Observe, Analyze, Act: Looking Back – 19th March 2025
Listening to Machines, Leading with Action
Another day, another lesson—this time from the car. On my way to the plant, I noticed an abnormal sound. It had traveled to Lomé yesterday, so I immediately asked the driver to get it checked. A failed bearing was found. A small issue, but a timely catch.
This took me back to a memory from 2011-12. I was traveling from our Meghalaya plant to Guwahati in a Scorpio when I heard a faint, unusual noise. I told the driver. He insisted there was nothing wrong. But my instinct told me otherwise. We pulled over to check—and what we found was alarming. All the nuts of the rear wheel had loosened. Worse, the continuous driving had worn out the threads on the bolts. We tightened whatever we could and drove cautiously to Guwahati. Even today, the memory gives me goosebumps. A reminder: never ignore a machine when it tries to talk to you. Whether it's a car, a kiln, or a conveyor—listening saves lives.
Morning Talk: Recognizing Good Work & The Power of Small Actions
The workshop team did something remarkable today. Without any instruction, they took the initiative to clean the washroom area. A simple, voluntary act—but such things define a workplace culture. I made it a point to appreciate their effort in the morning talk. We all should contribute in similar ways. Cleaning is not just about hygiene; it’s about ownership, responsibility, and setting the right example.
Bringing Trends Together: Data as a Problem-Solver
One of the things I’ve always believed in—whether at Hills Cement in Meghalaya or National Cement in Kenya—is that trends don’t lie, but isolated numbers do. A single reading of temperature or pressure tells you nothing unless you see it in context. That’s why I am working on consolidating the plant's operation trends into a single correlation chart. When you put all key parameters on one graph, patterns emerge. You can see how variations in one parameter affect another. This is how I solved critical process issues before, and I am confident we will do the same here.
Safety First, Always
Cleaning work on the Clinker Silo Top is progressing well. But my message remains unchanged: Safety first. No job, however urgent, is worth an injury.
LinkedIn & The New Age of Learning
Young professionals are becoming increasingly active on LinkedIn—a positive sign. Many of them are AI enthusiasts, deeply engaged with ChatGPT. And that’s not a bad thing at all! The real challenge, however, is ensuring they don’t fall into the "imposter syndrome of knowledge." No one can learn everything from AI alone. The best approach is a balance between practical experience and AI-driven insights. AI can refine what you learn in the real world—but it cannot replace it.
Rethinking Job Placements in the Cement Industry
Every day, I see job postings across my network. It makes me revisit the same thought: how can we create an efficient system that connects genuine job seekers with genuine employers?
I’ve always believed that a vacant position is a loss for everyone. The employer suffers, the job seeker struggles, and the industry as a whole misses out on productivity. Today, at least, I took a small step—I added some listings to the live job list on CementBook. A structured, transparent system is what we need. One step at a time.
The Myth of the Paperless Office
“Paperless office” — a concept I’ve been hearing about since the early 2000s. Yet, here we are, in 2025, and the reality is papers everywhere. Endless approvals. Signatures. Printouts. And more printouts.
Why has nothing changed?
If we are serious about efficiency, we need to measure it. Maybe it’s time to introduce a KPI:
✅ Signatures per day
✅ No. of papers used per ton of cement produced
✅ No. of printouts per ton of cement
The problem isn’t technology—we have all the tools. The problem is mindset. It’s time to stop talking and start doing.
Final Thought: Every day brings a mix of challenges and progress. Some issues are mechanical, some cultural, and some strategic. But the approach remains the same—observe, analyze, act. Whether it’s a loose wheel nut, an inefficient process, or a misplaced belief in AI, the key is paying attention and taking timely action.
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