Manufacturing Greatness | Productivity | Retention | Profits | Continuous Improvement | Safety | Workforce Development | Labor Challenges | Skills Gaps | Industry 4.0

Manufacturing Greatness | Productivity | Retention | Profits | Continuous Improvement | Safety | Workforce Development | Labor Challenges | Skills Gaps | Industry 4.0

By Trevor BlondeelBusinessEducationSelf-ImprovementManagement
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Manufacturing Greatness | Productivity | Retention | Profits | Continuous Improvement | Safety | Workforce Development | Labor Challenges | Skills Gaps | Industry 4.0 episodes

  • Productivity + Engagement for Manufacturing Leaders: Using Mindfulness Without Losing Operational Focus #45

    Mindful Employment:

    Throwing the Baby Out with the Bath Water

    with Trevor & Dave

    #45

    ______________________________________________

    Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit www.manufacturinggreatness.com and click here to subscribe to Trevor's monthly newsletter.

    Now, let's jump in!

    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

    25 min
  • Self-Awareness for Frontline Supervisors: Gaining Clarity to Improve Relationships and Team Performance with Nikki Langman #44

    Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit www.manufacturinggreatness.com and click here to subscribe to Trevor's monthly newsletter.

    Now, let's jump in!

    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

    31 min
  • Accountability for Operations Managers: Using Coaching to Break Burnout Cycles and Reignite Team Performance with Andrew Nietlich #43

    Show Notes:

    Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit www.manufacturinggreatness.com and click here to subscribe to Trevor's monthly newsletter.

    Now, let's jump in!

    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: [email protected]

    Center for Executive Coaching: https://centerforexecutivecoaching.com/

    Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewneitlich-executivecoachcertification/

    Get your Complimentary 46-page ebook

    "The Three Keys to Success for Coaching Executives, Leaders, Managers, Up-and-Coming Talent, and Business Owners."

    https://centerforexecutivecoaching.com/#:~:text=Get%20your%20Complimentary,and%20Business%20Owners.%E2%80%9D

    32 min
  • Trust for Operations Managers: Replacing Assumptions with Transparency to Strengthen Team Engagement with Joe Johnson #42

    Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit www.manufacturinggreatness.com and click here to subscribe to Trevor's monthly newsletter.

    Now, let's jump in!

    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?
    30 min
  • Accountability for Frontline Supervisors: Creating Psychological Safety to Speak Up and Improve Team Performance with Ryan Forte #41

    Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit www.manufacturinggreatness.com and click here to subscribe to Trevor's monthly newsletter.

    Now, let's jump in!

    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

    28 min
  • Trust for Operations Managers: Becoming a Go-Giver to Strengthen Relationships and Drive Team Performance with Bob Burg #40

    Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit www.manufacturinggreatness.com and click here to subscribe to Trevor's monthly newsletter.

    Now, let's jump in!

    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

    32 min
  • Engagement for Manufacturing Managers: Embracing Sales Mindset to Build Buy-In, Influence, and Better Team Results with Jeff Summers #39

    Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit www.manufacturinggreatness.com and click here to subscribe to Trevor's monthly newsletter.

    Now, let's jump in!

    :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.

    31 min
  • Resilience for Frontline Supervisors: Replacing Fear and Regret with Confident Action on the Shop Floor #38

    Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit www.manufacturinggreatness.com and click here to subscribe to Trevor's monthly newsletter.

    Now, let's jump in!

    Marilyn Monroe said it best: fear is stupid. So are regrets.

    In this episode, we explore manufacturing leadership, growth mindset, and resilience in manufacturing for Operations Managers, Production Managers, Manufacturing Managers, and Shift Supervisors.

    We talk about how leaders get caught in their own fears, how the environment has fueled stress and uncertainty, and why emotional intelligence, communication skills, and authentic leadership matter more than ever. You'll walk away with practical insights on staying curious, owning your mindset, and showing up with confidence to improve engagement, morale, and performance on the shop floor.

    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

    25 min
  • Mindset + Productivity for Production Supervisors: Using "Magic Mindset Goggles" to Improve Focus, Attitude, and Daily Results with Dave Baker #37
    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.

    32 min
  • Culture + Trust for Manufacturing Leaders: Using Kindness to Strengthen Relationships and Improve Team Performance with Elizabeth Gist #36

    Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit www.manufacturinggreatness.com and click here to subscribe to Trevor's monthly newsletter.

    Now, let's jump in!

    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.

    29 min

About Manufacturing Greatness | Productivity | Retention | Profits | Continuous Improvement | Safety | Workforce Development | Labor Challenges | Skills Gaps | Industry 4.0

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Whether you're a plant manager, operations manager, or frontline supervisor, you'll discover practical strategies for lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. We cover critical topics like workforce development, employee retention, safety culture, and change management—helping you navigate challenges like labor shortages, skills gaps, and the evolving manufacturing landscape including Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing.