Mindfulness Manufacturing: Recent Episodes
Trevor Blondeel
Our show is about providing listeners with real stories that come from a place of experience, transparency, and authenticity. Most importantly it’s about what we learn from these stories and applying Mindfulness in our everyday work and personal lives. Our intention is to create an environment where people can learn through open honest discussions on how we apply Mindfulness. Although our experiences and stories come from time in a manufacturing environment hence the title “Mindfulness Manufacturing”, we still see our discussions and topics relatable to any organization or profession.
Modern manufacturing leaders are currently facing unprecedented shifts, from tariffs and labor shortages to rapidly evolving new technologies. In the words of recent Mindfulness Manufacturing guest Cara Moeller Poppitt, manufacturing is seeing some “big freakin'’ change!”
As the founder of two award-winning companies, Cara ranks among the top 2% of all female entrepreneurs. Through her speaking and coaching, she now guides thousands of other business leaders toward unlocking their full potential, breaking down barriers, and taking bold action to achieve their highest aspirations. She’s also the author of the upcoming book Big Freakin’ Change: How to Gain Confidence by Stepping Out Before You Are Ready.
In this episode, Cara discusses some of the major changes impacting manufacturing leaders and their teams, plus shares her simple-yet-empowering process for getting unstuck, building momentum, and navigating big changes with confidence.
1:46 – Manufacturing (and business in general) is in a constant state of change 5:45 – If you’re feeling stuck, it could be due to a lack of confidence 6:15 – To get unstuck, make the shift from problem-based thinking to possibility-orientated thinking 7:20 – The first step in shifting your thinking is recognizing when you and your teams are stuck 7:54 – You also need to learn to identify whether the root of your issue is behavior, financial, or relational 12:38 – Making small, daily improvements can help your team build momentum 13:08 – Define what success looks like for your team 14:48 – Use empowering questions to gain feedback and increase engagement 20:29 – Act boldly and drive change outside your comfort zone 22:42 – Don’t forget to enjoy the journey and acknowledge small victories
Connect with Cara Poppitt: Visit her website Learn more about her book Connect on social media @CaraPoppitt
What does successful manufacturing leadership have in common with winning big at the casino? It’s all about being an advantage player! In this episode, guest Joel Block breaks down the strategies you need to win big, whether you’re at the casino or on the manufacturing floor.
Joel is a former professional blackjack player, who later took his talents to Wall Street to work in venture capital and hedge funds. He’s a dealmaker, strategist, and trusted advisor who helps others grow the mindset they need to outpace the competition and win the game. In this episode, Joel shares unique stories from his blackjack and Wall Street days. He also offers actionable insights manufacturing leaders can use to seek our success, inspire their teams, and position themselves as winners in the ever-changing world of manufacturing.
1:26 – There are many lessons from card games like blackjack that can be applied to business and manufacturing 2:58 – To succeed, learn how to Think, See, and Act (TSA) differently 4:40 – Many people stay busy without actually accomplishing meaningful work 5:00 – The difference between average performers and advantage players is that advantage players seek out and create opportunities 8:33 – All organizations can find ways to improve, even top-performing companies 11:50 – To change your strategy and find more success, schedule time to step back and gain perspective 12:15 – Use “high limit questions” to push thinking forward 15:51 – In business, advantage players learn how to anticipate workforce needs 18:37 – Everyone has a role to play when it comes to a team’s success 20:07 – Motivate your team by making sure everyone is connected to a meaningful goal 21:20 – When you’re successful, it lifts your business, family, and community
Connect with Joel Block Visit his website Connect by email at joel@theadvantageplayer.com Subscribe to his newsletter
In manufacturing, many leaders try to use the same tools to address different problems. But just like a hammer won’t work for all projects around your house, your routine leadership approach might not work for all your team members. This means you need to go “beyond the hammer” and find ways to have deeper interactions with your team.
The hammer analogy comes from Beyond the Hammer: A Fresh Approach to Leadership, Culture, and Building High Performance Teams by Brian Gottleib. In this episode, Brian shares more about the lessons and insights in Beyond the Hammer, plus offers actionable insights manufacturing leaders can use to grow their relationships, create deeper connections, and improve culture in their organizations, from the top to the shop floor.
1:18 – Beyond the Hammer is an approachable, actionable book which uses a parable format to make a positive impact on leaders 2:38 – A leader’s mood and presence directly shapes their team’s culture and performance 3:34 – As a leader, be aware of the tone you’re getting for the rest of your team 6:24 – The ceiling of a business is limited by the ceiling of the people 8:56 – For true growth to occur, you need to focus on relationships and understanding how each team member’s work connects to a larger goal 12:10 – Be honest about your priorities and save time for self-growth and reflection 17:13 – To form relationships, your one-on-one conversations need to be deep and intentional 18:33 – Make your employees feel valued and they’ll be less likely to leave your organization 22:14 – While performance can be copied, culture cannot 24:05 – When teams believe in themselves and each other, it creates a stronger and more positive culture
Connect with Brian Gottleib Visit his website Connect on LinkedIn Buy Beyond the Hammer – Brian recommends checking out the audiobook for a more personal connection Read my book report on Beyond the Hammer
When there’s a leadership shift in a manufacturing organization it leads to major change—and brings its own unique challenges like new team dynamics, cultural shifts, and general growing pains. With the right approach, a change in leadership can also lead to valuable opportunities for growth.
Just ask Joe Carrothers and Kristin Rivait from SWT Group. Joe is the president of SWT Group who moved from being the CFO to being the president of the organization, and Kristin is SWT Group’s HR director who worked closely with Joe during this unique leadership transition. In this story-filled episode, Joe and Kristin give a peek behind the scenes of SWT Group’s leadership transition. They give a honest look at both their success and struggles, offer insights on building trust and advocating for a stronger culture, and share why curiosity and patience are the keys to turning a leadership transition into an opportunity for transformative change.
1:07 – Some leaders struggle with being results-focused and being seen as unapproachable by teams 2:02 – During a time of transition, executive coaching can be a valuable tool 2:54 – How do you quantify the ROI of people-focused initiatives? 6:15 – If you want to grow and learn, you need to be willing to have tough respectful conversations 8:26 – Shift away from pre-formulated answers to truly listening and responding 11:17 – Patience and curiosity are key ingredients to a strong partnership 16:29 – When there is transparence and humility at the top of an organization, it contributes to a more accountable and open culture 18:00 – By being present on the floor as a leader you create a stronger sense of unity and collaboration 21:51 – It is important to be your authentic self and build true relationships with your team 28:13 – In times of leadership transition, practice patience and perseverance
Connect with Joe Carrothers and Kristin Rivait
Learn More about SWT Group
On the manufacturing floor, you have dozens of everyday opportunities for negotiation, from talking with a team member about an upcoming pay raise to trying to get a better deal from a supplier. In your everyday negotiations, what can you do to say less, get more, and make effective changes?
You need to master the art of negotiation—and in this episode, guest Fotini Iconomopoulos is here to share the tools you need to know. Fotini Iconomopoulos is a master communicator and negotiator based in Toronto. She’s also the author of Say Less Get More: Unconventional Negotiation Techniques to Get What You Want. In this episode, she shares more about the power of negotiation and share actionable insights for unlocking your negotiating greatness.
1:00 – Learning how to negotiate and communicate is an important skill for manufacturing leaders
3:20 – Negotiation plays a key role in many manufacturing scenarios, like working with suppliers and retailers
4:25 – Be mindful of negotiation opportunities in your everyday interactions
6:44 – Negotiation isn’t just about getting your own way, but about changing the thinking of another person
7:00 – To improve your negotiation skills, stay curious and ask questions
7:34 – When negotiation, think about your own emotions and the emotions of the other person
9:19 – Practice striking the balance between logic and emotions in your negotiations
15:12 – Use language that aids cooperation and mutual benefit
18:54 – Opening with an extreme can set you up for a success negotiation, but be sure to consider the ethics involved
21:37 – People are often motivated more by what they might lose, rather than what they stand to gain
22:22 – Silence can also be a powerful tool in negotiations
Connect with Fotini Iconomopoulos
Vist her website
Learn more about Say Less, Get More
Read my book report
When your manufacturing organization is experiencing a crisis, the last thing you want to do is add more oil to the fire! But in a technical industry like manufacturing, many people don’t have the skills they need to safely and effectively address a dangerous situation, like how to de-escalate a conflict or communicate a safety issue to their team.
Carol Cambridge is here to help bring more safety to your organization! Carol is an authority on workplace violence, active shooter, and workplace conflict. She’s also the founder of the Stay Safe Project, where she teaches others how to navigate fear and use their critical thinking skills to get through an emergency or crisis.
In this episode on safety and crisis management in manufacturing, Carol breaks down why critical thinking plus such a big role in creating a safer workplace, and shares some insights manufacturing leaders can use to handle conflict, address threats, and create a safer workplace for all.
2:23 – In manufacturing, there can be a lack of critical thinking skills, and this plays a big role in crisis management 5:43 – When someone feels unsafe at work, they may be reluctant to report threats 8:22 – There is a different between “tattling” and “reporting” 15:41 – When a potential threat occurs, form a team to handle it, rather than simply leaving it to HR alone to address 18:54 – When you have clear communications and focus on making your employees feel safer, it creates a culture where people can report potential threats without fear 21:18 – Learn to recognize the behavioral signs that might indicate a potential for violence or distress 23:16 – When it comes to confliction resolution or handling heated conversations, timing is key
Connect with Carol Cambridge
Learn More About The Stay Safe Project
Connect on LinkedIn
In manufacturing, we’re all familiar with stress. But did you know that a lack of challenges and too much comfort can also have a negative impact on your health, mindset, and productivity? This is the core concept Paul Taylor presents in his great book Death by Comfort: How Modern Life is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It. As a former British Royal Navy crew member and a current Ph.D. candidate in applied psychology, Paul has in-depth knowledge about stress, resilience, and performance.
In this episode on stress, comfort, and psychological safety, Paul draws from his own experiences and research to delve deeper into why discomfort and challenging situations build confidence and resilience, plus shares some of his favorite methods for rethinking how you perceive stress and engage with your team.
2:20 – In manufacturing, stress can be inevitable, so you need to find the right level of stress in your environment 3:36 - You can use principles from physical fitness and apply them to stress management 7:11 – To stay healthy and keep a productive mindset, you need to balance stress and recovery 11:54 – When you practice self-efficacy and do hard tasks, it builds your confidence 16:21 – Uncomfortable yet necessary conversations play a key role in workplace environments 17:38 – To change and improve how you give feedback and have challenging conversations, use the SBI (situation-behavior-impact) model 18:36 – Use the OARS model for motivational interviewing to encourage open questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summarizing 24:58 – Take time to understand your purpose and the impact of your work 24:58 – Don’t overlook the role of accountability in psychological safety
Connect with Paul Taylor Visit his website Listen to The Paul Taylor Podcast Buy Death by Comfort on Amazon or at your favorite bookseller Read my book report on Death by Comfort
To find improved cost-savings and better team dynamics, there’s a solution—more creativity! In the technical world of manufacturing, creativity isn’t always a priority, but in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, guest Dr. Amy Climer is here to show why deliberate creativity is the key to driving improvement and cost savings.
With a Ph.D in Leadership and Change, Dr. Climer is a speaker, trainer, and coach who teaches teams how to innovate on demand. She is the author of Deliberate Creative Teams: How to Lead for Innovative Results written to help leaders understand how to increase creativity in their teams. She also hosts The Deliberate Creative™ podcast and she is the designer of Climer Cards, a creativity and teambuilding tool.
1:00 – In manufacturing, finding cost savings is often a challenge 5:33 – Through creative problem solving, plants can find improved cost savings 10:50 – To introduce more creativity in your organization, focus on team purpose, team dynamics, and creative process 17:14 – Creative abrasion occurs when a team can disagree on ideas, not personalities 21:54 – Switching up your language as a leader can play a role in encouraging creativity 24:00 – To find solutions through creativity, be deliberate
Connect with Dr. Amy Climer Visit the website for Climer Consulting Connect on LinkedIn Read my book report of Deliberate Creative Teams
Are you really doing root cause analysis (RCA) or only scratching at the surface of your organization’s problems? When a problem occurs in a fast-paced industry like manufacturing, you want to find the root problem—and you want to find it as quickly as possible! But if you’re not taking some mindful time to ask the right questions and understand the human element beyond your issues, you might be missing deeper, more sustainable solutions.
Learn more about the world of RCA in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with seasoned RCA expert Bob Latino! Influenced by his father, who pioneered research on equipment, process, and human reliability while working for Allied Chemical (now known as Honeywell), Bob profound understanding of both the technical and human aspects of failure. He is passionate about championing progressive leadership mindsets and helping leaders understand and improve systems, rather than simply assigning blame.
In this episode, Bob shares his insights on common challenges with RCA and shares tips leaders can use to move beyond simply fixing broken equipment to creating sustainable reliability through better understanding of human performance.
1:48 – RCA has a PR problem, and is typically only associated with technical failure rather than human factors 6:00 – To improve sustainability and reliability, consider how you approach accountability and blame 7:19 – When an organization is stuck in crisis mode, it looks very different from an organization with experienced reliability 11:32 – “What does right look like to you?” is a great question to ask when a problem occurs 15:41 – Understanding the difference between proactive and reactive approaches can help you shift your mindset when it comes to finding solutions 18:05 – Reliability and maintenance are different departments, as they have different focuses 22:04 – With improved reliability, you can address issues like high turnover and poor leadership retention
Connect with Bob Latino Find him on LinkedIn, where he shares extensive content Visit the Prelical Solutions website
In manufacturing, mental health is not always at the forefront. But when you don’t pay attention to your team’s mental wellbeing, it can negatively affect your entire organization, leading to big issues from disconnected teams to high employee turnover. In this episode, find the insights you need to transform your organization’s approach to mental health with guest Adam Nemer. Adam is a former CFO and senior operations leader, whose own mental health struggles inspired him to start Simple Mental Health, an organization that partners with leaders to bring stigma-free mental health culture to their organizations.
In this episode, Adam shares impactful stories from his own mental health journey and offers great insights for how leaders can support their teams, implement stronger mental health practices, and play a transformative role in breaking down mental health stigmas in the world of manufacturing.
1:00 – In manufacturing, one out of every five employees struggles with a diagnosable mental illness 7:58 – To promote better mental health in your manufacturing organization, learn to recognize the signs of mental health struggles, like changes in appearance, behavior, or performance 8:35 – Be aware of team members who might be showing up for work, but aren’t mentally engaged 12:25 – To improve mental health at work, you need to have deep conversations that go beyond just talking about work 16:20 – When your employees are unhappy or struggling with mental health issues, it can lead to a massive drop in productivity, as well as high turnover 21:46 – As a leader, there is power in sharing your own mental health experiences 27:45 – When leaders normalize discussions about mental health, it improves performance and transforms lives
Connect with Adam Nemer Visit his website Connect on Facebook and LinkedIn Learn more on YouTube
In manufacturing, it seems like it’s always go, go go! But what if we could take a moment to pause, think, and act a little more thoughtfully and intentionally? Learn what can happen in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with guest Darcy Luoma! Darcy is an author, consultant, and the creator of the Thoughtfully Fit approach, a dynamic and practical model for enhancing leadership capabilities, improving team dynamics, and navigating the complexities of leadership and teamwork.
In this episode, she shares a deep dive into her Thoughtfully Fit method, plus shares other tips and lessons leaders can use to strengthen their culture, connect with their team, and bring more accountability, intentionality, and thoughtfulness to their organization.
1:30 – Intentionally or unintentionally, culture is set from the top
2:39 – Using curiosity helps separate accountability from blame
4:21 – As a leader, you can help your team stay accountable by setting clear expectations and benchmarks
6:40 – Change your mindset to shift away from blame and toward solutions
8:26 – Don’t ignore your team’s dynamic, or else it can lead to issues like decreased morale and effectiveness
11:04 – By creating intentional space to address team dynamics and communicate styles, you’ll find better results
17:10 – Through a Thoughtfully Fit model, focus on pausing, thinking, and acting intentionally
21:31 – Practicing self-awareness as a leader can improve your team’s dynamics
23:20 – When applying Thoughtfully Fit principals, be consistent and practice even in small situations
Connect with Darcy Luoma
Visit her website
Take the Thoughtfully Fit quiz
In manufacturing, we often emphasize complex processes and new technologies, like artificial intelligence. But to bring true change and productivity to your organization, don’t forget about your people!
In this episode, learn all about the balance of technical skills and human connection with guest Emily Nichols! As a professional engineer with decades of experiences in manufacturing and innovation, Emily has worked with organizations like PepsiCo, Janssen, and Henkel. She now works with organizations who want to strengthen the human skills they need to thrive in an increasingly technical world. In this episode, she shares more about the important role of human skills, and offers lessons and insights for forming stronger connections, breaking down systemic barriers, and how to improve your “people score.”
2:01 – Even in fields like manufacturing, human skills play a very important role
5:43 – Current and emerging trends, like AI, make human connection even more important in retention and recruitment
8:29 – To form connections, increase your presence on the shop floor
12:36 – Visual uniformity can foster better connections and help you break down perceived barriers
19:39 – If you want more connections, you need to listen to and respect the expertise of everyone on your team
20:37 – To support women in your organization, you need to address systemic issues
23:39 – Even small changes, like using more inclusive language, can have a big impact on your culture
25:06 – We are people first, not machines
Connect with Emily Nichols
Visit her website
Connect on social media: @connectbettertoday
In the busy field of manufacturing, how do you make yourself stand out? Find out in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with Mark Levy. Mark is a “differentiation expert,” who helps his clients find bold, innovative ways to showcase their big ideas and differentiate themselves from the competition. Mark has worked with dozens of corporations, brands, and thought leaders, including Simon Sinek, Amazon, Harvard Business School, and Major League Baseball, as well as leaders from government bodies like the United Nations. He was also a recent speaker for Tedx Talk, where he spoke about using the obvious to stand out in business and in life.
In this episode, Mark talks more about the importance of finding your “big sexy idea” and shares compelling stories from his own consulting experience to show how leaders can differentiate themselves and communicate their organization’s values, mission, and other unique aspects in an engaging and memorable way.
2:18 – To inspire your organization, articulate your values and missions in clear, engaging, and memorable ways
3:44 – When making a claim or sharing information, back it up with stories and facts to make it memorable and relatable
10:22 – To help your team learn your organization’s key values, keep a sheet with facts and stories that highlight your organization’s strengths, mission, values, and other key facts
12:17 – In manufacturing, we often overlook successes in favor of focusing on problem-solving
26:11 – As a leader, communicate in a way that ensures your team members feel valued and integral to your organization’s success
27:00 – Consider staring your meetings by sharing proud moments and highlighting recent successes
Connect with Mark Levy
Watch Mark’s Tedx Talk
Visit his website
In manufacturing, it’s easy to get stuck in the four walls of our organization. But when you look beyond your organization—and even beyond your industry—you can find the insights and lessons you need to transform your leadership, improve your culture, and show up for your team! In this episode, hear from outside the manufacturing industry with Dr. Renee Thompson!
Renee is the CEO & Founder of the Healthy Workforce Institute and works with healthcare organizations to cultivate a professional workforce by addressing bullying and incivility. Renee has authored several books and is one of only 30 nurses worldwide who have achieved the prestigious certified speaking professional designation. Through her work, Renee is on a mission to create a world where bullying and incivility are immediately rejected, and kindness, respect, and professionalism become the new norm. In this episode, she shares her strategic insights for cultivating a more inclusive and positive workplace.
4:14 – In the workplace, bullying and negative relationships can occur between coworkers, as well as between bosses and employees
5:34 – As a leader, it’s important to equip yourself with the skills needed to address bullying and incivility
7:57 – There are many psychological barriers that can lead to challenges or inaction when faced with problematic workplace behavior
9:30 – Scripting is a way to effectively handle difficult conversations
12:27 – Learn the difference between overt bullying and subtle, more convert bullying, and find the strategies for dealing with both types of behavior
16:40 – Even though all industries are different, strategies for addressing bullying and incivility can still be applied across different industries
Connect with Dr. Renee Thompson
Learn more about Healthy Workforce Institute
Find her on LinkedIn
Connect on Facebook and Instagram
When your team is aligned, it leads to more productivity, higher morale, and a healthier workplace . . . and on the flip side, a misaligned team can contribute to issues like high turnover or an inability to attract or keep great new team members. What can leaders do to enhance teamwork and bring more functionality to their organization?
In this episode, Mark Kenny gives the solutions! Mark is a speaker, consultant, and expert in team building and leadership. He’s also the author of The Hippo Solution: Eliminate the Territorial Thinking and Unleash the Power of Teams, which focuses on how leaders can transform their teams and create healthier, more productive cultures. In this episode, he uses stories from his own life to show the importance of team connection, plus offers insights manufacturing leaders can use to strengthen their team, transform their culture, and find the best solutions.
3:04 – There are some key differences between functional and misaligned teams
5:11 – When your team is disconnected, it can lead to issues like high turnover or struggles to recruit new talent
6:16 – As a leader, you play a critical role in setting the tone for your entire organization
8:07 – To strengthen your team, learn to look for dysfunctional team dynamics
10:17 – Connection, cohesion, and clarity are the pillars of a well-functioning team
14:47 – With more clarity and structure, you can improve your team’s functionality
18:39 – Improving your culture can be transformational for your team
24:31 – To find the best solutions, stay curious and build deeper connections within your team
Connect with Mark Kenny
Visit his website
Connect on LinkedIn
More on The Six Types of Working Genius
More on American Icon: Alan Mullaly and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company
What does a Taco Bell drive-thru have to do with manufacturing? Fast-food and manufacturing have more in common than you might think—and in her newest book Lessons from the Drive-Thru: Real Life Wisdom for Frontline Leaders, former Taco Bell general manager Monica Rothergy shares real-life stories to help leaders lead with ease, authenticity, and vulnerability, whether they’re working in a drive-thru or a manufacturing plant.
Monica recently came by the Mindfulness Manufacturing to talk more about her book and the career path that took her from a Taco Bell general manager to the first female chief operating officer and first LGBT executive for KFC US. In this episode, Monica also shares valuable insights for other frontlines leaders, including strategies for bringing more curiosity and vulnerability to leadership roles.
2:00 – Frontlines leaders often feel the need to jump in and fix problems themselves, rather than letting their team figure it out
4:00 – Shift your mindset to emphasize coaching and supporting, not micromanaging
7:00 – Practice servant leadership through supporting and recognizing your team
13:00 – Instead of just providing instructions, look for ways to observe and provide feedback
15:00 – When problems occur, have deep and curious conversations to find the root of the issue
19:00 – Training is often seen as the problem, but a lack of support can also lead to performance issues
22:00 – All employees are unique and have different standards, so be curious to find out the kind of support and recognition they need
Connect with Monica Rothgery
Buy her book
Visit her website
In manufacturing, there’s a big link between productivity and mindfulness—and shifting to a more mindful approach just might be the key you need to unlock your team’s productivity, decreasing burnout, and creating a happier workplace for all.
Find out more in this episode with guest Sarah Ohanesian! Sarah is a professional keynote speaker and productivity consultant on a mission to fight burnout and increase happiness at work. She works with busy professionals who are career-driven but face work-life imbalance, stress, and overwhelm. In this episode, Sarah draws on her own experiences and background to discuss the link between productivity and mindfulness in manufacturing, plus offers actionable tips for intentional time management, combating burnout, and more!
2:36 – There is a difference between busyness and productivity
4:20 – You can improve your productivity with practices like setting daily intentions or saving time for end-of-day reflection and planning
12:10 – Follow Sarah’s COAT framework to clarify, organize, act, and take time
17:10 – To save time and be more productive, figure out which tasks are the most important and set clear priorities
18:32 – If you have a to-do list, keep it in a single, trusted location
18:40 – Be intentional with your schedule and time and don’t be afraid to say no to requests
21:14 – Allowing time to rest plays a key role in creating sustainable, long-term productivity
Connect with Sarah Ohanesian
Visit her website
Connect on LinkedIn and Instagram
There’s power in your people—and if you learn to harness it, it can transform your organization! Learn more in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with guest Hugh Hornsby, the vice president of Everflow Supplies. With a long career and a remarkable track record of turning around struggling businesses—and his own unique journey of surviving a life-changing head injury—Hugh has great stories and insights. In his episode, he shares more about the success of Everflow and his personal journey, and gives insights leaders can use to transform their hiring process, practice everyday gratitude, and find their team’s hidden gifts.
2:27 – Everyone has a unique gift, which you can find by overcoming labels and looking for their personal potential
5:52 – Reframe the way you see others and yourself
6:25 – With a more progressive mindset, you can find more potential in both others and yourself
11:21 – If you invest in your team, they’ll invest in your organization
14:13 – Hire for personality and to find the right cultural fit, not just because someone has a strong resume
15:35 – The hiring process should be curious, not transactional and restrictive
19:30 – Overcome your terror barrier
24:47 – Every day, find time for a gratitude check
27:00 – To transform your team, start by looking at the story you tell yourself
Connect with Hugh Hornsby
Learn more about Everflow Supplies
Connect on LinkedIn
Read my book review of Think and Grow Rich
What’s the secret to retaining your team members and creating an organization where people love to work? DigiKey, an electronic component manufacturing organization in Thief River Falls, Minnesota has it all figured out—and Shane Zutz, DigiKey’s vice president of human resources, is here to share the stories and insights behind DigiKey’s success!
In this episode, Shane shares stories highlighting the importance of curiosity, empathy, and leadership presence, and offers simple-yet-powerful strategies manufacturing leaders can put into action to build trust, accountability, and stronger connections at their own plant.
5:12 – Building a better organization starts with being present and making personal connections
8:13 – If your organization is in a small community, making personal connections is extremely important
9:00 – To find curious ways to engage your team, one strategy is to create a list of questions to ask
13:30 - With a strong foundation, you’ll be better equipped to tackle challenges or crises
15:11 - There is a lot of value in simple gestures, like greeting your team in the morning
18:12 - Personalization goes a long way
22:41 Show care and concern for your team members
Connect with Shane Zutz
Learn more about Digikey
Connect with Shane on LinkedIn and reach out to get added to his newsletter
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks for tuning it to another episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing! To learn more about Trevor Blondeel and Manufacturing Greatness, please visit our website or contact Trevor here.
Are your team members “houseplants” or “trees?” It might sound like a strange question, but knowing the answer is the key to retaining your best employees, strengthening your team, and transforming your organization.
In this episode, learn about identifying—and nurturing—your houseplant and tree team members, plus hear other great insights on improving retention, communicating with your team, and showing up as a more emotionally intelligent leader with guest Cara Silletto. Cara is the founder, president, and chief retention office of Magnet Culture, a partner in helping organizations reduce turnover and create cultures where teams succeed and thrive.
2:49 – Some team members are trees, who stay with your company for a long time, while others are houseplants who needs more attention and support
3:23 – To retain your team members, understand the differences between your tree and houseplant employees
5:46 – With a diverse team, you need to approach different team members based on their different needs
8:10 – When you treat employees well, they are more likely to stay with your company
10:14 – Retaining your team members and providing support means adapting as a leader
12:47 – To retain employees, put a stronger emphasis on training, mentoring, and supporting your new hires from their first day
16:39 – Younger team members are more likely to bring their whole selves to work
24:02 – Leaders and managers should use continuous learning to improve their skills and gain a stronger understanding of their roles
25:47 – With a diverse team, you can’t use the same rewards and recognitions for all employees
26:53 – To understand your team better, practice curiosity and active listening
Connect with Cara Silletto
Connect on LinkedIn
Learn more about Magnet Culture
Find special resources from Magnet Vault
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks for tuning it to another episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing! To learn more about Trevor Blondeel and Manufacturing Greatness, please visit our website or contact Trevor here.
We all love giving advice! But when advice is your default as a leader, you can fall into an “advice trap” that actually crushes curiosity, creates disconnect, and prevents your team from finding productive outcomes.
Bestselling author Michael Bungay Stanier (MBS) tackles this subject in his newest book The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You Lead Forever. In this episode, MBS shares some of the key lessons from the advice trap and his other books, including lessons and insights leaders can use to change their mindset, grow their curiosity, and create great new habits for building curiosity.
2:17 – With more curiosity, you can engage your people, boost morale and retention, and create a thriving organization
3:31 – Slow down in your rush to provide immediate advice
4:16 – As a leader, shift away from making advice your default response
5:13 – With curiosity, you can become a more strategic leader
6:11 – Defaulting to giving advice is often an ingrained habit
6:48 – When you start being more curious, you let others shine
7:17 – Curiosity can also strengthen your relationship with your family and others outside of work
8:40 – Forming new curiosity habits can take time and practice
9:47 - If you always give answers and advice, your team can become over-dependent, more disconnected, and less productive
10:48 – Through more curiosity, you and your team can find the purpose of your work
12:22 – While practicing curiosity and other new skills, approach it with patience and grace for yourself
13:28 – Be specific and deliberate in building your coaching habit
14:13 – Your team are your allies
15:19 – Instead of answering right away, stay in a place of curiosity a little bit longer
16:53 – Ask curious questions to find the root cause of issues within your team
18:48 – Asking questions can be more effective than giving advice
20: 11 – Your job isn’t to come up with the best answer, but to help your team come up with the right answer
21:42 – To practice curiosity, pay attention to your body language
Connect with Michael Bungay Stanier
Visit his website and download chapter one of The Coaching Habit
Learn more about Box of Crayons
Read my book reports of The Coaching Habit
What goes into launching a brand-new manufacturing plant? A successful greenfield site is about more than finding the right space or getting the right equipment—you also have to pay attention to the people you’re hiring and the tone you’re setting as a leader.
In this episode, take a journey through the steps of a greenfield site with Daniel Knecht! Dan is the solar project director for NSG Group, one of the world’s largest glass manufacturers. In his role, he focuses on strategic projects to support the renewal energy market. In this story-filled episode, Dan talks about his unique experiences of launching a new plant for NSG, and shares insight other manufacturing leaders can use to build and support their teams, improve their behavior, and bring transformative change to their organization.
4:04 – While manufacturing requires many technical skills, it’s still all about people and connection
4:55 – If you’re a technically minded person, you might need to shift your behavior to form stronger connections and learn to lead through others
5:22 – At a new plant, choosing and building a new team is an important part of the process
6:13 – As a leader, you want to hire a team who can respectfully challenge you, not just people who think exactly like you
7:27 – Changing how you show up for your team starts with authenticity and vulnerability
9:45 – Show up for your team with action, not just words
10:23 – Even with a large team, you can form great connections through intention and curiosity
12:54 – At a new plant, it’s imperative to set the right tone
14:38 – Manage your emotions and use patience to navigate challenges and connect with your team
19:09 – How you show up in a moment of adversity says a lot about you as a leader
20:05 – You lead how you’re led, so be aware of behaviors you might have picked up from others
20:40 – Take responsibility for your role as a leader in your organization
21:53 – Hire the right people and invest in them
23:20 – You can’t successfully address every issue your team brings to you, but you can approach the issue with an open mind
24:14 – To get a better understanding of the pulse of your floor, create a safe space for your team
Connect with Daniel Knecht
Find him on LinkedIn
Learn more about NSG
In manufacturing, retention and recruitment are two of the biggest challenges. To attract great talent and keep your best team members, you need to set yourself apart from the competition—and you can start by improving your response times!
In this episode, join guest Jay Baer for a deep-dive into the tools and procedures you need to improve efficiency, strengthen your communications, and bridge the “uncertainty gap” in your organization.
Jay Baer is a researcher and advisor specializing in business growth and customer experience. He’s also a seventh-generation entrepreneur, the author of seven bestselling books, the creator of six multi-million dollar companies, and a popular tequila influencer and educator.
3:50 – There is a correlation between responsiveness and revenue
5:34 – People care about their time more than ever, which is why it’s important to respect the time of others
6:11 – Creating an efficient recruitment process is one way to be respectful of other’s time
7:43 – With a faster recruitment process, you won’t miss out on great talent
10:32 – Having an efficient system for replying and following-up cuts down on team anxiety and improves your culture
11:52 – You don’t always have to have the answer right away, but you can improve your relationships by giving a response
14:31 – As a leader, being responsive builds trust and helps you form better relationships within your organization
15:08 – Through responsiveness and strong communications, you can bridge the Uncertainty Gap
17:27 – People are trained to want more details and information
20:07 – Responsiveness should be a company policy, not an individual choice
21:40 – Find ways to continuously improve
23:57 – Customers will often go with the person who responds first, regardless of price
Connect with Jay Baer
Visit his website
Learn more about The Time to Win
Subscribe to his newsletter
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks for tuning it to another episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing! To learn more about Trevor Blondeel and Manufacturing Greatness, please visit our website or contact Trevor here.
Results matters! Whether you’re looking at safety, quality, or productivity, you and your team want to know how you’re performing. But when it comes to people, it can be difficult to measure your return on investment.
In this episode, guest Martin Low walks us through the best strategies for measuring your team, plus shares great insights on why people matter most in your organization. Martin is the founder and CEO of On Plane Consulting, where he helps organizations transform and improve by building and leveraging their people capabilities. He also has over 20 years of human resources experiences at companies like Amazon and Blue Apron, and brings great insights on how to measure your team, clarify your processes, and create a culture where everyone shows up at their best.
3:23 – You can’t measure people in the same way you measure inventory, cash flow or other main areas of your organization
6:31 – If you don’t invest in your people, it leads to issues like high turnover and halted productivity
7:36 – If you don’t have a baseline, you can’t measure
8:45 – If someone on your team is underperforming, use curiosity to find the cause
8:52 – Establish a baseline for what good looks like within your team or organization
9:45 – If someone on your team has higher rates than others, study their process and see how you can implement their methods for your whole team
11:50 – When results don’t meet expectations, approach the issue with curiosity instead of judgement
14:08 – With clearer processes, your team can improve and your organization can reduce turnover
14:24 – As a leader, you should make your expectations clear and hold others accountable
15:33 – With clarity, your team members find more agency and can improve the way they show up
17:31 – Create a process where you and your team can use your energy in a productive way, instead of just trying to survive the day
19:37 – Surveying your team is a strategy for assuring everyone is aligned and understands your processes, values, mission, and goals
22:52 – With a survey, leadership can find solutions directly from their team on the floor
24:18 – Most people show up wanting to do a good job, and clear processes can help them improve how they show up
Connect with Martin Low
Learn more about On Plane Consulting
Contact On Plane Consulting at hello@onplane.com
Contact Martin at martin@onplay.com
Stories resonate with people, which makes them a valuable tool for sharing information, seeking new outcomes and connecting with your team. So let’s bring more storytelling to the manufacturing floor!
In this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, meet guest Trevor Perry. Trevor is an award-winning speaker, author, and perspective-changer, who uses his unique perspectives and love of storytelling to help others find their own light and improve their influence in the world. In this episode, Trevor shares his journey of finding his storytelling passion, and discusses why leaders should learn and practice storytelling skills.
4:04 – When someone owns, lives, and feels a story, that makes for powerful storytelling
5:31 – Some people might be bad storytellers with great stories to tell, or great storytellers with bad stories
6:24 – Storytelling is a way to connect and help others relate to what you’re trying to share
7:12 – Good storytelling is transparent and draws on your own experiences
8:42 – If you’re telling someone else’s story, you still need to find a way to personally connect and own the story you’re telling
11:18 – Storytelling is an inherent part of human nature, which is why stories resonate so well
12:47 – Every story needs a purpose, especially if you’re in a leader or mentor role
15:15 – If you’re trying to adopt someone else’s story as your own, it won’t feel authentic
16:19 – A culture of storytelling can bring more connection to your organization
17:44 – How you tell a story is always going to be different depending on your audience or situation
20:28 – Practicing improv is a unique way to hone your storytelling skills
20:30 - Learn more about improv and storytelling in Episode 97
22:55 – You can also learn about storytelling about listening to others
23:57 – As a human, you are a storyteller
Connect with Trevor Perry
Visit his website
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks for tuning it to another episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing! To learn more about Trevor Blondeel and Manufacturing Greatness, please visit our website or contact Trevor here.
How can we bring more mindfulness to the manufacturing floor without comprising speed or efficiency? With a background as an award-winning senior executive for agencies, brands, and team properties in NASCAR, IndyCar, and Formula One racing, Mike Mooney knows all about speed! He now uses his unique background to help leaders accelerate culture, unlock potential, drive opportunity, and create traction.
In this episode, Mike shares why humans are high-performance vehicles, and how leaders can use presence, intentionality, and curiosity to improve communicates, reach creative outcomes, and improve their organization’s culture.
3:46 – Like racecars, humans are high-performance vehicles that needs building, fixing, innovation, and restoration
5:04 – Being high-performance involves being present, intentional, and curious
8:13 – You can still get work done well and efficiently without sacrificing your relationships or workplace presence
9:22 – To improve your presence and how you show up, commit to shifting your micro-behaviors
12:00 – Sometimes, you need to slow down to go fast
13:33 – In the space between stimulus and response, you have a choice to jump to conclusions or react with curiosity
16:22 – Curiosity opens up conversations and leads to more productive outcomes
19:10 – Great ideas can come from anywhere, not just the executive team
23:20 – With curiosity, any idea can be interesting
25:05 – We were all designed to be high-performance vehicles and with time and authenticity, you can become the leader your organization needs
Connect with Mike Mooney
Visit his website
Find him on LinkedIn
Connect on X and Instagram @mike_mooney
Connect on Facebook @mikemooney_speaks
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks for tuning it to another episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing! To learn more about Trevor Blondeel and Manufacturing Greatness, please visit our website or contact Trevor here.
Trust is the antidote to so many common issues that can occur on the manufacturing floor. But how can you build trust—both in yourself and with your team? Find out in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with guest Justin Patton! Justin is a certified speaker professional and leadership presence expert, who challenges leaders to reimagine how they lead, love, and communicate. He’s also the author of Your Road to Yes: How to Build Trust in Yourself and With Others and the recently-released The High-Impact Manager: Your Blueprint for Bringing Out the Best in Your Team.
In this episode, Justin talks about the vital role trust plays in improving your leadership, empowering your team, and showing up as your best self, and shares why transparency, tact, and togetherness are the three key foundations you need to improve how you show up and built trust in your relationships.
3:10 – Trust requires transparency, tact, and togetherness
4:03 – Trust is your biggest competitive advantage
4:41 – When people don’t have all the information, they fill it in with fear or make up stories
5:59 – As a leader, you can create a culture of trust by having the courage to be transparent and vulnerable
8:39 – You have to speak your truth, but also take accountability for how you deliver it
10:41 – When an organization values results over everything else, it leads to issues like a lack of trust, increased disconnect, and poor leadership
12:22 – Think about who you are at your best, then work to show up for others as that best version of yourself
14:37 – To grow as a leader, you don’t have to fundamentally change who you are, but can learn how to lean into your best qualities and align your actions and behavior with who you are at your best
16:21 – Trust is built in small moments
17:46 – Find the balance between oversharing and transparency
20:51 – Trust does not leave people second guessing
21:20 – Choose discomfort over resentment
22:53 – There are also situations where building trust can require staying silent
25:43 – Every choice you make either gets you closer to trust or drives you away from it
Connect with Justin Patton
Visit his website
Learn more about his books
Check out my book reports of Your Road to Yes and The High-Impact Manager
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks for tuning it to another episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing! To learn more about Trevor Blondeel and Manufacturing Greatness, please visit our website or contact Trevor here.
The manufacturing industry just keeps getting greater—and it’s all thanks to passionate, mindful leaders who show up every day ready to engage their teams, improve their mindset, and create an environment where people love to work. One of these leaders is Karen J. Lund, a bestselling author and keynote speaker with a long career in the steel industry. Drawing on her experience in the steel industry, Karin now leads the team at G-Power Global, an organization she founded to inspires corporate and organizational entities to lead with compassion while continuing to focus on productivity, service, and profits.
In this episode, Karin talks more about transformations facing the steel industry and manufacturing as a whole, and shares why compassion, connection, and conversations are the key to unlocking creative solutions, overcoming challenges, and bringing new energy to the manufacturing floor.
3:03 – In manufacturing, you can’t do everything by yourself, which makes it very important to seek out and build strong connections
5:33 – It can be a challenge to form relationship on the floor, especially for younger professionals
6:48 – When people have connections on the floor, it makes it easier to voice feedback and navigate challenges
9:01 – By creating a culture that fosters connections and conversation, you’ll find more productivity and more creative solutions
11:37 – Compassion is the competitive edge
15:55 – There is a difference between training and learning
16:39 – Employee resource groups are a strong tool for building connections and community in the workplace
19:20 – If you want to redefine your industry and image, start by having conversations about your values and how you present to the media and others
22:25 – In manufacturing, it’s important to have conversations about how your role impacts the work of others, and vice versa
23:29 – Everyone learns in different ways and some people may need different accommodations
25:02 – When someone makes a commitment to their industry, it can have a positive impact for entire teams and organizations
Connect with Karin J. Lund
Visit her website
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks for tuning it to another episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing! To learn more about Trevor Blondeel and Manufacturing Greatness, please visit our website or contact Trevor here.
When a mistake occurs on the plant floor, your mind might jump to one question: who caused this issue, and should I write them up for their mistake? But there’s a more productive approach you could be taking—and in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, guest Dr. Jake Mazulewicz breaks it all down!
With a background as a firefighter, EMT, and military paratrooper, Jake knows the challenges of high-hazard industries, and works with organizations to reduce errors and create safer, more reliable workplace environments. In this episode, Jake shares why you can’t procedularize everything, including the way you handle errors and accidents, and offers great insights and stories about how to use connection and curiosity to improve safety, address errors, and strengthen your organization.
3:35 – Procedures and policies are the work that is imagined, and on the floor is how the work actually gets done
4:19 – The work as-done is almost always radically different than the work as-imagined
5:20 – Even when you have standards and people show up wanting to do a good job, you can still see issues that need to be addressed
6:44 – There will always be areas that absolutely need to have procedures in place
8:02 – There are also adaptive jobs, which leans less into procedures and more intro troubleshooting and tacit human knowledge
10:56 - In an ideal environment, both mechanistic and adaptive models are used and respected and needed
12:11 – There are four levels, ranging from strict procedurals to looser guidelines that show what to do, but not how to do it
15:36 – Tacit knowledge gets shared through conversations
16:22 – A way to share important information is to have frontline experts record videos sharing their insights to problems, especially those that are not covered in procedures
19:44 – Through conversation and connection, more knowledge is shared
21:58 – Debriefing also plays a central role
23:45 – If you have strong discipline, you’ll find more freedom
25:31 – In most situations, errors are signals, not defects
27:07 – When an error occurs, be curious and find the deeper cause of the problem
Connect with Jake Mazulewicz
Find him on Linkedin
Visit his website
In 2009, total engine loss forced US Airways Flight 1549 to make an emergency crash landing in New York City’s Hudson River—and thanks to the quick actions of the pilot, flight crew, and passengers, all 155 people on board made it safely off the plane. Now known as “the miracle on the Hudson,” this harrowing incident offers up important lessons on staying calm under pressure, coping with traumatic challenges, and making every moment count.
To learn more, let’s hear from a Flight 1549 survivor! Dave Sanderson is a nationally recognized leadership speaker and bestselling author, who draws from his inspirational story of survival to encourage others to do the right thing and find healthy ways to cope with their own struggles and adversity. In this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, Dave shares his own Miracle on the Hudson story, and offers powerful insights he learned from being the last passenger off Flight 1549!
2:18 – Dave shares his Flight 1549 story
8:11 – In times of conflict, whether it’s a plane crash or issue on the manufacturing floor, calmness and confidence play key roles
9:05 – To get through challenging situations, you need to manage your own mindset
10:05 – You don’t need to know everything to handle a crisis, but you have to be able to lead yourself first
11:09 – Every moment in your life happens for a reason
13:38 – How to react to and cope with a challenging situation depends on the meaning you attach to it
14:22 – By reframing the meaning you attach to a situation, you can find healthy and productive ways to react and grow
15:33 – Everyone assigns different meanings to different challenges, so it’s important to approach others with curiosity instead of judgement
17:56 – To truly understand others, you need be curious and have authentic interactions
21:52 – To feel included in an organization’s mission, people need and want certainty, variety, connection, significance, growth, and the ability to contribute
24:48 – As a leader, it’s up to you to find creative solutions and create opportunity from challenges
28:57 – If you get casual, it can lead to safety issues, accidents, and other serious problems for your organization
Connect with Dave Sanderson
Check out his website and download a free copy of his Moments Matter Magazine
Connect on LinkedIn to see new blog content
In many manufacturing organizations, company values can be seen in plaques on the walls, but don’t show up in the behavior and language used on the shop floor. How can we get core values off the walls and into action? Find out in this episode with guest Adam Hill!
Adam is the nine-figure CEO of a 4th generation family business, as well as a keynote speaker, bestselling author, and host of the top-rated podcast Flow Over Fear. Throughout his work, he helps leaders and other high achievers rise above fear and realize their ultimate potential in leadership and life. In this episode, Adam shares why core values are so important to organizations—and why holding tight to outdated ideals can cause restriction instead of growth, plus offers insights and lessons leaders can use to make sure their core values are showing up in their culture and behavior.
4:13 – Core values should serve as a driving force, but can sometimes become restrictive
6:26 – In some cases, holding onto an old or legacy core value can actually hold back your organization
8:15 – If your organization is struggling or plateaued, look toward your core values and address what ideals need to stay and which ones can be changed or removed
9:24 – Culture and strategy are very similar, but can’t be treated as the same
10:51 – As culture shifts, you might have to shift your behavior while still staying true to your core values
13:06 – If you want change, you need to create a culture where people feel empowered to speak up
14:19 – If people in your organization don’t feel comfortable speaking up, it can lead to unsafe environments
16:29 – Healthy conflict is often necessary when discussing which core values to keep or get rid of, especially in family or legacy companies
21:50 – The strongest core values are the ones that can grow and evolve with your organization
24:00 – Great results can arise from challenging conversations
Connect with Adam Hill
Visit his website
Listen to his Flow Over Fear podcast
If you want to improve safety, quality, productivity, and results, the first step is looking toward improving connection. With more mindfulness and connection, your entire organization can thrive—and in this episode, guest Jon Gordon is here to show you exactly how you can improve connection and fight disconnect in your organization!
Jon is one of the top three leadership speakers in the world, and his talks on mindset and leadership have inspired hundreds of individuals and organizations. He is also the bestselling author of 28 books, including one of my favorites, The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy. In this episode, Jon delves deeper into some of the insights in The Energy Bus to share how leaders can use positivity and connection to improve results and combat difficult situations.
3:31 – You are always going to have to deal with negative people, or energy vampires, but overcoming them is a key part of your journey to connection
4:40 – Every negative person is a test for you to find your own power and resiliency
6:40 – We are meant to be connected, which is why disconnect and isolation leads to anxiety and other mental health issues
7:55 – The more united and connected you are, the stronger you’ll be as a team
10:10 – If you only focus on the results instead of the process, it can lead to disconnect and other negative outcomes
11:15 – Feed yourself with words of positivity and encouragement instead of listening to negative self-talk
12:30 – Understand the wound behind your negative thoughts, so you can find a way to speak truth to them
13:49 – By embracing opportunities to heal and grow, you become a stronger leader for your team
16:25 – A positive team starts with positive leadership
18:03 – Understanding the dynamics of your team can help you find ways to improve connection
20:23 – You need both love and accountability
22:48 – There will always been the need for difficult conversations, so find a way to deal with them and make them less difficult for you and your team
24:49 – You can’t be thankful and stressed at the same time
Connect with Jon Gordon
Visit his website
Learn More about The Energy Bus and his other books
Read my previous book report on The Energy Bus
Connect on LinkedIn and social media
Hear Jon's podcast with Alan Mullally
“I’m great in my role and have valuable information to share . . . so why doesn’t anyone want to work with me?” If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, this podcast with guest Karine Leblanc is for you! Karine Leblanc is a bestselling author and international public speaker who uses her unique engineering background to help technical professionals bridge the bridge between technical brilliance and human connection. In this episode, Karine shares her personal story of discovering the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence,
4:10 – In any role, there is much more to do that simply learn the technical role of your job
5:00 – By having a mentor or someone else you trust in your organization, you can gain valuable feedback and insights
6:18 – To better yourself through feedback, you need to be ready to hear feedback and make it clear to your team that you’re open to listening to them
8:30 – When you work on yourself and improve your self-awareness, it can have a positive impact on all levels of your information, including your relationships with clients
9:45 – Emotional intelligence is not about being happy all the time, but learning to be self-aware of your own emotions and behaviors
10:42 – Through being intentional conversations with your team, you can still find productive outcomes and dynamics even when you’re not at your emotional best
11:51 – Have the courage to be vulnerable
15:05 – By being self-aware and intentional, you can learn your own behavioral signals and find the best ways to navigate challenging situations
16:18 – Using emotional intelligence, you can also learn other people’s behavioral signals and triggers, and find the best way to communicate with them
18:12 – If you’re stuck, all you need is a fresh perspective
19:09 – To find new perspectives and feedback, take a pause and zoom out
21:23 – Through simple and honest dialogue, you can improve safety and find more productive results
22:37 – When you combine technical skills with human skills, magic happens
Connect with Karine Leblanc
Visit her website
Connect on LinkedIn
There’s a four-letter word you should avoid on the manufacturing floor . . . and it’s not the one you think! In this episode, hear from guest Shawn Rhodes on why hope is the four-letter word you should remove from your processes. With a background as a war correspondent, Shawn knows firsthand how environments can quickly change, and now serves as a speaker, author, and international expert helping others learn how to pivot when change enters their plans. In this episode, Shawn discusses why hope shouldn’t be part of your strategy on the manufacturing floor, and pulls from his unique background to share actionable ways to replace hope in your organization and operations.
2:58 – If you rely on hope and wait for your environment to change, it can spell failure
3:15 – Identify where you’re using hope in your plans, then replace it with something else
5:08 – As a leader, replacing hope starts with changing your mindset
6:03 – To replace hope, identify areas where issues could occur, then work to address the issues
8:50 – By making small changes, you can eliminate bigger issues and free up more time and resources for yourself and your team
11:18 – By changing your mindset to remove hope, you will also create a positive standard for your team and organization
13:51 – Take time to monitor your environment and assesses what is and isn’t working
15:07 – Set objectives and figure out what you need to do to reach them
18:40 – As a leader, your biggest concern should be living up to your potential and fully showing up in how you serve
21:05 – Replace hope with systems and processes
21:53 – Take ownership and think about what you could do differently as a leader and how you can put those changes into action
25:16 – Have the courage to take a pause or briefly shut down operations, and it will save major time and stress down the line
27:30 – If you put in the work to replace hope and improve your leadership, success will find you
Connect with Shawn Rhodes
Find him on LinkedIn
Learn more about Shawn’s book Pivot Point
Do you want to improve relationships at your organization and change the way you show up for your team? It all starts with self-awareness . . . and in this episode, guest Zovig Garboushian is here to show you the tips you need to become a self-awareness champion!
With years of experience in brand marketing, management consulting, and leadership development, Zovig now puts her passion and experience to use at Boldness Ablaze, a boutique professional firm that helps leaders overcome personal limitations and find authentic success. In this episode, Zovig delves into the important topic of self-awareness and shares her favorite tips on how leaders can use skills like curiosity and compassion to grow their self-awareness, form healthier connections, and find the life they want to have.
2:30 – Self-awareness is the key to having the kind of life you want to have
2:50 – It is also about the ongoing and evolving relationship you have with yourself
7:20 – Through self-awareness, you develop the ability to notice and change when something in your life feels incongruent with what you want for yourself
8:40 – The more we connect to ourselves, the more we behave in our natural ways
9:12 – Our essence is our unique way of showing up and adding value to the world
11:24 – Self-awareness also requires you to attend to yourself and practice self-care
13:25 – One way to practice self-awareness is to take small moments throughout your day to pause and reflect on how you want to show up
16:43 – Another self-awareness tip is to observe yourself, your behavior, and your interactions and reactions
18:40 – By staying self-aware and reflecting on your own behavior, you can improve your relationships with others in your organization
19:48 – Showing up with self-awareness takes courage
20:18 – Everything we do for others begins with ourselves
20:35 – Self-awareness includes curiosity, compassion, and acceptance for ourselves
22:05 – You’re never going to treat someone else better than how you treat yourself
24:26 – You deserve to take time for yourself
Connect with Zovig Garboushian
Visit her website
Email zovig@boldnessablaze.com
Connect on LinkedIn
What are the 3 P’s of success? Grab a cup of your favorite tea and find out in this episode with Tonia Jahshan! Tonia is the founder of Canadian loose leaf tea company Sipology, which skyrocketed to great levels of success after Tonia pitched her business on Dragons’ Den, the Canadian version of Shark Tank. Today, Sipology is one of the fastest growing companies in North America, and Tonia is one of the top entrepreneurs in Canada.
In this episode, Tonia gives a behind-the-scenes look at her experience on Dragons’ Den and shares why passion, purpose, and perseverance are the three ingredients you need to find your own great success.
2:18 – Tonia shares stories from her experience on Dragons’ Den
8:49 – When pitching a new idea, do your homework and know your audience
9:18 – Be transparent and show you truly care about your product or process
10:18 – Strong and long-lasting partnerships often start with a personal connection
12:04 – To drive change, you have to show up with passion
12:27 – The three P’s of success are passion, purpose, and perseverance
13:26 – If you’re not showing up with passion, others in your organization will feel it as well
16:24 – By setting boundaries and taking care of your own mental health, you can improve your mindset and how you positively show up for your team
18:52 – On the journey to success, you’re not alone and it’s okay to rely on your team and others in your life and organization
19:28 – If you’re not passionate about w hat you’re doing or feel like you’re lost your purpose, reconsider and rework
Connect with Tonia Jahshan
Learn more about Sipology
Connect with Tonia on Instagram or LinkedIn
Visit Tonia’s website
What does manufacturing leadership have in common with running marathons or climbing mountains? Learn the answer in this episode with guest Steven Pivnik!
Steven is an entrepreneur, author, and international speaker, who took his company Binary Tree to great success during his time as CEO. He is also an endurance athlete who has reached the summit of mountains like Kilimanjaro and competed in the grueling Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.
In his soon-to-be-released book Built to Finish: How to Go the Distance in Business and Life, Steven shares his stories about finding success in both entrepreneurship and endurance sports. In this episode, he delves into a few insights from his book, plus shares lessons on endurance, shortcuts, and connections that you can use to find more successful outcomes, whether you’re on the manufacturing floor or getting ready for your next athletic adventure!
2:19 - There are actually many tie-ins between endurance sports and entrepreneurship
6:11 – Avoid taking shortcuts, especially when it comes to tasks like hiring
6:55 – Shortcuts may feel good and lead to easy solutions, but they don’t always lead to long-term, sustainable outcomes
8:20 – Many people have the false notion that there is always time to do sometime twice, but there’s rarely time to do it right the first time
10:57 - If you rely on shortcuts, it can hurt you in the long-run
12:22 – Often, going slowly instead of rushing or using a shortcut leads to more positive outcomes and a greater chance of success
14:23 – When it comes to forming connections and having deeper conversations, it’s especially important to slow down and be intentional about your behavior and mindset
14:50 – In relationships, quantity supersedes quality
16:50 – Stronger connections come from building true relationships through work
18:43 – When people have strong personal connections at work, they are more likely to show up and productively engage with their organization
21:20 – Forming stronger relationships takes work and patient, but the benefits can be very rewarding
22:43 – Everyone has stories and greatness, and you can discover opportunities for new connections by being open and willing to learn
Connect with Steven Pivnik
Visit his website
Connect on LinkedIn
Pre-order Built to Finish
From convincing a valued team member to stay with your organization to motivating an employee to level up their performance, you use influence everyday on the manufacturing floor. But what exactly is influence, and how can you more productive ways to influence others in your organization?
Alyson Van Hooser has the answers! Alyson is a keynote speaker, leadership expert, and the author of Infinite Influence, which offers the keys to unlocking more productive relationships and outcomes. In this episode, Alyson uses personal stories and memorable anecdotes to show the importance of influence within teams and organizations, plus discusses how curiosity and intentionality can make a big difference in how you influence and communicate with others.
2:57 – There are many ways to influence people, from convincing them to stay on your team to influencing someone to level up their performance at work
3:19 – Change the way you think about everyone you know and recognize your ability to influence anyone, anywhere, at any time
4:27 – Influence is very different from manipulation
5:21 – You can’t motivate someone to do something they don’t want to do
14:52 – Instead of making assumptions, stay curious and think about what others need
17:25 – By making assumptions, you might not be meeting your team’s needs, if you are going in with good intentions
18:51 – You need a combination of good intentions and intentional actions
22:48 – Leading with biases and assumptions instead of curiosity and intentionality can lead to further disconnect in your organization
23:46 – You don’t need radical shifts to change your leadership. Instead, you can focus on small moments of building curiosity and intention
26:03 – To find the best way to communicate with someone, you need build a relationship and get to know their story
28:33 – Successful organizations are built through the support and investment of others
Connect with Alyson Van Hooser
Visit her website
Connect on LinkedIn
Learn More About Infinite Influence
In the busy and high-stress world of manufacturing, it can be hard to find your focus! What can you do to reset your focus and prioritize what matters most? Find out in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with “Focusologist” Penny Zenker.
Penny is as an international speaker, business strategy coach, and bestselling author who has been featured on NBC, Forbes, and more. She is also a leader expert in the psychology of productivity, and works with organizations to maximize results by eliminating perfectionism, distractions, and self-sabotage. In this episode, she shares her three-step process for building a reset mindset aligning yourself with what matters most to you, your team, and the productivity and culture of your organization.
3:46 – Focus always coming back to setting objectives and aligning your actions with those objectives
4:47 – To find your focus, you need to step back, get out of your daily cycle, and reset
5:29 – To engage in reset practice, you have to recognize the trigger for the reset moment and then take a step back to get perspective and realign
7:03 – The more you practice, the easier it is to build a reset mindset
7:53 – If you don’t give yourself permission to step back and reset, you increase the risk of errors that can hinder productivity and cause mistakes
8:53 – Taking small break is a way to relearn how to focus
9:30 – Another part of practicing a reset mindset is learning to recognize when something isn’t working, like getting rid of an unproductive meeting
11:39 – Stepping back can mean giving up control in some areas
12:14 – Being able to step back creates a culture with less bureaucracy and more trust and autonomy
13:59 – Sometimes we focus on the wrong areas, like focusing on micromanagement when it would be more productive to focus on fostering autonomy
16:30 – A reset mindset starts with creating reset moments for yourself
17:44 – Constantly look for ways to bring out the best in yourself and in others
18:22 – A reset mindset also requires curiosity and a willingness to adapt
21:24 – If one person in an organization can demonstrate a reset mindset, others will learn to do the same
Connect with Penny Zenker
Visit her website
Check out her Take Back Time podcast
Is humor the secret weapon for bridging the connection gap in your organization? Find out more in this episode featuring Tim Gard, CSP, CPAE. Tim is a Hall of Fame speaker and business coach who uses his own humor-infused presentations to help others use humor to improve productivity, create stronger connections, and bring more resilience and resourcefulness to their organizations. In this episode, Tim shares why humor can be a powerful tool for combating disconnect and communicating with your team, all while sharing some humorous stories of his own!
2:49 – When humor comes at the expense of others, it fuels disconnect
4:14 – Self-effacing humor is a strong skill in the workplace, but can be difficult to master
4:49 – There is a difference between understanding humor and being humorous yourself
5:35 – If you can find humor in a stressful situation, it can lead to moments of connection for you and your team
7:04 – By figuring out what is humorous to your team members, you can find ways to bridge the disconnection gap with humor
10:25 – When you can work hard and laugh hard with you team, you can find results
10:58 – If you’re not connecting with someone, you have to adapt to their communication style and figure out what’s important to them
12:01 – You also need to be aware of your behavior and how others might interpret it or react to it
12:47 – If you don’t connect with someone at first, don’t abandon the process
15:32 – By having your own good mood and positive mindset, you can convey that to your team
17:34 – Humor can also be used to convey safety messages in your organization
20:07 – By using humor, you can draw others to you and your team and can get better results
22:35 – Harnessing your own positive thoughts and feelings is a powerful tool for connection
25:08 – We can’t always choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we perceive and react
Connect with Tim Gard
Visit his website
Learn more about Sticky Safety
Just think positive! We’re all heard this phrase before, but thinking positively can be easier said than done, especially if you’re dealing with a painful situation or difficult challenge. In this episode, guest Dr. Paul Jenkins is here to help you find a new approach for positive thinking. Dr. Paul is a professional psychologist who specializes in science and practice of positivity. He is also a coach, author, speaker, and “black belt in positivity” who creates models to help others find empowering new ways to view positivity.
2:39 – Positive thinking is more than a trite motivational phase
4:35 – The equipment of your mind is amazing at what it’s intended to do
5:55 – Your brain’s job is to keep things really efficient
6:44 – Metacognition is thinking on a higher level, or thinking about thinking
7:06 – Metacognition creates a space where choice exists
9:19 – You are constantly judging and evaluating, so you brain can work to keep you safe and to prove you right
13:59 – You can’t always get rid of a negative situation, but you can find a sense of relief and gratitude by comparing it to something worse
17:59 – If you assume something is bad or has no upsides, your brain will work to prove you right
18:40 – You can’t tell others to just be more positive, and others can’t do the same for you
20:03 – Toxic positivity is when you ignore the difficulty and act like everything is okay
22:37 – Creation mode is all about what is to be and what doesn’t exist yet
23:34 – When you imagine that worse things are coming, it leads to anxiety
25:15 – What we imagine is our brain’s blueprint for moving forward, even if what actually happens doesn’t perfectly match what you envisioned
27:25 – The two stages of thinking are evaluation and creation
28:48 – As a leader, you can help others create their own positive visions
30:01 – Come to peace with how things are, then work to upgrade your situation
Connect with Dr. Paul Jenkins
Visit his website
Get your free positivity model here
If you missed part one with guest Jon Giganti, be sure to listen to Episode 103 here.
Jon Giganti is speaker, tech executive, and USA Today bestselling author. He is the author of With Intention, where he delves into how leaderships can use skills like agency, awareness, and ambition to find new success, take ownership of their past, and bring impactful change to their organizations. In this episode, Jon shares more lessons and insights about how leaders can use intentionality to form strong connections, find productive results, and serve their team in the authentic, impactful ways.
1:29 – Schedule white space or margins into your day to avoid overbooking yourself
3:29 – Quiet moments in your schedule give you a chance to rest your brain, body, and soul
8:06 – Setting aside time in your schedule is a way to invest in yourself and your future\
10:00 – Scheduling margins also gives you time to form more productive connections within your organization
13:27 – When you have a lack of connection, you have a lack of engagement
13:40 – Let others see your authenticity
14:22 – By building trust and serving as your authentic self, you can work toward stronger results with your team
15:57 – You need self-awareness to find the best ways to improve and serve
17:27 – Get below the surface to know yourself, including your identities, beliefs, and values
20:20 – If you don’t deal with what’s in your head, it will impact your heart
22:26 – By building relationships, you can impact others and drive change
25:45 – Vulnerability is a superpower
Connect with Jon Giganti
Visit his website, where you can learn about his speaking, podcasts, and With Intention course
Check out my book report of With Intention, then get your own copy
Do you find yourself starting the day with positive intentions, then leaving your manufacturing plant at the end of the day feeling like you didn’t actually accomplish any of your intentions? You might be struggling with “intention deficit disorder!” This is definitely something I’ve struggled with, but I felt much better after reading With Intention by speaker, tech executive, and USA Today bestselling author Jon Giganti. Jon is also a friend and professional speaking colleague, and after reading his fantastic book, I wanted to hear more of his thoughts on how we can all bring more intentionality to our leadership and organizations.
That’s why I’m excited to have him as my guest for this special two-part episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing! In part one of my podcast with Jon, he shares some stories that lead to the lessons on intentionality he writes about in With Intention, and discusses why self-awareness, agency, and connections play a key role in practicing intentionality and improving results.
6:33 – To accomplish something, you need to show up, serve, and add value
7:08 – Intention is finding out what your priorities are, then living into it as much as possible
7:58 – Every day is a new day with opportunities to be intentional and make an impact
9:28 – In order to serve others, you have to serve yourself first by establishing a routine and setting yourself up for success
10:48 – To find sustainable results, you need to have self-awareness and self-intention
13:13 – You need to put yourself in the right position for success
14:08 – Your energy levels are not the same throughout the day, so being intentional about your time is important
15:44 – Journaling or writing down affirmations is one way to practice intentionality
16:34 – You should also set a core foundation yourself by working on your own standards and beliefs
18:30 – To accomplish what you want to accomplish, show up, and form habits
21:07 – If you want to be more intentional about how you lead or connect with others, start with curiosity, connection, and bridging disconnects
23:29 – To serve others on your team, act as a safe place to connect
24:00 – To get stronger results or find out what is driving a performance issue, stay curious and find ways to connect with your teams
24:39 – Trust also plays a large role in building connections and finding results
25:23 – Along with self-awareness, you also need agency and the ability to take ownership of your past, present, and future
Tune in next episode to learn more about intentionality with Jon Giganti!
Connect with Jon Giganti
Visit his website, where you can learn about his speaking, podcasts, and With Intention course
Check out my book report of With Intention, then get your own copy
Relationships play a key role in fostering curiosity, building connection, and combating disconnection. But how do we create strong, authentic relationships? To answer that question, I’m joined by guest Corban David Jenai. Corban is an entrepreneur, artist, world traveler, and father. He also currently serves as the Chief Hope Officer at HopeGuide, where he draws from his own PTSD diagnosis and healing journey to help others find the freedom and connection they need to recover from their trauma. In this episode, Corban shares why vulnerbility and intentionality are important for building strong relationships, discusses why "being a witness" to others is the key to building relationships, and shares some authentic stories from his own journey.
3:14 – Talking about ourselves and real aspects of our lives is a way to kick off strong connections
4:00 – Vulnerability is a path to connection
4:23 – By listening and getting to know others on your team, you build a sense of trust, which in turn leads to greater results on performance, quality, safety, and more
5:03 – To show others that you care, you have to actually care
6:36 – To build connections, think about what is important to you, and work with the assumption that others might have feelings similar to yours
8:23 – While modern society gives us the chance to connect with many people, we don’t always have the time or capacity to form meaningful connections with every person we encounter
10:15 – By connecting with smaller groups, we have the chance to be a witness to others, and they can be a witness to hear, see, and feel us as we are
11:06 – By investing in others at a deeper level, you can improve productivity and results
12:56 – Being vulnerable and open with your team allows them to see your humanity as a leader
14:38 – By looking at someone and actually seeing them, you can make a major difference, even if you don’t have a solution to their problems
16:51 – When people feel seen and heard, they are more likely to show up for you and your organization
20:06 – Even small moments of connection, like making eye contact, go a long way when forming connections
25:54 – Being a witness can help you show up better in all your relationships
Connect with Corban David Janai
Find Corban online at his website
Learn More About HopeGuide here
To make better decisions and increase the overall engagement in your organization or workplace, you need diversity of thought! This is why I’m always so excited to talk to women in manufacturing roles, like Kathy Miller! Kathy has held multiple executive roles in manufacturing, including roles at General Motors, Delphi Automotive Systems, and Rolls-Royce. She was also inducted into the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame in 2021, and has written about her unique journey as a woman in manufacturing in her book Steel Toes and Stilettos.
In this episode, Kathy shares more about her experiences and successes as a woman in manufacturing, and shares how both male and female leaders can build stronger connections, find more diverse results, and show up as their most authentic, empowered selves.
3:29 – Steel Toes and Stilettos is inspired by the different roles women play to be both their authentic, feminine selves and hold their own on a shop floor
4:21 – A successful journey in manufacturing requires soft skills, which can be harder to develop than people realize
5:19 – To make a significant cultural transformation stick in your organization, you need to make it feel like it belongs to the employees, and make them feel it with their hands and the hearts
8:23 – To get more women and their perspectives into manufacturing roles, it’s important to get women into manufacturing roles at a young age
9:12 – Inclusive environments get better business results
9:35 – Every person in your organization has a heart, a brain, and a set of hands, and you have to tap into all three
11:00 – By giving others an opportunity to contribute, you can find new and better results
13:50 – Kathy’s equation for successfully improving plants involves relationships, realities, results, and authenticity
14:45 – Every single relationship matters
16:37 – Face your realities and work on what’s in your control
17:27 – Focus on where you are and you’ll find results
18:09 – If you’re a man in manufacturing, work to amplify female voices
19:05 – Women in manufacturing can also advocate for their authentic selves
Connect with Kathy Miller
Connect with Kathy on Linkedin
Learn more from Kathy and her coauthor Shannon Karels on their website
Buy Steel Toes and Stilettos
“Are you winning?” This is one of my favorite questions to ask when I enter a manufacturing plant, and it’s always interesting to see the variety of responses. To learn more about how leaders and their teams can do more to “win the day,” I’m excited to welcome my friend and former neighbor Eric Berdan to the Mindfulness Manufacturing podcast. After years of experience in manufacturing and running factories, Eric now works at the business optimization leader for Nestle North America. In this episode, he shares some great stories about what it takes to win in the manufacturing industry, plus shares tips on how to motivate your team and find productive results.
3:28 – Every person in your organization has a different definition of what it means to win
3:55 – By engaging your team in their daily activities and their goals, you’ll find stronger overall success
6:11 – You don’t have to be perfect, but you still need to win and set up a winning streak for yourself
7:19 – To achieve results, you need to break your paradigms, be willing to push through challenges, and find ways to motivate others
8:56 – Momentum always plays a key role
10:28 – Let you team work within their own frameworks and set goals that are attainable for them
14:10 – You can’t expect everyone to share your goals or reach the same expectations you personally set for yourself
17:54 – By being intentional about how you start your day, you can set yourself up for wins
22:23 – Sometimes, a strong winning streak can actually hurt productivity
24:59 – Understanding how you’re doing at work requires many different senses
27:38 – Discretionary effort adds to win and productivity
28:19 – The key to success is tapping into emotion and getting your team emotionally connected to a goal
“What else can I do to help?” For Susan Baier, the founder and president of Audience Audit, this question changed the trajectory of her career when she received generous assistance as a recent college graduate. She now gives back through her work with Audience Audit, where she helps businesses grow their ROI through transformational thought leadership reputations and stronger marketing. In this episode, Susan joins me to share her story and insights about how leadership can shift their mindset and find ways to be “relentlessly helpful” in their organizations and lives.
2:08 – To be relentlessly helpful, ask other what else you can do to help them and think about what you can do to help the others around you or in your organization
3:44 – Shift your mindset to think about the ways you can have an impact on others
3:54 – We all know things that someone else doesn’t know
8:15 – The people with the greatest experiences and the most unique perspectives are often not sharing their information
8:40 – Being generous reaps huge rewards and builds goodwill
10:37 – Being relentlessly helpful can also be a way to break out of your own routine and make yourself feel better about your own role
12:36 – Some days may have more opportunities to be helpful than others, but there are always small gestures you can make or questions you can ask to support others
14:34 – Both overconfidence and a lack of confidence can impact the ability to be relentlessly helpful
14:54 – Organizations, not just individuals, can embrace a culture of relentless helpfulness
18:39 – Learning on the job is a critical component of advancement
19:45 – To understand what is helpful for others, you need to listen and communicate
20:33 – As you shift your mindset, you’ll grow your listening skills and find more way to be helpful
22:18 – We often dismiss our own knowledge and forget to think about how our knowledge can be important to someone else, even in a small way
23:34 – Just being open and available for conversation can help others
Connect with Susan Baier
Audience Audit website
Contact Susan
Have you ever wanted to write a book? Do you want to grow your writing skills or find new ways to use words to inspire your team and grow your organization? If you’re ready to take the first steps toward writing a book, AJ Harper is here to help! AJ is an editor, publishing strategist, and former ghostwriter who now uses her skills to help others write transformational books, grow their leadership, and make a unique impact on the world. She shares her methods through workshops like her Top Three Books Workshop, and she is also the author of Write a Must Read: Crafting a Book That Changes Lives—Including Your Own.
In this podcast episode, AJ shares more about Write a Must Read and her experiences as a ghostwriter. She also shares some practical methods manufacturing leaders can use to grow their storytelling skills, whether they’re getting ready to write a book or simply looking for new ways to engage their teams.
1:03 – In a previous episode with Michael Port, we talked about speaking and growing your speaking skills to improve your impact in your organization.
2:39 – As a ghostwriter for bestselling books, AJ gained the experiences and insights she now uses to help others craft must-read books
5:01 – Like manufacturing, crafting a good book means developing strong systems and processes
5:30 – By having a strong and repeatable system, you can overcome challenges like self-doubt or your inner critic
6:28 – A key point of strong storytelling is remembering details
6:48 – To remember details you want to write down or share with your team, write them down in your phone or even record them for later
8:33 – Even if you have a very busy schedule, you can still find times in your day to write
9:17 – Writing doesn’t have to be daily and you don’t have to write a ton of words every day, as long as you find time to write on a regular basis that works for you and your schedule
10:42 – Other people may have already written ideas similar to yours, but the world still hasn’t heard it in your unique voice
11:43 – To connect with your audience, you need to put your reader first
13:35 – By using the reader first concept, you can also find better ways to connect and communicate with your team
14:50 – Even by just acknowledging an existing problem or condition, you can still motivate and support your team or audience
16:37 – Think about the hearts and minds of your audience and demographic
19:12 – Having a script is a way to prepare yourself before speaking, even if it’s just a few key points
20:42 – Instead of only focusing on your own objective, think about how you want to make others feel
21:35 – Don’t expect to be great at first
Connect with AJ Harper
Visit her website, where you can sign up for her newsletter with more writing tips
Learn more in my review of Write a Must-Read
What do manufacturing leaders have in common with performers? More than you think! In this episode, I’m joined by Michael Port, a bestselling author, former professional actor, and the founder of Heroic Public Speaking. Drawing from his experience as an actor and speaker, he joins me in this episode to talk about how leaders can improve their performance skills to heighten their impact, grow their role in their organization, and find the most effective ways to inform, persuade, and motivate their teams.
3:30 – Putting on a performance doesn’t necessarily mean showcasing a fake version of yourself, and performances can still be intentional and mindful
5:02: To change what other people do, consider what you make them think and how you make them feel
5:30 – You need to earn the privilege of influencing how others think
8:11 – To be a person who others want to help, you need to create value for them
10:48 – Success is not just about numbers and goalposts, but about growing every single member of your team
12:05 – To build a long-term, sustainable organization, it always comes back to being intentional and thinking about how your team feels and how you make them feel through your leadership and behavior
15:28 – As a leader or manager, you need to be careful and deliberate about what you say on a everyday basis, and think about how others might interpret your words
17:14 – Before starting a conversation, especially in a time of conflict, think about how the other person might react to your words, and what you can say to start an engaging dialogue without them feeling attacked or defensive
18:40 – To increase productivity and create a healthier workplace culture, you need to make your team feel like they’re in a safe environment
21:11 – You want to present you team with something that can get excited about, and show them something of value they’ll get out of it
22:41 – Along with showing your team members what they’ll get from your initiative, you also have to highlight the consequences of not doing it
23:59 – Most people don’t really hear you until you’re sick of saying the point you want me to hear
25:21 – To be a person who others want to help, you have to show others you can both make and fulfil commitments
29:55 – If you always shut down other’s ideas, they will eventually learn to stop coming to you
30:27 – To have productive conversations, you need to keep them moving
Connect with Michael Port
Heroic Public Speaking website
Heroic Public Speaking Substack
Follow @HeroicPublicSpeaking on social media
In episode 92, guest Sylvie di Guisto talked about the factors that go into creating a successful and memorable first impression. One of these factors is appearance, particularly the way we dress. To dig deeper, I’m excited to chat with today’s guest, Morgan Wider! Morgan is a personal style expert, speaker, and the founder of Wider Style, as well as the author of Worthy Wardrobe: Your Guide to Style, Shopping, & Soul. Drawing on her decade of leadership experience at major retail giants, she now uses her speaking, consulting, and styling to help others increase their performance through their image. In this podcast, she talks more about why clothing and appearance matters, and how leaders—especially women in male-dominated industries like manufacturing—can use clothes to present themselves in an authentic, appropriate, and self-honoring way.
2:42 – You only have seven seconds to make a strong first impression, and your appearance is typically one of first elements others notice about you
4:03 – By dressing as your authentic self, you also encourage your team to be themselves and show up in their own authentic ways
5:18 – Even if your role requires a uniform, there are still ways to show your own authentic personality and style, like through hair or makeup choices
6:20 – In male-dominated industries like manufacturing, women may feel like they need to blend in with their fashion choices, but this can also keep them from showing up as their most authentic selves
9:12 – In your clothing and appearance, you need to be both authentic and appropriate
10:33 – Make style choices that honor who you are and truly present who you are in the best way possible
11:33 – By being mindful of factors like your body type, age, strengths, and weakness, you can dress in a way that’s both appropriate for your role and honors who you are as an individual
12:24 – When you’re comfortable and happy with how you look, it improves your productivity and morale, plus makes you feel better and more confident
13:23 – By putting effort into your appearance, you can get yourself into the mindset you need
14:39 – Different audiences and occasions can mean different style choices
18:40 – If you don’t put in the effort, it can affect how others perceive you and how you show up
25:30 – As a leader, think about what you can do to create a space than honors diversity
26:58 – If find yourself in a space or role where you can’t be your authentic self, it might be time to consider if it’s the right space for you
Connect with Morgan Wider
Website
More on her book, The Worthy Wardrobe
On the manufacturing floor, you might not see rabbits being pulled out of hats or people being miraculously levitated, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t everyday chances to create magical moments. To find out how leaders can create moments of magic, surprise, and delight on the manufacturing floor, I knew I had to go to the expert: Jon Petz, an entrepreneur, speaker, bestselling author, and magician! In this episode, he shares why workplaces need more everyday magic, plus shares insights on how leaders can use intentionality, creativity, and mindfulness to turn simple, everyday moments into important connections.
3:11 – In the workplace, magic is all about creating moments that make your team feel valued, support, and like they’re part of something special
4:24 – To create magic, be intentional, lean into organic moments, and create moments of surprise
5:15 – Don’t overlook the simple moments
6:31 – Magical moments play a big role in improving productivity and efficiency
10:58 – Purpose drives passion and helps your team find ways to truly engage instead of just getting up in their role
12:39 – You can’t always plan for moments of magic, but you can think about what your team needs to feel empowered and supported
15:05 – Deeper conversations drive results and solutions
16:06 – Take a genuine care in your team member’s outside of their role in your organization
17:17 – Jon’s book recommendation – Work Plus Love by Marcus Buckingham
18:01 – Take steps to truly appreciate and recognize your team
20:45 – You also need to pay attention to other’s mindsets and see what they need to feel valued or encouraged
21:36 – With title comes authority, but title does not always come with leadership
Connect with Jon Petz
Website
Buy Significance in Simple Moments, now available in paperback
Why does communication break down and lead to conflict? Can we find a way to harness emotions for good, or are we always doomed to division and misunderstandings? As someone who grew up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, Dr. Irvine Nugent is no stranger to questions like these. Living in a time of great violence and turbulence has given him a unique perspective on emotions and body language, and he now uses his skills to help leaders understand and master their own emotions, discover the power of emotional intelligence, and transform their ability to engage with others. He is also the author of Lessons from the Pub, where he shares leadership lessons learned while growing up in a pub.
I’m excited to have Dr. Irvine as my guest for this episode, where he shares more about emotional intelligence, body language, and how to use emotion to build more meaningful connections.
1:57 – How we present our emotions has a big impact on how we forge relationships, avoid conflict, and find more productive outcomes
5:04 – Before you can lead others, you need to lead yourself
6:59 – One tip for increasing your self-awareness is to take a one-minute pause before entering a room and give yourself time to process your emotions and get rid of any emotions you don’t want to bring into the room
7:57 – You can’t always make your emotions disappear, but you can manage and acknowledge them
8:16 – If you don’t give people the information they need, they’ll fill in the gaps themselves and are more likely to jump to conclusions about your emotions and behavior
9:43 – Emotions are contagious
11:32 – By taking the time to have quality interactions, you can find better outcomes and change the way you show up for your team
14:54 – Leaders need to know the truth, and that truth becomes data
17:57 – On a strong team, everyone holds each other accountable
19:17 – Anger, fear, disgust, contempt, surprise, happiness, and sadness are the seven universal emotions
20:20 – By learning to recognize facial expression and body language, you can understand when you need to ask more questions or start a deeper dialogue
25:15 – Even in times of violence and conflict, there are always reminders of humanity’s resilience and potential
Connect with Dr. Irvine Nugent
Website
YouTube
More about Leadership Lessons from the Pub
Do you find yourself dreading Mondays ? Are you constantly stressed out about falling behind or not living up to your team’s expectations? You might be dealing with burnout, an occupational phenomenon that arises from chronic workplace stress. To learn more about burnout and what you can do to prevent it, check out this episode with guest Nina Nesdoly. Nina has an academic background in both neuroscience and organizational behavior, and she uses her niche expertise to help other manage stress, prevent burnout, and promote health and resilience in their organizations. In this podcast, she combines scientific insights and practical tips to talk about the causes of burnout and what leaders can do to combat burnout in themselves and their organizations.
2:43 – Burnout is different from just feeling tired or overwhelmed at work, and there are three major characteristics that set it apart from regular feelings of stress
2:50 – The first symptom of burnout is physical exhaustion, including physical symptoms like headaches and muscle tension
3:13 – The second symptom is cynicism and depersonalization
4:20 – The third and most difficult to spot symptom is professional efficacy, or a feeling like you and your work are not good enough
6:01 – When you tried to compensate for feeling like you’re bad at your job or not meeting expectations, it can actually fed into the cycle of burnout
7:21 – The difference between stress and burnout is that stress is your body’s response to demands in your environment, while burnout is the consequences of chronic stress built up over time
8:46 – Over time, burnout can change your brain and make it harder to regulate your emotions and stress response
10:16 – To combat and prevent burnout, evaluate when you’re putting your energy and how you’re expending your energy
11:25 – Oftentimes, we are the ones putting unnecessary stress on ourselves
12:45 – When you’re feeling stressed, it’s important to connect with others, and there are even hormones in your body that will push you toward wanting to connect with people
14:25 – To say yes to some things, you have to say no to others
15:34 – By being intentional about when you say no, you can make sure you have the time and energy to say yes to the projects that really serve your organization
16:36 – Thinking about your goals is another way to combat burnout, as we can get stuck in the same stressful trajectory
17:30 – If you find yourself in a position that doesn’t align with your values or goals, have the courage to say reevaluate and say no
18:50 – You can practice saying no in low stakes situations
19:32 – You can also practice the 24-hour rule to give yourself more time to evaluate a situation before saying yes or no
21:30 – There are also alternatives to saying no, like telling someone you need to shift your priorities or that if you do one task, it means you won’t be able to get to another
22:54 – To combat burnout, you need to REST, or recognize, evaluate, say no, and take care of yourself
33:00 – You can’t focus on everything at once, so be intentional about how you use your time
Connect with Nina Nesdoly
Find her on Instagam and Tiktok @WorkplaceClarity
Website
In an interaction with someone new, you only have about seven seconds to make a great first impression. What can you do to make every second count? Find out in this episode with guest Sylvie di Giusto! Sylvie is a consultant, author, and international keynote speaker, who uses her years of corporate experience to help other professionals use emotional intelligence and conscious decision-making to change their behavior and find the best outcomes. In this episode, Sylvie joins me for a conversation about first impressions, overcoming biases, and why behavior and communications play a big role in setting yourself up for great conversations and exciting connections.
3:19 – In the first seven seconds of a new conversation, we all make up to eleven major decisions about the other person
4:21 – We all have unconscious biases, which are built on our past experiences
4:33 – One of these is confirmation bias, which is when we search for something to show that our initial opinion about someone was correct
4:47 – Another is anchoring bias, where we cannot get rid of information or perceptions we already have
5:04 – Overall, there are around 185 biases that influence our decisions every single day
6:11 – To form stronger relationships and get rid of biases, take a step back from your own mindset and stay curious in conversations with others
7:39 – In a diverse industry like manufacturing, first impressions are particularly important, and you will have interactions with a wide variety of people, from clients to your team on the floor
8:37 – First impressions are also especially important for women in the manufacturing industry, since it’s a traditionally male-dominated industry
10:24 – Instead of letting your gender drive other’s first impression of you, make sure they see your experience, expertise, skills, confidence, and leadership
11:53 – Making a strong first impression comes down to five elements, or the ABCDEs of making a good impression
12:00 - A is for appearance, or the way you look, dress, and present yourself
13:21 – B stands for behavior, which includes factors like your attitude, your charisma, and your mindset and ethics
14:15 – C is for communication, and this also includes your listening skills
15:44 – While making a first impression, it’s important to always do your best, even if you make mistakes in those first seven seconds
17:30 – Your reputation is what people say behind your back, not what they say to your face
18:05 – Authenticity is a lie
18:58 - You can show up different ways in different roles, but you are still the same person throughout your day
20:10 – Your core values don’t change throughout your day, but you just deliver them differently in different situations, like when interacting with your children or with your team on the floor
21:21 – The first 11 words of a conversation play a huge role in creating a first impression, but many of us waste them on small talk
22:00 – In the ABCDEs of first impression, the D refers to how your digital footprint and how you present yourself in the digital space like social media
24:22 – E is for environment, or how factors like your office space, car, and family reflect on you
25:00 – By focusing on factors you can control, like your appearance, you can take the steps toward making a strong first impression and forging great connections
Connect with Sylvie di Guisto
Website
Take the free Perception Audit Quiz
Learn more about Sylvie’s new book, Discover Your Fair Advantage
Reach you to Sylvie on social media and let her know you loved the podcast!
If the front isn’t connected to the caboose, a train won’t stay on the rails for very long! The same idea applies to manufacturing: if top-level leadership isn’t connected to the shop floor, there’s bound to be miscommunications, productivity breakdowns, and more. What can leaders do to keep the leadership locomotive running smoothly? Find out in this episode with Jason A. Hunt. With a background in both education and manufacturing, Jason is full of great stories about why connection plays a critical role in problem-solving. He also shares his tips on how leaders can use skills like delegation to help their teams solve problems and develop their critical thinking.
3:17 – When you’re a leader, it’s all too easy to set out to solve one problem, then get distracted by another problem and forget to solve the first issue
4:53 – Many leaders believe they have to have the answer to every problem, and feel like always having the answers is part of their job or what makes them important as a leader
5:58 – By always solving problems, leaders may actually be taking away valuable opportunities for their team members to learn, grow, and develop their own problem-solving skills
7:33 – Delegating can mean the difference between losing three minutes or losing three hours
9:36 – When you ask people to solve their own problems, they may pushback or be upset at first, but it’s a valuable opportunity for them to learn how to think critically and come up with their own solutions
15:12 – Leadership is about far more than your title, your knowledge, and your ability to manage others
16:08 – If the front of a train is moving ahead without connecting with the other boxcars, it’s not going to get to its destination
18:15 – Instead of solely focusing on KPIs or getting your products out the door, think about what you can do to connect with your team and really develop your relationships
21:29 Turn This Ship Around by L. David Marquet is a good resource for leaders
23:23 – To build better connections, shift your mindset and spend more time thinking about how you can build relationships with others
Connect with Jason A. Hunt
Website
Connect with Jason on LinkedIn
My book review of Turn This Ship Around
In our personal and workplace relationships, we’ve all come across this frustration situation: you’re telling someone about a topic that’s important to you, but the other person just isn’t understanding what you’re saying. In her fantastic book Emotional Magnetism, my friend (and fellow Canadian!) Sandy Gerber breaks why this happens and shares what we can all do to overcome our own communication blocks. In this episode, I’m excited to have Sandy as my guest to talk about her personal stories behind Emotional Magnetism, as well as how to use her “SAVE” communication motivators to improve communications and nurture relationships on the manufacturing floor and beyond.
3:11 – To get your message across, you need to connect emotionally with the person you’re speaking to
4:39 – Oftentimes, we’re too busy listening to rely that we forget to listen to understand
5:00 – When someone is telling you a story or about an experience, let them finish what they have to say instead of responding with your own story
9:23 – SAVE is an acronym for the four emotional magnets, safety, achievement, value, and experience
11:58 – SAVE and emotional magnets can be used to improve personal relationships as well as professional relationships
12:42 – To understand another person’s emotional magnet, you may have to shift your mindset and think about the best way to communicate with them
16:35 – Once you understand someone’s emotional magnets, you can approach conversations and conflict with more empathy and curiosity, which helps form stronger, lasting connections
20:00 – If you really want to connect with your team, you need to be engaged and open about your own communication blocks
20:59 – Taking the emotional magnets quiz can be a great exercise for strengthening your relationships and finding out more about yourself
22:29 – By getting rid of your own biases and assumptions about others, you take a big step toward improving relationships and understanding others
24:05 – By identifying your own emotional magnet, you can also get better at communicating what you need
Connect with Sandy Gerber
Website
Take the Emotional Magnet Quiz here
Buy Emotional Magnetism
Read my book report on Emotional Magnetism
In today’s busy manufacturing world, leaders are feeling more stressed and stretched-thin than ever, as they deal with the staggering expectations and everyday demands on their time, energy, and attention. In this episode on how leaders can discover productive, healthy ways to free up their time and energy, I’m joined by author and leadership development coach Sara Canaday. Sara uses her years of corporate experience to advocate for leaders and help them grow the skills they need to strengthen their leadership skills, enhance their relationships, and thrive in today’s complex, competitive climate. In this episode, she talks about why leaders often end up feeling burnt-out, plus shares some unique practices organizations can use to best support their leaders.
2:16 – Leaders are meant to ignite fires, not constantly put them out. If you’re a leader who finds yourself constantly acting as a firefighter, it’s time to reconnect with the meaning of your role.
3:22 – We’re conditioned from a young age to be productive and to feel like we’re only valuable if we’re doing something, which impacts the way we lead and show up in the workplace
4:40 – Even when you’re doing nothing, your mind is still very productive, which is why it’s important to take a strategic pause to declutter your mind, find more clarity, and make better decisions and better serve your team
7:43 – Deep discovery and creative problem-solving can’t fully happen when we’re multitasking
8:26 – It can be helpful to reach out to others and let them add structure to your thinking and gain a broader prospective
9:40 – You have more control and agency over your own time than you think you do
10:00 – To gain more control over your time, dig deeper into your schedule and challenge yourself to think about what is the most important. For example, you could start skipping meetings that you don’t really need to be at, or send someone else to takes notes for you.
10:25 – Instead of just thinking about your to-do list, consider starting a list of things you can stop doing or delegate to someone else on your team
10:48 – As a leader, you have an obligation to think about how your can use your time in a way that best serves your team and your clients
11:43 – A change in scenery, like a stop at a coffeeshop on your way to your plant, is a great way to shift your mindset and build productive new habits
13:50 – Leaders should be responsive, but they also have to clearly show their priorities to themselves and the rest of their organization
15:05 – Leaders deal with exponential and even sometimes unrealistic expectations, especially when it comes to solving problems and facilizing productive conversations about important issues like social justice and employee mental health
16:08 – Leaders are doers and drivers, but they are also human beings and there’s only so much they can do
16:30 – There are many things team and organizations can do to support their leaders, including thinking about the most important priorities or even hiring someone to help with some of the leader’s other tasks
17:39 – Instead of impressing others, spend more time on thinking about what they really need to feel support and healthy in their role
20:00 – Shifting your mindset starts with putting aside your own biases and anything else that is clouding your judgment
20:43 – After putting aside your assumptions, spend more time discovering new, time-saving solutions by staying curious and seeking out productive, unbiased conversations with others
22:43 – If you’re not sure about something, don’t be afraid to just ask
23:00 – It takes courage to ask for what you need, but it’s important to find ways to protect your time and energy
23:42 – Leaders deserve a better experience, and a good experience can create a domino effect that positively impacts the rest of their team
Connect with Sara Canaday
Website
Sara’s LinkedIn Learning courses
To understand and improve our own behavior, we need feedback. But getting—or giving—authentic, actionable feedback isn’t always easy, especially in a fast-paced industry like manufacturing. In this podcast, I’m joined by my friend Brian Houp, an executive coach based in Louisville, Kentucky. One of his primary areas of expertise is 360 Feedback, which he uses to help leaders and their teams improve behavior. In this episode, Brian talks more about the importance of feedback—and “feed forward!”—plus shares insight into 360 Feedback and how leaders can harness the power of feedback and use it to strengthen their organization.
2:15 – Feedback is more than a buzzword
2:44 – 360 Feedback is based around the individual and getting a stronger understanding of how others in your organization see you as a leader or team member
3:49 – How feedback is set-up and delivered can make a huge difference between having a negative or positive experience
4:44 – Confidentiality also plays a big role in 360 Feedback and only other type of constructive criticism
6:56 – As a leader, if you don’t tell someone you want them to improve their behavior, then they have no idea of knowing there is an issue or area or improvement
7:24 – Feedback focuses on the past, but you can also look toward the future by giving feed forward and offering specific suggestions or advice others can use to improve their behavior
9:00 – To encourage others to share feedback, sometimes you need to think about the language and phrasing you’re using when asking for feedback
10:36 – You should also consider who you’re asking for feedback, and who in your organization you should talk to get the best feedback about a certain team member or problem on the floor
11:30 – People show up differently in front of different people, so be sure to get a wide range of feedback from different people, like executive, team members, or even vendors or clients who frequently interact with someone
14:55 – When you get feedback about your own behavior, take some time to digest and analyze it, but also get back out on the floor with your team and observe to get a stronger idea of what the feedback is talking about
16:44 – Sometimes, all you need is a new or fresh context
17:35 – It’s natural to feel nervous or even scared about hearing feedback
18:16 – Many leaders focus on their team members who need the most improvement, but don’t forget to also give feedback to the stronger members of your organization to help them get to the next level
20:00 – To get the best feedback, your whole team or organization needs to commit, especially supervisors and others in leadership positions
22:07 – Getting good feedback often also requires time and patience
25:41 – With feedback, you get what you give
Connect with Brian Houp
Website
Brian’s Forbes article on 360 Feedback
From DiSC assessments to the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator, there are many different personality assessments leaders can use to identify their personality type and how it impacts the way they show up on the manufacturing floor. To get a better understanding of this unique topic, I brought in Christy Smallwood, a speaker and author who helps leaders “supercharge” their organization and find their own ways to make a positive impact. In this podcast, she shares information about the different types of personality assessments, plus gives personality assessment insights leaders can use to connect with and support their teams.
1:54 – There are many reasons for manufacturing leaders to consider implementing personality assessments
2:29 – One major benefit of personality assessments is learning your communication style and the communication style of others on your team – this helps you understand what you need to do to get the best results from conversations
3:32 – “We don’t see the world as it is, we see it as we are.”
5:03 – As a leader, it’s important to take advantage of any tools you can use to better connect with your team, including personality assessments
5:14 – There are many different types of personality assessments to choose from, and you can pick something that best suits your team or organization
5:53 – One type of personality assessments is the DiSC assessment
7:26 – Some personality types assign an animal to go along with different personality traits
9:40 – If someone is acting differently from their normal personality type, it could be a sign they’re dealing with an issue, like a family problem outside of work
10:55 – In a personality test, there is no wrong answer
11:43 – When people have different personalities, it may sometimes lead to conflict or miscommunications – this is why it’s important to understand why others behave the way they do based on their personality
14:00 – With understanding, even people with vastly different personality types can get along
16:19 – Your personality type impacts the way you show up on a daily basis
18:31 – The COVID-19 pandemic has made personality assessments more important than ever
20:00 – By understanding a team member’s personality, you’ll have a better awareness of what they need to feel energized or supported
25:00 – We all have different aspects of our personalities
Connect with Christy Smallwood
Website
Do you want to improve accountability and encourage autonomy in your organization? It all starts with asking the right questions! In this episode, I’m joined by guest Jeff Nally, the president of Nally Group Inc. and a coach and speaker who uses neuroscience-based solutions to help leaders improve their workplace interactions. He shares the questions leaders should also to foster accountability and autonomy in their organization, plus offers some great stories of his own to highlight the importance of mission, vision, storytelling, and more!
1:52 – Many leaders think that their team members simply want to do told what to do—but is this really the case?
2:12 – The #1 thing that teams want for their leaders is a clear picture of the mission and vision
2:33 – When people know the “end game,” they are more likely to follow instructions, be more autonomous, and find more success
3:25 – How can leaders communicate their mission and goals to their team?
3:39 – Leaders also need to be great storytellers
4:00 – If you don’t believe in your mission and vision, your team won’t either
7:06 – To really show off your mission and vision, weave it into your everyday behavior and actions
7:16 – As a leader, you can help your team by asking the right questions
8:10 – Simple questions can help you hold your team accountable – are you finished with this task? How close to completion are you? What do you need to get it done?
11:00 – Don’t be afraid to ask “feelings” questions, like “how do you feel about the work you’ve done so far?”
11:52 – Support questions, like “what can I do to help you meet your goal?” are also very important for growing and encouraging your team
13:28 – If you hold your team accountable, you know they’ll get the job done without you having to stay constantly involved
16:29 – “What are your apprehensions?” is another powerful question
18:14 – “What is the one thing that would make the biggest difference?”
19:58 – When a team is autonomous, it doesn’t mean their leader has abandoned them!
Connect with Jeff Nally
The Nally Group
In all industries, poor behavior and high emotions can lead to massive issues . . . and this is especially true in the aviation industry, where small errors can be the difference between a safe flight and a deadly accident. In this podcast, I’m joined by Shawn Dawley, the president of OT2 Consulting and a former Air Force pilot. Shawn often draws on his own combat experience to help leaders overcome challenges and inspire their teams, and has many great lessons about the importance of emotional intelligence, building healthy team dynamics, and finding the balance between intellect and emotions.
0:42 – Leadership is all about the balance between intellect and emotions
2:17 – In the aviation industry, crew relationships and emotions play a critical role in the safety and success of each flight
5:52 – Processes can only get better when there is a healthy environment and a positive organizational dynamic where people can point out issues and speak their mind
7:00 – If a leader is in a bad mood or creating a hostile environment, others might be less willing to draw attention to issues or voice their feedback
12:23 – Poor decision-making does just happen when you’re angry—it can even happen when you’re euphoric or excited
13:32 – When you’re at your “emotional worst,” it can be very difficult to make important decisions
14:42 – We all have emotions and “triggers” that make us feel certain ways—how we react is what sets up apart
16:15 –What role does our nervous system play in making us feel emotions or have specific reactions to stressful situations?
17:57 – By recognizing your triggers and response, you can improve your behavior and emotional intelligence
19:06 – Even if you give the exact same feedback to two different team members, it will land differently to each of them because they have different life experiences
20:56 – To understand a team member’s behavior reactions, form a relationship and find out more about their past experiences
21:56 – Leadership is innate to the human condition
23:16 – Take the time to listen to what others have to say
25:01 – Think about the qualities of people you admire—are you showing those same qualities to your own team?
Connect with Shawn Dawley
Website
Shawn would also love to hear your feedback! Find him on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnmdawley to stay connected.
Do you want to get rid of drama on the manufacturing floor? As a leader, you avoid drama, set boundaries, and inspire by your team by becoming the ultimate “drama diffuser!” In this episode, I’m joined by guest Cy Wakeman, the president and founder of Reality-Based Leadership and the bestselling author of books like No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Workplace Drama, End Entitlement, and Drive Big Results. I’ve been a fan of Cy’s writing for years, and I’m excited to have her as a guest to talk about how leader can use skills like curiosity and self-reflection to overcome drama in their organization.
1:30 – To avoid drama—and your own ego—approach every situation by considering what you know for sure
3:30 – It’s easy to fall into situations where you believe someone else is the villain or that you’re doing the right thing, which is why it’s important to consider facts, mindsets, and what details you know for sure
9:07 – The power of self-reflection is the ultimate drama diffuser
10:19 – Instead of judging or making assumptions, approach situations with curiosity, patience, and grace
11:49 – By extending an invitation instead of a lecture, you can “call people up to greatness.”
