A shift manager is someone who knows what needs to happen! Jeffrey Linde knows better than anyone what it’s like being a shift manager. He’s been a shift manager of one of our Hoogeveen teams for over four years and is delighted to tell you all about it!
Jeffrey tells his story
It’s been some 15 years since I first set foot across the threshold of Teeling Petfood’s factory in Hoogeveen. It was quite an experience as the factory was brand new. I was particularly impressed by the tower and the continuous production process. That was, and still is, rather unique in the Netherlands. As a trained car mechanic, I found it quite interesting.I’ve had various roles at Teeling over the years, from technical operator, to team leader, to shift manager and, finally, to production manager. It’s been great, and I’ve been given so many opportunities! The years I enjoyed most were when I was a shift manager. In that position, I not only helped in the production process, I also managed a team of six. If you coach them well, you see both individuals and your team grow, giving you a huge sense of satisfaction.
Making the working day as nice as possible
For me it’s important that we make the eight hours we spend together every day as nice as possible. That means listening carefully to others and being there for each other when needed. This fits the Teeling mentality perfectly, because we really do everything together here. Collegiality is high and our lines are short. You’re never number 190, you’re just Jeffrey. That’s valuable because the atmosphere here enables you to grasp opportunities and really get involved in production and other processes.
I learned so much as a shift manager and I’m still learning a lot in my current role as a production manager. This is partly due to the internal training offered to me and the other shift managers, but I’ve also learned a lot just by doing. Rolling up your sleeves and getting on with it. It means I know what needs to be done within a team, I have a lot of confidence in my people and know how to improve processes.
