The Sexiest Man in Pensacola
Armstrong World Industries kicked off their Lean journey in 2010. They put a lot of effort into building a culture of Kaizen across their 22 manufacturing locations worldwide. I was sent to many facilities to assist.
In 2011, I facilitated a Kaizen event in Pensacola Florida. I don’t recall the topic but I definitely remember the team and the feeling of camaraderie. I followed standard work to guide the team through the week, culminating in a report out to management on Friday afternoon.
Armstrong required every team member to present at the report out. Our teams were comprised of a diverse group of individuals, including hourly production, maintenance, and management personnel. Some team members had never presented to a group, so we practiced our presentations prior to the final report out. We wanted to make things as comfortable as possible.
Most people tend to “fumble” through what their presentation on the first practice run. Then, on the second run, things get easier. By the third practice, they sound confident in telling their story. I was about to find out how their confidence would manifest itself.
During our first practice run, the third presenter said, “my name is Tyler Dare and I’m the sexiest man in Pensacola!” The rest of the team roared with laughter. Everyone else practiced what they were going to say without funny comments. I figured that Tyler was trying to loosen up the team. I felt sure he wouldn’t actually say that in the final presentation.
On our second practice, Tyler reiterated how sexy he was. Then, another presenter said, “I’m Kevin Jones, and I don’t care what Tyler thinks, I’m the sexiest man in Pensacola.” By the third round, everyone was cutting up. I didn’t know what to expect for the final report out. I was just hoping I wouldn’t be fired for having an “out of control” team.
We entered the main conference room. There were at least 25 people waiting for our presentation. In those days, representatives from Armstrong locations around the world called in to hear the presentation. This was before video conferencing was a standard form of communication.
The report out started, and sure enough, Tyler stepped up and said, “My name is Tyler Dare, and I’m the sexiest man in Pensacola.” The audience laughed and clapped. What could I do? Nothing; just enjoy the show! The rest of the team presented their results. They were met with applause. After asking for questions from the audience, a voice on the phone said, “My name is Paul Meyers, and I’m the CEO of Armstrong World Industries. I just have one question. Is Tyler Dare really the sexiest man in Pensacola?”
I almost passed out. There was more laughter, clapping, and congratulations. The team owned their results and had a blast presenting it to their sponsors. From then on, I made sure any team I facilitated had fun presenting their results. If they were nervous, I’d share the story of Tyler Dare, the sexiest man in Pensacola.