13:20 – “As the leader goes, so does the team.”
15:05 – If something happens that’s unpreferred, you need to step up and impact it
20:02 – As a leader, you can set an example and set your team up to avoid drama
21:32 – By setting a strong leadership example and empowering your team, you can find productive solutions while still maintaining healthy boundaries and not falling into the trap of being a “fixer” for everyone’s problems
23:05 – A question to ask yourself: if I see behavior I don’t want, how am I enabling it?
24:29 – When you quit buffering your team member’s relationship with reality, they will make better choices
29:32 – To get through to others, state reality and ask for what you really need
33:16 – As a leader, you can only make the invitation—it’s up to others to decide what to do with that invitation
34:59 – With the correct leader, your team will step into brilliance most of the time
35:16 – If you have drama in your workplace, it’s because people are venting instead of self-reflecting
Connect with Cy Wakeman
Reality-Based Leadership Website
Newsletter
Read Trevor’s book review on No Ego
On the manufacturing floor, you don’t want your leadership and your team to be average . . .you want to be amazing! To learn more about how leaders can find the energy and inspiration to take themselves and their team to the next level of success, I’m excited to welcome my friend Dustin E. James to the Mindfulness Manufacturing podcast. Through his work with Moments Leadership, Dustin uses motivational speaking and interactive learning experiences to help organizations find greater engagement, creativity, and inspiration. In this episode, he takes stories from his past experiences and turns them into lessons leaders can use to connect with their teams, find new inspirations, and manufacture greatness in their organization.
1:40 – Energy comes in many different forms
3:00 – What is the balance between having a routine and bringing fresh energy into work every day?
3:10 – There isn’t a single person on your team who doesn’t want to be recognized for their good—when your team feels like they’re being acknowledged for doing more than just the average, they’ll continue to show up with new energy and motivation
4:34 – As a leader, it’s your job to show your team how amazing they are
8:00 – We all have bad days filled with struggles, challenges, but there is always a life lesson to be found in hard experiences
8:25 – Even when you are doing something challenging or difficult, there are still opportunities to grow your own mindset or help or inspire someone else. You never know when you’ll find a great lesson!
8:45 – If we want to learn new lessons and find new energy, we have to show up and be present every day instead of just embracing “average”
11:09 – As a leader, it’s important to know your team member’s individual goals and what motivates them
12:22 – In order to really connect, you need to know what makes each team member tick!
14:03 – “I see that you’re doing your best” can be a powerful way to start conversations and better connection with your team
15:19 – As a leader, it’s important to recognize that your team members are often doing the best they can and embracing that fact can help you build trust and move forward in productive ways.
16:08 – Trying to get someone to improve to change their behavior can be a big drain of energy—what are some ways to deal with this?
17:16 – Everyone on your team has something good that can be said about them
19:04 – At the end of the day, it all comes down to showing up and being there as a leader to your team. There’s always going to be new challenges, but it’s up to you to find lessons and energy in each day
20:00 – Always give your very best. Don’t show up to be second!
21:52 – Our best days are always ahead of us
Connect with Dustin E. James
Moments Leadership website
Showing appreciation is a great way to connect with your team! But if you’re a leader in a busy organization, it can be difficult to find the time and discipline to show appreciation for your team. Or you might struggle to find the best ways to show appreciation, or even worry that you’re not doing enough. If this is you, don’t miss this episode on appreciation with guest Lisa Johnson. Lisa is a global human resources professional and the founder and owner of HR Know-How LLC, where she helps organizations bring consistency and humanity to their daily HR interactions. She is also the author of the upcoming Solutions for the Well-Intention Leader, which will release later this year. She offers her tips on how leaders can improve their ability to offer appropriate, genuine appreciation, plus shares some ways leaders can weave appreciation into their everyday interactions.
1:13 – The strongest managers and leaders have a consistent practice for showing appreciation
1:40 – Showing consistent appreciation has many benefits, including increased morale and employees who are willing to go the extra mile
4:10 – While general positive feedback is often well-received, it is even better to offer specific positive feedback to individual employees
7:00 – Appreciation shouldn’t be scheduled! Rather, you should weave it into your day-to-day interactions
8:15 – How you manage and organize you appreciation depends on your leadership style. One tip is to leave voice notes for yourself in your phone, so you can go back later and remember exactly what you wanted to say to your team member
11:58 – Giving appreciation can mean the difference between an average employee and an inspired employee who comes in feeling excited to work and ready to give it their all
14:37 – As a leader, you need to practice discipline to figure out the best feedback and appreciation practices
18:39 – Documentation matters. If you observe someone’s good behavior but later forget to say something, it won’t make a difference.
20:30 – Good appreciation practices can trickle-up to positively impact your whole organization
23:23 – Is there such a thing as too much appreciation?
24:00 – When showing appreciation, don’t forget to be transparent and specific
Connect with Lisa Johnson
HR Know-How website
“Put on your own mask before assisting others.” You’ve likely heard this phrase while listening to the safety instructions before a flight, but you know it also applies to leadership in the manufacturing industry? In this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, I’m joined by Dean Heffta, a speaker and trainer with Clarus Results. With years of experience helping organizations overcome communication challenges and improve their impact, Dean has many stories about how leaders can analyze and improve their own behavior to overcome common communication issues on the manufacturing floor.
1:45 – “I know what I said, but I don’t know what you heard.” How do we overcome miscommunications on the manufacturing floor?
1:52 – As a leader, your role is to be aware, set expectations, and create a workplace environment that facilitates understanding
3:20 – Overcoming miscommunications begins with “healthy” leadership
6:45 – As a leader, put yourself not in a position of authority, but more of a position to facilitate. Taking less of a “boss” role and more of a collaborative role can lead to finding new solutions and creating a stronger workplace dynamic.
8:00 – Don’t assume you know what others are thinking or what they need!
9:15 – The people who get promoted into leadership roles are often hard workers who are very driven and can’t get the best results . . . but is this the mindset they need to be a great leader or manager?
12:00 – When miscommunications occur, it can often be attributed to “distress.” When people are under stress, they are more likely to make mistakes or be less engaged, which can lead to miscommunications.
14:00 – Different personalities are speaking different languages. If you’re not in tune with how another person communicates or “behavior signals,” it can also contribute to communications breakdowns.
17:05 – To start with fixing communication issues in your workplace, start with becoming more aware of your own behavior. Learn your own behavioral style, think about the everyday language you use, and work to become more energized and present as a leader
18:40 – “Put on your own mask before helping others.” You’ve probably heard this on planes during safety instructions, but it also applies to leadership and fixing your own behavior before you turn to helping others
21:45- It’s only natural to want to avoid stress or do things you find rewarding. But to improve your leadership behavior, be intentional and seek out ways to learn
22:30 – Because we are storytellers, we have a tendency to make up stories about people and their behavior.
23:00 – One way to increase your awareness is to write down how much time you spent with certain people, then use it to analyze who you should be talking to more to improve behavior and overcome your own communications barriers
26:00 – When avoid miscommunications, it all comes down to mindset
Connect with Dean
Website
Serendipity: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. “Getting stuck in traffic” doesn’t sound like it fits the definition of serendipity, but it does for me and this week’s guest, Noah Graff of Graff-Pinkert and the Swarfcast podcast! Noah and I connected when he caught an episode of my podcast while stuck in traffic, and it led to a great conversation about his experiences as a treasure hunter who travels around the world to find interesting pieces of manufacturing equipment, and how he uses a serendipity mindset to find new connections, overcome challenges, and turn outdated or unusable equipment into new treasures!
2:00 – What does it mean to be a “treasure hunter” in manufacturing?
5:00 – Someone’s trash always has the potential to be someone else’s treasure—you just need to have the right mindset to find it!
6:22 – It’s amazing what you can find by keeping an open mind and always looking for the unexpected
9:00 – Serendipity isn’t just about being in the right place at the right time. You also have to be in the right mindset.
9:42 – What’s the difference between mindfulness and luck?
11:30 – Many leaders have either a growth mindset or a fixed mindset, but leaders can also consider a “serendipity” mindset
12:00 – To embrace a serendipity mindset, one strategy is serendipity bombs, or seeking multiple people who can help you complete a task, like finding a piece of machinery or doing research for an article
14:00 – Another tactic is serendipity hooks, or opening up a conversation to find new opportunities
15:45 – By being open to new conversations with new people, you can find great and unexpected opportunities—don’t be afraid to be the spark for a conversation!
Connect with Noah Graff:
Graff-Pinkert website
Swarfcast Podcast
On the manufacturing floor, have you ever walked away from a conversation feeling like you made a conversation more complicated? Or have you asked a team member to do something multiple times, then felt frustrated when they still didn’t do it? Your words might be the problem! In this episode of the Mindfulness Manufacturing podcast, Phil M. Jones is here to help! Phil is a master of influence and persuasion, and the author of international bestseller Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact. In this podcast, Phil breaks down how leaders can change their mindsets and language to find the fuel for sparking productive conversations, plus shares some of his insights on how we can all use our words to change the world.
3:00 – Leaders are often asked questions from their team, customer base, and others. As a leader, it’s not always your job to provide an answer. Instead, what you often need to do is add an increased layer of clarity.
4:30 – “Help me understand” is a very powerful phase. Example: instead of saying “why haven’t you done this safety check?” ask “help me understand why you believe it’s important that we need to do a safety check.”
5:30 – Don’t default to “tell” mode. Be curious and think about the best ways to serve your community and solve the problem.
6:30 – Questions are usually a strong way to start productive conversations.
8:00 – In great conversations, intentionality is key. This is important in all industries and even relationships outside work, like with your partner or children.
9:30 – Conversations should be fueled from a position of curiosity.
10:00 – I fyou don’t understanding someone’s context, your content is not going to get through to them. Take time to earn someone else’s context before you add more noise!
10:30 – To find someone’s context, try questions like “when was the last time . . .” or “how do you think it made us feel?”
11:11 – If you’ve told someone to do something multiple times and they’re still not getting it, the problem might actually be YOU and your communication
12:30 – Don’t focus on what you need to say. Ask yourself what the other person needs to hear to understand what you’re saying.
13:03 – “I’m guessing you haven’t got around to it . . .” is another impactful conversations starter that sets you up for productive dialogue and finding solutions.
13:30 – Let others “own” the solution.
13:37 – You don’t want an answer—you want things to get done!
16:45 – Even if you think you’re able to think quickly, time some extra time to think about what you need instead of just blurting out the first thoughts that come to mind
19:05 – People do things for their own reasons, not for yours
19:45 – Questions start conversations, conversations become relationships, relationships create opportunities, and from new opportunities you can drive new actions
22:45 – When you need to get someone’s attention, assume everyone is always busy and be dirct and intentional with your request
26:15 – Using the right words is important when communications by email, too. Don’t put too many questions into one email and be sure you give the other person something to respond to.
Connect with Phil M. Jones:
Website
Find additional resources at ExactlyWhatToSay.com
Buy Exactly What To Say
“I want to take a vacation, but I’m worried about falling behind at work.” Have you ever heard a team member express this sentiment, or even thought about it yourself? Fear of falling behind is the number one reason why employee hesitate to take time-off . . . and this mindset is leading to retention problems, unhappy employees, and even the dreaded phenomenon of “quiet quitting.” In today’s episode, speaker and author Joe Mull joins us to talk more about the causes of quiet quitting and other dilemmas facing modern manufacturing leaders, plus delves deeper into how leaders practice skills like boundary-setting and storytelling to make their organization into a place where people love to work.
2:00 – There is a massive recalibration going on right now about how work fits into our lives, which is something that started even before the pandemic
3:45 – The modern employee is firm about their boundaries and what they want from a workplace
5:20 – The number one reason why people don’t take a needed vacation is fear of falling behind at work – how can we combat this?
6:00 – It’s on the organization and leadership to set boundaries that will help others take time off to relax and recharge. They need to implement policies that honor time-off and their team’s concerns about falling behind if they take a vacation
10:00 – As a leader, sometimes you have to learn to operate without the team members you need, so they can set boundaries and take time off
13:50 – People aren’t “quiet quitting.” They’re just updating to a job that better fits their needs and boundaries.
15:30 – What are some of the reasons for a decrease in the labor force, especially in industries like manufacturing?
18:43 – In today’s labor market, employees aren’t going to settle for less or put up with a job where they’re treated unfairly or not given time off
22:00 – Sometimes, employees quit but “forget to leave” and just go through the motions without much effort or passion – these are the quiet quitters
26:00 – Leaders can embrace storytelling to show their employees how they’re doing valuable work every day – show how your organization’s everyday work changes real lives
28:30 – With supply chain shortages and other issues, we need to sustain ourselves and the people who work for us
29:48 – Commitment is the key!
Connect with Joe Mull:
Website
Preorder Employalty
There’s a lot manufacturing leaders can learn from sharks—just ask Kenneth “Shark” Kinney! Shark is a speaker, marketing strategist, and podcast host who helps leaders use curiosity and fearless to improve their brands and drive real change, all by incorporating insights he’s learned for his passion for sharks and shark diving. In this episode, Shark talks about how manufacturing leaders can expand their brand, connect with their community, and grow their social media toolkit . . . and of course, I couldn’t resist asking him to talk a bit more about his unique shark diving hobby, too!
1:00 – We can use our personal brands to make real change
3:12 – Manufacturing leadership is a lot like diving with sharks—you need curiosity, bravery, respect, and boundaries. Be fearless and dive deeper!
4:40 – Your leadership image goes far beyond the four walls of your manufacturing plant
6:00 – When telling your brand’s story, be clear, concise, and always remember who your real audience is. Focus on community, not just the company
8:45 – Show the humans behind your brand and organization, not just “stock imagery”
11:00 – When it comes to matters like supporting a charity, think about the true identity behind your brand and think about what will engage your team and community
15:00 – Your employees are going to talk on social media, so why not work to make sure they always have something positive to say about your leadership and organization?
18:00 – LinkedIn is a powerful tool for building your brand and finding your community—one great tip for building your brand is to engage with other people’s post on LinkedIn
24:00 – When someone in your organization does a great job, don’t shy away from praising them on social media like LinkedIn
26:00 – If your employees are active on social media or talking about your organization online, it doesn’t have to be a bad thing, as long as you make sure they have positive things to say by treating your team well
28:00 – Social media is a great tool for showing your most authentic self
33:30 – You have to play an active role in your organization’s community, or else you’ll miss out on many opportunities for branding and engagement
Connect with Kenneth “Shark” Kinney
Website
Becoming a leader—not just a manager or supervisor—can be a long, challenging process that requires tough conversations and changes to behavior. But in this week’s podcast, Dr. Andy Neillie is here to show that becoming a leader doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Dr. Andy is a speaker, corporate trainer, and coach with Neillie Leadership Group, as well as the author of The Golden Principle: Life and Leadership Lessons from a Rescued Dog. To help leaders find the skills and mindset they need to fully take charge of their team, he shares personal anecdotes about great—and not-so-great—leaders, plus offers insights on the four necessities of leadership.
3:30 – Due to COVID-19, the Great Resignation, and other recent events, leaders need to shift their mindset to understand their team member’s needs on issues like flexibility—as a leader, you need to evolve with the times
6:00 – As a leader, it’s not about you. It’s about your team!
7:00 “There’s nothing new in leadership. Once you get past Marcus Aurelius and Jesus Christ, there’s really nothing new.”
8:10 – To be a good leader, you first have to be a good person. If you show bad behavior or poor management, people will not respect you or want to work for you.
10:00 – “The four Cs of being a leader are conviction, competence, character, and covenant”
13:00 – If you shun hard conversations with your team, your employees will never grow, learn, or know when they’re missing an opportunity for improvement
14:45 – Being a leader takes bravery and you need to have the responsibility and stewardship to have those hard conversations and take care of the bottom line
15:50 – Once you’ve written someone off as no longer competent at their role, you’ve lost your title of leadership and your position to help them. If that’s your mindset, it’s either time for you to grow or let that team member go.
16:50 – It’s the leader’s responsibility to build and represent the rest of the team
18:00 – Your team isn’t necessarily your “family” because businesses have production goals and need to perform outward facing tasks – the goal isn’t to make everyone feel good about themselves, but to win the game when it comes to profits and production
21:05 – Don’t forget to document the positive feedback, too! However, you have to be geninue with your compliments and positivity
29:00 – “Extend grace to the teachable”
30:00 – Leadership takes courage
Connect with Dr. Andy Neillie
Download a copy of The Three Imperatives of Leadership Conversations here.
Website
Buy The Golden Principle: Life and Leadership Lessons from a Rescued Dog
Get ready to challenge everything you thought you knew about confidence with this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing featuring guest Tracy Hooper! Tracy is the founder of The Confidence Project, where she works with clients to improve culture, clarity, and confidence in their organization. She is also the author The Now Hello: What to Say/What to Do in the World of Work. To help manufacturing leaders improve their confidence, she came onto the podcast to share tips on everything from eye contact to the best ways to successfully kick off—and end—conversations on the floor.
1:36 – Confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It can be learned from practicing and taking action
3:15 – Complimenting someone is a great way to kickstart a positive conversation—but make sure it’s an authentic compliment
6:00 – “How” and “what” are great magic words for starting a open-ended conversation with confidence, but avoid starting with “why” because it can make others feel defensive
9:00 – If you’re always talking and never listening, you’ll never really learn anything
10:06 – Use the three-sentence rule - saying three sentences, then pausing to let the other person speak or respond
11:15 – Pay attention to body language, too!
15:00 – Even introverted leaders can become confident speakers, especially if they practice first with people they respect and trust
16:30 – To speak with confidence, you always have to learn how to let others speak
17:20 – When giving difficult feedback, “I” statements can help you have a productive conversation without making the other person feel defensive
19:30 – There is power in being brief
23:00 – If you only have a few minutes for a conversation, be a timeframe and be direct by asking to-the-point questions
29:00 – Always look the other person in the eyes when having a conversation to make them feel valued and acknowledged
Connect with Tracy Hooper
The Confidence Project
Buy The Now Hello
As manufacturing becomes more reliant on machines, automation, and other emerging forms of technology, human leadership is more important than ever. To learn more about the best practices for leadership in a technology-driven world, I brought in “tech humanist” and technology expert Kate O’Neil. As the founder and CEO of KO Insights, Kate helps organizations create meaningful strategies for balancing human experiences and the tech-driven future. In this podcast, she shares some of her favorite tips for how manufacturing leaders can find the brightest possible futures for themselves and their organizations.
1:30 – How can we reclaim our agency?
2:53 – When a lot of manufacturing is being done by machines, it’s critical to find a balance between automation and human decision making
3:56 – As we use more and more technology and automation in the manufacturing sphere, human roles actually become more important than ever, especially when it comes to creating safe and effective procedures
7:19 – When using data, consider the humans on the other side
12:50 – Leaders need to determine the processes and nuances behind data, and this often means asking questions instead of just relying on hard data
16:30 “Machines are what we encode of ourselves”
17:50 – What does it mean to lead in a technology-driven world?
21:00 – Leaders and their organizations need to be careful about how they use public trust and responsibility with data and data gathering
23:00 – Due to issues like climate change, supply chain shortages, and labor issues, leaders are in a tougher position than ever, especially when it comes to decision-making
25:00 – Are you aligned with history in the way you want to be?
27:00 – Your actions today are tomorrow’s history
29:00 – Social media is important for manufacturing leaders, but be wary of false information
32:00 – When used correctly and responsibility, technology is a powerful tool for manufacturing leaders
Contact Kate O’Neil:
Website
Books
In his 1937 book Think and Grow Rich, author Napoleon Hill breaks down six steps leaders can take to increase their wealth and success. After reading his book, I knew I had to talk to someone who could take his classic advice and turn it into lessons for modern manufacturing leaders—and I knew Ann McNeill would be just the person! Ann is the president of MCO Construction Services and MCO Consulting, and the founder of the National Association of Black Women in Construction. She’s also an accomplished public speaker and the founder of the International Mastermind Association, which helps professionals with goal setting and financial empowerment. In this podcast, Ann highlights some of the key aspects of Think and Grow Rich, plus shares stories and tips for using Hill’s steps for success in everyday life.
2:13 – “Niche to be rich”
2:30 – To become rich, you have to start with the right mindset
3:00 – Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is a great book on this subject
3:30 – In his book, Hill shares six steps and questions for success.
3:37 – How much money do you want to make? What are you going to do to make that money? What date do you want to have that money by?
4:00 – Create an affirmative statement to help find success, then say this statement to yourself twice a day
5:00 – Accountability is key to success
5:43 – “A confused mind makes no decisions.”
8:00 – What about people who don’t care about the money, but simply want to add value or serve others?
9:00 – Without money, you can’t fuel your passions
10:00 – You can’t just start a fire! First, you need to add the fuel and wood
11:40 – If you give, you will get back
14:00 – Think and Grow Rich includes some great stories to highlight the lessons in this podcast
16:30 – If you want to be rich and successful, you must be clear about your mindset and purpose
18:00 – You can train your brain and set yourself up for positive outcomes
21:00 – The path to riches and success isn’t always easy or perfect
Connect with Ann McNeill
If you’d like additional resources on the steps outlined in Think and Grow Rich, text “Ann” to 55678.
Website
When it comes to improving diversity and inclusion in your manufacturing workplace, it’s not always an easy road! Creating a more diverse environment can mean having difficult conversations—with yourself and others—about issues like unconscious bias, unintentional divides, and how employees with different views can support each other. Luckily, Reggie Davis is here to help! Reggie is the founder and CEO of Uplift Coaching and Consulting, where he helps organizations improve equity and promote unity. In this powerful and candid podcast, he breaks down some of the common diversity issues that organizations face. He also shares his own stories about bias and growth, offering valuable insights to help manufacturing leaders create more harmonious workplaces.
0:45 – We previously talked about unconscious bias with Michelle Maldanado in Episode 22
1:30 – When companies didn’t keep up with changing technology, they ended up failing or going out of business – the same thing can be said about diversity and inclusion
2:30 – Many organizations have conversations about diversity, but don’t fully or authentically embrace it
3:13 – Don’t be all talk and not action!
4:25 – It’s a human instinct to be defensive when challenged or corrected
5:18 – How can people bring their “full selves” to the workplace?
6:00 – In an ideal workplace, a very conversative person and a very progressive person should be able to work in harmony, despite their different views
7:05 – Starting conversations about diversity and differences in the workplace can be awkward
10:21 – “What’s from the heart reaches the heart”
13:07 – Questions are a great way to start productive conversations
16:35 – Many people want growth, but don’t know where to begin
18:22 – Diversity and inclusion start at the “roots” of your organization
21:40 – Approach difficult conversations with intention and trust
Connect with Reggie Davis:
reggie@uplift-cc.com
(901)483-7199
In manufacturing, so much revolves around our brains. How we use our brain (and how well we take care of it!) can have a huge impact on many factors on the manufacturing floor, from how we communicate with our teams to how we budget our time. To gain a better understanding of the brain’s role in leadership, I welcomed Dr. John B. Molidor onto the podcast! Dr. John is the CEO and president of the Brain Based Leadership Institute and professor emeritus at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine. In this episode, he shares some key details about brain structure and why people act the way they do, plus offers a few ways leaders can utilize a better understanding of brain power to help motivate, inspire, and empower others in their organization.
1:00 – Brains don’t fully form until we turn 25, so people from younger generations may have different ways of responding and behaving than older generations
2:42 – The main function of the brain is regulating energy
3:15 – Given a choice, your brain will focus on tasks that don’t expend a ton of energy
5:00 – To better help people understand and remember what you say, start with the big picture first, then move onto the details
6:17 – Your brain loves water, so stay hydrated!
6:56 – Later in the day, be mindful of the fact that people’s brains are trying to maintain their energy
9:15 – Help people understand the “why” behind your statements
10:40 – When assigning tasks to someone, try not to give them too many things at once
10:57 – If someone has a lot of tasks, they will probably focus on the easiest ones first
12:28 – Rewards and rest are important
13:51 – The brain is unique because it’s the only organ that can rewire itself
17:16 – Tell people which tasks you want them to focus on first, and what order you want them to accomplish the tasks in to help them prioritize
20:00 – Avoid “by the way” tasks thrown in with the others
21:02 – Set others by for success
24:00 – Brains are very predictive
27:00 – Culture often separates the head and the heart
Contact John:
Email
Stuff, things, literally, simply . . . how often do you use these words when communicating with your team? “Naughty words” like these might be popping up in your speaking more often than you think, as I quickly learned during this week’s podcast with Patricia Fripp! As an executive speech coach, Hall of Fame keynote speaker, and the first female president of the National Speakers Association, Patricia knows all the secrets for how manufacturing leaders can improve their speaking skills and find the magic words for inspiring action, creating well-crafted communications, and showcasing the best possible version of themselves and their organization.
0:45 – The best manufacturing leaders are the ones with the best communication
5:45 - “7% is what you say, 30% is how you say it, and 55% is how you look” – is there any truth to this?
8:00 - If your words are well crafted and well-delivered, you can change your organization
8:11 – In a busy industry like manufacturing, it can be easy to lose sight of the importance of words in our everyday lives
8:22 – When there’s a miscommunication, leaders might assume the other person just didn’t understand, but it’s often an issue with words and phrasing
8:36 – “Stuff” is a rubbish word
9:00 – By being specific with your word choices, you inspire confidence and build credibility
10:00 – “If it weren’t a thing, what would it be?” Use specific words to replace unclear words like stuff or things
10:30 – Specific communication is especially important when you’re speaking to someone who doesn’t speak English as their first language
11:57 – If it’s not fruit, it’s not a bunch! Use numbers and specifics instead
13:16 – When possible, use shorter sentences to communicate and keep your communications to one idea per sentence
13:40 – Speak with the aim of being remembered and repeated
14:20 – By taking a pause, you give yourself a chance to breathe and allow the other person time to process
15:11 – “Literally” and “simply” are also naughty words!
18:48 – To improve your communications, record yourself and listen to the words you frequently use
21:00 – Depending on their background and culture, people may express themselves differently
22:00 - To inspire commitment and quality, ask them if their work would be good enough to sell to their own mother
23:00 – Ask as an advocate for your audience
24:52 – Every leader needs to show the person they are beyond their position
Connect with Patricia Fripp
Website
Fripp VT
With the rise of artificial intelligence and new types of technology coming out every year, the manufacturing industry could be on the verge of some big changes—and the technology hub of San Francisco could be at the center of it all. That’s why I’m so excited to have my friend and San Francisco-based executive coach Michael Neuendorff on this week’s podcast. Michael is the president of Bay Area Executive Coach, and brings some great insights on how manufacturing industry leaders can learn from others, improve their collaborative mindsets, and ask the right questions for reaching creative, actionable solutions.
00:30 – “Seek to understand, then to be understood.” – Stephen Covey
2:48 – To stay curious in the workplace, adopt a “student’s mind”
3:09 – Even if it’s your tenth or twentieth year on the job, there is still something you can learn today
3:27 – As long as you stay curious, you can learn from anyone—even someone who you previously thought you couldn’t learn anything from
4:29 – Due to the rise of AI and other emerging technology, manufacturing could be in for some big and unique changes, and we need to prepare for that
5:40 – If you don’t know what didn’t work in the past, it’s harder to prepare for the future
5:45 – Work with people to find solutions, instead of just telling them what to do
6:13 – If someone is consistently told what to do, they can click off the part of their brain that focuses on understanding and problem-solving
6:58 – By staying curious, we can better work with others to find creative, productive outcomes
7:21 – Ask how you can invest in others
9:23 – If people feel like you believe in them, they’re more likely to rise to the occasion
10:18 – To ask questions that foster creativity and collaboration, consider your audience – are you talking to your peers at a leadership level, or someone a few levels below you?
11:14 – Be open to new and different perspectives
12:59 – Look back at your last 30 days. How have you tackled problems? What can you do differently in the next 30 days?
13:56 – When talking to others or setting meetings, consider the time of day. For example, some people may be at their best in the mornings when they’re feeling fresh and energized
20:55 – Believe in the power of collective idea generation
21:53 – By building stronger relationships, you can build more trust and engagement levels will increase
Connect with Michael Neuendorff:
Website for executive coaching
Website for executive coach training
At Empowered Electric in Kanas City, Missouri, it’s all about people! That’s why I was so excited to welcome Empowered Electric CEO Josh Levin onto the podcast to talk about all the unique and amazing ways he puts his people over profit. In this high-energy conversation, Josh talks about how leaders in the construction industry and beyond can practice accountability, harness their passion, and focus on their organization’s culture to create an environment that encourages their team to show up.
0:37 – In some organizations, people are treated like batteries, which can be easily used and quickly replaced
2:04 – How can we shift our mindsets to focus on people over profit?
2:40 – If your team members don’t feel valued, they aren’t going to show up and do their best work
4:30 – Your employees, their needs, and their lives outside of work should matter to you as a leader
5:37 – Regular, thoughtful employee evaluations are a great way to show effort and retain employees
6:46 – Being the leader doesn’t mean you have to be the voice or face of the entire organization
9:17 – Even if your business has a great brand, you can’t thrive unless you have good culture
13:26 – Accountability and honest dialogue are an important part of building trust and relationships
14:45 – To improve, study the behavior of successful people—and pay attention to the behavior of non-successful people, too
20:18 – Remember that employees may have motives for showing up beyond simply loving your company, like needing to support their families
22:48 – As a leader, keep your “passion tank” filled
26:00 – Invest in your employees, especially those who are willing to put in the work
25:55 – “There’s never a traffic jam on the extra mile.”
28:10 – Someone’s past doesn’t have to dictate their future
Connect with Josh Levin:
To learn more about Empowered Electric, visit their website.
Welcome to part two of my podcast with my father Ziggy Blondeel and his long-term team member Ronny Ledoux, who are sharing the stories and secrets they’ve learned over the many years they’ve worked together at Ziggy’s business, Blondeel Nursery. In this continuation of their conversation, Ronny and Ziggy talk more about they’ve built and maintained a successful connection, plus share how leaders across all industries can use trust and respect to create positive, productive workplaces where employees want to do their best possible work. 2:05 – When an issue arises, approach it with calmness
3:14 – Think about the whole team when making big decisions
3:42 – When your treat your employees with trust and respect, they will treat you in the same way
6:22 – Leaders can create workplace environments where employees want to do their best possible work
8:00 – When a leader sets a positive example, it rubs off on everyone
10:17 – You get what you give
13:05 – How you make people feel has an impact on how they show up and engage
19:20 – When hiring a new employee, you can usually tell right away if they’ll be a good fit or not
20:44 – Make your best attempts to get along with other people, especially your team members
A great working relationship can last a lifetime! Just ask my father Ziggy Blondeel and Ronny Ledoux, the guests of this week’s podcast. Ronny has been an employee with Ziggy’s nursery business for over 40 years, and the two of them came onto the podcast to share the lessons they’ve learned together about handling conflict, building respect, and creating long-lasting connections.
2:30 – What can leaders do to retain their employees for a long time?
3:25 – Respect plays a big role in building strong relationships
4:30 – In times of disagreement, look for common ground
8:40 – It’s important to think about long-term resolutions when settling disagreements
10:50 – Leaders can learn more about their employees by doing the work – to find out the problem, you have to be on the job
13:45 – There are ways to express emotions and handle conflict without losing your temper or tearing other people down
15:54 – Learn the difference between disagreement and disrespect
17:50 – Don’t be afraid to take time to pause when needed to handle a conflict
22:23 – Take care of your people and you’ll build productive, respectful relationships
During a recent visit to Kearney, Nebraska, I had the pleasure of staying at a property run by Younes Hospitality, where I observed how friendly and motivated all the staff members were, from the housekeeping staff to the employees at the front desk. To learn more about this positive environment, I spoke with owner Paul Younes, who shared some amazing insights about fostering employee relationships, creating a supportive workplace, and how leaders can learn to really treat their employees like family. 1:00 – The manufacturing industry can learn a lot from the hospital industry 1:20 – When everyone on the team is happy, customers, clients, and others can tell 3:18 – To cut down on retention issue, create a great environment for your employees
4:20 – You’re only as good as your employees
5:25 – Without great team members, a leader can’t thrive and succeed
7:00 – It’s important to use empathy and understand that all employees have different needs
10:29 – It’s simple: respect others and they will respect you
11:50 – In both manufacturing and hospitality, a little connection can go a long way
13:30 – Opportunities for career advancement help to draw in new employees, especially young employees
15:25 – Take care of “your people” in the best way you can
Connect with Younes Hospitality:
Website
Careers
As a manufacturing leader, you’ve probably had emotional times where you’ve felt “stretched” like a rubber band. In this podcast, corporate energy expert Kathy Parry joins me to talk about why the stretch doesn’t have to be a negative thing. Using her background in both business and wellness, Kathy shares her favorite tips for how leaders and their team members can handle conflict, improve their communications, and learn when to take a step back instead of blowing up or burning out. She also shares more about how times of tension can encourage leaders to embrace their own resilience. 1:20 – Resilience is how we bounce back and grow 1:29 – We need that “stretch” in our lives to keep us moving forward 2:03 – Everyone has different reactions and it’s important to honor that 2:32 – Knowing how people are going to react in different situations can make for great team building
3:04 – Differences in reactions can be handled through honest and efficient communications
6:32 – If emotions are trivialized or not respected, it can lead to retention and motivation issues
7:16 – Lack of emotional support in the workplace often leads to mental health issues or problems outside of work
11:02 – To create productive conversations, you may have to reframe things
12:47 – When needed, it’s okay to take a step back. Pauses have power!
13:07 – If there’s an issue, taken time to process and reframe instead of steamrolling ahead
17:17 – When people are overly emotional or don’t take a pause, it leads to low productivity and safety issues
19:46 – In times of “stretch” and challenges, there are opportunities for growth and energy
23:10 – Sometimes, tension can create energy
Connect with Kathy Parry:
Website
You probably know the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. But what does it have to do with manufacturing? A lot, according to this podcast with public speaker Thom Singer! In this episode, Thom talks about the many ways manufacturing leaders and business owners can use empathy to build better relationships, foster collaboration, and ensure their current and former employee speak positively of them. He also shares some ways leaders can turn their employees into their company’s best ambassadors by promoting growth opportunities, encouraging connections, and embracing competition. 1:04 - All opportunities in life comes from other people. 1:45 - Remember the golden role – treat others how you want to be treated 2:15 - Everyone comes to work with their own personal “stuff,” so it’s important to take a step back and stay curious about what is going on with others in your organization 3:17 - How people approach relationships often depends on their generation 4:18 - Empathy and understanding play a huge role in community building 5:25 – If you aren’t consistent in how you show up, others will have a hard time trusting you 7:03 – Your employees are your company’s great ambassadors
7:24 – When people feel connected at work, they are more likely to stay with your company and will be more productive
10:57 – High competition can make you a better leader
11:45 – If your employees are on platforms like LinkedIn, it’s a chance for them to highlight the strengths of your company
12:45 – Oftentimes, employees leave jobs or being job searching on platforms liked LinkedIn because they don’t see opportunities for growth or because they don’t feel fulfilled or challenged
14:00 – Friendships and connections are a key part of making employees feel fulfilled at work
15:33 – Some companies worry that if they offer personal or career development, their employees will gain skills they can use to leave the company, but you can combat this by finding them growth and opportunities within your own company
16:06 – The best leaders want their employees to grow into their best selves
17:43 – Sometimes, it may be best for an employee to seek work elsewhere and it’s important to make sure they still stay good things about your company once they’re gone
18:58 – If you help an employee find a better opportunity, it reflects well on you and your values
25:15 – Don’t be afraid of your employees making connections outside of the company
26:17 – Through sharing and collaborating, you have many chances to learn and grow through the feedback of others
28:01 – You want diversity of thought, not an echo chamber
Connect with Thom Singer:
Website
Sometimes, a chance meeting leads to great conversations! After having a random breakfast with W. Kevin Ward of WKW Consulting Services, I knew I had to have him on the podcast to talk about how he helps others seek wisdom and reach their greatest potential. In this episode, he shares his steps for getting off “autopilot” and intentionally seeking wisdom. He also talks about why leaders should have a vision and core values, and how manufacturing industry leaders can improve results and morale by strengthening and communicating their vision and goals. 2:07 – To seek wisdom, start off by disconnecting from the noise in life and taking time to observe 2:24 – By simply paying attention, you can stumble into wisdom 2:40 – Growing wise is the attention process
4:35 – We all tend to operate on “autopilot”
6:36 – Any role where you’re teaching and influencing others is a leadership role
10:09 – It’s all about finding a healthy level for yourself and taking intentional steps to manage yourself
10:49 – A big part of being a leader is leading by example
11:55 – The biggest challenge of being a leader can be listening to your own lessons and applying them
13:22 – If something goes wrong with your team, the first step is looking at yourself
16:00 – One big reason people feel like they’re on autopilot is that they haven’t given good consideration to their own vision
17:50 – Your vision should be a driving force in your life
18:39 – Once you find your vision, communicate it and surround yourself with people with a similar vision
19:34 – If it’s something you can do yourself, it’s not a vision!
20:04 – What’s the difference between a vision and a goal?
20:53 – The pursuit of vision is rarely a straight line
24:56 – If you express your vision well, others will want to be involved
27:28 – A core value is something that you cannot be talked out of
27:56 – There’s a need for more love and care in high-stress industries like manufacturing
29:03 – The beauty of wisdom is that when you see it, you gain many other things as a result
Connect with Kevin:
Website
Welcome to part two with John Raymer, a long-time manufacturing leader who now helps others revitalize themselves and their careers. Last time, John introduced his idea about the four fundamental characteristics of great leaders and focused on the importance of humility. In this episode, he talks about the other key characteristics—integrity, empathy, and challenge—and how leaders can grow and improve these characteristics to create efficiency, improve communications and morale, and act as an inspiration to their team. 1:00 – Integrity is vital to being a sought-after leader 1:11 – If people aren’t seeking out your insights, you might not be as effective as you think you are 2:32 – Lapses in integrity are often unintentional 5:17 – People see you for who you really are, not who you think you are 6:31 – Who you are is how you make people feel 10:36 – Find someone who is willing to tell you the truth 11:57 – If you want to fail as a leader, show people that you don’t care about them 12:18 – To be effective, invest in your relationships with people
18:17 – You never know what trials other people are going through
19:40 – Even if you do care, your empathy might not always show up through your behavior
23:00 – The final characteristic of great leaders is “challenge”
24:00 – Leaders who act tired, defeated, or like they’re not fully on board aren’t inspiring
24:39 – If employees don’t feel engaged or challenged, they will not step up in their role
People see who are you—even if you don’t! This is one of the favorite messages of John Raymer, a longtime manufacturing leader and this episode’s podcast guest. With a background at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, John now helps others revitalize themselves and their manufacturing careers through coaching, mentoring, and teaching. In the first section of this two-part podcast about the fundamental characteristics of great leaders, John shares how people learn everything, both good and bad, from their organization’s leaders—and how practicing humility can help leaders own their mistakes, improve communications, and make their employees feel valued.
0:43 – “Serve the person you once were.”
1:00 – How your land with other people don’t always match your intentions
2:18 – There has never been a time where manufacturing leadership is more important than it is today
3:41 – Without people skilled in manufacturing and others trades, we’re at risk of our whole economic engine fall apart
5:03 – True efficiency requires great leadership
5:59 – To find out why you organization is the way it is, look closely at yourself
6:17 – People learn everything, both good and bad, for leaders in their organization
8:40 – If someone is performing poorly, their leadership and who trained them is a big factor
9:00 – The people you’re in charge of will only perform as well as they see you performing
10:45 – People perceive who you really are, even when you don’t see it yourself
10:53: What’s the different between mistakes and lessons?
12:08 – Change to the whole organization comes from the top
14:43 – When people feel like their contributions aren’t valued, they’re more likely to leave the organization
15:17 – Humility is an important foundational skill for leaders
16:06 – “Problem employees” can often be the ones with the most valuable insights
17:35 - The biggest mistake that a leader can make is to run over, talk over, or dismiss the opinions of those that work for you.
20:34 – Apologies and humility go a long way
22:44 – Most people remember the best leaders in their lives and the very poor ones, but not the ones in-between
24:59 – When you own your mistakes, people respect it
Even in the midst of the ongoing worker shortages, women in manufacturing are a massively untapped market. In fact, women only make a small percentage of the manufacturing workforce due to challenges like a lack of flexibility, barriers to leadership positions, and systemic cultural issues. In this episode, executive coach Nicole Provonchee from Bright Blue Consulting discusses some of the common barriers that women and other minorities often face in manufacturing environments, plus shares how people in leadership roles can change their practices and mindset to help cultivate female leadership. 00:22 – Women in manufacturing are an untapped market 1:48 – 47% of the total workforce involve women and women only make up 30% of the workforce in the United States. In manufacturing, the numbers are even lower 2:54 – A lack of flexibility is a big challenge facing female manufacturing employees
3:58 – We need to address how we can help people live the lives they have while still flourishing in the workplace
6:19 – Workplace environments need to be accommodating for women and other primary caregivers
7:25 – By starting dialogues with their female employees about issues like flexibility, workplaces can reach the most productive outcomes
9:11 – Employees also need to have a level of accountability in order to create an open dialogue
12:58 – How can we lead differently to get more women into leadership positions in manufacturing?
13:81 – Even in female-dominated fields like healthcare, women and other minorities struggle to move up to leadership roles
14:54 – The best way to get women into leadership roles is to recruit them early
15:11 – Women can become better self-advocates and articulate what they need from their workplace
16:44- Generally, women only apply for jobs when they’re between 60% to 80% confident they will get the position
17:55 – People in leadership positions can encourage women to apply for higher-up jobs
19:25 – Women often hold themselves back out of the misguided belief that they must be experts before they can move forward to a higher role
20:49 – To invest in female leaders, companies should look at their recruitment tactics
22:22 – Cultural systemic change must also take place over time
Contact Nicole:
Bright Blue Consulting
What’s the secret to retaining talent and promoting a healthy company culture? According to Jon Finch, the senior Vice President of Milwaukee Tool, it’s all about giving back! In this episode, Jon talks about creating (and sustaining!) a culture of productivity and accountability through building company values, delivering on a mission, and gifting employees with opportunities to give back to their community. 00:52 – Talent is currently changing faster than we can put together policies, programs, or infrastructures 1:40 – With the total amount of human beings in North American in decline, it’s time to think about new ways of finding talent 2:12 – There is a lot of pressure on retention and engagement strategies, plus compensation philosophy 7:09 – Get people rallied around a purpose, value, and mission
8:57 – Every business has a “why” statement and something that really matters to them
9:37 – Test and try your ideas and know that it won’t be perfect the first time
10:15 – Values are particularly important to Gen Z Employees
13:32 – Find a way to give people who are connected and interested a way to help give back
14:36 – People like to be associated with organizations with positive values
17:41 – Give your employees and leadership a chance to connect to something that really matters
18:59 – Employees who feel like they’ve had a chance to give back will provide additionally efforts and have greater engagement
19:24 – By treating employees holistically, we see great thing happen and that’s why flexibility and perspective are so important
20:29 – When you give to others, it grows your own mindset
22:45 – It’s all about delivering stories that everyone wants to be a part of
26:04 – The team that you have at the beginning of the process is a good indicator of how the entire organization will look
27:04 – You can’t figure out a company’s culture just from an interview
29:12 – It’s important for employees to search for accountability
32:37 – Through engagement, you’ll see value
Contact Jon:
Milwaukee Tool
Careers at Milwaukee Tool
Is it ok that we totally lose it on occasion? Hey, my emotions got the best of me, it happens right? No, that is an excuse, and we brought in an expert and friend Sara Westrook to ask some questions go deep quickly on how to turn those excuses around, own your behaviour, and what you can do to get there! 1:15 – Emotions are a skill 1:45 – Leave your emotions at the door like a backpack, NO they are still coming in with you, so how do you move with and through them in a healthy way
3:02 – Do not want to make an emotionally based decision, can lead to regret
4:15 – Allowed to sit with that emotion, not going from emotion to choice, allow it to have room, move with and through, and have your own character based choice, bounce back and move forward
6:13 - emotional awareness, emotional management, and ultimately emotional resilience
8:00 – teams want to be emotionally intelligent, yet they do not know how, like going to the gym, how do you build those muscles? Not by watching videos, by putting things into action, habits
10:57 – first exercise has the end in mind, what's the circumstance, or what are circumstances that you feel hold you back or really trigger you, and what emotion comes out of you
13:08-learn to think and act beyond emotion to honour that the emotions there, but to start to use the emotion as information and even motivation
16:08-how we engage other people matters, the art of communication and that takes being very emotionally aware
19:15-why are emotions sometimes hard to talk about, you could have one group of people say well they're hard to talk about because I feel like i'll be seen as weak and another because of being seen as dramatic
20:13-self care starts to take a big plummet it also can decrease company morale you know just keep shoving emotions down pretending they're not their
20:30-breaking down the boxes, shifting a greater role for women in manufacturing
24:12-when you can start to see emotions is information your brain now knows that oh it's something that I can do something with it doesn't completely have to overwhelm me
26:40-sometimes you have to lean into that discomfort
27:05-doesn't mean you're an anxious person, it means you're a person that's experiencing the emotion of anxious and that's uncomfortable and awkward but it's part of the journey
28:48-emotions are a reason for a behaviour, not an excuse
30:00-Sara’s company 3E Emotional Development is about really honing in skills on emotional awareness, emotional management and emotional resilience
Connect with her here;
Instagram: @iamsarawestbrook
Twitter: twitter.com/SaraWestbrook
LinkedIN: www.linkedin.com/in/sarawestbrook
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3Asvqps
What happens when you put others first, work hard, and become a bridge builder? A legacy is formed, and we are privleged to go deep with LaVerne Roberts as she reveals what it took to become a Director of Operations in a traditional male dominated role. Paving the way to a better future for manufacturing, LaVerne lights up a room and listening to her wisdom leaves you wanting more. Her authentic, caring, fun, attitude backed with decades of success made her a must guest on the podcast. Enjoy this episode and let us know what you think! 1:45 – 45 years, research, and development success to director of operations, why?? 3:20 – building a network, not even realizing I was doing it, relationships
5:05 – any doubts came from within, Vice President support and getting surrounded by great people
7:00 – you must work hard, learning the fundamentals not so much the leadership skill, like going to school
8:05 – not asking for help, self imposter syndrome(for more science on this, check out Adam Grant's book Think Again)
10:00 – self-doubt more common, men verses woman may be different
12:00 – one on one coaching, identified my leadership style flexes from leading from behind and leading at the front
13:00 –leading from behind suggesting to the team, supporting them
13:55 – in the beginning, you may need to lead from the front, create the vision, help the team see what we wanted to look like
15:30 – Jim Collins, Good to Great, I or we, how LaVerne allows the team to take direction
16:30 – do more with the kernel, how it is received, will determine the next steps
17:54 – husband Scott says LaVerne is a bridge builder, not for LaVerne, for the excitement of what is going to happen when the connection is made
19:10 – when people can see you are not in it for yourself, people ask more questions about you
20:20 – finding the sweet spot-on building trust, finding the common ground, something we connect with
21:55 – you also must be a good listener, you can with enough ambition and desire achieve great things, and chart your journey, we are a lot stronger and smarter than we think
Not all family businesses successfully transition from one generation to the next, so what is the difference maker? Troy Corrigan joins us discussing how he and his brother Shawn had to make personal adjustments to find success through the team, and why being tied to something bigger than your own independent business is key! 1:45 – IEC, Independent Electrical Contractors Association, you need to step up and support 3:20 – the foundation of Corrigan Electric and how it all started, from college to the 4-year apprenticeship program, and decided to get involved in IEC leadership
6:25 – electricians are hands on, and young people can come out debt free, and make great money. Need for the industry is here to stay, look at electric vehicles
9:20 – need to be creative to keep employees
11:25 – cannot throw money to keep people, it is about the personalities, where do you want to be regarding culture
13:02 – they must know you care, by asking questions and being involved with them, open door process and be part of the team. What can we do to help?
14:35 – remind us of what we were taught, recognize when someone needs support, and what action may come out of that conversation. What’s going on? Bottled up or blow up.
17:00 – we are all working on how we show up, we are all human. Not just for me, it is for my team that I need to work on myself, learning skills in Leading with Emotional Intelligence
19:02 – conversations create a different experience and that creates culture
19:30 – love the discussions with staff, you always learn something about the person
20:02 – getting aligned with brother and partner Shawn, game changer
21:15 – we must be able to take the feedback from each other, having conversations to call each other out, better result for the team be the role model
21:35 – Trevor personal example of still missing signs, and the power of having someone to call you out
23:45 - gotta invest and take the time and you will have the outcome, and act on what you are learning or being reminded of. Helped me learn and listen. You probably don’t think you need it.
25:15 – stay in the zone, practice what you preach, and realize we all make mistakes
Learn more about Corrigan Electric here https://www.corriganelectric.com
Like myself, Joel Davis grew up on a farm. Starting out as a project at the age of 17, growing into an impactful family business in South Carolina. Coming up on 25 years, with 3 divisions now and over 100 employees, this is NOT your typical construction company! A privilege to share this conversation and learn from Joel, on why his people and the community, are not only the foundation of his company, but also the results! Contact info and links coming soon, at the bottom of the show notes. 2:05 – spending more time with your people than you do your family, and when you look forward to helping your people personally and professionally, it no longer feels like a job
4:30 – sometimes things evolve on their own, neighbour to neighbour
5:10 – changed 10 years ago our mission, from providing quality construction service, to wanting to have a positive influence, insight from John Maxwell – 15 invaluable laws of growth
6:10 – challenges turn into growth opportunities, with turnover less than 5% extremely low for the industry, care for the employees! Not the highest paid, but fair, honest, and enjoyable to be around
8:30 – life is too short to put on a show, what transparency looks like in an owner
10:30 – start the morning with a devotional, keep the big thing the big thing
11:00 – Values, respect, innovation, safety, and ethics RISE
11:50 – Hard to find employees like ours – ask Chick-fil-A – Stopped focusing on the resume and skills, and now hire people that want to be part of a team and the right culture fit
14:35 – Referrals from employees still number one, and encourage team members to share and use social media
16:15 – When you are engaged you can grow – Challenge is not getting the business, getting more great people- watch the video focused on their employees the video is real
18:05 – Whole lot easier to be yourself, what is the impact you are having on other people. To break down the walls, you must be open yourself
19:10 – have a positive impact on as many people as we can
19:30 – can deal with mistakes, not a lack of integrity
21:01 - on-boarding new employees is like your relationship with your wife, create opportunities for fellowship and personal interactions to build relationships
22:30 – Community dedication started from the Bible, keeps the mindset of doing for others
24:46 – What do you want your tombstone to say between the dates? What do you want to be remembered by?
Joel's website
https://jdavisgc.com/#about-3
Watch the great video on Joel's culture!
https://jdavisinc.com/culture/
2 Years and still going, thanks to YOU, this podcast is sponsored by no one, but the courage and curiosity of our listeners, and their dedication to making manufacturing more mindful. Took on this episode solo for the first time, as we have some great guests lined up for year 3! This is a reflection of our time together on this podcast, and a look into what we need to think about in 2022, to think in new ways, to get different results.
More notes to come soon!
In manufacturing we get to work on capital budgets for the next assembly line. In this episode we have a much more interesting conversation with Vivian Blade as she explains what is social capital, and why you should care! With a background in Lean Six Sigma, she just released her third book Influence in Talent Development, and we are excited to have her on the show as a sought-after leadership expert and thought leader, enjoy! Check out below the show notes to see how to connect with Vivian and learn more! 1:48 - In the news, is all about the great resignation and trying to do the great reset so we can retain those employees. 2:14 - People are searching for organizations that align with their values, lifestyles and making the move. 3:53 - Old way of thinking with command and control, do as I say.
4:29 – People want to be more involved in their workplace, making decisions and contributing in valuable ways.
4:59 - Leading with influence and engaging people, rather than leading by dictating and telling people what to do.
7:56 – Giving people leeway and coaching them through.
9:59 – Leading as a coach and guide at a level of influence.
12:39 – Think about how you can selflessly add value to others.
16:06 – How are people being measured and are your measuring outcomes as a team or individuals.
18:29 – What are you measuring, are you measuring individual goals or the collective effort.
23:10 – Take the temperature of your culture, be honest with yourself, reflect and see what impact it is truly having on your organization, and the health and well-being of your people.
24:59- How do we turn this ship around from a people standpoint, which is your most important asset.
26:52 – What people want today is the authenticity from leaders.
Connect with Vivian!
https://vivianblade.com https://InfluenceWithScale.com https://ResilienceReady.today LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivianblade/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/VivianBlade Influence in Talent Development on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3mC8z4B Resilience Ready: The Leader's Guide to Thriving Through Unrelenting Crises on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3s4pSvC
With guest Jim Ray! Mindfulness Manufacturing is grateful Jim got us up and running as a professional podcast production, he saved days of frustration and time. Check out more on how Jim can support here https://jimrayconsultingservices.com/podcastproduction/ He is also a great small business consultant so why not have a conversation with him direct, email Jim to set up a time, jimray4@gmail.com 1:33 - When you look at the economy you have inflation rising, issues with supply chain, it will take a long time to work its way out.
1:51 – People are getting a little nervous, I think that it is at the business level but also at the household level and you can bring it into the office.
3:19 – One of the things that is going to enable any business to succeed is their ability to communicate effectively, it will always come down to that.
3:40 – True leader need to be super cognizant even more than you have been. About what you say and what you hear, because there is going to be a lot of questions and people are nervous.
5:06 – It’s ok to raise your hand and say I don’t have all the answers right now, but the authenticity, honesty, and integrity that you back it up with will carry the day and help sooth people’s nerves.
5:33 - Leaders need to be cognizant to allow people to voice their concerns.
6:07 – The one thing that is going to enable a company regardless of the balance sheet, or the economy is the people. The people in the business are what will make it win or lose.
12:54- What worked in the past I don’t believe will work in the next 12 months.
14:28 – Allow people to arrive to the answer and they will have a stake in it.
17:12 - It’s ok to be nervous and scared about things, it’s ok to have those feeling it’s what you do with those feeling that will determine your success or failure.
17:53 – Cultivating advisers outside your normal channels will make all the difference, especially when things get more difficult.
22:22- Making sure your team is diverse is a strength, and the smart companies are the ones that are cognizant of that and are working towards those goals.
Debbie Muno of Genos International brings her 25 years of assessment experience and shares her tips to retain team members, making average uncomfortable! 1:17 What can we do about the staff we have today? How do we engage them more? 2:26 The last couple of years have really been a steak in the ground to make life changing decisions.
2:53 What is important in their lives? and how the world of work fits into what is important in their lives.
3:01 Friends that are energized and engaged, has to do with their work and has to do with how they are treated in the workplace.
3:36 Those who do not feel connected are making changes.
3:47 The world of work will never be the same.
5:08 People want to be valued and appreciated and empowered to get their work done.
6:31 It is all about how connected I feel, do I feel appreciated? do I feel valued? and am I engaged in my organization?
8:38 People feel empowered by being able to make choices.
9:19 75% of people leave their job because of their boss.
10:20 We never forget how people make us feel.
12:36 We don’t realize the tiny incremental shifts can create massive outcomes.
16:23 If I was totally present in a conversation what difference would it make?
18:16 Putting your phones down as soon as you get into conversation.
20:42 Top performers do their job and carry the weight of low performers and they don’t get the acknowledgment.
24:54 Organizations are realizing programs are needed to help enhance well-being and enhance people’s ability to become more mindful.
27:09 It is critical to be present and mindful
Contact Debbie directly at debbie.muno@genosinternational.com or at https://www.genosnorthamerica.com
2:09 Walking in and being judgmental and pointing out all the stuff that is easy, like these guys that are perpetual list makers. 2:55 At Crossover we would not tell you what to do unless we are willing to do it ourselves.
3:32 We are always learning and don’t have all the answers but have enough to get started.
3:53 Holding people accountable is all part of the right outcome.
4:12 "How the heck did they get here?" "What’s so wrong that here’s where we’re at?" "Why did the emotion of a situation get so elevated?"
5:39 Make sure we protect the customer and support the employees of that organization.
7:14 Often times we are not given all the tools to be successful at the start, but find the best way to support.
12:52 We look for a way forward that is meaningful for everyone involved.
15:12 The experience and bandwidth to lend that type of help that is truly required. Something Crossover can support with speed and precision.
16:57 It’s not necessary to say you know how you are going to help me; "it's why you think you can help me."
18:51 First step is somebody realizing and recognizing that they potentially need help, this is a huge step and it takes courage.
25:11 Authentic self and how you show up today is extremely important.
Contact Michael at michael.forhan@xosol.com
Website
xosol.com
With over 30 years in a variety of manufacturing environments Michael Forhan is an expert in organizational transformations, and often enters very emotional situations! As President and Managing Partner at Crossover Solutions, this guy has seen it all. We get the opportunity to discuss staying mindful during supplier interventions - yes, crisis moments of pending shutdown, yikes! Such great content we had to break this into two episodes! 2:24 How do you mentor? How do you walk into situations under the gun?
2:57 Thoughtful and respectful of what is going on, and bringing sense of calmness, understanding and listening.
3:40 Benchmark of what performance should be and measure the performance, listen to how the company got to where they are is just as important.
5:09 Being calm and provide clarity to situation and how to work our way out of situation.
5:59 Walking in with a sense of listening to understand and rational what is going on, with standard of expectation off data.
7:03 Temperatures do get high particularly when put in by client, supplier has more anxiety.
7:28 Why 3rd party put in by OEM to understand actual risk and help figure out our way out.
11:25 Tornado ripped through plant and ripped the roof off, but we still needed to build parts.
11:59 We are there to help and not criticize, use helpful approach and getting thing calm and cool to temperature, rolling our sleeves up to help and not using a hammer.
15:16 What do we know for sure? Let’s ground each other.
15:32 Can you trust someone that does not care about you? How do you build that trust?
22:25 Rebuild relationship and trust between client and supplier.
Contact Michael at michael.forhan@xosol.com
Website
xosol.com
Raw, Real, and Relevant with Trevor & Dave
00:00 – Introduction 00:30 – Enjoy the moment and enjoy the new things; Dave Baker will be moving on 01:39 – 3 things known to be true
02:50 – Always be raw, real, and relevant and the rest will take care of itself
03:30 – Editing and Clean up – keeping it real
06:00 – Polished vs. Real
06:33 – Raw defined
07:14 – Real defined
08:56 – Relevant defined
09:50 – Overdoing it
13:28 – When others see you as raw, real, and relevant
14:50 – When you go home are you a different person?
18:15 – A platform for living with no regrets
20:00 – Being at peace in being who you are
21:25 – Keeping it all in context - Ecclesiastes
22:53 – A Relevant example
23:56 – Living in Fear
24:57 – Keeping it all in context
27:16 – Maintain your sense of humor
29:28 – Mindfulness in manufacturing
30:17 – Closing
30:54 - End
If you have not checked out episode 44, head back there when we first had Nikki Langman on as a guest. Grateful to have her back as we look at the stress in the manufacturing industry and how leaning into our core values, and checking in on ourselves, is a great start to build short term and long term resilience! Link here to her website where you can purchase her book direct!
https://www.nikkilangman.com
1:17 What are the core values in the business, that we’re going to stick to no matter what?
1:40: When push comes to shove at the end of the day, there are decisions that we look back on and think, was I was true to who I am or I did I go against my core values
2:39 Self awareness and core values are two of the most pressing topics that any industry needs to be talking about
3:09 Leave your personal ideas at the door and put on your armor, no way!
4:55 My history of being a recovering alcoholic, and this is something that I never brought into the workplace until a few years ago
6:49 I think that’s the heart of self-awareness and core values really lies is in our ability to be honest with ourselves
7:43 We are struggling with external pressure and our internal ways of coping with it and our ability to be honest with ourselves
9:27 There are things that we can do in the short term to relieve the pressures we’re feeling
10:35 Might be starting to feel untenable with our employees or even desire to want to be a part of that company
11:05 Look at the person in the mirror and just be have an honest chat to say all right, gloves off, and be honest with yourself
12:45 What does okay look like to you? Why are we tempted to use this bland word, ok, when we know that having a strong emotional vocabulary is one of the keys to emotional self
19:21 If people start seeing the results of your behaviors, then that is either going drive you deeper into that behavior or it’s going to be a wake-up call for you
27:18 Can you help me understand the impact I have had on you and how we can move forward and assist each other to be more present?
Mindful Employment:
Throwing the Baby Out with the Bath Water
with Trevor & Dave
#45
______________________________________________
00:00 - Intro 00:28 – Mindfulness relative to the employment challenges today 02:07 – The “shortage
03:35 – We just need warm bodies
05:08 – The pressure on incumbents to feel valued
06:00 – Values and retaining your culture
06:41 – 6 X 12 workweek and its impact
08:18 – Are we driving our workforce away?
09:12 – Making mindful decisions as an employee and employer
10:56 – Intentionality
10:15 – “If you can label it, you can tame it”
10:50 – Turnover rationale
12:02 – Loving you workforce and why the relationship is sustained
13:48 – Go flip hamburgers somewhere. Really?
14:45 – Leaders’ mindfulness messaging and alignment
15:15 – The huge disconnect
16:00 – The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know
17:06 – The employment equation
17:47 – A Mindful word for the Employee
19:46 – A Mindful word for the Employer
22:20 – It’s time for us to talk about this
23:28 – Closing
24:00 - End
The Key to Greater Self-Awareness: The Wet Bathing Suit Question
with guest Nikki Langman
#44
00:00 - Intro 00:28 – Nikki Langman intro
00:51 – Emotional Intelligence and Safety in manufacturing
03:29 – Safety: the common denominator
03:57 – Safety is a ‘safe’ word – emotional intelligence not so much
05:03 – Taking ‘emotion’ out of the mix
06:02 – Psychological Safety training
07:48 – Results: 86% LTI(Lost Time Injury) reduction!
09:12 – Talking about trust, communication, accountability people make better choices
10:00 – Emotional Intelligence training can save lives
10:15 – The Genos Emotional Intelligence model
11:00 – The most impactful: Self-Awareness and Self-Management
13:50 – Opportunities for compromises. Really?
15:19 – The Leader’s overall presence and empowerment
17:03 – Managing emotions for a positive outcome
18:25 – A story of Shawn’s journey and realization – a life-changing impact
20:43 – You just don’t know what others are going through – ever
21:46 – Awareness of those around
22:06 – We cannot inspire others if we can’t inspire ourselves
23:06 – Becoming more self-aware
24:10 – The Wet Bathing Suit feeling
26:30 – What’s the trick to getting out of it as soon as you can? It’s time to Pause.
27:21 – Discomfort? An invitation to Pause.
29:04 – Tough conversations
29:50 – Closing
30:22 - End
Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro
00:28 – If you’re going to coach others, you may want to look this guy up – Andrew Neitlich!
01:50 – Coaching: a term used rather flippantly
02:47 – What Coaching Is and what it’s Not
06:36 – When to Coach and when not to
08:02 – The most powerful technique to apply in real life
09:11 – The 1, 2, 3 Punch
11:00 – Accountability and powerful Coaching – an example
13:49 – Understanding and being mindful of what’s truly going on
14:43 – Ending a conversation with accountability with new actions
15:58 – “I don’t have time to Coach others”
17:19 – Being Mindful of where you are in the conversation
18:22 – Sick and tired of being sick and tired – there is a better way
20:22 – Coaching is imperative to being a great leader
22:02 – Getting a lot more by making a small investment now
23:35 – How do you know when they get it – “I can’t believe it!”
24:47 – Today YOU can do this… it’s a game-changer
27:20 – Labeling it as a Coaching Conversation
29:38 – The secret is out now
30:14 - Conclusion
31:10 – Outro
Contact Andrew Neitlich: andrewneitlich@centerforexecutivecoaching.com
Center for Executive Coaching: https://centerforexecutivecoaching.com/
Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewneitlich-executivecoachcertification/
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- Hey, I have something to tell you, but don’t tell anyone!
- That makes me question whether I can trust you moving forward.
- Joe Johnson introduction
- Being Mindful of your Actions in what you Say and Do.
- Letting someone know of what’s to come.
- Why share it?
- Why now? What will be gained?
- What are the risks and burdens you put on others by sharing what you know?
- Transparency and truthfulness vs. letting the cat out of the bag.
- Who is it about? You OR them?
- Keeping those lips sealed
- When do you have the license to share information?
- That’s for those that need to know – and you’re not one of them. Kind? Perhaps more than you know.
- We lean in and want to be friends, but now it’s a burden to contain it within
- Respect for each other in honoring known information.
- Confiding in others can result in feeding the rumor mill.
- A serious risk in eroding trust
- Hey! Why don’t you tell me? Here’s why… and thanks for sparing me the angst.
- When we’re in the know, sometimes our Pride wants others to know we’re in the know.
- When you forget you’re operating with ‘confidential’ information you are compromising everything
- Leaders take the burden!
- What are the motivations for sharing?
- Mindfulness advice on when/what to share.
- What’s to be Gained vs. what’s the Risk.
- Considering the impact on trust
- Is there a back door to ‘your safe’?
- Check your Pride.
- Keeping front of mind and what’s important.
- Self-awareness: being empathetic, authentic, and just smile
- It’s a battle of the mind – is it really about “the people”?
- Mastered it or learned from it. A dose of humility.
- How do you build trust if you can’t share the message?
Show Notes: 00:05 – Get out of your own way 01:30 – Ryan Forte – Jefferson Metal Products
03:28 – You can’t do it by yourself
04:01 – When it’s time to engage others and break the pattern of what you’ve always done
05:52 – That critical moment where there was a turning point
06:30 – Wow! Everything looks great, the way I wanted it
07:00 – 360 feedback – what an eye-opener
09:30 – What would have come up in that 360?!
10:30 – Mindfulness manufacturing at it’s best
12:35 – If you always do what you’ve always done, you get what you always got
13:20 – What are you doing differently
14:00 – Consciously setting expectations
15:20 – How you show up
16:50 – The burning question on behalf of listeners
19:00 – Stress is contagious
20:50 – Holding up the fist – a symbol for the brain; it’s time to curb it
22:05 – A license to call you out
24:03 – We’re good, but we want to be great; so who does the heavy lifting
25:20 – Listen to your people, provide reasonable expectations and the tools
26:37 – Joy: this is what it looks and sounds like
28:28 – It’s raw, the real deal - what you see is what you get
Intro 00:06 - Are you giving more than you’re receiving? 01:23 – Adding value; a real-life story – Michelle with Grizzly Country Wildlife Adventures
03:50 – Welcome Bob Burg – finding ways to add value and create change https://burg.com/
05:00 – A story of Go-Giving: excellence, knowledge-base, needs, do you care, consistency, consider others as a human being, empathetic, conscience of fears, gratitude,
07:35 – The Go-Getter vs. Go-Giver vs. ‘a Go-Taker’
11:39 – When they call, you know instantly whether they are a Giver or Taker
12:32 – Human nature, we deal in truths and work successfully within those truths
13:04 – Getting stuck in our own silos and where leadership comes into play
15:35 – How would a leader know they are effectively self-aware. Being Aware of not being self-aware.
