were sarcastic, cruel and devastating. Somehow, the innocents had become the target of hate and the situation tainted everyone, including management and customers. CONTINUED ON PAGE 128

THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 59

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