SUPPORT IS THE KEY

Getting involved in TIC is about stepping out of your comfort zone, developing new skills and coming together as a team to make your work area a better place to be. One TIC superstar wanted to share her experiences on how lots of support can help you go the extra mile.

In Cheryl Bradford’s case, this was made that little bit harder after her fellow circle members moved to different areas of the business. With sheer determination and some much-needed support from coaches, colleagues and others in her area, Cheryl was awarded the 2019 TIC Chairperson’s Award for her extra efforts.

You can find Cheryl loading her window in Body Shop 1. She has been helping build Range Rovers at Solihull for the past six years, but it was this time last year that Cheryl wanted a change. She didn’t know a huge amount about TIC and definitely didn’t expect to become a TIC superstar. A year on, things have changed for the better and she’s about to embark on her next TIC Journey. Cheryl confesses that after a few years doing the same job, she can get itchy feet. “I love my job and put my all into it, but after a while I like to see what else is out there. Since I started in Body Shop 1, I’ve always been left to do my job and that’s been about it.

“Last year I started to feel that change, as managers began to take more interest in what we were doing, especially when they started to cover our jobs during break times. I got chatting to my Process Leader Keith Bonsar, who suggested getting involved in TIC to help with my development.” It was then that Cheryl formed her TIC with some of her work area colleagues.

A few stages into the TIC process, the team was hit with a bombshell. Three of the four circle members were moved to different areas of Solihull, which meant Cheryl was left on her own. Speaking about the predicament she was left in, Cheryl commented, “It did come as a bit of a blow. My first time doing TIC, left on my own, I wasn’t too sure what to do. I knew I was enjoying TIC and didn’t want to give up, but I needed some sup-port.” This was where Cheryl’s TIC coach stepped in.

Supported by her coach, Cheryl managed to keep the ball rolling and started to make great progress with her project improvements. Cheryl said, “Without the help from those around me, I wouldn’t have known where to turn. They pointed me in the right direction, opened doors to help solve issues I was stuck with, and spent a lot of time helping me practise my presentation for the convention.”

The extra support didn’t just come from Cheryl’s TIC Coach. Everyone I spoke with was great with helping me along, and I was blown over by the amount of help you can get by just asking. I used the TIC drop-in sessions with the Solihull Cheryl Bradford puts her positive TIC experience down to great support from those around her TIC committee to polish up my presentation, but what I found really useful was just speaking to teammates across the patch. Someone, somewhere will have the answer. All you need to do is keep asking and stay persistent.”

It was when Cheryl turned up to present her TIC at last year’s Solihull Convention she realised how far she had come - especially after being on her own. She continued, “The convention blew me away. I couldn’t believe how many people were involved in TIC across the plant and there were some amazing ideas.” After presenting her TIC journey to the judges, Cheryl’s determination and resilience really showed. So much so that she was personally invited to the Global Convention by Jaguar Land Rover TIC Chairperson, Trevor Leeks.

After spending a week in Nitra, Slovakia, at last year’s Global Convention, an excitable Cheryl couldn’t speak highly enough of TIC - and she wants every-one to get involved at Solihull. She commented, “TIC has given me the opportunity to see the vast size of the company we work for and have experiences I wouldn’t have thought possible. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the fantastic support I received.”

Cheryl wanted to share her experience to help those who are embarking on their first TIC journey. “Support is there for you. If you are currently sitting there thinking about what to do next, spend some time with your TIC coach. If you need more help after that, speak with any manager; they can point you in the right direction. Don’t be afraid to ask or approach people you don’t know.”

Cheryl, good luck with your next TIC, we salute you.

Over 650 colleagues at Solihull have started on their 2020 TIC journey. If you are looking for any support with your own TIC journey, speak with your TIC coach as a first point of call. You can also ask any questions on the Solihull Plant Yammer page. Alternatively, send any questions to solihull@jlr-colleaguecommunications.com and we will point you in the right direction. We want to hear how your TIC journey is going.