Leaders spend 'a day in the life of' Jaguar Land Rover associates

Tom Davies who is the Global Change Manager in Powertrain Operations spent his first ever shift on the petrol assembly line at our Wolverhampton plant. Before working at Jaguar Land Rover, Tom worked in a technical role in aerospace and has worked at Jaguar Land Rover as a support function for over three years, so spending time on the line was a new challenge for him.

What is 'a day in the life of' ?

The team at the EMC are transforming the way in which engines are manufactured so they are recognised as the global benchmark for excellence, by driving a positive culture.

Leaders have been challenged to work outside their direct area (and their comfort zones) so that they can learn from our associates and vice versa, to drive a culture of continuous improvement.

So far, we've found that these opportunities have strengthened our team, including stronger collaboration, problem-solving and improved efficiency.

What does 'a day in the life of' look like?

All senior managers at our Wolverhampton plant will work on a production line three times each year, during which time they will be able to gain a greater understanding around the process and the culture of that line.

We will let the leader know when and where they need to be. They will then carry out a process under supervision for a minimum of half a shift.

 Why are we doing 'a day in the life of'?

Feedback from our employees tells us that it would be beneficial to get all leaders to take part in the direct manufacturing process of building powertrains.  The ‘day in the life of’ provides the opportunity to have open and transparent conversations about life in manufacturing at Jaguar Land Rover.

Success so far

We are in our third week of 'a day in the life of' opportunities at our Wolverhampton plant. We spoke to Tom about his experience:

"I enjoyed being on the shop floor but it has really made me appreciate how difficult associates' jobs can be. I was working in an area where I was attaching a lifting eye on the engine. Spending time on the production line has helped me understand the kind of pressures that the guys can be under and why they become so passionate when wanting my department to respond so quickly if something goes wrong. I really get the sense of urgency now."

Tom joked: "I was actually quite slow when I was down there, I'm sure the associates won't be recommending me for a transfer any time soon!"

Have a look at the gallery to see what some of our other leaders have been getting up to in a 'day in the life of '...

Gallery