Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead and Succeed with an Appreciation for DIVERSITY!

"Diversity: the art of thinking independently together."

~ Malcolm Stevenson Forbes

Have you ever noticed that it is easier to complain about what we don’t have rather than appreciating what we do have?

Isn’t it true that we would rather complain about current circumstances instead of being open-minded enough to see what could be?

What would you think if I told you that by changing your perspective, you would be able to see things that you couldn’t see before? 

How about taking a deep breath, slowing down, standing still for a moment and focus on the good things you have and the opportunities you can create in your current business environment. What a concept if this would work! Look at the good instead of the bad.

Many organizations extol their employees as their greatest asset and it's true, your employees can either make you or break you. If a company has the right people, then its strategies will be in sync with the realities of the marketplace, the economy, and the competition. One thing is certain, if you don't get the people process right, you will never fulfill the potential of your business.

In my line of work, I meet different people from different backgrounds, religions, cultures, who have been raised differently with different personality styles, different age groups, both men and women, all the time. As a result, I have not only learned to embrace diversity, I see it as an incredible opportunity to create a completely new dynamic within our organizations.

I have adopted a mindset that I can learn something from every person I meet. When I have people attending my workshops, regardless whether they are management, supervisors, team-leaders, or shop floor employees,  I always put a 10 on their forehead, thinking that they will show a sincere interest in what I have to say. I want to learn from them and they can learn from me. That’s my intention. I believe in them and I see it as my job to increase their energy level and bring out the best in them. I believe that most people want to do a good job, they want to be involved, they want to contribute to society, they want to learn how to be better in what they do, and they would like to learn new tools on how to become a better person in general.

Isn’t it mind-boggling that most employees can never reach their full potential because very few managers know how to bring out the best in them?

If you want to discover the brainpower of your people and help them to get better at what they do, you have to pay them respect. This means to make them feel valued, appreciate the diversity they bring to your team, to ask great questions and listen to what they have to say by giving them your undivided attention. If you respect your employees through sincere face-to-face conversation and listen to what they have to say, you will be amazed at the impact this will have.