Cultural Engineering and Leadership: Inside SIG Sauer with Jeff Chierepko

Facility Rockstars

Jeff Chierepko, Vice President of Global Facilities Management and Special Projects at Sig Sauer, shares his extensive career journey, emphasizing lessons learned, such as the importance of listening, continual learning, questioning assumptions, and problem-solving with a solutions-oriented mindset. He highlights the significance of understanding and respecting diverse cultures, effective communication, and building a cohesive team.

The discussion also covers Sig Sauer's strategic approach to global operations, emphasizing the integration and collaboration across various functions, including engineering, safety, and security. Jeff provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Sig Experience Center (SEC), showcasing its successful design, customer experience, and how it represents the company's innovative spirit. He concludes with advice for those in similar roles, stressing the importance of delegation, training, and maintaining open communication within and outside the organization.

Takeaways:

• Present Solutions, Not Problems. Approaching leadership with potential solutions, rather than just problems, is a valuable strategy. This mindset shifts focus from merely identifying obstacles to actively creating answers, which contributes significantly to professional growth and demonstrates value within an organization.
• Respectfully Challenge the Experts. Blindly following expert advice can lead to inefficiency. In one example, an expert claimed a specific velocity-measuring device would never work in a particular application. After years of accepting this, a simple call to the manufacturer revealed that placing a piece of printer paper over the device would solve the issue. The lesson is to question everything and seek alternative solutions, even when dealing with seasoned professionals.
• Empower Teams Through Delegation. To effectively manage and foster growth, leaders must delegate and trust their people. Giving team members the freedom "to really just go out and prove" themselves allows them to develop new skills and take ownership. This approach is the only way team members will learn, and it allows leaders to focus on other strategic initiatives.
• Foster Deep Collaboration Between Facilities and EHS. The relationship between Facilities and Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) is critically important, especially in hazardous or highly regulated industries. When designing facilities for complex processes, such as those involving explosives, the deep knowledge of both facilities and EHS must be integrated from the beginning to ensure safety and compliance.
• Build Bridges Through Cultural Authenticity. When working globally, building personal connections is key. Instead of making a "pathetic attempt" at speaking a local language, it's better to be honest and authentic. A simple, genuine gesture, such as including one's father in a video call with an international partner, can break down barriers and create a lasting personal bond.
• Proactively Break Down Silos. Don't wait for another department to solve communication issues. Taking the initiative to create a forum, such as a quarterly summit, can resolve recurring breakdowns between siloed teams. Such meetings can reveal redundant work and foster collaboration, proving that anyone can step up to improve cross-departmental communication.
• Maintain a "Tour-Ready" Standard of Excellence. Adopting a philosophy of being "always be tour-ready" ensures that all areas of a facility—not just public-facing ones—are maintained to the highest standard. This commitment to excellence in even unseen "backstage" areas reflects deep operational integrity and contributes to a culture of quality and lean performance.

Quote of the Show:

• “Never think that you know everything, and don't just blindly follow people.”

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-chierepko-2126964b/
• Website: https://www.sigsauer.com/

Shoutouts:

• IFMA Boston: https://ifmaboston.org/
• Association of Facilities Engineering (AFE) Chapter 33: https://www.afechapter33.org/
• Sig Sauer Academy: https://sigsaueracademy.com/

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