Mainland Machinery Ltd

Leading in the Mining Industry

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leading in the mining industryLeading in the Mining Industry

Recently, a dramatic increase has been recorded in the number of graduates intending to join the white collar job force. Lawyers, engineers and other office based jobs have seen a dramatic increase. However, this has also led to serious shortfalls in certain industry departments across the globe.

The Canadian mining industry has also noticed a serious reduction of young professionals taking up blue collar professions. Projections show that 40% of the current Canadian mine workforce is expected to go in to retirement in the next decade. Due to this, paired with only a fraction of students taking up mining-related courses, it is projected that there will be a serious shortfall in the mining workforce in the future.

To help improve the careers of each person that joins the mining industry, and to set yourself as leading in the mining industry, certain skills must be observed, practiced and perfected.

  • Enjoy the profession you choose to pursue: Not having a real interest in the profession is a major reason linked to the career failure of many professionals. It’s vital that a person joining the mining industry has interest in the industry, as well as the department they are joining. It is also the responsibility of the mining company to interview the candidates and determine what they are good at doing and what they are comfortable with, so as to start them off in a posting where they will be successful.
  • Learn to broaden your skills in the mining industry:  You may have a degree linked to a specific field in the mining industry, but this should not restrict you to pursuing only one skill. In fact, this may be considered a crippling point by some mining companies in Canada. This is because they prefer workers who are willing to learn and perfect different skills in the industry, making them more diverse and capable of contributing more towards the mining company’s growth. It’s important to be diverse in the mining industry, since it ensures you are in high demand and capable of handling many different jobs throughout the industry.
  • Avoid chasing after salary and concentrate on building your career: Many people entering the mining industry concentrate more on the amount of money they will be receiving, rather than building their career. It’s important that you first place more emphasis towards learning and perfecting your job, as well as diversifying your skills in the industry. Income increases as you acquire more skill and become more valuable to mining companies.
  • Find a mentor in the mining industry: Being new to the mining industry can be confusing. Having an experienced person provide their knowledge and experience can help you reduce stress, while gaining experience. The mentor doesn’t have to be from your current employers’ firm, they may even be retired from the mining industry. Make sure to select mentors linked to the department you work in. For instance, mining office workers won’t have the same insight as field workers and vice versa. This makes the department you work at important to consider when choosing a mentor.
  • Be prepared to take up new tasks: One of the ways your employer may test your willingness to progress, is by allocating new tasks to you. These may not be directly linked to your expertise, but linked to your department and industry, meant to determine your willingness to take up new challenges. When offered these new tasks, always take them up, even when you know nothing about them. Make sure to tell your boss you have no experience in the job, but are willing to try it with proper instruction. This shows your willingness to progress and learn more skills in the mining industry, making you more valuable to the company.

Success in the Canadian mining industry mainly depends on how you intend to build your career and make it thrive. It’s important that you be passionate about the profession and industry, so as to help your drive in building a successful career.  

Mainland Machinery Ltd

Canadian Women in Oil and Gas Industry

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Canadian Women in Oil and Gas IndustryCanadian Women in Oil and Gas Industry

Women have traditionally been a minority in mining, especially in executive leadership positions. However, there has been a change in recent years as many mining companies are altering their attitudes towards women in the industry. Many studies have proven that women have certain superior qualities to men. Therefore, including women in any working group, results in better performance. As oil and gas companies have recognized the benefits of including women in the oil and gas industry’s work force, it has become one of the main reasons that the Canadian oil and gas industry has seen a spike in female recruitment.

Current Statistics of Positions Held by Women  

The Canadian mining industry was among the first to include women in mining work. Women participating, in what was traditionally a male job, have been recognized in Canada for several decades now. Women began entering the male dominated industry with the modernization of mining equipment, which made mining easier and safer. Since then, many other industries have followed suit as it has become clear that women are capable of handling most jobs when offered the opportunity. Women are encouraged to take up jobs in both administrative and manual positions. Currently, women take up 19% of the positions in the mining industry, with 12% filling senior executive positions and 6% in board of director positions. Although the oil and gas mining industry still accounts for a smaller number of women, intensive efforts are being put in towards encouraging women to join the petroleum industry. The efforts have not gone unnoticed, with each of the four petroleum related programs doubling enrollment over a 10 year period.

