Thought Leader: Breakbulk Swan Song

By Margaret Vaughan

This is the last article that I will pen for Breakbulk magazine. It has been an unbelievable honor and privilege to have been tapped to share my thoughts and views – such as they are – and I’m grateful for the opportunity. But my life’s being pulled farther from the breakbulk industry and it’s time to pass the proverbial pen to someone else. Let them share what they have learned and what they hold as important in our industry, just as I have. It has been an honor to have had this forum.

I leave with some of the points I’ve shared over the past three years (yes, it’s been that long) but that are worth reiterating.

Leadership: Lead from the front. Lead by example. Support and protect your staff. Respect in leadership is not a given. It must be earned.

Integrity: “Nobody can acquire honor by doing what is wrong,” said Thomas Jefferson. The breakbulk community is small, but it has many eyes and a long memory. A tarnished reputation may never be rehabilitated. Safeguard your personal and professional reputation. Always hold yourself to the highest ethical standards.

Learning: Never stop learning. Never stop keeping up with current events. Never stop thinking, evaluating, studying.

Networking: Develop your network. Attend industry events. Meet people. And when you do, look them in the eye, pay attention to them, avoid distractions. Listen more than you speak. You may need these people one day. Networking or not working, the choice is yours.

Focus: Concentrate on the task(s) at hand. Don’t play with your phone or surf your email or social media while in a conference. Attend to the details and look at people when you interact. You’ll be surprised by what you learn. Don’t commandeer the conversation; you have two ears and only one mouth for a reason. Indispensability: If you’re indispensable, you’re unpromotable. Enough said.

Planning: “Anticipation is 90 program of any game and everything’s a game,” said James W. Vaughan. Believe in your decisions, be abundantly clear in your instructions, and be prepared for daily confusion.

Technology: Stay on top of technological advancements, keep abreast of what’s happening not just in the breakbulk industry but others that touch on it as well. But remember to always think about the downside. What mischief can be made with these new toys?

Above all, bring value to the company you serve, be kind to your associates because you can learn something from everyone with whom you interact, do good work, praise your colleagues, lift up others, and don’t put them down (you want people to work with you again in the future, right?). We spend almost half of our waking hours at work, associating with people who we’ve not chosen, but who have been chosen for us by our organizations, so it behooves us to make the best we can of it. Bring understanding, bring laughter, bring expertise, and bring ice cream. You’ll be glad in the long run.

Many thanks to Gary Burrows and Carly Fields for giving me this opportunity and to you for reading my thought pieces.

Margaret J. Vaughan has more than 30 years’ experience in all facets of supply chain management.

Thanks Margaret. We will miss you!