16:31 – Our ability to receive and the Law of Receptivity
18:00 – An Unconscious Operating System and the messages we receive
18:50 – Our relationship with money and prosperity
20:00 – Most wealthy people have achieved it by providing a product or service that others have willingly bought and is not inherently bad despite a tendency to think otherwise. Why?
23:08 – Giving: providing value and living within one’s values
25:19 – If you want to thrive, you have to help a lot of people
28:38 – The Go-Giver Success Alliance Community; taking it to the next level https://gogiversuccessalliance.com/
Close
:40 - Sara Blakely - greatest lesson in life is working in Sales when she spoke to Simon Sinek 3:30 - We did not call it emotional intelligence, Jeff Summers shares his experience of buying a Cutlass Supreme in 1983 - Authenticity 7:35 - Vulnerability, being humble when you need to get a weld fixed and spend the time before building a relationship
8:10 - Difference between the good ol boys club and a real relationship - transparency
9:50 - The superstar in sales they did not want to benchmark - Jeff explains the internal damage
12:25 - Have the ability to reflect - the infinite game
14:00 - Short term results do not build a legacy
15:00 - Always be closing?
17:00 - Lacking the ability to empower others, you do not need to do it all on your own, authenticity realizing you can get more done through others
19:16 - Showing up as your real self - Jeff's bloody nose and how being open drew a connection and success in speaking
24:30 - take the mask off
25:30 - Jeff uses a story that includes the Minnesota Vikings, and story with the Purple People Eaters is a good one - how to relate in sales
28:38 - It is not what you know about features and benefits, it is what you can get to know about that person and where they are coming from.
Marilyn Monroe kicks it off with her famous quote - Fear is Stupid. So are regrets. 1:30 - Getting caught in our own fears, and how the environment fuels it over the last 18 months. 2:50 - The 4 fears - loss, failure, rejection, and the unknown
5:00 - Dave talks about the fear of a new plant manager!
9:30 - Taking the armor off, turn the tables with a different approach
12:00 - Like riding a bike or a new leader in an organization
13:30 - Pull over and reflect, self-awareness looking at yourself, conversations can create more stress than reality
17:00 - Step out and watch the traffic, so the fire in your hair does not take you over
19:00 - Trevor talks about focus on himself early in his career, fueled by fear of insecurities
21:00 - New Testament - Love is when you benefit your neighbor
22:30 - We are not alone, we all have fear, in this together, be who you are in being present
23:00 - Mark Twain - I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened
00:00:03.510 --> 00:00:51.510 Trevor Blondeel: Well Dave I was about to start a training session a couple of days ago, and with a group of manufacturing leaders and we're talking about the aware leader I’m all pumped up.
And I got a call from my son about 15 minutes before he's 22 and he's going through some major challenges that I can't all explain here, but I can tell you, as a dad, I was shaken up, and it was difficult for me and my mindset to kind of get back on track.
A lot of that comes down to just that resilience and what we practice ahead of time, but it was still hard and you Dave had had something in your life to change your mindset this week and tell us a little bit about that.
00:00:52.050 --> 00:02:30.000
Dave Baker: yeah, well you know I tell you. there's you know our guest today provided us this great quote which has helped me check this out mindset drives and shapes all that we do, how we engage with others and how we behave. In every moment and every situation and it's from the Arbinger Institute, and I saw that and read that, in the wake of having to put my best buddy down - man's best friend.
On Monday, just a couple of days ago, and you talk about a heartbreaker it absolutely tore me up and quite honestly, it's not easy to talk about but. I have been doing my best, thus, far to just hold it together and that's, all I can do, but you're you know it's all about mindset and my mindset in this grieving process of losing him. It’s has been ebb and flow in the days that you know, since it's transpired and where I keep you know I fight self-pity, anger, restlessness you know just woe is me and what am I going to do it says, you know my if I don't check my mindset man, we go in dark places and I know you can't move forward, and I’ve found myself stuck and it's like check your mindset they where's your head at where is your head and
00:02:30.330 --> 00:03:23.610
Dave Baker: So, know just in time we've got Jacob Knight, our guest with us today, Jacob is all about mindset and we’re so excited to have Jacob with us today, he's the manager he's a leader at FC in the Florence South Carolina area he's he owns Jacob Knight, and he runs Straight Talk on LinkedIn, which is fantastic. It's a community of like-minded folks to sharing thoughts and inspiration so Jacob welcome and man, we can't wait to hear and learn how mindset has impacted you and your career and your personal life so let's jump in man, I mean tell us about this.
00:03:24.150 --> 00:05:00.510
Jacob Knight: yeah, first all day then Trevor, thank you for having me on the show I’ve listened to several episodes and really enjoyed the content and the material, so thank you for that also sorry to hear about your son Trevor going through some things in his life now and I’ll be hoping and praying that it'll strengthen him and helping him in the long run.
You know Dave about you about your dog I was like you said man's best friend, I know it's tough and just let me say one thing on that I know you talk about mindset.
doesn't always mean that you must pretend like something different happen or something ever happened, you have to do with what happened but deal with it in a positive way that'll get you out of that slump so sorry to hear about that as well.
Again, thank you, but the mindset, and whenever you think about mindset, there's a lot of different things that may come to mind. Maybe just how you think about some particularly or to be a small scale or larger scale, but when I think about mindset, I just mean your general frame of mind, you know, whenever you get out of bed.
Whenever you look at a task whenever you have an obstacle come your way you know what's the foundation. Of where you're coming from, and I think there are different levels to talk about, but I think at the end of the day, success is driven by having the right kind of mindset, as your foundational steppingstone.
00:05:00.540 --> 00:05:12.360
Dave Baker: So Jacob, as a dyed in the wool manufacturing born and bred, I mean, as I understand man, I love the story, where were when you started sweeping floors?
00:05:12.720 --> 00:06:40.050
Jacob Knight: that's right off the bat. I grew up you know southern in the country most of my family was I guess you'd call them entrepreneurs I didn't know what that word meant back then.
We built houses wired houses was pushing was on total lumber did all these things from I think my dad kind of laughs about it. I was three years old, the first time I pull wire under the house, so I was doing that forever since I was born right come out when pulling while my GI joes under the House.
Yeah, so you talk about the first large company that I, I was hired on to I’m still a teenager.
Just at a high school and we're waiting on equipment to come in the facility, and you know we were asked to sweep the floor and I’ll tell you what I didn't know at the time, but you could really tell a lot about people whenever they were asked to do that task you had, I think I had 24 to 30 people in my group.
And most people were pretty upset about it, but I didn't know it at the time, but in my mind, you know I thought hey I’m going to sweep the paint off the floor.
I want to be the best floor sweeper into the plan and most people may have thought that look beneath them, which I still sweep the floors now and I don't mind if I get pretty doggone good at.
00:06:43.890 --> 00:07:11.760
Trevor Blondeel: yeah, it's funny those first impressions it's not necessarily.
Of course, there are discussions around does this person has the hands, do they have just the mechanical mindset and that is a part. But if they don't and they're sweeping that floor like nobody's business and whatever they do they're just going to do it the best they can, and it's hard to turn people away like that right.
00:07:13.320 --> 00:08:45.240
Jacob Knight: But, if you look throughout you know my career that's definitely been the game changer for me and, if we look out in our society in our culture, yes, there may be a lot of things going on now.
That isn't right per se, or maybe they've got this the odds are stacked against you, but I believe that you must have a successful mindset, even while you fight against those things because it's like you know negative breeds negativity you know, and you never really going to get out there slumping and pull ahead unless you have the right kind of mindset that's ownership taking responsibility.
Taking you to know I’m going to own up to this I’m going to dig out of this hole, and I have 30 years kind of developed.
Some of these characteristics some type of you know, mental strength that you need that doesn't cost you a penny, and I think that's a big thing about mindset is anybody can have the right mindset.
You don't have to be rich or poor, or you know you can be anybody and I think that's the strength that you have with mindset is not a degree, you have to get it's something you can actually you know work up in your mind in it comes out in your attitude and your behavior.
00:08:45.870 --> 00:09:16.020
Dave Baker: So, Jacob you and you open the can of worms up and I’m going in all right I’m going to pull them out.
What specifically for you, has been so impactful in keeping your mindset, where it is, I mean what do you do that others may learn from or might could benefit and learn what you do.
Every day that impacts that.
00:09:16.500 --> 00:09:22.560
Jacob Knight: Okay, so a big question, and this could be a long answer.
00:09:28.680 --> 00:09:44.130
Jacob Knight: I’m going to just tell you kind of about my personal process I’m not saying everybody must have this but I’m just going to let you know kind of where I come from, and then maybe some things I’ve put together that I think or are crucial to have the right, having the right mindset.
For me I had a process through life I ended up going to school later on in life after I’ve had had four children, and it was an obstacle, but it was well worth it very beneficial but had a lot of questions about my foundational like you know-how. How I thought about the world what is reality, what is no morality. All those types of type of questions you know what knowledge is, you know starting to get an hour's philosophy and my background is Christianity and probably some you know stoic philosophy, you know just where you know you put your nose down in an obstacle is the top of mine, since I’m kind of a mesh.
If you think about it that way that's kind of my foundation that I have grown into, and I believe that's What helps me propel forward but there's some there's generalities there are some general rules if you want to call it that.
I think are beneficial for the mindset I call them, and I can't take all this credit I got a great team I’ve worked with some great people in some companies and we've always participated and knowledge-sharing training.
Building each other up - one of my big things is I share everything I know I don't keep any trade secrets or any secrets from anybody or anything so I’ve always poured myself out because that made me grow in the process, but having said that, just to I like to think of it in three categories one is the golden rule.
And everybody basically knows what that is you know do unto others as you'd have them do unto you, but under that is more respect.
You know it's this genuine respect for people, where I really believe people are valuable and I want to behave in such a way that shows respect to them.
And I know there were there, how they're valuable in my worldview they're made in the image of God.
I want to treat them right and I want to help them succeed and the other one is like an internal drive, so I got this one aspect where I believe it, I’m going to respect.
Everybody the best that I can I’m going to give them respect right off the BAT and then it's a strong work ethic, you know you know I’m doing my work on to the Lord or you know you can think about hey I’m doing my work, you know.
For me, so to speak for my betterment I’m not trying to impress somebody internally, instead of an external thing I’m not doing it just for $1 or just for a title.
Passion and energy preparation, think about it, having a positive attitude, all these things and I’m saying doesn't cost you anything you know these are developed from within your mind. One is progress, moving forward, I want to keep getting better I need to be flexible; I need to be coachable I need to be able to learn and to grow, and those are the things I kind of put together.
That, I believe everybody can benefit from, and I call them the golden rule the internal drive-in progress, and I think that and that's really not anything new you can go online and find a means or whatever you call them that have broken down. Types of mindsets that don't cost you anything but those are how well look at him.
00:13:50.880 --> 00:14:11.130
Trevor Blondeel: So, Jacob, you know I hear you and, yes, it's on the Internet, and those are good things we're talking manufacturing here we're making the same thing we got a routine. So, I get on calls and I see people and I’ll say they take up how you are doing and how do you respond when they say I’m living the dream.
00:14:17.280 --> 00:16:13.350
Jacob Knight: Pretty funny line and I even use it joking around because we've here so much you know we hear that phrase, a lot of times live in a dream, just to kind of take a step back right I’m going to go off of what you said, a second ago. You were saying that you know, in the manufacturing world how is it, how do we have this top of mind said.
This, when you needed the most I mean whenever you're doing some a day in, day out you're punching a clock if you and I know you all have experienced this but morale you can lose it in a heartbeat.
Morale can be lost and it's hard to build a good culture in manufacturing, I believe, and maybe I’m partial because this was in my blood, but culture and morale or everything, so this is the utmost importance in a job, where people can easily feel like they're stuck right.
You feel like you're stuck, and I think that the plan that we put together is the path to get you unstuck so whenever somebody says something like that you know.
Living the dream right I’ll kind of laugh about it, too, I may say I’m living in a dream or I’ve been busy but really was going on is you know some ways probably giving you some sort of clue that your own happiness.
And they want to tell you that and play hey you know what was going on and going back to the story about losing you man's best friend Dave.
You were saying it was hard to focus really if you were able to open up with somebody a lot of times that helps you clear out so usually whenever somebody has something to say I’ll say you know.
I might laugh about it start where initially didn't ask that you know what's going on, tell me about it, you know what happened and then kind of sympathize and empathize with them a little bit and usually that does start to change the mood.
00:16:13.770 --> 00:16:29.820
Dave Baker: yeah, and I, you know, and Jacob appreciate you bringing that up and I’ll tell you twice this week, I was asked to go to dinner, and I said I mean I know the guy and I said honestly no I don't want to go, he said guess what they've come on we're going anyway.
00:16:31.050 --> 00:17:10.890
Dave Baker: And I’m telling you, it was the best thing I needed that and the second time, you know so buddy called me, and you know it's like hey.
You know I don't feel like talking, I was totally transparent with him, I said dude I don't feel like talking.
And he said all right well if you don't call me back and calling you again, so in my time I called him back, I did not want to, but I did anyway. Because I knew that that was, I needed to do that I just absolutely needed to do it and that helped keep me moving forward and that's us.
00:17:12.270 --> 00:17:47.880
Trevor Blondeel: And I referenced this a lot around women in manufacturing and how the numbers are not growing they've been stagnant, for a long time. That's definitely one thing that women can bring to manufacturing that sometimes males suck at which is living the dream.
You know just laugh it off, but I’d love your response Jacob it's kind of like tell me more about that later, you know is that funny is a little sarcastic, or is that actually a call for help.
Because I totally agree with you it's kind of like um what's underneath that.
00:17:48.150 --> 00:18:01.410
Dave Baker: But it could be a forced thing, and it could be real and that person truly is excited and on the top of their game living their dream, and so it can be anywhere In between there but yeah.
00:18:01.950 --> 00:18:46.710
Trevor Blondeel: So maybe the right responses tell me more because then you can understand, is it like Are they in their dream, or are they there and yeah, it's just one of those little things and I think it's what you said Jacob it's being that having the mindset of being open enough to be curious you know if you're in the right mindset, you can do that and. You know it's those little things that you do like I watched some Ted Talk; I remember it was like when you put your feet outside your bed, and you know the morning first thing you say is something greats going to happen today, I mean it can manufacturing is not something we talked about a lot but it's like you got to have something right and it's not going to make your day worse if you say something creates could happen.
00:18:48.870 --> 00:19:32.430
Jacob Knight: yeah, I mean you have to believe you'd have I’m more of a realist, but I don't let that stop me from being positive, you know as you know business owner business leader, you do have to be a realist you can't prove proceed, you know with unicorns you know hopping around and everything is going to be wonderful, but you can proceed all right here's the situation, what do we do about it, you know how do we change this, how can we, how do we get where we're going here's a little setback.
But we know we're going to get through this look what we are to get through, you know remind yourself of where you've already come and then where you need to go and that's another great example of the right mindset propelling you forward.
00:19:32.820 --> 00:20:35.190
Trevor Blondeel: yeah, and I think that's what the listeners want to hear they don't want to hear that you have a perfect mindset, they want to hear that it's okay. To be upset, that's okay it doesn't mean on a positive person that actually makes you more authentic because it's like yeah this, this is not good right now and however, we know that it's not always going to be like this, you know it's just where we are right now, and we got to where we’ve got to own it like you said and sit with it and figure out the next thing but it's I think it's what I’m hearing from you is that it's like that bigger picture higher vision, I was talking to a manufacturing team this morning they're basically just saying they're kind of stuck I just there in that routine.
But they really weren't working towards anything, so you know I like what how you describe that and it's like, however, that looks like to your plant or to your organization or to you as an individual, but where are you going and enjoy the process.
00:20:35.880 --> 00:21:24.570
Jacob Knight: And if you don't have the opportunity to create that vision. It may be easy for me to say that because I can somewhat create a vision, and everybody goes towards that but not everybody has it and I’ll say one thing you can do.
Is if you're stuck, how can I add value to my friend, how can I add value to.
My coworker and if you really work on adding value to other people you'll start to grow even if maybe your supervisor doesn't have the vision, you want to see maybe the company you're at.
You feel like you're just going nowhere and is hopeless will start actively adding value to other people and your mindset will begin to change, maybe that company won't be there for you forever, but you'll start to develop the right type of mindset for success.
00:21:25.230 --> 00:21:34.290
Dave Baker: And the lens that you look through. This right is exactly how you're going to end up see seeing things and begin shaping your future.
00:21:35.550 --> 00:22:36.030
Jacob Knight: Yes, right and you brought up the lens so that it reminds me of my glasses analogy.
A lot of times you know, life is like the weather, you get saying coming in, you as you get when you get it get hail you get tornado will no doubt this is going to be kind of rough but all these things are just flying around at you and a lot of times I think about mindset as a good pair of goggles a nice pair of glasses that allow you to see clearly even during these hard times.
It’s not you paint some perfect picture some fake picture or fake analogy it doesn't have you know things done on the lenses but it's giving you a clear view so you can clearly see.
look forward and math your goal now so mine says a lot like a good pair of goggles good glasses that keeps those keeps the dust of the world and it keeps those struggles from interfering with your vision, and it really helps you set your mind man forward. That's a good analogy that I like to use.
00:22:36.810 --> 00:22:58.020
Dave Baker: Then another one is its kind of like you know your mindset is kind of like your diet you've got a junk food diet or a healthy diet and between the two, I mean just like you know your mindset it directs your future it impacts, the result right it.
00:22:58.050 --> 00:23:36.960
Jacob Knight: 100% you have to have food to come in your body right or most of us do we have to have food to survive, you can fill it with junk, or you can fill it with something fairly nutrition, even if you're not perfect, but you're going to get healthier you're going to get stronger you're going to have a better quality of life if you eat the right things and that's a lot like mine, so if you have the right mindset.
You will get better you will grow doesn't always mean your circumstances going to be perfect, but you'll be more happy or unhappy is a little you know shaky kind of work, but at the end of the day, everybody wants to be happy. Everybody wants to feel good.
00:23:38.430 --> 00:23:42.750
Trevor Blondeel: Nobody wakes up and says, I want to be unhappy today. Right, I don't think.
00:23:44.400 --> 00:25:09.120
Jacob Knight: I’ve met some people, though I’ve had some challenges I met some people that fit where that negative, but I’ll tell you one thing really quick.
Actually, this person wasn't a negative person, but I was at an organization and we were having a meeting with an outside company had had to hit come in and they were asking.
Why did y'all buy into this system that Jacob role after you've been here 25 years how could you buy into some new system, because I brought in lean manufacturing and thinking and all of these deals ideas that we have today talking about and they said this and I’m not bragging but this really touched my soul when I think about a lot, he said because I knew he cared because I knew we care was all might have been 25 years was okay with changing.
The culture, because they knew that I care for them and that I was at least trying, you know what always successful I was at least trying to make their lives better and at least trying to benefit them in and that's a testimony I mean that's something that I go back to a lot, am I showing people did not care in my mind state, you know, am I, adding in such a way that people go home, and I say I got cares about me or see going home at night cousin me.
00:25:10.020 --> 00:26:01.560
Trevor Blondeel: And they say I’m going to steal this off one of our previous guests, but it's like can you and so but still, we see we work with different manufacturing groups, and we take some things for granted that well, of course, you're going to care for people but know that that's not it is it's this week's targets today's the target it's a quarterly budget.
And one of the things that we take for granted, we talked about how we do, because one thing to wake up yourself with the mindset and, yes, lead by example and we know those things.
But what's the, how do you build that into an organization and one of the things I heard you say Jacob was your daily huddle is the backbone of your team so like what, how is that what does that turn into the backbone.
00:26:02.580 --> 00:27:27.570
Jacob Knight: Thank you for bringing that up, let me say this that upfront organizations there.
Since I worked with several now there are different routines that are better for different companies, maybe it's weekly maybe it's daily maybe it's multiple times a day.
Depending on application location and all these things, but at the end of the day, that that daily huddle that that group, you get to look at everybody and you get to communicate you get to share whether it's about production schedules our birthdays that are coming up or the little team in his field on improvement ideas.
All kinds of good things and I’m going to throw some matches that we won't even be able to finish this session, but it might give you some ideas for the future there's another level of the mindset.
After you have this golden rule foundation, and all these rules are put forth in that daily huddle that's, why did they hope for years we use that hotel to preach entities these principles and all kinds of ways, but there's another level and that's got to do with our thinking growth mindset and servant leadership and that's how I believe, if you really implement those things after you have the solid foundation of mindset, I believe the organization really starts to make a lot of progress but I’ve kind of just dropped a bomb then well.
00:27:31.890 --> 00:29:19.530
Dave Baker: Hey that's fair and you know I want to go with just a little bit of time left to towards the end, I want to throw out this and that is Haywood.
Have a friend of mine in manufacturing for years he worked third shift key words second shift he worked on assembly worked in machining I mean that guy was the most.
Positive mindset individual and he was not in a position of power or authority, but he had great power in that anybody that came across his path. Was better than they were prior to right in the short term, in the long term, and Jacob, at the end of the day, man, we can preach, and we can teach all this stuff on leadership and mindset and stuff, but when the brass tacks at home it's people like Haywood that I knew that are the ones that make the difference, day in and day out, and how do you surround yourself? I mean it's like those glasses - the mindset goggles, right? You've got to put those on and keep them on and just drive and move forward.
My you know my question to you, maybe bringing us home here would be you know for somebody that may feel stuck where their mindset is jacked up right now, you know what's their first move what would be the top three things that they could do in getting out of that Funk and good.
00:29:19.590 --> 00:30:16.980
Jacob Knight: Good question and I gave you the top three, but I’ll just tell some here at you.
The first thing is a understand where you hidden you know where you're going, but the first thing I’m just going to reiterate is if you. Make it a point I’m going to add value to somebody else when I’m still I don't want to write it's like exercise it's like the eating right I don't want to do it.
But I really truly believe, because you do have to believe I believe this is going to work or I believe Dave I trust Dave cares about me.
And Dave’s telling me I need to give this a shot I’m going to give it a shot, even if I don't think it's going to work, and I think once somebody starts to add value to somebody else that I believe that that's your initial point is adding value and I’m going to leave it there because I think that's an important number one point.
00:30:18.870 --> 00:31:04.080
Trevor Blondeel: hey if you're focused on others, and you can add some value, you know there's a lot of studies around there of what that does to your serotonin your oxytocin levels, and that just you know just drives everything the universe, is a beautiful thing.
And if we do that, we share that you do the right things, care for people it's going to help you when you hit those levels because we're all going to hit them.
Whether we want to admit it or not, kind of going back to the mindset it's not about always being elected you said jack is not always about being positive.
Sometimes it's just about recognizing it labeling it and knowing that got to trust the process, so this has been.
00:31:04.740 --> 00:31:16.830
Trevor Blondeel: It goes by so fast and yeah there's more to unpack on that may well have to do that later, but Jacob thank you so much for taking the time today another great episode for our listeners, and we appreciate you.
00:31:17.790 --> 00:31:26.130
Jacob Knight: yeah, thank you Dave Thank you Trevor appreciate the opportunity you know, look forward to hearing future episodes and, once again, thank you.
Trevor 0:12 You know Dave, I've been working a long time on my awareness of others, and I'm a task-oriented. Go get them, type person, and really been trying to balance that. And the same thing is that I always kind of wake up thinking, I'm a good person. But then sometimes I find myself being short with people and someone said to me, you know, it's not about, you got to try to be kind, you just got to be mindful of not being unkind, what do you think of that Dave. Dave 0:47
That's crazy. I, first of all, I appreciate you admitting your work through your self-awareness because that's all part of the process here. But as we all are, especially me, but, you know, with kindness. A my take on that is, you can be kind all day long but if you're not aware of how you come across people read through that kindness perhaps as manipulative or a little bit of, it's not sincere. And you may be kind, but you're truly unkind, in the eyes of others and Tate's gets kind of cool and we've got Elizabeth guests with us here today and she is. Got a quote or a motto that is just phenomenal. It's, it's basically genuine kindness is tested and proven method and leaving people better than when you met them. And that's just, that's extraordinary and I used to say that about safety at work in a manufacturing environment. We want people to leave as good or better than they were when they came here but, Elizabeth, put a different twist on this relative to kindness, and we're going to jump in with Elizabeth today on this topic in many others I'm sure as we go but welcome Elizabeth, how are you doing today?
Elizabeth 2:17
I'm doing well, thank you so very much Dave and Trevor for having me I am super excited and stoked to be here with you all today.
Dave 2:25
Good deal. Good deal. Well, you know, from Queens, New York as a native of Queens, New York. With this migration south, you know, as I understand from back in oh six of kindness was not a part of your experience in one of the reasons that you moved to South Carolina. Right, I go in there and ask you to unpack that for us because you've got a great story there.
Elizabeth 3:00
You see, in 2006 I didn't understand kindness. I was actually… I am a survivor of domestic violence and uprooted my family my three boys at the time and moved to South Carolina barely knew anyone here had some family here and I really just was looking for that fresh start. And you know, being from Queens, New York. Kindness is not really the thing that's associated with the New York, uh you know you've got the, you know I'm looking here kind of thing going on. And, you know, so I always felt that, yes, I was born and raised in New York but I believe I'm, I've always been a Southern belle but, you know, at heart, but kindness is just, to me it is just the most important thing to me it is the currency of success. It is what I have used it is tested and proven, and more than likely people will understand, you know how your interactions have impacted them and they'll want to experience those things over and over again, and the method that has to be included in that is going to be kind and how you continue to treat others and how you know that is reciprocated through relationship.
Dave 4:10
Well, Trevor. I mean, don't ask me about kindness I mean you set me up in the beginning, but that's why I'm so glad Elizabeth is here today. Yeah, Elizabeth.
Trevor 4:23
So what do you think about kindness then, you believe like everyone is naturally kind, and then our brains are kind of hardwired, and take stealing from Brene Brown a bit there, you know, we'd love to judge, and for some reason our, our brains if we're not intentional, just turn to that judgment, and it's not a good feeling and I catch myself doing it sometimes and it's kind of like, why did that unkind thought, Where did that come from because I don't want that. Where do you think that comes from or what are your thoughts on that?
Elizabeth 4:58
I believe it's the understanding of kindness. Kindness is not the absence of judgment, it's not the absence of error, I think it is intentionality, it is you're making an intentional decision to treat someone better, you know than maybe they would expect to go above and beyond what's expected and kindness sometimes has this, I guess misperception of being weak, or you know just being you know no place in the workplace or, you know, I've got to be aggressive or you don't have to, you can have such significant present presence, and leave a kind, you know, I guess feeling with someone and just really just have an exchange that is pleasant. So, I can still have great influence I can still have great negotiating skills, but you may want to do business with me more because of the experience you have with me. I am all about experience, every experience, every interaction with someone should be five stars, or very close to it, where we should be striving to do it.
Trevor 6:05
So how did you, like that's beautiful what you said, and how did you get from like that New York State to that. How well you articulate that, and I can just feel the passion in your voice when you say that. Was there something? How did you get there?
Elizabeth 6:20
I think, if I may use just the experience of being a domestic violence victim, of course, you don't have a voice, you don't really know how to advocate for yourself, you know you're receiving things that are not kind or unkind and as he mentioned earlier. So I really had to learn first to be kind to myself, and one, and then I also had to learn to be kind to others because I was so suspicious of everyone, every interaction I figured this would bring some form of hurt, and there was a defense mechanism that was up, so I felt like you know, maybe I'm not going to show my kind side because I don't want you to take advantage and I started realizing I was running into these brick walls because I had such a tough exterior. And when I learned this key skill and actually transferred it over into my professional world. I'm telling you like my success with people just skyrocketed through the roof, because I was able to be vulnerable, and that's why I'm so transparent with my journey messy says everything that I've accomplished Hey, whatever I know I'm willing to share with you because I believe it'll help make you better.
Dave 7:37
Well, so when you know when I think of the best compliment I've ever received is “Dave, you're one of the kindest people I've ever met!” And I'm not sure that I've heard that. But once or twice in my life. Right. And it's like, you know, why is that not. Why do I not hold that with greater regard? Why is that not a higher priority for me? Well, the bottom line is it doesn't sound or feel that ‘manly’. Right, living in a manufacturing environment it's about being tough it's about delivering it's about hitting the home, and, you know man-made, but I'll also tell you that I have fired people with the utmost kindness to where when they walked out of the room, they either shook my hand hugged me, smiled and said, thank you. In the end, I think that's just a real demonstration of kindness, kindness like you had said earlier is not a weakness. It's not something that shows the sign, you know, shows vulnerability, it's something that basically commands. The situation or commands the circumstance, and a kind person, can be kind in whatever it is that they’re doing. And that's, this is, this is awesome it's a great conversation.
But I want to change it up just a hair. I want to talk a little bit about something that I know about you, where you believe that you've got to have this mindset where average, and, you know, the average is average but breaking through this glass ceiling is like. You can do this, I can do this regardless of who you are and from your background, your, your life story, to where you are today. You know glass ceiling. Right? I know glass ceilings, believe it or not as a white guy. Right, I know a glass ceiling. I know when I see it I know when I feel it I know I’ve experienced it, but what's your take on the trick, other than kindness, right, which is in there, where what? Where's this coming from that this mindset of we can break this glass ceiling? Take us down that path.
Elizabeth 10:26
So, I'm back to your analogy of glass ceilings, which is one of my favorite sounds, the sound of glass, hitting the floor after you have shattered the ceiling. I love it. I love being perceived as the underdog, and then just coming in and just kind of walking and leading the pack that's me. And I only learn that by taking advantage of all of the opportunities. So, for example, moving to South Carolina. I didn't really have any employment, um, when I first got here it was almost like you needed to know someone to get in here I knew I had skills but you needed to know someone. So I ended up traveling back and forth to New York for a year. The brain now might be. And so having to go back and forth, until I was able to find a position here. Once I landed a position here, I knew in my mind, I'm not going to waste this opportunity. I have been given a second chance. And so I'm going to take every opportunity given to me and just run with it. So, the first step is to really believe that you can be something other than what you've been so it does start with a mindset. It starts with something of saying, Okay, what I've done to this date, I want it to be different from what I do tomorrow. So even now if you look at my story now, it is so uncommon. I didn't graduate from college until I was in my 30s. I'm now a director of human resources I own a consulting agency I'm a Director of Human Resources for five branches at Carolina Foothills Federal Credit Union, which I absolutely love working there because it gives me an opportunity to get into the community, but all of that aside, all of that couldn't have been done without a renewed and retrained mindset. So all of those things would just allow me to say hey I'm just going to keep breaking barriers and just shattering glass ceilings, and that wasn't done by anything that I've done, it's not that I'm that great, that I was able to do it. It's a renewed mind that transforms you and kindness, helps more people take chances on me than rudeness. So being unkind, it's what allowed people to say hey I want to take a gamble on her, and they - they're winning.
Trevor 12:51
They say I've got a whole, whole concept of you look externally to things but never trust someone that gives you a shirt that isn't wearing one. So it's that same thing of, you know, you, you got to look inside yourself. So, for the listeners then Elizabeth, how do they know or are they being kind to themselves and you have to do those things that those accomplishments that you've, you had to work on yourself first, and then note that because you got yourself in that right mindset. You were able to do anything you did anything you want to do, and how about for someone, when you talk to people, I know you've helped others, how do you help someone that's maybe stuck, and right now they're trying to touch that glass ceiling, they're not breaking through. What can they do listening and maybe driving into work right now?
Elizabeth 13:45
One of the biggest things I believe is understanding your expectations. If we understand the frustration. Frustration is the unmet expectation, it means that I haven't clearly communicated my expectations to you and therefore, you can't meet them, I never told you what I was looking for. So, I think if that person understands truly what it is they're expecting from whether it's the organization, they're in, whether it's the business they're trying to launch the book they're trying to write whatever it is they're trying to do, they have to have that vision and goal.
Once you have that vision and goal in place, then you can begin to command the response that you're looking for, and I use Command very loosely because I don't use it in a way to where you have to come in a brace it and aggressive. You don't have to do that. I think if you're very clear in advocating for yourself. Also, giving out what you expect to receive.
So, if you're looking for support. If you're looking for genuine leadership, you've got to put those out there, you can't hoard all of your kindness to yourself and expect everyone else to divvy out their areas of kindness, it's just not fair. So, I think you have to be positioned in that to show the world what it is you're expecting for them and be okay to actually receive it and do something with it, and then be okay to give it out. You don't keep it, you give it. So hopefully that answers your question.
Trevor 15:14
Yeah, I think that ties into that whole transformational aspect that, that I know that you have experience in your space, how does that tell you that that whole transformation. I think it is about transforming the area, most people, you can transform two areas. One internally, you can transform what's happening within you and within your mind. You also have the power to influence your environment. And that is really what I specialize in with leadership development is really teaching the leaders or whether it's emerging leaders or leaders that have been doing this for 15 plus years, you have the authority and ability to transform your environment, if you're willing and open to change.
