In this episode of Facility Rockstars, host Jay Culbert interviews Mike Temple, Director of Facilities and Engineering at Recipharm. With over a decade of experience in biotech and pharma, Mike shares his journey from a young engineer to a thought leader who challenges norms in highly regulated industries. He emphasizes the importance of questioning standard practices, effective time management, and fostering a safety culture.
Mike offers valuable insights on handling regulatory audits, utilizing data-driven safety metrics, and integrating new systems into existing operations. The conversation also touches on personal anecdotes about mentorship, networking, and professional growth, concluding with a glimpse into Mike’s hobbies and interests outside of work.
Takeaways:
- Questioning the Status Quo: Embrace the practice of questioning standard procedures. Challenge established norms to foster innovation and improvements. For example, Mike found that questioning why things are done a certain way in highly regulated fields can lead to impactful changes and improvements in processes and outcomes.
- Show Interest to Prompt Thinking: Demonstrating a deep interest in the reasoning behind current practices can trigger valuable discussions and insights. It shows that you are invested and allows others to think critically about potentially outdated methods.
- Develop a Professional Network: Cultivate a network of colleagues, mentors, and industry contacts. Engage in events and informal settings to build relationships that can provide support, advice, and opportunities for collaboration, as seen through Mike's experience at industry events and alumni networks.
- Mentorship Benefits: Seek out mentors who can offer guidance and share their experiences. Mentors can provide critical feedback, help navigate career challenges, and offer insights into industry-specific issues. Mike's relationship with his mentor helped him gain confidence and learn valuable lessons.
- Effective Team Communication: Foster clear and open communication within your team. Utilize different methods (meetings, emails, informal talks) to ensure all team members and stakeholders are aligned, as Mike does with his operations team.
- Integrate Safety into Processes: Make safety an integral part of your operational processes to ensure it is always followed. Mike emphasizes ingraining safety measures into standard procedures to make them non-negotiable and part of the organization’s culture.
Quote of the Show
“If you’re able to do the little things right it builds those winning habits and will positively impact your career.”
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