Communication tips on Optimization Discussions

Hash and Stuff Extraction
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Hello!

I’ve made a career of “boyscouting” labs that I work for. Every place that employs me serves as another learning opportunity for me this way. I spend a few months learning their processes, identify their choke-points, and submit proposals to improve quality and quantity. It’s part of how I stay sane as an extraction tech, always searching for new things to learn or new ways to improve. Always leave a place better than when you found it, as a professional principle if you will.

This current lab is the first lab I’ve worked at that seems to be allergic to change, and I’d like help to learn and grow personally and professionally to better rise to this challenge. For whatever the reason (it’s a different reason depending on who I ask here), this company (or possibly just this lab) utilizes processes that were borderline outdated back in 2018, let alone 2026, and I want to help them with this, but the answer is always “no” no matter what change I suggest, or how formal of a proposal I submit, however clearly delineated the cash value of the improvement or change is.

Has anyone had this experience before? Any tips or pointers on corporate communication that you’ve learned in your time in modern cannabis extractions that you think could help?

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How long have you worked there? What’s your position? Lead? Manager?

Do the changes you’re suggesting radically change any processes or require significant capex?

IME if you’re bringing points up as “we’re fucking up/this is stupid” you’re not going to get very far because you’re hitting people’s ego. Should come up as more of a “What if we did this? Do you think it would change anything?” Lead them to the answer instead of trying to insist your method is better.

Also has a lot to do with who you’re dealing with and how much experience they have. Academics tend to be the worst at accepting/listening to other opinions, sometimes even if it’s backed up by facts/data

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I’ve only been here about four months admittedly, and only as an extraction tech, though I was literally recruited for the position during an interview for a mid-career position for a different facility under the same umbrella, this lab needs help and I’m happy to provide even if it wasn’t a direct step forward for my career.

Most of the changes are minor process shifts, and only one of them required minor equipment purchasing of sub $5k. I present these changes as process improvements, a “We can do the same, faster, cheaper” presentation, generally accompanied by a spreadsheet geared to facilitate discussion and a better understanding of the numbers at play for those unfamiliar with the work (bridging the understanding gap between folks that have never extracted before and those that have). Generally starting with a simple question of “what would be the reason for a ‘no’ if X was suggested?” as a conversation starter. I get a surprising variety of responses to that question from pretty much everyone I ask, so there’s no clear consensus is my assumption, and I’m left to interpret this all as being stone-walled for no clear reason anyone can articulate, but maybe I’m not picking up on signals the right way.

I honestly think that some of the issue is rooted in the site manager relying on the experience of a close friend of theirs who recently managed the lab but was moved to oversee a different facility. The interesting thing is, going off the responses I’ve received from this once-manager who I reached out to, I’m not sure they are as familiar with this work as they present themselves as? Which is troubling for a number of reasons, but firstly that I need to be very careful about how I communicate with this individual.

For me, personally, I don’t care about getting credit for any of this, I benefit from the opportunity the experience affords as a learning moment. As I put it “Feel free to take the credit, as long as I’m the one doing the work, I’m the one learning and improving”.

To sum it up, I’m attempting to build consensus prior to submitting optimization projects for approval, but it’s impossible to build consensus when no one gives clear answers beforehand, and the folks they circle back to for second opinions on things are possibly not as qualified as they present themselves as, leaving me to do nothing but put my foot in it one way or another, and I’m unsure of how to proceed, when all I’m getting are “no” responses to “this change can save 19% on COG if adopted” type changes.

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If you’ve only been there 4 months I would generally chalk it up to not having the rapport with them to make these changes.

Also, I would assume the person who’s overseeing the ops at another facility is telling your manager you’re reaching out to them on the side, and is probably stone-walling you for that reason.

Another thing to consider is that maybe the newly-assigned manager is afraid of causing an issue with a system that has been working fine after it was handed off to them.

A ton of reasons why it could be, but probably starting from the assumption that “this lab needs my help” is seeping into the tone of your discussions and is also being picked up on by those who you’re talking to

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I was connected with the once-manager by the site directer personally, so I hope that’s not causing friction in the way you’re imagining it, but we’re all human after all. And I was recruited for the position, so I don’t think the “this lab needs help” is only coming from me.

I’d hate to run afoul of someones ego. It sucks when, coming from a long history in extractions, my experience is misinterpreted as “this guy thinks he knows better, get him!” by someone that is new to the industry. I guess the best move is to do nothing at all at this point?

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I would generate enough profit optimizing what the company already has invested in to leverage that into the upgrades you want.

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None of my projects proposed involve any purchasing or upgrades with the exception of one, all of my proposals are getting stonewalled though :sweat_smile: . It’s not a great look when asking simple questions about rotovap parameters gets a mini-meltdown from the lead, when the SOP simply states “as desired”.

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One thing that is worth noting is that people tend to act in their own self interest over the interests of the organization they are currently working for. It is possible that the manager sees you as someone that is trying to knock them off their throne and they will simply never allow you to succeed because of the risk they believe it poses to their position. Your best bet with someone like that is focusing on the personal relationship, not the good of the organization. If spreadsheets and logic could fix nepotism the world would be a very different place.

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