In this episode of The Operations Science Podcast, your host Ed Pound welcomes Rahul Teotia, a seasoned executive with vast global experience in leading supply chain and operations functions across various industries. Rahul shares his invaluable insights on building high-performing teams, navigating digital transformations, and simplifying complex processes to achieve significant impacts. This conversation is packed with actionable advice for any leader looking to drive operational excellence in a global context.

Tune in inside to learn about:

Building high-performing international teams.

The importance of listening and servant leadership.

Effective change management strategies.

The role of AI and automation in modern operations.

Simplifying complex processes for major impact.

Navigating cross-cultural challenges in global business.

Maintaining work-life balance in a demanding career.

Takeaways:

When stepping into a new leadership role, the first couple of months should be dedicated to listening to understand the company's strategy, culture, and business pain points before implementing changes.

Building trust with a new team is crucial; this can be fostered by meeting people face-to-face, involving them in decision-making, and appreciating their existing knowledge and contributions.

Successful change management hinges on identifying the "why" behind the change, structuring a dedicated team to lead the initiative, and managing stakeholders' expectations through clear and consistent communication.

Technology and automation should be implemented to make people more effective and enable strategic decision-making, not just to replace them. It's vital to understand the process you want to improve before applying a technological solution.

Simplifying processes, such as centralizing purchasing for multiple sites, can lead to significant improvements in material availability and efficiency, even with complex legacy systems.

Living and working in different countries provides invaluable experience in managing cross-cultural relationships and adapting to new environments, a key skill for global leaders.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

02:05 - Best Practices for Forming High-Performing Teams

05:04 - Balancing Leadership Styles to Establish Trust

08:00 - The Impact of Cross-Cultural Experience

10:10 - Biggest Challenges in Supply Chain and Operations Leadership

12:34 - The Critical Role of Planning in Operations

16:02 - Evaluating the Trade-offs of Automation

19:15 - Simplifying Complex Processes for Major Impact

25:25 - Mastering the Art of Change Management

31:02 - Understanding Flow, Variability, and Capacity

33:05 - Opportunities and Challenges of AI in Operations

39:39 - Favorite Mistakes and Leadership Lessons

45:55 - Early Life and Path to Operations Leadership

49:31 - Maintaining Work-Life Balance

55:21 - Outro

Quote of the show:

"If you are working too late in the night, that means either you're not being productive and smart in what you do, or you have too much on your plate."

Hashtags:

#OperationsScience #SupplyChain #Leadership #GlobalOperations #RahulTeotia #OperationalExcellence #ChangeManagement #TeamBuilding #DigitalTransformation #AIinBusiness #ProcessImprovement #LeanManufacturing #Podcast

For more on Thermo Fisher Scientific see

https://corporate.thermofisher.com/us/en/index/newsroom/Our-stories.html

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