Gender Dis-aggregated Enrollment in Petroleum-Related Programs University of Calgary

Program 1987 Enrollment 1997 Enrollment
 Chemical Engineering Total: 123 Female: 20 (16.3%)Male: 103 (83.7%) Total: 211 Female: 76 (36.0%)Male: 135 (64.0%)
 Geology/Geophysics Total: 183 Female: 40 (21.9%)Male: 143 (78.1%) Total: 192 Female: 79 (41.1%)Male: 113 (58.9%)

Source: NSERC/Petro-Canada Chair for Women in Science and Engineering, Department of Geo-metrics Engineering, University of Calgary University of Alberta

Program 1987 Enrollment 1997 Enrollment
 Chemical Engineering Total: 123 Female: 20 (16.3%)Male: 103 (83.7%) Total: 211 Female: 76 (36.0%)Male: 135 (64.0%)
 Chemical Engineering Total: 194 Female: 37 (19.1%)Male: 157 (80.9%) Total: 270 Female: 95 (35.2%)Male: 175 (64.8%)
 Geology Total: 120 Female: 24 (20.0%)Male: 96 (80.0%) Total: 117 Female: 41 (35.0%)Male: 76 (65.0%)
 Geophysics Total: 29 Female: 4 (13.8%)Male: 25 (86.2%) Total: 20 Female: 9 (45.0%)Male: 11 (55.0%)

Sources: Office of the Registrar, Institutional Analysis, University of Alberta. Faculty of Science, University of Alberta Reasons Behind the Increasing Demand for Female Workforces

Gone are the days when women were thought to only be good at housekeeping. There have been many studies that have proven that in regards to business, women are even more successful than men. It has been proven that males and females do thing in different ways; bringing out some important benefits, if harnessed in the correct manner. A study done in 2012, Leadership: Women Do it Better than Men by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, clearly demonstrated that women excelled in 15 of the 16 characteristic required to be an excelling leader. This also means that work groups that have more women, tend to be more successful than those bearing fewer women. This is linked to certain skill sets which women tend to have, that are shown to be superior to men in planning and working. Below are some of these important aspects:

  • Strategic planning : The Zenger and Folkman study clearly demonstrated that women tend to be better strategic planners then men. The study showed that men tend to want to continue trying a certain approach, even after falling twice or trice, with the hope of finding a solution. Women will return to the drawing board and attempt to determine what went wrong the first time round, which results in less time lost and more money saved.
  • Risk management: Women also scored higher ratings when it came to risk assessment and management. The study did not go further to determine what made women better at taking more calculated risks, but hopefully future studies will determine the reason. Risk management decisions made by women tend to bear half the risk linked to decisions made by men.
  • Openness to new ideas and approaches: Women are also much better at learning new skills that they are interested in. They showed an overall better willingness towards learning and developing new ideas and approaches linked to the projects at hand.
  • Better at emotional management: Another very important skill that women tend to be superior at is emotional management. Unlike men, who get overwhelmed by anger or excitement, women tend to remain calm until the task is completed. This was clearly demonstrated in games held between the men and women, whereby the women retained focus on the competition at all stages. On the other hand, men came under pressure towards the end or when competition was intense, causing them to make major mistakes and even lose.
  • Better financial acumen: Finally, comes money management. Most women tend to plan and spend limited financial resources in a better way than men. Women planned to spend the money with long term plans in mind, while men tended to observe the shorter term perspective, resulting in financial shortfalls over the long term.

Scope for a Female Workforce Improving the Canadian Oil Mining Industry The above are just a few of the skills that make women strong contenders for enrollment in the Canadian oil and gas industry. In February 2014, the female leadership program offered $250,000 in federal funding towards female scientists and engineers, as a way of attracting more women to take up petroleum and mining related programs in the future. The increasing influx of women getting involved in traditionally male dominated jobs is on the rise across all industries; with many observing major positive changes. It’s important that not only the Canadian oil and gas mining industry consider including more women, but all Canadian industrial sectors.

Mainland Machinery Ltd

Leadership Skills for the Port Manager

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port managerLeadership Skills for the Port Manager 

Every decision you make as a senior port manager should be an informed one. When presented with a problem, you’ll want to look at all the facts and possible solutions. You may even want to get advice and opinions from the staff before making your final call. Is there something that you’re leaving out? What is your “gut” telling you about this decision? You might think that managing a port is no time for intuition or “gut feelings.” However, applying something called intuitive intelligence can greatly enhance your entire decision making process.