If you keep giving out the words seven expensive words ‘we've always done it that way'. If you keep giving out those words you're never going to experience transformation is an intentional change. Change is disruptive, you have to be willing to disrupt your normalcy. So even in organizations. That's why I say relationships are so key and being intentional and building those relationships because it's going to require your change it's going to require you to do something different than you've always done.
Dave 16:30
So listen, if you did something that you had never done before, in making the transition from New York to South Carolina but let's bring it up, maybe more recently and share with us I'm putting you on the spot here, but again, share with us a transformation that you've made recently that really took a, an intentional effort in checking your mindset.
Elizabeth 17:06
So for me, um, and I'll talk about joining the credit union, if I may join the credit union, a whole new industry I came from a large retailer. And so I came from a large sports retailer and so going into the credit union was a totally different new industry. So I was coming in, brand new to an organization that never had an HR person at all, they've always kind of operated on their own. And I was tasked with, you know, having all these policies and procedures and things and, and, and I was fine with that. But what I asked for my seat, CEO is May I have time to just go sit with the employees. And he kind of, you know, looked at me a little perplexed and he said well, you know, do you want to start there and I said yes because I need their buy-in. I need to build relational equity with the employees. So my first two weeks I believe I went around to all the branches and I sat down one on one with all employees, and I went in thinking that I had to find out the problems to solve the problems, I didn't. All I had to do was sit down and listen to them, and influence them and make them aware that they were the solutions to the problems that they had. And there were some things of course that they that were out of their scope of control that I needed to take, take care of cool we can do that. But for some of these things, they're in your wheelhouse, you can do this, you can fix these things, and it was so amazing because it took me out of the mindset of a problem solver to a part of the solution that was already in place, so I was coming in thinking I needed to wear a cape and fix all these things, they already had what they needed, I just needed to help influence the change.
Dave 18:59
Wow. And then so that transformation was not transactional, it was a process, it was relational.
Elizabeth 19:10
It was relational. Too many times, you know, I remember and think about where, in order for me to transform to change, to take it to the next level, it's like, what box, do I need to check right from a performance basis, you know, what can I do as opposed to making that investment in overtime. In, with the relationships of the people, and look at it more of as a process.
Elizabeth 19:50
Absolutely. I mean it, even and I'll add this to it if I may, it was a matter of just creating those just because moments, and I ended up and I still do these to this day where I just send a Skype, how are you, you know how's the family, what's going on with you and it's to the point where now, not only am I having conversations with the employees about HR issues and topics, but they're telling me, hey I just bought a house, I want you to see my daughter's you know dance recital, I'm so I'm ingrained in their life, and I think it's so important because they spend so much time at work, why would you want to spend time at a place where no one cares about what you have going on. So it's so important to build those relationship blocks and just continue to build upon them and they just kind of serve itself because now employees want to work. Now they want to come here now they want to share their successes so it's a give and take.
Trevor 20:46
That's pretty cool how you're able to come in as a fresh set of eyes and. And they always say, you know the answers aren't within the four walls. Law those answers are there, you have every, every employee’s an engineer. And you, you have to have that give and take and the fact of, if you don't care about me personally. How can I trust and if I can't trust, how do I engage and it's just that whole circle that always comes back and forth and it's like the answer is right in front of us and it's like, and I was guilty of that of just getting so much on the task. And really it's kind of like as, especially as leaders. It's sometimes less effort we put in the greater results we can get and that ties into the whole coach approach right and just the fact of, hey, what's, what's going on, counts want to get to know you want to have that. If I want to help transform you and then I think that ties back into the whole, you know, kindness and not judging and just, Hey, I'm just curious, that's interesting, how you feel that way. Tell me more. And just, it just comes out and then all sudden and what, how can we didn't talk about this before I don't know where we are now, that's good.
Elizabeth 22:00
Exactly. Well, Trevor, I mean that was even, you know just such a great point that you just made, and even in that it is understanding, even as leaders, you know, this is not to beat up on leaders at all at all at all because a lot of times we are tasked with getting the targets done getting the goals that making sure we meet our goals is, you know, production up and a lot of times those things that noise crowds out the fact that hey I actually have I even checked on my people today have I even asked how to do it, you know, so a lot of times, it depends on what the noise frequency is of the organization. If it's goals, then that's fine. Let it be goals but let there be a section where you have a people strategy, where maybe you're tasked with keeping an eye on your people. So that could be something that that could be, you know, a fix to that too if you don't really have yourself finding the time to check on some kind of ties right back what you said earlier about just being intentional doesn't just happen. There's enough noise in the day and enough wind that it won't happen but if you're intentional and like you said there's some type of strategy, whatever that looks like for you, for you personally for your company.
Dave 23:28
Elizabeth you're, you and I had, we don't go back years. Okay, but I can tell you, every interaction I have ever had with you, you're like, what is it a that's different, and it's clear to me now this, this woman is kind. She is like the epitome of kindness, that's what. Now I'm not saying that I'm saying that only to help me differentiate one person to the next on what is, what the attraction is right and, but for our listeners and for me, right, maybe it's no one else but you've got a husband and four sons.
Surely you are not kind, all the time in that environment. And we need to know, right, your listeners want to know at what point do you lose your kindness and say, enough's enough, you know, enough of the kindness guys, I mean it's time for us, what I mean, we're at breaking point, I just, I'm dying to know.
Elizabeth 24:45
So I will let you in, I am from Queens, New York, don't get me wrong, so there is a thug, in here, I promise you.
I’m five feet tall. On a good day, so my oldest son is pushing six feet somewhere around in there. However, they know I've mastered the Mom stare, so I don't have to do a lot of talking. They say that I'm HR even in the house, so I’m HR, even in the house. But for them, I talk to them. I'm very intentional about it.
My husband is an amazing man he really is. He is my biggest cheerleader. He's the one that keeps me grounded and pushes me to do all these amazing things that I never knew I can do but he's, he's one of my clients actually I'm teaching him patience so even that kindness that I'm talking to you about today he's learning that. And don't get me wrong, I lose my cool, I get frustrated, I do. Sometimes I want to go off in a corner and scream that happens. But it is coming back to just being center, and understanding, you know, hey, let's go ahead and regroup, get yourself to get together, or with what I have to do.
Trevor 28:07
Love that Elizabeth, you I can feel your passion through there, I get the whole act what Dave's been talking about, and what a great story to share with so many people. And I, for me I kind of take away this whole thing of just that reminder that one is, of course, being good to yourself and then looking at others, but I also take away today in our discussion is just that whole intentions thing and, and a portion of his vulnerability but a portion of it is, I know that when we say our emotions.
Even if like you know I'm nervous right now on this podcast if I say that, we know the cortisol will drop right and that will actually decrease, you know how much stress you have when you say hey you know what I noticed that I'm all nervous to approach you on this but my intentions are, I feel like I got this glass ceiling. And I just want to talk about that, and I think that is just such great advice just to start to break down some of those barriers and just so many things to take away from being so grateful to have you on here today, it was awesome.
00:00 – Introduction 00:29 – We’re all wound up and need to unpack 01:33 – Rick Ezell; a workplace Chaplain
02:19 – The "boss’s role"
02:46 – Unpacking vs. Venting
03:35 - Work, Personal, and Relational issues
04:25 – The Paradox
05:25 – The impact of time, expertise, and geography
06:11 – The proven need to talk, be reassured, and reminded
08:55 – Listening for the trends
09:30 – Advice for leaders without the luxury of an onsite Chaplaincy service
11:14 – The rules and value of a “listening session”
12:53 – % of conversations at work tend to be about personal and relationships
15:12 – Anecdotal evidence for leader’s job requirements rarely recognized nor assessed
18:00 – The peril of ignoring the non-work-related issues
19:21 – The value of transparency and empathy
21:11 – Healthier people make better employee
24:40 – A manager’s role in partnering with others
26:29 – A renewing of the mind
27:25 – A culture of care and desire for a resource
28:50 – Summary and closure
29:09 – Share your feedback with us
29:43 – End
Have an important message to share or a topic you’d like to hear more about?
Please contact us with your thoughts, feedback, or suggestions.
We’d love to hear from you!
Trevor Blondeel: trevor@operationskickstart.com
Dave Baker: dave@palmettoleadershipcenter.com
00:00 – Introduction 00:30 – What is there to be grateful for in 2021 01:04 – Keeping your mindset not on what you don’t have 01:51 – Lisa Ryan introduction and tie in of gratitude to manufacturing
02:41 – Gratitude starts within yourself
03:52 – “They get their paycheck every Friday”
05:25 – Discretionary Effort; a gamechanger
06:34 – Making a beeline to the office because I’m all that and a bag of chips
07:43 – Ideas are Free
08:18 – The companies that need it the most are the one’s least likely to make the investment
09:20 – Make the decision whether to stay in a toxic environment
10:30 – Negative Ned & Negative Nancy, changing the energy
12:55 – Persistence
14:01 – Tolerance of toxicity and who needs to be fired
15:30 – What do I own in it and when to walk away
16:58 - Positivity vs. Gratitude
17:50 – Making the shift in re-wiring your brain
19:56 – Accountability; 12 yrs and counting
22:56 – Starting today with the little things
23:38 – The 30-day challenge gratitude and a path to happiness
24:40 – Gratitude starts with you -> today
25:55 – Grounding yourself with what you DO have
27:05 – Closing
27:39 – End
Have an important message to share or a topic you’d like to hear more about?
Please contact us with your thoughts, feedback, or suggestions.
We’d love to hear from you!
Trevor Blondeel: trevor@operationskickstart.com
Dave Baker: dave@palmettoleadershipcenter.com
00:00 - Intro 00:28 – Authenticity and sharing your knowledge 02:01 – Seeing others not just through your own personal needs 02:38 – Selling ice to an Eskimo
03:29 – The unique ability to connect with others
04:39 – Where do these skills come from?
06:54 – DNA? Yes. But where’s the choice?
08:44 – 2,000 new relationships
09:25 – Managing expectations and focus of time
11:52 – Contacts change, but relationships remain
13:30 – 3:3 above & below
15:00 – Relationships and risks go hand in hand
16:30 – The task at hand and impact on others
17:48 - Relationships trump the perfect plan
19:25 – The challenge for new-in-career or those in a new role
21:12 – Try to do something alone
22:04 – The more I let go, the more I have
22:49 – Getting the ‘mileage’
25:25 – Your greatest legacy may be how you’ve helped others
26:20 – Staying grounded
30:28 – Summary
31:36 - Closing
32:12 - End
00:30 - Well, Dave and I have been talking a lot about getting stuff done. And in manufacturing, every hour is about getting something done, whether it's just getting that order out, getting that task completed, getting that inspection done. 01:45 - Just this week I’ve heard three different people say, ‘I gave this idea, but they turned it down.’ ‘They didn't listen to me.’ ‘Yeah, we've tried that.’
03:14 - Running through the glass door to get it done.
03:39 - But how do we stop Dave, and just be present so you can see more? Because when we're running to that task, or if we've laid down because we're just frustrated because we're not going get it done? What do you do?
04:00 - Which side of the fence am I on?
05:27 - What do they have going on? Is this the right time for me to be bringing something up, for me to be making a suggestion?
06:18 - We used to call it barfing on the table. Don't make your problem, my problem.
07:19 - Their job is to throw it over the fence and let somebody else worry about implementing it.
08:41 - What do I own in that?
09:14 – For the folks on the front line, there are some things that are obvious of needed changes.
10:35 - Don't say they didn't listen, there has to be a reason why they didn't listen.
10:52 - 20 ideas for others to do.
12:15 - Relationships are the foundation of dialogue.
13:14 - Paying attention to your own emotions first.
13:57 - Difficult conversations.
18:13 – What’s on the other person's agenda? Where are they at? Where am I at? And how can this be presented?
20:43 – Two different approaches with Charlie.
22:37 - So why do we need to talk about this?
24:22 – Takeaways.
25:39 – Share your feedback with us on different approaches. Reach out to us if you’ve got any thoughts on different topics and what's helpful and what's not.
25:52 - Closing
Martha Clarke challenges us to know our desired outcome then the right questions and behaviors will follow. 00:00 – Intro
00:35 – Martha Clarke introduction; Fremont Consulting Group
01:40 – Being mindful when you don’t have the answer
03:20 – …but what you do have to have
04:50 – Manufacturing ‘is the same’ everywhere
06:52 – Be mindful of what you want
07:35 – A perfect outcome based on your language
09:51 – The secret sauce to connecting with the ‘locals’
12:24 – It’s O.K. to smile – how your presence impacts others
15:05 - The difference between managers and leaders
16:02 – Showing up in a way to achieve the desired outcome
16:47 – Beginning with the end in mind
18:28 – Believing, Actions, and Outcome
20:12 – Digging deep to understand the Why behind your belief
21:11 – Closing off opportunities for breakthrough
22:35 – Belief without the trust of others
25:37 – The A shift vs. B shift phenomenon
26:52 – The final word: respect, believe, and communicate
27:42 - Closure
Desen Lu (Vice President and Head of Sourcing) challenges us in taking a different approach to the ways we typically look at things. 00:00 - Intro
00:35 – Talent development and the awareness of others in growing your organizations
01:18 – Desen Lu introduction
02:01 – Let’s talk Talent. The confusion between Performance & Talent. Talent comes first – Performance is a byproduct of Talent
04:22 – Focusing on the upside of having great talent – not the cost of its absence
05:34 – What separates great talent from average talent - Ownership
08:21 – Ownership and daring to admit that you made a mistake
10:02 – What it looks like to admit mistakes – and the effect
12:00 – The team’s response
13:11 – The night and day difference in an organization’s culture where it’s o.k. to admit mistakes
14:56 – The ripple effect of ownership in talent development
18:15 – Failing your way to success
19:46 – Staying grounded
21:36 – Every day is a battle
22:53 – Diversify with experience opportunities on the ‘opposite side of the table’
24:50 – Mindset focus on what you gain on the backside of the storm
27:23 – Gratitude to check your mindset for the rest of the day
29:10 – “We grew a person” – the best news of all in a day!
30:47 – “Performance is a function of human equity” – Desen Lu
31:09 - Closure
Dr. Ben Palmer challenges us to check ourselves in unique ways that are game-changing for business, life-changing for people. 00:00 - Intro 00:38 – 2020: a year with much-needed empathy, resilience, and self-management
01:35 – Intro to Ben Palmer with Genos International
02:42 – Game-changing for business, life-changing for people
03:49 – “HR Puff & Stuff” - What’s NOT emotional intelligence (EI)
05:45 – Sizing up Anger. Anger that creates Engagement – not disengagement
07:14 – Here’s what emotional intelligence IS
07:49 – A No Crying Zone?
08:52 – The emotional intelligence experience in real life
10:33 – The Story of 2 Pens and your business
13:31 – Who takes care of who - Customer or Employee?
14:40 – The Ripple Effect and the effect on Safety
16:18 – A culture of ‘artificial harmony’ and ‘fear of confrontation’
17:15 – Magic moments and simple behaviors demonstrating levels of emotional intelligence
22:59 – The biggest predictors of your own mortality
27:33 – Introverted or Extroverted and the awareness of how we show up
29:10 – If you can walk and you can knock begin experimenting to learn
30:24 – Opportunities for 2021: Considering your Perspective, the need for Empathy, and your own Well-Being
33:40 – I just want 2020 to end. Why wait to start?
34:22 – Considering other’s perspectives – You don’t want to be ‘that guy’
35:11 – Wrap Up
35:52 - Closure
What does it mean to leave a legacy of love? Jason Zenger opens up about his leadership style, and how he commits to it and stays grounded. 00:40 – 1 year of Mindfulness Manufacturing
01:54 – Jason Zenger; President of Zenger’s and ‘Making Chips’ podcast host
03:00 – A transparent business model based on relationships
03:53 – Every great story comes from a history of struggles
04:23 – A Legacy: I want my team to know that I lead them like I loved them
05:40 – How am I going to show up for work today
06:14 – Where’s the risk? What’s the cost?
09:27 – Responsiveness and lack thereof
10:30 – Displayed by the best of the best on our team: DO-BE-GO-LIFE
12:38 – Accountability to making the tough calls
14:26 – Groom it or Hire it?
16:46 – Your actions and behaviors supersede your words when it comes to loving others
19:17 – A commitment to establishing your mindset and staying grounded
22:27 – Rebounding from setback
25:40 – What it takes to swallow that humble pill
30:00 – Learning through uncomfortable times
32:21 – Closure
Contact information for Jason Zenger:
linkedin.com/in/jasonzenger
zengers.com (Company Website)
MakingChips.com (Blog)
How does mindfulness and manufacturing intersect with Dentistry? Find out here as Dr. Patrick Carter opens up on connecting with people and how it all starts when patients walk through the door. 00:47 - A great experience at the dentist? Yes
01:29 - Dr. Patrick Carter - Introduction
02:46 - The connection to Mindfulness Manufacturing and a Dentist
05:33 - What's different? Meeting people where they are and knowing that you care
08:29 - We've seen it before, but for others it's all new - it's all about Patience
10:18 - Leading the staff while wearing multiple 'hats'
11:29 - Setting the stage and expectations. It all begins when you walk through the door. Your team
makes all the difference and it begins with hiring the right people
12:45 - Making the human connection
14:45 - Open conversations to become more aware
15:51 - Creating a culture to evaluate times when things do not go well
17:28 - Taking the time to get buy in and execute
18:51 - Stress on all sides and leveling it out
21:25 - The conscious effort and putting it all in context
24:20 - The value of experience and learning throughout your career
25:20 - Rewarding experience: having a profound effect on how others think about themselves
27:33 - Building resilience and taking the time to recharge
29:30 - A morning formula to stay grounded
To get your team on board, join us on this episode as we learn from Greg Morgan, and why mindfulness is actually a key skill set! 00:00 - Intro 00:28 - Welcome
01:20 - Greg Morgan introduction and connecting Mindfulness to Manufacturing
02:15 - LinkedIn “Inspirational Leader” award even now
03:45 - What does Mindfulness have to do with it
04:58 - Top 3 things contributing to success of a start up in India
06:52 - Making the connection - we all have the same basic needs
08:00 - A Start Up vs. Existing facility - each location has its own personality
09:37 – The Old Ways & Callouses
11:54 - Do-Over's & Repeats
15:20 - People selection - everything must change from the top
16:54 - HR's role and getting others onboard with setting the culture
19:30 - Where do you start in recognizing the people side of the business
20:48 - What not to tolerate
23:22 - What we all have in common despite tough times
24:04 - Our egos and an inverted hierarchy mindset
25:44 - Engage & Enroll - that one thing!
28:55 – “The books says…” “this is how we did it where I came from…” No one cares.
30:34 - Too many cars and that '48 Buick
31:56 - Hey boys, this is what we were doing 30 years ago!
32:39 - Close
Talk is cheap and to lead a team, you need to be willing to roll up your sleeves and do the work! Mark Whitten joins us on this episode to share his experiences and what it takes. 0:35 – Feedback from listener Danny; “I appreciate these truths from experience”
1:16 – Mark Whitten introduction
2:21 – Your actions and how you show up. It is about leading by example
3:04 – Early influence on what leadership looks like & the burden of leadership
3:28 – Talk is cheap
4:55 – Retaining credibility and trust
6:32 – Getting people onboard to make changes
10:08 – The balance in leadership
12:14 – Value and impact of ‘1:1 meetings’ and setting expectations
15:26 – The simplicity of effective leadership
17:38 – Executing the ‘1:1 meetings’
20:30 – Delaying tough decisions and the impact on your credibility
26:08 – Why many leaders fail to recognize the value in leading by example
27:31 – Exercising your leadership potential
29:45 – If you choose leadership…
31:12 – Summary & Canadian trivia
The buck stops here, as Brian shares why it is so important to keep your head up and look around! :05 – Introduction :50 – Brian Leising introduction
03:13 – How Mindfulness has contributed to Brian’s success
05:36 – Servant leadership
06:00 – “How are you going to turn this thing around?” P.R.O.U.D.
09:34 – Listening to understand, not just respond
12:00 – Modeling, Accountability, and Humility
14:24 – Rewarding aspects of being Mindful
15:50 – The fight to retain your Integrity
17:34 – The problem with blame. Accept responsibility and ownership
20:55 – The “Buck Stops” here
21:45 – Your decision is: to Stay or Go. If your decision is to Stay, own it.
23:39 – Transparency and alignment in communication of the What & Why
25:24 – Brian’s One Thing
27:25 – A ‘money pit’ and advice for an up and coming leader
28:49 – Contributing to Core Values & Beliefs
29:30 - Close
Have some fun and listen in as Mindfulness Manufacturing introduces Dave Baker. After spending more than 20 years in HR working in the automotive, pharmaceutical, and wood products industries, he knows what truly drives organizational culture, workforce engagement, and employee retention. Listen in as Dave discusses the quality of leadership at all levels and how they connect, communicate, and support their team members in getting results! :05 – Introduction :40 – Listener feedback: Kim reminded us that just being aware that sometimes we're very hard on ourselves and that it's okay, to not get everything done, nor show up as that person that's always doing the right thing, because that's how we learn. Our journey is more like the golf game, just trying to hit the green more often
02:16 – Introducing new co-host and guest for today Dave Baker
04:07 – The practicality of why Mindfulness in manufacturing matters
06:00 – Mindful contrasts of being masked and not masked
08:31 – Presentation to a CEO making no eye contact and the resulting impact
12:00 – Mindfulness of the blue-collar worker ‘pulling handles’ at 3:00 a.m.
17:36 – That ‘silly certificate’
18:57 - The money left on the table in the absence of discretionary effort
20:29 – A funeral and a tie. Underestimating the impact you have on people. That estimation that you have on others is what’s called mindfulness.
22:45 – Work the shutdown? Nope, and here’s why
23:48 - The one thing: pay attention to what you say how & how you say it
25:49 – What would be done all over again? Stepping forward to make mindful changes to facilitate positive employee relations to get better results
29:32 – Summary
30:05 - Closure
Michelle Maldonado - Join us today, as we unpack Unconscious Bias, and this ties into the challenges of hiring and attracting the right staff. This special guest makes uncomfortable conversations comfortable! Welcome Michelle Maldonado! She is the Founder of Lucenscia (pronounced loo-SENSE-see-ah), a firm dedicated to human flourishing and mindful business transformation. She is a former attorney turned business leader and an internationally certified mindfulness and emotional intelligence teacher and practitioner. Michelle’s work focuses on leadership development at the pivotal intersection of mindfulness, unconscious bias, emotional intelligence, authenticity, and compassion, nestled on a foundation of neuroscience and research. She serves as faculty for 1440 Multiversity's Leadership Center, Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence Coaching Certification program and Bill George's True North Leadership program. She has been recognized as one of the “12 Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement,” “Woman of The Year,” and a “Top Corporate Leader,” with her work featured in the Mindful Leader, the DQ Institute in association with the World Economic Forum, Mindful Magazine and Thrive Global. Michelle is a graduate of Barnard College and The George Washington University School of Law. 2:30 – Unconscious bias – we all have it! Beliefs that we have about a person or group or conditions that we are not even aware of. Great examples and explanation, self awareness development.
7:45 – We each are either racist or anti-racist. And, here’s why: silence and inaction can equate to enabling, and this depends on your comfort level to speak up. Hiring for diversity, and on boarding for assimilation does not help. Be curious and engaging in conversation. Bias sneaks in when we scan for threat, we are hard wired that way. In groups vs. out groups. Stretch yourself to also be in the company of people who think differently and have different experiences.
12:30 – To make a difference, depends on your comfort level to speak up. One of the original meanings of the work competition come from the Latin word Competere. The original meaning was everyone striving together towards a common objective, and over the centuries, we have twisted this to in order for me to win, you have to lose. There is room for everyone at the table.
14:40 – make an edit
16:00 – Any meaningful societal change in history did not happen at the top, it came from the people. We can all take a step – do one thing - or make a commitment to change one percent of whatever you are doing. It does take all of us, collectively to generate change. At some point we need the CEO or leader at the top to be modelling and be all in. In supportive, not judgemental ways. Consistent modelling.
20:00 – Context is crucial, each person has to evaluate how they can contribute and what are they comfortable with.
21:45 – You can be a good person and still hold bias, Michelle explains micro-aggressions and how they work. The offence is measured at the ear of the listener, and not at the mouth of the speaker. Intention does not always match impact.
25:00 – What to do when you become self-aware that you have said the wrong things. You need to be in conversations.
27:40 – The difference between mindfulness and meditation – they are different, but related. The purpose of being mindful meditation or practicing it, is to help our selves be grounded, focused, clear, and aware as well as to be compassionate, properly self-managed and high performing, filling up the well. Mindfulness is to be present with what ever is happening with yourself, others and your environment. If you are not aware of yourself, the level of awareness of others is probably low. Mediation is another way of saying a focused attention practice.
36:00 – Michelle explains the Institute for Organizational Mindfulness where she serves on the board, and where we serve as the ambassadors for Manufacturing! It is all about how we bring mindfulness to the workplace, built by people who have come from business. IOM provides resources and courses to cultivate that skill set within yourself. Join the effort by signing up for free here www.iomindfulness.org/membership and be part of the community membership program getting access to exclusive member content, webinars, news, and more.
How to contact Michelle or learn more about her work:
Michelle@Lucenscia.com the information about what it means and how it works.
in/MichelleLMaldonado
www.Lucenscia.com
Connor Swenson is on a mission to help businesses rethink the definition of productivity to create happier and healthier organizations. Drawing on 7 years of experience at Google, where he taught internal programs on productivity, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence, he now shares that knowledge with businesses and entrepreneurs around the world, and now with the Mindfulness Manufacturing community! 2:40 – Multi-tasking – technology has a huge role to play in what we can do, however combining two cognitive tasks – switch tasking is different and actually slows you down, it can take you 23 minutes to get back on track according to studies by Gloria Mark. Office workers checking phones every 5 minutes, open our phones 50 to 80 times a day.
5:30 – How to get things done with an open door policy? Productivity is very personal, Connor explains how Google managed and best practices. Blocking time in your day and making clear expectations. How that creates greater productivity through entire day, less meetings!
11:48 – The Make Time program, defaults are all around us. Recognize and adjust – Larry Page felt that every person at the meeting over the total of 7, diminished the effectiveness of the meeting. They are not for status updates. Explains Asynchronous communication.
14:20 – If an agenda is not set out 24 hours ahead of time you don’t need to go – (I Love that!). Great advice on how to be more productive!
17:50 – Search Inside Yourself – the case for skeptics of mindfulness in the workplace – connecting to the broader scope of emotional intelligence. Training yourself in self-awareness by practicing mindfulness. Based on the foundation of Daniel Goldman and his book Emotional Intelligence and neuroscience. Your software can change your hardware. (Connor goes deep here check it out if you are a skeptic like I was!)
26:30 – Willpower – the dangerous idea, is it as real or as important as we think? Research is leading to the environment structure being more important.
31:15 – The Infinity Pool – these apps are just never ending, like ESPN where they are designed to make it easy to consume more and more great content. Technology is not evil, however they are designed to make it fun and keep you engaged. Try deleting the app??
36:28 – Space to pause – the STOP method, Stop, Take a Breath, Observe how you feel and proceed. ##Control your response
You can hear from Connor on his weekly newsletter, One Percent Wisdom, where he shares simple, sustainable tactics and strategies you can use to develop your mind and better your work 🧠 or follow connect with him on one of these platforms.
Website: connorswenson.com
Newsletter: connorswenson.com/newsletter
Twitter: @crswenny
LinkedIn: profile
Email: connor@connorswenson.com
What kind of leader does it take to a team member, owner and president of three manufacturing companies? Today Jesika Young of Cimtech (named Top 10 Precision Manufacturer of 2020) shares her tips on how to get a seat at the table, the three C’s to building the right culture and more. Have a listen and see why she has been named among the “most influential woman in manufacturing 2020” by Influential Women in Manufacturing. Oh, did we also mention she is the first female president of the Metro Manufacturing Alliance? Have a listen, and see what kind of mindfulness goes on to achieve this level of success! 2:25 – What Jesika does different – put the team first, and all things will fall into place. ‘No one person is above the team’ Bo Schembechler
4:07 – Jesika’s background – how this made her what she is today
6:25 – The three C’s to a team culture, being collaborative, communication, and consistently – they key to their growth
8:30 – 2M to 20M in annual revenue manufacturing plants, are forecasted to be the growth space for woman to have ownership in manufacturing. If that number grows by 2.5% per year, one third of manufacturing could be owned by women by 2030. (From article published by Frances Brunelle)
9:53 – Jesika’s biggest struggle – getting a seat at the table, still a struggle today! Always being one to raise her hand, working hard has earned her a presidents role at the Metro Manufacturing Alliance, a group for manufactures by manufactures.
13:08 – Advice for other’s – nothing is not earned, woman still need to perform. Things need to change and evolve – example is the flex time – involved the team and there was a great morale and productivity boost. Not the whistle blowing break time, think outside of the box!
17:00 – You are with your team more than your family, enough trouble outside the four walls so work together – Rank everyone on Safety, Quality and being a good team member. Being accountable, dependable, innovative and showing initiative.
19:00 – Performance evaluations come with personal incentive plans
21:05 – A fourth C could be Celebration! Recap on the success and build on it.
26:00— Managing the ego, make yourself aware of your strengths, and consistently stay in my lane. Built a team with the strengths that I do not have.
28:42 – Sit down, absorb what you got, and think and act with intention to better yourself.
Follow Jesika here;anks Trevor, that certainly captures it.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesikayoung/
https://www.facebook.com/jesika.k.young
https://twitter.com/JesikaYoung
Cimtech website: www.cimtechmachine.com
We are excited to introduce our listeners to our first international guest zooming in from Ireland the great Deiric McCann! As head of International Development for Genos International about-genos-international-europe, he is an expert in the space of emotional intelligence and charisma and dives in, on how this can impact the bottom line of your company! 1. 1:05 IOM.The Institute of Organizational Mindfulness. Trevor talks about this institute and the benefits of the IOM. Join the effort by signing up for their free community membership program. By joining you'll get access to exclusive member content, webinars, news, and more! www.iomindfulness.org/membership 2. 1:55 Mindfulness Manufacturing introduces Deiric McCann. 3. 4:00 Challenges.Deiric explains the challenge of the name “Emotional Intelligence’ his own and others struggles with this title. He never had a really good definition of Emotional Intelligence that inspired people or turned them on. He and his colleagues came up with a definition that made sense to them and others. 4. 9:25 Charisma. Trevor asks the question can you be charismatic and not be emotionally intelligent? Deiric discusses his findings writing his book and the challenge of finding a definition for charisma and what Leadership Charisma means. 5. 15:26 People, people, people. Trevor talks about technology and people. Deiric shares his insights and experiences with technology and people and how it has always been people, people, people. Sharing how technology has been introduced into organizations and how people can worry about this and the role emotional intelligence plays in all of this. 6. 22:25 Advice. Mike asks, what advice would you give to someone who is interested in Leadership?Deiric states, to focus on developing the ability to work more effectively with people. Two ways to develop emotional intelligence read a lot of books and start to pay attention to the way you show up, develop a mindfulness practice. Develop a self-awareness to tune into yourself and others. Start working on your emotional intelligence. https://www.capgemini.com/research/emotional-intelligence/ 7. 27:27 One thing to leave the listeners.Deiric talks openly about the pandemic and how this snuck up on all of us and how big of threat it was and is. He talks about building up the resiliency with the people he works with to handle these challenging times. What we are seeing is an epidemic of stress in people over this. People are just not talking about it. He openly talks about it being normal to be stressed, it’s a normal natural reaction on how do we deal with this adversity. The moment you say this is normal this is natural you take a lot of pressure off of yourself. 8. 32:03 What was the first concert you ever attended?An Irish group called Aslan. Deiric explains his memories of this and other musical bands. 9. 33:10 Stranded on an island what band or artist do you bring with you?James Taylor.
