Passion for the Arts

 

There are a few things about which I am passionate. One of those things is the quality of life of the people in my community, and especially the children of my community. Having a long career in human resources, and working to help companies choose the right individuals to help them be wildly successful, I find that an education in the arts is critical to a well-rounded and effective employee.

It’s not only about business though, in a greater sense, I believe the arts make human-kind better than it may actually be. Whether it’s Grade School Art Class or a World-Class Museum, the Arts have the ability to bridge the gaps between the factions of human-kind. Here is a quip that I wrote when I heard my hometown school board had decided to de-fund the multiple award-winning High School Band program.

I remember during my days in the Alexandria-Monroe High School Tiger Band that our band director, Mr. Everett “Zeke” Rossow, taught us over and over the virtues of discipline, order, self-esteem, team work, accuracy, synchronized performance, relationship building, and integrity. As a result we were among the top ten bands in the State of Indiana year after year.

Bands were easily the largest groups of students belonging to any one organization in the school at any given time. Being the largest, there was a continuous effect of the many ways band members touched the lives of countless numbers of teachers, students, friends, acquaintances, family members, etc., and stirred the hearts of citizens and boosters with pride each time they saw or heard their band play and perform.

The center pieces to all this were the music and the teachers. The results of all this were the many students who, even today, speak and act with pride about their experiences then and how music affected their lives over and over again. Many went on to successful careers in music, but many, many more went on to successful careers in a myriad of disciplines because of what they learned in band.

In my opinion, taking the resources away from the arts and ending these programs is not only short-sited, but catastrophic from a futuristic point of view. It hurts not only the students, but lowers the quality of life for the whole community. Where does the average student go to learn about the character of applied knowledge that only the arts can provide to the creative and adventurous mind? It is superficial when the quality of education falls to the cold, unthinking cutting brought about by cost accounting. What good does reducing and eliminating the arts from education do to the community?

Don Swift and Associates is dedicated to helping companies be wildly successful through the use of Quality Management Systems, Human Resource Management, and Mediation services.   As a loyal group of ethical practitioners, we hold confidentiality in high esteem and guarantee you will not regret trying our services. Call us today at (940) 228-0550 or email us at Don@donswiftandassociates.com to receive your free consultation.

Don Swift and Associates Launches New Website!

Don Swift and Associates, a human resources and quality management consulting firm located in Wichita Falls, TX, is excited to announce the launch of its new website, as part of a  strategy aimed at expanding its role as a leader in mediation, HR and Quality systems.

The new DonSwiftandAssociates.com showcases a more modern look and allows users to have a unique interactive experience.  The new site features customer case studies and testimonials, whitepapers, and video.  The site provides content syndication that can be seen on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

“Our team has worked very hard over the past few months to make our website capture audience interest and provide for an excellent customer experience,” says Steve Haviland, President of Think of IT Computer Services.  The Wichita Falls based service who delivered the website. “We feel the new website provides information about us in an easy and assessible manner, and we hope our visitors enjoy the page as much as we do.”

The website is an essential resource for companies looking to improve their systems and processes in regard to human resouces, conflict resolution, and quality management systems.  Client’s can learn about the companies services and visit the blog to receive tips, and advice about human resources and quality management systems.

To see the new website, please visit www.donswiftandassociates.com.

Don Swift and Associates is a dedicated to finding the best solution for your needs. As a loyal group of ethical practitioners, we hold confidentiality in high esteem and guarantee you will not regret trying our services. Call us today at 940-228-0550 to receive your free consultation.

Case Study: Albert’s Moving and Storage

The Problem:

Imagine your business thriving. Your revenue is growing at a rate so fast, you can hardly keep up with your customers. Everything is working well, but the quality of your products and services were beginning to deteriorate. Bobby Albert, the CEO of Albert Moving and Storage (AMS) was having just such a dilemma.

With over 150 employees, “AMS” had grown so large they needed quality and service excellence programs. Desperate to find a solution, Bobby Albert on the advice of his COO, turned to Don Swift and Associates.

The Solution

Don Swift helped AMS Staff to create a more complete Business System by designing and implementing both a Quality Management System as well as a Human Resources Management System. This addressed such issues as:

  • The need for an overall controlled process for designing quality plans to handle customer requirements
  • The lack of an organized and controlled Customer Service training process
  • The need for quality metrics and the analysis for continuous improvements
  • A document control system
  • The lack of a corrective and preventive actions system
  • Job descriptions which were incomplete
  • The lack of a formal Training Management System
  • The need to stabilize Human Relations issues
  • Lack of a Quality Manual and an HR Handbook.

Don Swift organized their team to recognize that by putting an emphasis on people and workable systems designed against established standards, AMS could greatly improve their Quality and HR Management processes.

“Don fit our culture because we place emphasis on people. He connected our people internally to help our customer service base.”

–          Bobby Albert, CEO AMS

According to Bobby Albert – Albert Moving and Storage had developed a company principle called, ‘Nside/Outside, which stated that: “Our service to the customer is only as good as our service to each other.” Don was the perfect fit for the company to accomplish that.

Don Swift and Associates understands that when employees take pride in their work, quality gets embedded into that firm’s core values. This value of quality not only effects the internal culture of the company, but changes customer interactions as well, and in the process enhances the bottom line.

This is the Human Side of Quality.

With all of the compliance issues surrounding human resources, it is necessary to create a Human Resources Management System that is accurate and focused on meeting the government’s strict regulations, yet one able to capture talent, and develop the company’s employees. As Bobby Albert stated, “You fill in all the blanks and are in compliance and everything is in place, but what Don is doing is that he is actually making it work.”

As a direct result of Don Swift and Associates’s involvement, and the management team’s focus on developing the culture, systems, and employees of Albert Moving and Storage, the company went on to be cited as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Texas.

If your company is in need of training in quality management, human resources consultation, or if you have need of dispute resolution tools like mediation, give Don Swift and Associates, LLC a call. Contact us at don@donswiftandassociates.com or 940-228-0550.

Case Study: Cryogenic Vessels Alternatives

A quality control system at a company which manufactures equipment is a much needed tool. Without good quality, faulty parts may be shipped to a customer. How happy would your customers be if the parts shipped to them were low quality or broken?  Cryogenic Vessels Alternatives had just such a problem. The company decided to use a quality system called ISO9001. However, no one had the knowledge needed to receive and maintain the certification for ISO9001.

“As a consultant, he’s not there just to make his money in a situation. He is going to take into account what the company is looking for, what their goals are, and how he can serve.” – Larry Pinder, CVA

Don Swift and Associates, LLC were contacted by a supervisor who had worked previously with Don. The company needed help with the framework and the documentation to become ISO9001 compliant. Don is a professional who is very competent and knowledgeable. He set to work immediately.

Larry Pinder had this to say about Don Swift and Associates, LLC, “As a consultant, he’s not there just to make his money in a situation. He is going to take into account what the company is looking for, what their goals are, and how he can serve.”

Many of the employees were inexperienced, and few had heard of the ISO9001 format. Don wrote the procedures for the company and set about making sure the appropriate personnel were assigned those procedures. He specifically wrote the auditing procedures for the company.

“He is really engaging. He has a good personality and good sense of humor,” said Larry Pinder. ”Every time he came onsite, he knew people by name. He really develops good relationships with everyone he interacts with.”

Don met with the executive group as well as the regular working employees.   He set up various training classes preparing them for the auditing process. Don trained the first group of internal auditors onsite and helped them lead some of their own audits.

“He is a really strong trainer. He speaks with authority. He has a lot of experience and personal anecdotes that he can add,” commented Larry Pinder.

“I would recommend him to people because it would make me look better knowing that caliber of a person. Don is really confident. He knows what he is doing. He’ll call it like it is… Don is forthright and honest. He looks out for the best interest of the company.” – Larry Pinder, CVA

As Don worked with them, the employees became more aware of the importance of quality and were happy to implement the new process. There was a huge impact on the company. Larry Pinder said, “Folks had awareness of what it (quality management) was and wanted to get there…We went from complete ignorance to every one having a solid grasp of what it is.”

When asked what Larry Pinder thought about Don Swift and Associates, LLC, he had this to say, “I would recommend him to people because it would make me look better knowing that caliber of a person. Don is really confident. He knows what he is doing. He’ll call it like it is… Don is forthright and honest. He looks out for the best interest of the company.”

If your company is in need of quality management, human resources consultation, training, or if you have need of dispute resolution tools like mediation, give Don Swift and Associates, LLC a call.

Case Study: Continental NH3 Products

When you’ve been in business more than 50 years, you have a tendency to become complacent when it comes to quality control. Then you begin thinking about being more attractive to new customers, and craftsmanship becomes a higher priority. That is exactly what happened to Continental NH3 Products.

The company decided the implementation of the AS9100 quality management system would be the best structure for improving the quality of their products. Don Swift and Associates, LLC was highly recommended to Continental NH3 Products, by another company. Don Swift brought his knowledge and patience and immediately stepped in and began the painstaking process of getting Continental NH3 Products ready to implement and certify for the AS9100 system.

That kind of person is hard to find. I don’t think you can get much better…We were lucky to find Don Swift. – Judd Stretcher, President, Continental NH3 Products

Weekly meetings for all employees were implemented, and Don Swift listened patiently. He helped them write their own quality control manual from the bottom up. The manual was neatly tailored to suit the needs of the company and would help them to certify to AS9100.

Don Swift has brought benefit to the people of Continental NH3 Products by empowering them to work together toward improving not just their products, but their working relationships as well. The entire community of workers was impressed further by Don Swift who has always been readily available to anyone who needs him. He responds quickly to their emails and answers phone calls at any hour.

The certifying audit for Continental NH3 Products will soon be upon them. The company is confident and prepared thanks to Don Swift and Associates, LLC.

He has also agreed to visit every three months to keep the company on-task and up-to-date. He will make sure they are still doing what they need to do for as long as they feel they have that need.

According to Judd Stretcher, Continental’s President, “That kind of person is hard to find. I don’t think you can get much better…We were lucky to find him.”

Give Don Swift and Associates, LLC a call  at 940-228-0550 when your company is in need of training, quality management, human resources consultation, or if you have need of dispute resolution tools like mediation.