In most plants, the conversation about performance starts with equipment and process. Leaders invest in faster lines, better changeovers, and tighter controls, and assume that people-related issues will sort themselves out if the process is strong enough. But through our work in dozens of facilities, we have seen the opposite pattern. The biggest swings in stability, output, and quality often come from how plants manage their people, not from the machines they run.

As a second episode of Breaking Misconceptions series, our AI hosts, Alice and James, expose the seven myths damaging your workforce strategy, from the hidden costs of "running lean" to the capacity traps. They explain why turnover isn't inevitable and how shifting to skill-based staffing can unlock up to 45% more output while stabilizing operations.

• (00:00) - Why people management drives the biggest performance gains