Mindfulness Manufacturing is pleased to have Terry Iverson as a guest on our podcast today. Terry is a 3rd generation President and CEO of a family built CNC distribution business. He is also the founder of an Organization called “Champion Now and its sole purpose is to change people’s perception of manufacturing for the better. Listen as Terry shares his passion and years of experience on Mindfulness Manufacturing. 1. 2:56 The human interface. Terry discusses the human element and how this has always been a constant. The human interface in buying and selling components is still consistent today, 40 years later since Terry has started. 2. 5:40 Automation and computerization. Terry talks about where he sees Manufacturing going and how manufacturing companies were not very good at marketing their companies, good at marketing their products not their companies. They have not marketed the jobs or careers within their company very well. 3. 8:05 Everything starts with integrity. Terry talks about never deciding based on a financial gain or loss it has always been on integrity and honesty and running a company on these virtues. What has happened over the years there has not been as strong of a mentoring program for the younger people. 4. 10:20 look for somebody who is a good person. Terry talks about looking for people who are good to the core and want a relationship. People want a job but they truly want to have a relationship at their work. There is way too much jumping around. Terry discusses Manufacturing day and the importance of promoting this to show videos and films and invite people into the facilities. This helps to show what todays manufacturing offers. 5. 13:25 Show up early, stay late and tell the truth. Terry talks about the 3 things that he promotes and finds important to help the younger people in a career. The importance of taking the time to live by these helps create a career rather than a job. Terry talks about how he has lived these 3 virtues within his own business. 6. 17:31 Champion now. Terry talks about Champion now, ‘Change How American Manufacturing’s Perceived In Our Nation”. In 2012 founded he founded the organization with the sole purpose of changing perceptions of manufacturing for the better. Helping the younger generation understand the great careers offered in manufacturing today. 7. 22:23 There’s an opportunity. Terry talks about woman in manufacturing and how we need to be advocates of this. He talks about being fortunate of meeting and working with woman in manufacturing even within his own business. Being more aware and being more open to this can make the difference. 8. 25:56 Relationships make the world go around. Terry talks about the importance of relationships and the role this plays in manufacturing and within his own business. 9. 27:20 First concert. Terry’s first concert, Bad Company. And if stuck on an island one artist to take with you? Dan Fogelberg would be my choice.
https://championnow.org/product/podcast/ Copy and paste the link to access information on Terry’s book. You can follow and reach Terry at the following social media platforms Twitter feeds
@Championnow
@terrymiverson
@iversonandco
Facebook pages
Iverson & Company
C.H.A.M.P.I.O.N. NOW
What does it take to progress your career when you are a woman in Manufacturing on the shop floor running production? Diana Soares joins us for this episode to discuss her journey over the past 30 years from loading parts, to leading plants through continuous improvement activities. As you may have already guessed, it has a lot more to do with mindfulness and relationships than it does being technical. Join us for some laughs and lessons to make your next day better! 1. 00:55 Introductions, Mike and Trevor welcome Diana to the Mindfulness Manufacturing podcast. 2. 4:27 It’s a man’s world, isn’t it? Diana speaks openly about a comment made to her after asking a question. Being a woman in a manufacturing environment and the challenges she faced in the beginning. Diana talks about working very hard, her main goal at that time was to learn everything and understanding the equipment, doing every job as a focus when she started. 3. 6:58 Is everything okay, you don’t smile? This comment made by a team member took Diana back and really made her think. Diana’s body language had the team members thinking she was upset and this changed things for her. I had to show them that it is fun and I had to shift focus to be not only on the equipment but to ensure I spent time on the people. The team member that asked this question brought the mindfulness out in me and made me think about this. 4. 10:07 How do you become more intentional? Diana explains ways of being more intentional as a leader. Be authentic! Be open to listen to feedback and don’t be afraid to step back, listen to the people and be true to yourself and you can make it anywhere in any role. 5. 11:37 Do you remember the broom one Mike? Diana talks about an experience that she encountered a long time ago, first starting out. I asked a team member to clean up and sweep and he said to her “I don’t’ get paid to sweep”. Diana didn’t know what to do and headed for Mike’s office in a panic. Diana and Mike took the time to role play the situation and practice on how to handle it. Doing this helped to build Diana’s confidence and as time moved on with more role playing she became very good at handling all different situations. 6. 15:46 We also had fun! Mike opens the conversation with Diana, even during the stressful times we always laughed and this helped me so much. Diana speaks about when we had to get the work done we did it and we genuinely cared about each other, we we’re a team and when we could we always had fun and this helped so much during chaotic times. 7. 16:30 Hotspot. Diana openly discussed about Mike putting her on the tougher areas, the “hot spots” She recalls one time being out on Line 12 a very strong male dominant team, we reduced from 18 to 11 and Diana thought how am I going to do this? Diana speaks about taking the time to learn every station and this gained me a ton of respect. Diana had people bringing her coffee and drinks and really warming up to her. At the end, we produced more parts with less people and the team ended up being just amazing! 8. 20:02 Short notices and coming to help others. Diana shares her experiences on being asked to go to other divisions to assist with operations and helping to improve the numbers. Another time she was asked to go to another plant and not to focus on the equipment, she was asked to help with the people and ultimately the culture. 3 months of talking with the people! Another experience was going to a plant the unfortunately experienced a fire and help them rebuild and get production going. The corporate world knew who Diana was and the value she offered! 9. 22:34 So what do you do different? Diana had an AGM ask her, “so what do you do different’? How do you get the numbers? Diana’s reply was I don’t know and I truly didn’t know. It was natural to be myself and be there working with the team, be yourself and be authentic. Wherever Diana went the results followed and therefore those questions got asked. Mike explains Diana’s ability to build a relationship was so great and worked very well and this is how she built teams and achieved results. 10. 27:10 You put me and a co worker on opposite shifts. Diana shares a time when Mike put herself and another co worker on opposite shifts to achieve results. The chemistry Diana had with this other leader was like no other. The two of them created a one team culture across two shifts which is very hard to do. They both took care of each other and it was important for them to be one unit and one team. At times, some teams will work against each other. People struggle on how to get two shifts to perform as one. The best way is to not point the finger at the team member but to get the leadership together and share ideas and see how we can help each other so we all can be successful. 11. 31:25 Spare me the labour pains, just give me the baby! Mike had a saying he said to Diana, “Spare me the labour pains and just give me the baby”! The intent was to deliver and don’t get caught up in excuses! 12. 32:26 What advice would you have, a couple key take aways for our listeners? Never give up, be authentic to yourself and don’t be afraid to take a couple risks. Mike and Trevor pay their compliments and respect to Diana for all she has done for them professionally and personally. 13. 34:38 What was your first concert? Guns and Roses! Stranded on an island what artist would you take with you? Diana picks Eric Church!
- 1:48 What was it really like working in that culture?Scott explains what it was like working for Horst and the type of transparency and culture he focused on. Scoot encourages the listeners to listen to the podcast with him and Horst if you haven't yet as it will help understand some of the items he discusses.
- 4:07 Leadership approach, what was yours?We had a lot of successes and in many cases the guys were promoted into leadership because they were the best tool and die maker, best engineer but we didn’t equip them to be prepared as a general manager. We were just go, go, go and growing. In this type of setting you better be a good listener! We had to empower and help each of these guys and girls and be open to learn to be able to adapt to those different functionalities.
- 7:30 Learning opportunities.Scott explains his strategy on helping the general managers to be great leaders. We had regular interactions with them, and we created this “Lean leadership Development program “We integrated the leadership expectation with lean learnings and functions. Lean gives you the tools right on the shop floor, focused on the people and the floor.
- 10:17 What’s the how look like? Scott talks about the successful divisions and the only way this program was going to work is it had to start with me. I had to start with me and being open to change and being that humble learning leader. I had the most opportunity to change but it’s tough as I had to expose my weakness.
- 12:35 How do lean and mindfulness go together?Scott talks about the humble learning leader and how my behaviors affect those around me. I learned a lot about how my behavior was affecting others around me, I was always late for meetings and taking calls when I was talking to others. So, it was a lot of self-reflection and making changes to be better. I had to make a conscious decision if I can’t be on time then be early.
- 17:38 We would go to each division.Scott talks about the lean leadership transformation how himself and other leaders would visit each plant and learn and share what each of them were working on as part of their lean leadership journey.
- 19:02 Leaders model.Some general managers were open to change, and some were not, they would push back, and I looked at it that they didn’t get it yet. Scott talks about his role helping the general managers understand the program. We would do a little bit of modelling certain things and sharing with others.
- 23:47 What were your results?Scott talks about the lean leadership program and the results from it. The was really good impact but keeping in mind lean is a very long journey. We had much more opened minded general managers. The financial crisis of 2008 happened, and everything went from long term to what is happening right now, and this pushed off the rails for a bit. I feel good about the impact the program had on the capabilities of the general managers. I don’t think enough of the lean stuck and I didn’t do enough aligning or creating measurable results.
- 33:00 Are you a chicken or are you a pig?As we wrapped up Scott explains the breakfast analogy that he referenced over the years “are you chicken or a pig” this refers to are you committed? In a breakfast the pig is 100 % committed and give its life for the greater good and a chicken is only partially in. The same commitment is in your work and everyday life. Are you a chicken or a pig?
Enjoy part 2 and pick up where we left off on episode 14! 1. 1:12 Do something small. Horst talks about being a Plant Manager and you are behind financially and on resources, do something small, take a small step and this is not expensive and is better than doing nothing. 2. 2:59 You can’t be a spreadsheet manager. You can’t drive results from a spreadsheet, you have to help people hands on and be an inspired manager and help build the teams. I cannot promise anyone it is easy, in manufacturing as a leader it is challenging but very rewarding. 3. 4:26 How did you manage your ego? Scott explains they helped each other keep it in check, talking and having frank discussions. Even though he is my boss I had to more than once have a heart to heart and kick each other in the butt. It goes back to our relationship and having different skills, we could move mountains and we did. Horst talks about bringing some ice cubes and cooling down, honesty and saying what you need to say. 4. 7:40 A lot of it is around empathy. Scott tells a story about Horst. Horst didn’t get angry much but when he did we knew it and we called it, “you used to lose your lips” your lips would tremble, we would talk about it and joke about it but that was always a cue for us and we would refocus. It’s your job as a team to tell the leader when he is losing his lips or becoming angry, or driving off the cliff, if the leader is open minded and mindful, they will listen. This is key to a collaborative environment. 5. 13:23 Alignment. Horst talks about alignment and you as a leader being aligned with the organization, shareholders and your boss that's basically ownership. If you are not you will eventually run into trouble. This applies for everybody. I would also focus on work life balance; I was mostly working so I would do that differently. Scott talks about work life balance and his experiences with this. 6. 15:40 What is important for you? Horst discusses the importance of each of us truly knowing what is important to us “The purpose of life is happiness” so you should ask yourself are you happy? If you are not you should change it, it’s your life! Do what make you happy! 7. 19:54 Go slow to go fast. Sometimes you need to slow down and consciously make good decisions. Horst shares his experiences on the importance of stepping back when under stress, step away and make good choices. Most of the time we don't need to react right away, get all the facts and then make the move. You have to “Go slow to go fast”! 8. 24:10 The 3-legged stool. Horst explains his vision and the analogy of “The 3-legged stool”. We used this analogy of having 3 parts of your business, your customer, investor and people. It’s important that all 3 legs are successful and to focus on each of them. One can be very strong but if the other legs are shorter or not as strong than your business is not balanced. Each of them needs attention and balance. The bottom line is you need a balanced business. There will be times when one leg is stronger or shorter but over time the responsibility of the Manager is to balance these. This applies to any business. 9. 31:04 What are you guys doing now? Horst and Scott talk about their lives today and what each of them are busy at and enjoy doing.
If you would like to learn more about Horst and his daughters business, check it out at https://dancingspirittours.com/.
- 1:07 Introduction, Horst Prelog and Scott Turner on Mindfulness Manufacturing podcast. Trevor talks about these two gentlemen, their background, accomplishments and how this impacted manufacturing and
- 3:42 A challenging undertaking. Horst spends time talking about taking over a successful organization and the challenges that go along with this. Explaining how important it is to have goals and everyone moving in the same direction with good alignment. Focus on the people and what is expected.
- 5:50 People and Different mindsets. We were great but how do we become greater? Horst references good to great and not to become complacent and giving good direction.
- 7:40 Hands on, Scott and I were hands on people! We established a clear vision of where wewanted to go, what is our mission on this journey and what are the values we are achieving to get there. We created a credo writing down our goals and what is important for everyone to have and understand.
- 10:04 A collaborative approach. Horst talks about collaboration as well asnon negotiables for the team and how important this is with leadership.
- 12:00 The credo! Horst explained the credoand how we wrote this down and handed it out to every person in the organization that created accountability and the team held us to it. Respect, trust, values and commitment, we decided on and we always helped each other.
- 16:21 I can’t say that this is an easy thing to do. Horst talks about if you choose not to follow these values you will find trouble down the road. It’s a slippery slope violating our commitments and how important it is to stick to it.
- 19:40 We changed the compensation model. Horst explains how he and Scott changed the compensationmodel so each person's compensation (bonus) was affected if there were challenges. This was not an easy undertaking but the right thing to do.
- 22:00 Howdo you handle that one plant who doesn't want to help the other plants? Horst explains how he would spend time talking with these plants and helping them understand and convincing them the right thing to do is help each other. There are certain percentages who don't want to, and we would ask if they would want to be a part of this team. The right seat of the bus and if you didn’t want to be a part of it then exiting the bus.
- 25:27 Scott and I were a fantastic team! We worked so well together and as a leader you have to recognize what are your strengths and when do you need to fill in with people who can help you.
- 27:10 The learning environment, why is that so important? Horst and Scott talk about the importance of being a learning organization and without that you are limited. You always requirelearning; all businesses have to do this. Firing people is not the answer, no one is perfect, and you have to learn that hiring and firing is not the way, becoming a learning company is the way. Horst shares under his and Scott’s leadership the different leadership learning programs offered.
Keep your stick on the ice, even during these times! Join us for some great discussion around with Vancouver Canucks Captain Bo Horvat. Great insights on how Bo goes from a player to a captain, what that takes from a mindfulness perspective, and much more!
- 2:10 Being out of the game. Bo shares his thoughts on getting the team back in the mode once they return to the ice. Getting back to the team aspect again and in the same mindset, everyone is on the same page. Team bonding.
- 4:40 Promoted within the same group. Trevor asks how did you find going from player to the captain? Bo explains he had tremendous support from the players, the coaching staff and the city. Leading by example, it was challenging but if you have the right guys around you it makes all the difference.
- 6:50 Positivity. Bo talks about the importance of being positive and displaying that to the players, win or loss. He thinks it is so important to be this way even when you have bad days. It comes natural to him and if someone is down then it can disperse amongst the group and that doesn’t make anyone better.
- 9:04 It’s good to get away from it. Although I love the game, it’s good for me to get away from it. I like to decompress and think about other things and coming home to my wife and dog. I don’t like to sit in my hotel when on the road, I like to see the cities we are in, get out and do things.
- 11:54 The white noise. Bo talks about how he handles the media and passionate fans. Blocking out the white noise as his coach would call it and focus on the guys and listening to the coaching staff really helps with this.
- 13:20 The advantage of a small community. Bo talks about how the whole town of Rodney is like one big family and how that community has always supported him and his hockey career. This speaks to how I grew up and where I am today has to do with the community.
- 15:29 Grateful to wear the C. Bo talks about how happy he is to play for a Canadian team and how his dream of being drafted and playing in the NHL came true. Can’t really think of anything he would change, very happy with where he is and his past.
- 17:00 Get to be yourself. Bo talks about living who he is and being himself. This is something he works hard at staying true to himself and not allowing his head get too big or take for granted where he is and how he got here. It’s a great career but not a long one so I make the most of it and am grateful for what I have.
- 17:42 Role Model who’s yours? Bo talks about his parents and how they did everything to get him where he is today. I wouldn’t be where I am if it was not for them. Bo talks about surrounding himself with the right people is so important and how his wife is his rock and is so great for me to come home and talk to, it keeps me sane.
- 20:20 What was the first concert you went to? Nickelback, my parents took me to it, I was 15 and I loved it.
- 20:50 If you were stuck somewhere, who is the one artist you would take with you? That’s a tough question, I like country music, I really like Eric Church. Bo talks about his diverse interest in music, lots of depth in Eric Church, great choice.
- 2:55 I’ve never spent so much time at home. Trevor discusses the challenges of changing habits and the time we all have right now and how that creates space. With space you have a chance to get to know the inner self more, understanding self-awareness.
- 5:27 Why are you going so fast? Trevor talks about the feedback given by Mike as to why Trevor was driving so fast. There is no reason to rush or speed. You can take that and apply it to your own life. What have you felt during these times and will it change to help you make a difference? Out of tough times comes good things and choices.
- 7:58 What do you see in yourself? Are you going fast? Have you asked for feedback from others to be better? Feedback should come from a point of caring and being genuine.
- 10:00 Time available, what do you do to get better? What fits for you to make your state of wellbeing, be the best for you? It’s important to find your outlet and what really works to keep you stable. Once you find it, practice and be disciplined to do so.
- 12:15 The “What If’s” Falling into the trap of the what ifs and what if this or that happens and the negative effects the what ifs can have on all of us. Take time to ask yourself if the what ifs are real and if they are then do something with it, if they are not then let them go.
- 15:03 Committed to have a better self. What can we take away during these times to be better? What's the good stuff you take with you when everything starts to move again? We all have negative thoughts especially during these times and that’s okay.
- 17:10 I can spend some time to myself and that’s okay. Learning things through these times that help us. Making use of technology and connecting worldwide with friends and family and what works for you to feel better.
- 19:04 The intent. Our intent always is, looking to provide questions and discussions that make people think and how it can help make you be better. When we talk about mindfulness how do you personally find your stability. How do you work to be better and minimize the chaos? One person can make a difference.
- 21:25 Can you just let it happen? We see something good coming out of this. What’s worked for you, it’s in you to develop yourself and help others. Thanks to all the front-line workers, very appreciative and thanks so much for listening.
What a great connection with Former NFL Pro Bowler Eric Wood. An amazing conversation about leadership, impacting others and of course, a couple football stories. A privilege to have such a great leader and person share his insights on mindfulness! 1. 1:20 Eric Wood introduction and background. Listen as Eric talks about his NFL career and when his world was rocked and how God had different plans for him and his family. 2. 3:18 Looked like one of the everyday members in the gym. Eric talks about humility and how he played a game where he got to throw a ball around for a living. Not taking himself too seriously and not holding himself in too high of a regard and staying grounded. 3. 6:03 Servant Leadership. Eric talks about what he wants to see in a leader. Getting better or getting worse there is no grey area. Eric talks about taking time and getting to know his teammates and making friends and following a servant leader. 4. 8:22 Trust. Mike discusses trust and how that impacts teams and relationships. Podcast 0, Eric’s introductory podcast speaks from a place of authenticity and sincerity. Eric talks about how he got into his podcast “What’s next with Eric Wood”. 5. 11:11 Receiving the news on your career coming to an end. Eric talks about his career ended and how he felt at that time. He took the approach of motivating himself and realizing he is starting in an industry he was not familiar with. Eric talks about doing a lot of inner work to be better and help to get through tough times. 6. 14:08 Others oriented. As soon as it’s about you, you are going to struggle in your life. Eric talks about helping others through community and church and controlling your mental being and being there for other people. 7. 15:19 Walter Payton award. Eric talks about the Walter Payton award and what that means to him and the sport. How you treat people is completely within our control. Eric talks about how good it feels that his peers voted him in for the Walter Payton award. 8. 19:00 Mindfulness. Eric talks about where he sees mindfulness going. More and more studies show how visualization and mindfulness play such an important part in our lives. 9. 20:54 Float around on auto pilot. To be living based on routines we all have, meditation allows us to stop and look at doing things differently. Be intentional, do things that benefit you. Enjoy the moment and enjoy where you are in life. 10. 23:15 Serving others. Eric discusses the way we share, and others share with all of us. Having a daily gratitude practice will fill you with peace and help uplift others around you. 11. 24:56 Make an impact at home first. Eric talks about a life coach he has worked with in the past and the question of “are you making an impact at home first”? So much more value in taking the opportunity to make the impact in your own home. Just be home with family. 12. 27:00 Trevor asks a few quick questions. 13. 29:08 The ways to follow Eric Wood.
Join us for the first time recording in separate locations. With everything going on in our world and practicing safe distancing we wanted to do our part and still provide you, our listeners with a good quality podcast. Today’s theme is resiliency and how do we work this into our daily lives during this COVID-19 pandemic? We share different ways to make the most out of our situation, how do we not allow our emotions during these times create more fear and keeping the perspective that this too shall pass. 1. 1:20. The topic today is resiliency. During these uncertain times keeping in mind we are not alone; we are in this together. How do we adapt to stress and the different landscapes we are in? With this comes growth and different ways of thinking and what will our world look like months from now. 2. 3:30. If you don’t like what your focused on change it! How do we do this? If you can focus on others, who can you help, who needs your help? Diverting your attention a lot of healing can come from that. Make best use of your day to be better! When you find meaning in your suffering it ceases to be suffering. 3. 5:36 Labeling it is important. Once we identify something and label it we can focus on it and work through it. It’s a good time to look deeper into self, ground yourself and look at what is important in your life. Look at one day at time. 4. 8:00 It doesn’t matter what your situation is, if you are working or not working, everyone has level of being uncomfortable. The fear is common for all of us, no better time for mindfulness and understanding our own emotions. Every one of us are capable of observing on our own emotions. 5. 10:56 What will it be like in 6 months? We know great things will come from this, not totally sure what these are but it will happen. As the saying goes, you can go through it or you can grow through it! Looking for different ways, people are very giving right now! 6. 12:24 The thinking for resiliency! We have the physical, how much sleep are we getting, exercise and finding ways to do new things. Making good use of our time, relationships and connecting with people, who needs that phone call? Using today's technology to see each other from all around the world. Use the different platforms that are available to all of us. 7. 14:42 The only thing you can control is your reaction to what is happening around you! We are all human and accept the situation, diffuse the emotion and gain control over it. Have a little self-compassion. Don’t be so hard on yourself. If you miss certain routines that’s okay, get back on track and get back into your rhythm. 8. 17:05 Watch a movie! Take the time to enjoy a movie, laugh and take your mind off of the everyday stress we are all faced with. Focus on what your in control of! Doing different things is so good during these times to help with these circumstances. 9. 18:48 Social media. How can we use this to connect and express ourselves! so many different ways to spend our time!
The guys take some time to talk about what they have learned about authenticity based on their success and failures. Signs on how you can tell how self-aware people are, and ways to show up as your best self! 1. 2:55 The ways we got better. We discuss our offsets and the benefits of this. Being different is good as you learn from each other and grow. Emotional Intelligence. 2. 5:05 If you have to announce it your likely not practicing it! Ways to be more mindful and come from a place of authenticity. Saying your something all the time doesn’t necessarily mean your living it! 3. 7:00 Your a good dancer. Mike tells a story from his past on how he would use big words to try and impress people and all he was doing was confusing people. It is so important to be yourself and not dance around the issues. Always be real and yourself. 4. 11:35 The Asshole Pill! Discussion on the feedback we both received years ago on being more of a hard leader on the people, and to take an “Asshole Pill”! Rather than sending a person away crying we talked through situations on how we could do things different and be a good leader for the people. 5. 14:25 Being open to change, can I show up a bit differently for the better. Partnering with the right fit and we share experiences on growing and learning all the time. 6. 15:30 Mike your just too nice, take the “Asshole Pill’. Mike shares his experience on reflecting on how to be assertive and respectful to the people. Are you willing to trade in your beliefs for something you are not? Can you sleep at night knowing your being something you are not? 7. 19:25 The autopsy review. Mike shares a story of how we can all get into a mode of deflating others and ourselves. A leader’s job is to help pull the person out of being defeated and inspire others to have a purpose. What can I do different to get a different result? Can’t just be about coming in and building product has to be about giving people purpose. 8. 21:15 Ask for help. Trevor explains his current partnership with an organization and the steps this owner is taking to be a better leader with self-awareness. 9. 24:20 The top of the organization and the willingness to want to make a change for the better. Being open to change has to start at the top for it to work. 10. 25:40 How do you have mindfulness without human connection. You will have people that you don’t connect with and that’s okay, be curious and learn from each other. Offsets are so important for all of us.
Privileged to have this dynamic woman share her path of mindfulness growing in all areas in manufacturing Human Resources, and now teaching these lessons at the college level. Join us as we have fun with our friend Lianne Gallie, who provides great insights in how channel your emotions with intention! 1. 2:19. My growing up phase. Lianne talks about her discoveries around emotion and passion and how they can work for you or against you. 2. 4:40. Passion the definition. Lianne talks about how she portrayed passion and how this was perceived by her Leader and others and the impact that had on her and her career. 3. 6:00. Mindfulness, the moment to moment awareness. Knowing in the moment where you are at and the importance of talking through things. Accept and let it go! 4. 8:37. I moved on. Lianne goes into detail and explains the valuable lesson she learned years ago from a not so favorable situation. 5. 10:04. My message is not, not to be emotional. Be conscious of what you do and say and try to learn this early on. Be aware of your emotions and knowing when it is good timing to show them. 6. 12:45. Gas or water, you decide. As a leader and being mindful we have a choice to help resolve situations or add to them. Do you know what’s inside your bucket? Are you bringing gas or water, how are you showing up? 7. 14:45. The importance of H.R. experience and operations experience. The group discusses the experiences and the power of having worked in H.R and also working in operations. The value of being well rounded and how this helps. 8. 17:40. Lessons learned.Lianne explains the importance of learning from mistakes and how we don’t have to answer questions right away. Take a moment to understand and then answer. 9. 21:00. You don’t have to be the first to finish the race. The group discusses how manufacturing can be very hectic and it’s okay to take time to step back or away and ensure you are handling situations appropriately. 10. 23:10. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Lianne opens up the discussion on the importance of this statement and how important it is to allow yourself to be you. 11. 24:40. Employee involvement. The power of asking the employees to assist in problems and creating ownership at shop floor level. 12. 27:45. Lianne's closing comments “One last thing woman need to think about”.
Welcome Mindfulness Manufacturing community! The legendary Brian Skerrett shares some of his wisdom gained through his 40 plus year career. A pioneer integrating mindfulness and leadership training, it is a privilege to share this with you today. His primary focus has been business coaching, with a niche in helping people to make individual changes today that will help them to grow and live more fulfilled and satisfying lives. 1. 1:50 The beginning of Brian’s career. Listen as Brian talks about his experience meeting the one and only Stephen Covey and the mindfulness journey. 2. 4:00 Pushing yourself into a pretzel! Brian talks about the purpose of mindfulness and how it is meant to quiet the mind and create a healthy body. 3. 5:40 EAP and the connection to mindfulness. Both management and employees were hurting, conflicts not being resolved, creating anxiety and frustration. That's when I introduced mindfulness practice and where do you put your attention. 4. 8:20 You gave me a gift that I never opened until many years later. Trevor talks about meeting Brian and the approach to mindfulness. Brian talks about how most people have to go at mindfulness and come back to it many times until they grasp it. 5. 12:16 Leaders intentionally creating conflict. What do you tell Leaders who operate this way? Creating an uncomfortable environment does not create a better environment. Brian shares how stress harms the body and the effects it has on us. Fight or Flight? Mindfulness allows us to avoid this type of behavior and not get hooked by the conflict and be present. 6. 15:36 You’re not chained there. You have options in how you handle things. It’s only a gong show if you buy into the gong show. Mindfulness is key. 7. 17:16 The speed of technology. Brian shares his experiences with technology over the years and how mindfulness plays into it. 8. 19:00 Emotional Intelligence, it takes courage to embrace and stick with something. Learn how to adapt and advance your culture. 9. 22:35 The sizes of our enterprises. The large companies have a hard time adapting to challenges and mindfulness. Working with the highest level and having an impact on the organization. Brian shares some great quotes and perspectives on leadership. 10. 25:48 The bosses who listen to feedback. Brian explains the importance of a boss allowing others to give feedback to them and the impact and the need. Today it doesn't happen often enough. 11. 27:42 It’s around trust. It's a fundamental piece if a solid team, how do build trust, maintain trust and this is something that is sadly lacking. 12. 29:22 Mistakes and failures. Brian talks about the leadership style of making mistakes and the learning opportunity. It’s important in terms of people learning. 13. 31:28 What things are like at home versus what things are like at work. Brian talks about the connection between home life and work life and the importance of these two. People have to have a life of their own and have a balance. Spending too much time working and not enough time at home. 14. 34:35 Legacy. Brian describes what legacy means to him. How companies can push you until you are dry, and some are more in tune to the employees needs and got good results, they cared.
Welcome Mindfulness Manufacturing community! Today we get some great insights from JC Wilkinson. He is currently the VP of Business Transformation for Vivid Impact based in Louisville KY. Prior to Vivid Impact, JC spent 10 years as a COO/CFO for privately held organizations and another 10 years working with regional consulting firms providing accounting, tax, and operational support. In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), JC is Six Sigma Greenbelt trained, a Charted Global Management Accountant (CGMA), and holds the designation of APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM). 1. 1:10 Transformation. Growing a company on what matters most and what matters least. Listen how J.C. explains the challenges of execution and how everything starts with the Leader. Leadership is commitment, devotion and alignment.
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5:35 Leadership, hours on the floor. It’s important the leaders are on the floor. J.C. explains how the process of tracking the number of hours each leader dedicates to the shop floor. He talks in detail about leading with humility and developing a culture of respect.
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8:40 Language and people. We start at the top and establish a cascading effect right through to the operator, linkage is very important.
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10:57 Measurement drives behavior. Safety, People, Quality and Cost, the people are super critical, the hiring of the right people in the hiring process is the most important thing.
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13:34 Turnover. Check first to see, am I treating my external customer better than my internal customer? J.C. explains the impact the book, “The Dream Manager” had on him and how they incorporated this into their work place.
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15:04 Emotional connection. We asked the team members, what are your dreams, what are your aspirations? We put out a culture survey to capture data, with questions such as, “what can the organization do to help you be a better version of you”?
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17:10 Leadership alignment and consistency. Common challenges, managing through the chaos and fighting fires. J.C. explains the importance of standard work and how that helped to bring clarity and control to the work day.
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22:15 People wanting leadership positions. Clarity, expectations are so important to people seeking leadership positions. When we are faced with problems, we always bring it back to, “how is this helping our customers”?
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24:20 What do you look for in an employee? We established a criteria matrix comprised of skills and behaviors. We use a role descriptor not a job description and a team-based hiring approach. We quantify each candidate.
Welcome Mindfulness Manufacturing community! Enjoy more great discussions with Andrew De Haan Part 2. He is a culture builder in automotive manufacturing. A toolmaker with a love for people and leadership. He touches on aspects of emotional intelligence, discusses his mistakes and successes, and shares a few laughs. Including his mantra of -Do what is right, Do the very best you can, and Treat people the way you like to be treated. 1/ 2:00. 30/50/Green – A bottom up reapplication of manufacturing. What's really changed? Everyone is working incredibly hard, but the results are not changing, we had to face the facts! We knew we needed a customer to have a business, people to process the work and we needed to generate a return on investment= 30/50/green! 2/ 14:30 Always important to be self-aware. Knowing who we are is more important than what others think. Every time you step into a new role you have a new opportunity to reflect on what worked and what didn’t.
3/ 16:00 Like to have a good time. No one takes on a new role with the idea of failure in mind, but it happens. If we feel we can influence or change or situations and there is a return on it then we should do it, if we can’t it is time to move on.
4/ 20:13 What to look for meeting people, 3 quick evaluation tools. Does the individual know what they are talking about? Can I trust them, which is purely instinctive, first impressions are important. And do they care about me personally, do they have the ability to build a relationship?
5/ 27:20 The salty email she thought she would get fired for. Always representing the values of the organization are so important, being direct and clear to help build people, coach mentor and guide.
6/ 30:40 When and how to speak your mind – awareness of others. I have always been very vocal, always spoke my mind maybe when I shouldn’t have. A little more tact would have been far better for me. We learn from our mistakes, reflection helps.
Welcome Mindfulness Manufacturing community! Today enjoy some great discussions with Andrew De Haan. He is a culture builder in automotive manufacturing. A toolmaker with a love for people and leadership. He touches on aspects of emotional intelligence, discusses his mistakes and successes, and shares a few laughs. Including his mantra of -Do what is right, Do the very best you can, and Treat people the way you like to be treated. Part 1
1/ 4:55 Neutral to Positive or completely negative. The instant feeling we get when starting a conversation with a person, are they thinking like a victor or a victim. WE know this in the first part of a conversation with any individual.
2/ 6:30 Be confident in who you are. Self awareness and confidence both have a very important part within a Leadership position. Be confident in what you represent, helping the organization and helping solve problems, talking about the facts are good leadership qualities.
3/ 7:20 You can’t be 100% technical. Andrew talks openly about the balance of technical skills and people skills. Explaining the role each plays as a leader and the importance of how both play a role in manufacturing.
4/ 9:10 Need to know who you are and add value to people’s lives. Being self aware and clearly knowing yourself are key items to helping the people around you.
5/ 12:05 Focus less on me and more on others. Spending time understanding the importance of helping others and less time focused on yourself is the job of a Leader.
6/ 13:45 Still about results. At the end of the day, results are what matter!
7/ 17:30 Culture of Engagement. Gaining the trust of your people and instilling a sense of pride creates a culture of participation and engagement.
8/ 18:30 Frogger – an easier way to get across. Watching people take a shortcut to get to the other side of a very busy highway made me realize I needed to do something different with my leadership team. Taking the time and having the patience and not looking for short cuts are essential to Leading a team.
Exciting interview Part 1 with the one and only Bill Priamo. It is not often Bill shares his leadership insights on social media, Mindfulness Manufacturing had the privilege of going deep with Bill on many of his leadership perspectives. Not your typical leader with a maintenance background. 1/ 2:30 Technology development verses the connection with people 2/ 7:45 Why are we not following the standard work?
3/ 9:35 How you say it and how you do it, and the message sent is not always in how it is received - self-awareness
4/ 11:30 Set the tone - sing a song - don't try to change the world, change yourself
5/ 15:00 Crowd control - keep things in perspective when the pressure is on
6/ 19:00 Walk slow - be present
7/ 23:30 Sharp elbows - developing into how Bill stopped being what people expected him to be and start being who he is - Authenticity
Part 2 with Bill Priamo - more great discussions! 1:00 - The fear of dealing with people 5:00 Try harder - does not work - those who Bill used to think were soft, actually had a lot to offer
9:00 Timing on when to send your message, positive or negative
13:50 Awareness of others
17:20 Mentors and why they are key - Bills favourite books - Give and Take by Adam Grant and Change Your Questions Change Your Life by Marilee Adams
21:00 The man who is always right will never know when he is wrong
24:00 Bill's final reflections - instilling confidence in others
Episode 1: Mike Hillman and Trevor Blondeel are excited to launch their new manufacturing podcast. This episode provides information about how and why they decided to develop this resource. Each episode will feature an interview with manufacturing leaders on the topics of leadership challenges.