Agent-Skills.md

Agent Skills: Automotive General Manager - EVP Level

Executive Vice President / General Manager expertise for automotive manufacturing plants. Covers P&L ownership, operational excellence, customer management, leadership, regulatory compliance, and crisis management. USE WHEN user says 'GM decision', 'plant P&L', 'site leadership', 'customer escalation', 'management review', 'business review', 'plant performance', 'GM role', or needs executive-level plant management guidance. Integrates with HoshinKanri, SupplyChain, AutomotiveManufacturing, and BusinessStrategy skills.

UncategorizedID: robdtaylor/personal-ai-infrastructure/Automotivegm

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skills/Automotivegm/SKILL.md

Skill Metadata

Name
Automotivegm
Description
Executive Vice President / General Manager expertise for automotive manufacturing plants. Covers P&L ownership, operational excellence, customer management, leadership, regulatory compliance, and crisis management. USE WHEN user says 'GM decision', 'plant P&L', 'site leadership', 'customer escalation', 'management review', 'business review', 'plant performance', 'GM role', or needs executive-level plant management guidance. Integrates with HoshinKanri, SupplyChain, AutomotiveManufacturing, and BusinessStrategy skills.

Automotive General Manager - EVP Level

When to Activate This Skill

  • "How should I handle [customer escalation]?"
  • "Prepare for monthly business review"
  • "P&L analysis for [plant/product line]"
  • "Leadership decision on [strategic issue]"
  • "Site performance improvement"
  • "Management team development"
  • "Board presentation preparation"
  • "Crisis management for [issue]"
  • "GM perspective on [operational issue]"
  • "Capital investment justification"

The GM Decision Framework

Priority Hierarchy (Inviolable)

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. SAFETY & COMPLIANCE                                      │
│     People first. Legal requirements. Non-negotiable.        │
│     If in doubt, stop production.                            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  2. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION                                    │
│     Quality, delivery, responsiveness.                       │
│     Protect the relationship above short-term cost.          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  3. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE                                   │
│     Efficiency, productivity, cost control.                  │
│     Sustainable performance, not heroics.                    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  4. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE                                    │
│     P&L targets, margin, cash flow.                          │
│     Optimize after 1-3 are secured.                          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  5. GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT                                     │
│     New business, capability building, people development.   │
│     Invest for the future when fundamentals are solid.       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Core Competency Areas

1. Operational & Technical

| Domain | GM Must Know | GM Must Do | |--------|--------------|------------| | Manufacturing | Lean principles, constraints, capacity | Set targets, remove barriers, challenge waste | | Quality | IATF 16949, APQP/PPAP, customer-specifics | Sign off launches, own quality culture | | Engineering | Change management, process capability | Approve investments, prioritize resources | | Supply Chain | Inventory dynamics, supplier risk | Strategic decisions, supplier relationships | | Maintenance | TPM, OEE drivers, capital lifecycle | Capex decisions, reliability accountability |

2. Commercial & Strategic

| Domain | GM Must Know | GM Must Do | |--------|--------------|------------| | P&L | Full cost structure, margin drivers | Own results, explain variances, drive improvement | | Customers | Key contacts, requirements, history | Executive relationships, escalation management | | Contracts | Terms, pricing mechanisms, liabilities | Negotiate strategically, manage commitments | | Growth | Market trends, competitive position | Win new business, develop capabilities | | Investment | Hurdle rates, payback analysis | Justify and deliver capital projects |

3. Leadership & People

| Domain | GM Must Know | GM Must Do | |--------|--------------|------------| | Team Building | Strengths/weaknesses of leadership team | Hire, develop, coach, exit when necessary | | Culture | What drives performance and engagement | Set expectations, model behaviors, reinforce | | Communication | Audience needs, messaging | Town halls, skip levels, board presentations | | Accountability | Clear metrics and ownership | Hold people accountable, have difficult conversations | | Succession | Talent pipeline, development needs | Identify, develop, and retain key talent |

4. Regulatory & Compliance

| Domain | GM Must Know | GM Must Do | |--------|--------------|------------| | Health & Safety | Legal obligations, risk areas | Sign off safety systems, visible leadership | | Environment | Permits, waste, emissions | Ensure compliance, lead sustainability | | Employment | Basic employment law, policies | Fair treatment, proper processes | | Governance | Corporate policies, ethics | Tone from the top, zero tolerance | | Audit | Customer audit requirements | Ensure readiness, participate appropriately |

Key Metrics Dashboard

Daily Pulse (Exception-Based)

| Metric | Red Trigger | Action | |--------|-------------|--------| | Safety incidents | Any recordable | Immediate investigation, communication | | Line stops (quality) | >30 min | Root cause, containment, customer notification | | Delivery misses | Any critical customer | Escalate, expedite, customer call | | Attendance | <95% | Production impact assessment |

Weekly Review

| Category | Metrics | Target | |----------|---------|--------| | Safety | Incidents, near misses, observations | Zero injuries, proactive culture | | Quality | PPM, scrap, customer complaints | <25 PPM, <2% scrap | | Delivery | OTD, past due, WIP | >98% OTD | | Productivity | OEE, labor efficiency, output | >85% OEE | | Cost | Spend vs budget, variances | On plan |

Monthly Business Review

| Section | Content | |---------|---------| | Safety & Compliance | YTD incidents, open actions, regulatory status | | Quality | Customer PPM, internal PPM, warranty, audits | | Audit Results | Internal audit findings, external audit results (customer, registrar, regulatory), open corrective actions status, repeat findings | | Delivery | OTD trend, inventory turns, past due aging | | Financial | P&L vs budget, margin, cost drivers | | Operations | OEE, productivity, major downtime | | People | Headcount, turnover, engagement, training | | Outlook | Risks, opportunities, forecast |

Customer Management

Escalation Response

Level 1 - Operational (Production/Quality Manager)

  • Normal quality issues
  • Standard delivery adjustments
  • Routine communications

Level 2 - Director

  • Repeat quality issues
  • Delivery disruptions affecting schedules
  • Commercial discussions

Level 3 - GM (You)

  • Customer threat to pull business
  • Systematic quality failures
  • Launch delays/failures
  • Any legal/safety issue
  • Relationship repair

Customer Visit Protocol

Before:

  • Understand current status and issues
  • Prepare management team briefing
  • Clean and organized facility (but authentic)
  • Ensure key people available

During:

  • GM leads welcome and overview
  • Honest about challenges, clear on countermeasures
  • Listen more than talk
  • Capture action items

After:

  • Same-day follow-up communication
  • Action item tracking to completion
  • Internal debrief and lessons learned

P&L Management

Understanding Your Cost Structure

SALES REVENUE
    - Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
        • Direct Materials (typically 50-60%)
        • Direct Labor (typically 10-20%)
        • Manufacturing Overhead (typically 15-25%)
    ─────────────────────────────
    = GROSS MARGIN (target: 15-25%)

    - SG&A
        • Plant overhead
        • Engineering
        • Quality
        • Administration
    ─────────────────────────────
    = OPERATING INCOME (target: 5-12%)

    - Interest, taxes, depreciation
    ─────────────────────────────
    = NET INCOME

Margin Levers (In Priority Order)

  1. Volume/Mix - Higher volume, richer mix = better absorption
  2. Productivity - Labor efficiency, OEE improvement
  3. Quality - Reduce scrap, rework, warranty
  4. Material Cost - Sourcing, VA/VE, specification review
  5. Overhead - Indirect labor, utilities, consumables

Financial Red Flags

  • Margin erosion without corresponding actions
  • Inventory growing faster than sales
  • Capex overruns without explanation
  • AR aging increasing
  • Unexpected cost buckets appearing

Crisis Management

Crisis Categories

| Type | Examples | Immediate Priority | |------|----------|-------------------| | Safety | Serious injury, fatality | People, notification, investigation | | Quality | Field failure, recall risk | Containment, customer notification | | Delivery | Line-down at customer | Recovery plan, alternatives | | Financial | Major overrun, fraud | Disclosure, investigation, controls | | People | Strike, mass resignation | Continuity, communication | | External | Fire, flood, pandemic | Safety, recovery, communication |

Crisis Response Framework

First 60 Minutes:

  1. Ensure immediate safety/containment
  2. Assess scope and severity
  3. Notify appropriate parties (corporate, customer, authorities)
  4. Establish command structure

First 24 Hours:

  1. Stabilize situation
  2. Communicate to all stakeholders
  3. Begin root cause investigation
  4. Develop recovery plan

First Week:

  1. Execute recovery
  2. Complete investigation
  3. Implement permanent fixes
  4. Document lessons learned

Communication During Crisis

DO:

  • Be first to communicate (don't wait for questions)
  • Be honest about what you know and don't know
  • Show empathy and ownership
  • Provide regular updates (even if "no change")
  • Document everything

DON'T:

  • Hide or minimize
  • Blame others publicly
  • Make promises you can't keep
  • Go silent
  • Speculate on causes before investigation complete

Leadership Essentials

The GM's Week

| Day | Focus | |-----|-------| | Monday | Weekly metrics review, set priorities | | Tuesday | Operations focus - gemba walk, production meetings | | Wednesday | Quality/Engineering - launches, issues, improvements | | Thursday | People/Admin - 1:1s, HR matters, compliance | | Friday | Customer/Commercial - calls, reviews, planning |

Gemba Presence (Non-Negotiable)

Daily: 30-60 minutes on shop floor

  • Safety observation
  • Talk to operators
  • See the work, not reports
  • Remove barriers

Difficult Conversations

Performance Issues:

  1. Be direct and specific (facts, not feelings)
  2. Focus on behavior/results, not personality
  3. Listen to their perspective
  4. Agree on expectations and timeline
  5. Follow up consistently

Terminations:

  1. Ensure proper process followed (HR involved)
  2. Be respectful but clear
  3. No negotiation on the decision
  4. Practical next steps
  5. Treat them with dignity

Building Your Team

Hire for:

  • Technical competence (baseline)
  • Problem-solving ability
  • Cultural fit
  • Growth potential
  • Complementary skills to existing team

Develop by:

  • Stretch assignments
  • Cross-functional exposure
  • External benchmarking
  • Mentoring relationships
  • Formal training (selective)

Integration with Other Skills

HoshinKanri

  • Cascade corporate objectives to plant level
  • Monthly bowling chart reviews
  • A3 problem solving for red items
  • Load: read ~/.claude/skills/HoshinKanri/SKILL.md

SupplyChain

  • Strategic supplier decisions
  • Make vs buy analysis
  • Supply risk management
  • Load: read ~/.claude/skills/SupplyChain/SKILL.md

AutomotiveManufacturing

  • Quality systems and documentation
  • APQP/PPAP oversight
  • Process improvement
  • Load: read ~/.claude/skills/AutomotiveManufacturing/SKILL.md

BusinessStrategy

  • Market analysis
  • Competitive positioning
  • Financial modeling
  • Load: read ~/.claude/skills/BusinessStrategy/SKILL.md

Key Principles

  1. Safety First, Always - No production target justifies injury
  2. Customer Obsession - Their success is your success
  3. Own the P&L - Understand every line, drive improvement
  4. Lead from the Front - Be visible, be accountable, be consistent
  5. Develop People - Your legacy is the team you build
  6. Facts and Data - Decisions based on evidence, not opinion
  7. Calm Under Pressure - Your team takes cues from you
  8. Long-Term Thinking - Balance today's fires with tomorrow's success

Extended Context

For comprehensive methodologies, case studies, and detailed frameworks: read ~/.claude/skills/Automotivegm/CLAUDE.md

For templates: ls ~/.claude/skills/Automotivegm/templates/

Automotive General Manager - EVP Level Skill | Agent Skills