Detroit Has Their First Female CEO

Kelly MottCOLL-148-10116

June 22, 2014Professor Kueker

The daughter of a die maker at a Pontiac plant who grew up in the suburbs of Detroit is now the first woman to become CEO of one of the Big Three. On Tuesday, December 10, 2013, General Motors announced that Mary Barra would be stepping up as the CEO in January.

Introduction

DeVry program met all the requirements for me to attend Kettering University to pursue my Master of Science in Lean Manufacturing

I currently have an AAS in Industrial Management I am inspired by the teachings of Dr. W. E.

Deming, which were introduced to me while working on the assembly line at ConAgra Foods

Mary Barra also attended Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute)

Why I chose Technical Managementwith a concentration in Lean Manufacturing

Graduate from DeVry in August of 2016 Achieve my Green Belt and Black Belt in Six

Sigma Achieve my Master of Science in Lean

Manufacturing before I reach 50.

My Education and Career Goals

Roots in the company “Mobility of

Management” is #4 of Dr. W. E. Deming’s Seven Deadly Diseases

Believes that simplicity and transparency are the keys to fixing the problems at GM

Why Mary Barra Inspires Me

Facing the problems of the “GM Way”

“The first EDSer to see a snake kills it.At GM, the first thing you do is organize a committee on snakes. Then you bring in a consultant who knows a lot about snakes.Third thing you do is talk about it for a year.”

-EDS Founder Ross Perot after selling hisCompany to GM , 1986 (Colvin)

Some of the positions Mary Barra has held in the company include her first position on the assembly line at the age of 18, engineer after college, plant manager, head of manufacturing

and product development, assistant to the CEO, and oddly, head of human resources:

She changed the ten page dress code to two words- “Dress appropriately.”

Regularly visits each plant and speaks with the shop floor employees

Actively listens to the employees as well as asks questions about how they feel processes could be improved

Encourages input, creativity, and problem-solving strategies that are derived from the workers themselves

Characteristics of Mary Barra that make her a leader

In her article, Mary Barra’s Bumpy Ride, Rana Foroohar gives us an account of her tour with Mary Barra.“At one point Barra stops abruptly alongside a line worker using a small magnetic tool to pick up tiny parts and move them into place more precisely. “That’s so interesting. I’ve never seen that tool before,” says Barra. The worker, a middle-aged African-American woman, tells her that she picked it up at a dollar store. “What a clever idea. That’s so creative,” says Barra. “What a great way to problem-solve.”

Mary Barra exercises her philosophy of transparency by welcoming the media on her regular plant visits when they request interviews.

I come from a blue-collar family I was always curious and constantly wanting

to find out how things work I always have thought it very important

when given leadership roles to be engaged with the people I serve

I do not believe in committees and avoidance of responsibility

How I Identify With Mary Barra

#1 Lack of Constancy and Purpose #2 Emphasis on Short Term Profits #3 Annual Rating of Performance #4 Mobility of Management #5 Use of Visible Figures Only #6 Excessive Medical Costs #7 Excessive Costs of Liability

Dr. W. E. Deming’s Seven Deadly Diseases of Management

My Models of Leadership

“The best reason to be optimistic about Barra’s chances is that, just as she isn’t attempting the change in the old GM-way, she isn’t measuring success that way either. How will she know whether she is actually changing the culture? “The ultimate proof point will be when we deliver exceptional financial results by continuing to do exceptional products and providing an exceptional customer experience,” she says. That is, she’ll look outward. Very un-GM-like. “That’s how I’ll know.” (Colvin)

Conclusion

ReferencesColvin, G. (2014). Mary Barra’s (unexpected) opportunity. Fortune, 170(5), 102-110. Foroohar, R. (2014). Mary Barra’s bumpy ride. (Cover Story). Time, 184(13), 32-38.Kolhatkar, S. (2014). Don’t worry: GM hasn’t

shortchanged Mary Barra. Businessweek.Com, 4.Mary Barra: GM’s next CEO?. (2013). Fortune.com, 1.