Cross-functional job shadowing has been a simple, but powerful tool for Mary Kay Inc. as it seeks to improve its supply chain performance. Employees within the company’s Operations and Scheduling teams at the Richard R. Rogers Manufacturing and R&D Center temporarily swapped roles over the course of a few weeks, shadowing their peers, to foster improved collaboration and innovation. The company stated that “while data and dashboards offer valuable insights, nothing compares to the clarity gained from seeing the work firsthand.”
“For us at Mary Kay, job shadowing isn’t just a learning tool – it’s a strategic advantage,” said Chaun Harper, Mary Kay Chief Supply Chain Officer. “Cross-functional job shadowing connects teams more closely to the heart of manufacturing, sparking insights that lead to smarter decisions, stronger problem-solving, and greater agility. My mission is to build a world-class Supply Chain organization, and every step we take is aligned to that bold goal.”
Experiencing each other’s workflows across operations and scheduling, colleagues were able to gain greater clarity about the demands and timing requirements that each department experiences as they work to complete projects.
“The experience was a masterclass in curiosity meeting continuous improvement, allowing both teams to literally and figuratively walk in each other’s shoes,” said Haley Buckley, Mary Kay Manager, Production Operations. “From this specific shadowing experience, the most valuable lesson I learned was how our changes impact our partners. It was a powerful lesson in empathy and broadened my understanding of how interconnected our roles are across the company.”
Those who participated in the job shadowing initiative said it made them more understanding of the challenges their peers face and believe it has positively influenced how they collaborate with their colleagues.
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