10 | PRECISION MANUFACTURING May | June 201
who’s | WHO Lori and Traci Tapani, Wyom<strong>in</strong>g Mach<strong>in</strong>e, Inc. MORE THAN ONE BOTTOM LINE by B Kyle The theme of “possibility” is an <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g one. Ford, Edison, Disney, Robb<strong>in</strong>s, Nietzsche and so many others all speak of the power to be found <strong>in</strong> explor<strong>in</strong>g the “what could be’s.” Lori and Traci Tapani, sisters and copresidents of Wyom<strong>in</strong>g Mach<strong>in</strong>e, Inc., a precision metal fabricator, demonstrate their ease with this concept. LT: It’s how we were raised. It was the foundation of our upbr<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g. We had a stay-at-home mom, and a former Mar<strong>in</strong>e dad. Both are hardwork<strong>in</strong>g and really creative. On Saturday we might be mix<strong>in</strong>g cement and learn<strong>in</strong>g how to make cement stairs with our dad because he thought it was critical that we know how to do these th<strong>in</strong>gs. And then on Sunday we would cook and bake with mom. Once you get used to a life filled with “outside the box” choices, you get comfortable <strong>in</strong> that space. And you can expand that attitude to other aspects of your life. These sisters jo<strong>in</strong>ed their dad at Wyom<strong>in</strong>g Mach<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> 1994, leav<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>ancial careers to enter a world <strong>in</strong> which they were very much the odd ones out. Q: How long did it take for you to f<strong>in</strong>d your own rhythm as leaders and women <strong>in</strong> the manufactur<strong>in</strong>g arena? TT: [Smil<strong>in</strong>g at Lori, as together they share a moment to silently reflect on the challenges they’ve shared.] Once we came to the realization that we never would really fit <strong>in</strong>, as women and mothers, when we came to grips that it wasn’t happen<strong>in</strong>g, we f<strong>in</strong>ally laughed and relaxed <strong>in</strong>to figur<strong>in</strong>g out how to do bus<strong>in</strong>ess our way. And, you know, bus<strong>in</strong>ess got better, relationships expanded, because we weren’t try<strong>in</strong>g to be someth<strong>in</strong>g we weren’t. LT: The process of fully becom<strong>in</strong>g ourselves as leaders started hitt<strong>in</strong>g home for us when our software company selected Wyom<strong>in</strong>g Mach<strong>in</strong>e as Lori and Traci Tapani, co-presidents of Wyom<strong>in</strong>g Mach<strong>in</strong>e, Inc. a beta site for their new lean schedul<strong>in</strong>g program. We were one of 15 companies <strong>in</strong> the nation selected, because we had a reputation for be<strong>in</strong>g progressive and a will<strong>in</strong>gness to try new th<strong>in</strong>gs. TT: Then other th<strong>in</strong>gs began to happen. We got an opportunity to do an onl<strong>in</strong>e Web<strong>in</strong>ar for IndustryWeek magaz<strong>in</strong>e. To be quite honest, we cont<strong>in</strong>ue to be surprised that folks are <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> what we have to say. It’s extraord<strong>in</strong>ary. Q: You both are unique <strong>in</strong> that you seem to be keenly aware of the connectedness between your th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g and the results you are experienc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> both your personal and professional lives. LT: What you might discover <strong>in</strong> meet<strong>in</strong>g with us is that our formula for success is constantly chang<strong>in</strong>g. Our core is about be<strong>in</strong>g true to self, about <strong>in</strong>tegrat<strong>in</strong>g personal values with professional discipl<strong>in</strong>es. Add to that our “special sauce” of possibility and connectedness, and we th<strong>in</strong>k we’ve got a w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g comb<strong>in</strong>ation. Earlier this year we were <strong>in</strong>vited to speak at St. Cather<strong>in</strong>e University, to an organizational leadership class entitled Servant Leadership. At this event we met other women struggl<strong>in</strong>g with servant leadership, with the challenges of reconcil<strong>in</strong>g personal values with professional choices. It was there that we shared the concept that, to our way of th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, there is more than one bottom l<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess. Obviously, we need profitability. But if that’s at the expense of human relations and your family, then maybe the bus<strong>in</strong>ess is not so successful after all. Q: How did the women respond? TT: The audience was full of midlife, professional women, who from my perspective had remarkable careers of their own. And yet many of them spoke about be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>spired by the simple fact that we stepped out <strong>in</strong>to the unknown when we took on this bus<strong>in</strong>ess. Q: What do you th<strong>in</strong>k is the biggest hurdle for these women—that they feel you somehow overcame? TT: There’s a difference between hav<strong>in</strong>g professional competence and hav<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>in</strong>ner belief that you actually can do whatever you want to. Lori and I were raised <strong>in</strong> such a way that, <strong>in</strong> all honesty, it would never occur to us that we could not do someth<strong>in</strong>g. This doesn’t mean you’re not afraid sometimes, but that we are open to the possibility of do<strong>in</strong>g someth<strong>in</strong>g different. It seems to me, with some people, there is a level of doubt about this. LT: As soon as we stopped try<strong>in</strong>g to fit <strong>in</strong> regard<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess, and we became open to the possibility that be<strong>in</strong>g different might not be so bad, our world expanded. We’re discover<strong>in</strong>g that your life is smaller if you’re not will<strong>in</strong>g to consider the possibility <strong>in</strong> every opportunity. PM B KyLE is the vice president of bus<strong>in</strong>ess development at the Sa<strong>in</strong>t Paul Port Authority <strong>in</strong> St. Paul, M<strong>in</strong>n. She can be reached at blk@sppa.com. May | June 2010 PRECISION MANUFACTURING | 11
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