There are certain situations where you could benefit the most from utilizing intuitive intelligence. One of these would be during a crisis. As a port manager, you need to respond quickly, before the matter gets out of hand. There are also problems that bring together opposing forces, making it hard to resolve the matter without sounding as if you’re contradicting yourself. Then there is the problem that’s easy to get stuck on. In these situations, when things are a mess from the start, you are required to spring into action.

How can you apply intuitive intelligence in your role as port manager? Consider this five-step process:

 Step 1: Get Focused

As the problem is presented, you’ll want to take a moment to get focused. Think of yourself as a black belt karate expert who has to break a board with his hand. Before the strike, all your concentration is focused on that board and in shutting out the rest of the world. Using your intuition means being able to clear your head of noise and judgment. Don’t try to make sense of the problem in this moment, just take it in. You don’t have to go off for an hour to accomplish this. It really can happen in a few seconds.

 Step 2: Look at the Big Picture

There are a lot of moving parts involved when solving any port problem. Before pulling the trigger on your decision, take a moment to step back and see the big picture. You need to focus in order to sort through the clutter in your mind and find pertinent information. You might already have the answer you’re looking for based on a report you read weeks ago. Maybe a few moments staring at the Google Earth snapshot of your port will do the trick.

Step 3: Declare Your Purpose

Obviously, you want to solve the problem at hand. However, you need to dig deeper when calling upon your intuition. Solving a problem can have a ripple effect all across the port. You need to declare, in no uncertain terms, what your objective is in making this decision. Once that is “set in stone,” you’ll find your gut instincts kicking in.

Step 4: Use Your Moral Compass

You know what is right and wrong. When you engage your intuition, you’ll be depending on your moral compass to help you make those calls. Of course, you need to clarify your values as they relate to your leadership, before a crisis crops up. That way you’ll clearly know what extent you should trust your intuition, in regards to your final decision.

Step 5: Pull the Trigger

After you’ve assessed the situation and listened to your intuition, you need to pull the trigger on your decision. This has to be done with a firm resolve so that there will be no doubt amongst your staff about what they are to do. This is where genuine leadership comes into play and it will be your chance to prove yourself.

 

 

Mainland Machinery Ltd

Could You be a Company Leader?

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be a company leaderCould You be a Company Leader?

Shakespeare wrote in his play Twelfth Night that when it comes to “greatness” some are born with it, some achieve it, and others have it thrust upon them. This concept can apply to the leadership roles within companies. Maybe you have a supervisor who is a natural born leader, someone who is a quick problem solver, and is respected by their employees and peers. Some people become leaders because they found themselves in the right place at the right time, were promoted and rose to meet the challenge. Either way, a leader is someone who needs to be flexible, personable, and decisive.

The question is, do you have what it takes to become the next company leader at your job?

There are plenty of freshly scrubbed, business management grads that would be a huge asset to a business. However, these untested supervisors really wouldn’t be able to “hit the ground running.” There would still be a learning curve required as they acclimate themselves to their new work environment.

On the other hand, pulling a team member up from the ranks makes a lot of sense for a company. This is usually someone who has already stepped up and gotten themselves noticed. You’re not going to find yourself being eyed for a promotion if your bosses don’t even know your capabilities.

How can you get noticed on the job? Increased productivity in your sector is always helpful. However, you can also step up for roles outside of your current position, such as participating in the company’s charity drive or joining the steering committee. Yes, this will mean putting in extra hours, but you’ll be noticed by the bosses for your efforts and that’s what counts.

Acquiring additional skill sets is also something you’ll want to focus on if you hope to impress upper management and become a company leader. If you’re moving from the assembly line to the corner office, then you’re going to be deploying an entirely different range of equipment. You’ll have to become familiar with all the scheduling, accounting, and communication software used by your company. Get yourself ready by finding out what systems are currently being used and take courses to familiarize yourself with their operation.

Being a team player is another vital component of becoming noticed as a leader. Not only should you be getting along with your coworkers, you should also strive to become the “go-to” problem solver in your work area. Experience also matters. To that end, it will be helpful if you can familiarize yourself with all aspects of the company. A true leader isn’t going to stay in their comfort zone. Instead, they will branch out and take on new challenges.

At some point, you’ll have to declare your intentions for a promotion. When you understand the management structure of your company, you’ll know where you can fit in. You could even consider taking one of your supervisors out for a coffee to discuss the possibility of your advancement. The moment you put them on notice about your intentions, they’ll be watching your progress.

It’s time to step up.