Follow their lead

Flying at Mach speed is a Boeing manager's biggest challenge: change. Sure, new technologies and an evolving global business landscape drive change. But what could exponentially alter the workplace in the near future is a new breed of employee—the wired worker. That could mean Boeing managers, especially first-line managers, will have to perform their jobs differently to lead employees successfully and achieve Boeing's and customers' goals.

"In four or five years, we're going to see a new generation of workers," said John Salas with the business development team of the Analysis, Modeling and Simulation organization, a unit of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. He's helping facilitate studies to define and better prepare Boeing's future organizational effectiveness. "They grew up with the Internet, and they're coming in with expectations of a net-enabled work environment."

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Meet the manager

Kevin Roundhill, a Boeing employee since 1992, became a first-line manager in September 2004. Before that, he was a design engineer in Boeing Commercial Airplanes' payloads concept center for three years. Now, as a 777 crew rest and furnishings manager in Everett, Wash., he's found his work shifting from performing nitty-gritty project details to thoughtfully developing and motivating his employees so they succeed.

Elizabeth Lund first became a manager at Boeing in 1996. Now, as director of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Interior Responsibility Center in Everett, Wash., she offers her insight from years of experience.

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