My Next FREE Workshop at the Richmond Hill Library is on April 3, 2012

Lost your Job?  Hate your Job?

Discover what you want and go for it!

Have you been laid off once or multiple times? Are fearful that you may be laid off soon?  Do you feel stuck in your current career? Do you  want to change direction but don’t know how?  Are you ready to be proactive and make a plan for your life?

I can help! I provide a supportive and positive learning environment and empower people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. It is all about taking action and taking 100 % responsibility for your life and for your results!

Sometimes it's tough to stay positive considering all the fears and insecurities we have to deal with. However, I have learned from my own experience that attitude is everything and it is my goal to communicate to YOU how you can turn a positive outlook in your job search into action.

Come and join me! It's time to sign up.....

My commitment to you is to give you positive energy, a lot of new ideas and a fantastic workshop without any investment for you, except your time. If you give me your commitment to participate, please do not let anything prevent you from attending. It will be well worth your time and effort.

This attitude alone will separate you from others who are looking a job. I firmly believe, how you do anything is how you do everything!

"When one door closes, another opens. But we often look so regretfully upon the closed door that we don't see the one that has opened for us."

~ Helen Keller

When? April 3 from 6 pm - 8.45 pm

Where? Central Library, 1 Atkinson Street, Richmond Hill, L4C 0H5 (west/south corner of Major Mackenzie and Yonge)
Why? This is our contribution to serve the community

Please register @ the Library or via email at karin@karicosolutions.com.

Made In Canada - That's How We Make Manufacturing Sexy!

"Canada has all the nationalities, all the languages, all the cultural understanding you need to have. We should be the best in the world, and we are not."

~ Deszo Horvath, Dean, Schulich School of Business, York University

A friend of mine forwarded me an email today and I decided to post it on my blog and add my own experience!

While our American neighbours have created the brand “Made in America,” Canada doesn’t do a very good job promoting home made products. What I find most disturbing is that most of us don’t even know what “Made in Canada” means. Is it manufactured here or only assembled here? I am a huge Apple fan, but since reading about suicide nets and the terrible circumstances of factory workers in China, I have shied away from buying an iPhone. What stops Apple and many other companies from manufacturing here? Lower profits, of course! Many people are vegetarians because of the way humans treat animals.

I wonder how many people would give up their fun gadgets knowing about the inhumane way we treat other human beings, just because they are out of sight in another country. Probably not too many. The main thing is that we do well here, right? 

In the German language we have a word for that: “Scheinmoral,” which means hypocritical moral.

Made in Canada - Some care. Some don't. Do you?

Start looking........

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job.

For example, isn't Hockey Canada's Number 1 National Sport? Did you know that hockey sticks have been outsourced and are now made in China? Shame on us to allow this to happen!

A quote from a consumer: “My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now, instead of Smiths Falls, Ontario. I do not buy it anymore.” 

This past weekend I was at Wal-Mart. I needed 60W light bulbs. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value". I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the

price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in Mexico and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - Canada, at a company in Ontario. Their Equate Products are also made in Canada, and are very good.

Shopping in Lowe's the other day for some reason and just for the fun of it I was looking at the garden hose attachments. They were all made in China. The next day I was in Home Hardware and just for the fun of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in Canada! 

My favourite toothpaste, Colgate, is made in Mexico now. I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything.

Another emailer wrote:

“Just to add my own experience on buying Made in Canada, I was looking for canned mushrooms that were made in Canada and could never find any, so I would buy fresh. Recently I found Ravine mushrooms - made in Canada with a little red maple leaf on the can. 

A little more money but when I opened the can, I looked at mushrooms that look like real mushrooms, not mushrooms that look like bleached. Another product I no longer buy is Del Monte or Dole canned Fruits. Del Monte is packaged in Taiwan and Dole is now a product of China. Why should we pay for their fruit when our farmers are left with fruits rotting on the trees. E.D. Smith is still made in Canada.....buy theirs, at least you will know what is in it and have some quality control. So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here. My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday items and see what you can find that is "Made In Canada". The job you save may be your own or the job of your children and grandchildren.”

If you accept this challenge, pass it on to others in your address book so we can all start buying Canadian, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!  

Canadians should have awakened two decades ago and to me it seems many are still sleeping!

 Let's get with the program. Help our fellow Canadians
  keep their jobs and create more jobs here in Canada.

  

BUY CANADIAN!  Read the labels.

Support Canadian jobs.

AWARENESS is the first step to create positive change! 

Hot New Book Release in April 2012

I can't wait to FINALLY hold this book in my hands in April. Release date: April 25, 2012! I hope you feel the same way! A dream becomes reality as soon as you focus on making it happen!

New Team Member for KARICO Performance Solutions

"No one can whistle a symphony. 

It takes an orchestra to play it." 

~ H.E. Luccock 

I am thrilled to introduce Susan Gyopar as a new team member of KARICO Performance Solutions.

Susan is a native Montrealer who moved to Ontario after graduating from McGill University with a degree in Chemical Engineering and Business Management. Her career started at Procter and Gamble as a Process Engineer and Team Supervisor; on rotating shifts so she has first hand experience of the challenges and the impact on lifestyle associated with shift work.

Susan was promoted to roles with progressively greater breadth and responsibility with Procter and Gamble which included the challenge to transform an acquisition facility from a Seniority based to High Performance leadership work system in a Consumer Paper facility of 500 employees. The experience lead to tremendous learning, specifically in the area of Change Management, Situational Leadership, Employee Engagement, Lean and Six Sigma concepts, as well as Operations Management. Susan became the Manufacturing Manager of the Papermill, with a staff of 125 Operators, Maintenance, Process Engineers, Supervisors and Team Leaders.

Susan moved to the head office of Procter and Gamble as a Business Manager for the Health and Beauty care division to lead multifunctional teams through new product launches, working to develop the Supply Chain, Forecast and Demand Plan, launch budget and 5 year Innovation plan for Oral Care.

After a fulfilling and intensive 12 year career with P&G, Susan moved to PepsiCo, where she took on the role of Plant Manager for the Flavours Division for Canada. The responsibility included Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Customer Service and Logistics for all the concentrate that was imported from other PepsiCo facilities to Canada, as well as those flavours produced in the plant, which was the single source supply for all Pepsi bottlers for Canada.

Susan managed the Operations until the closure of the facility and transition of the supply and distribution to the US in 2010.  

Most recently, Susan was the Director of Supply Chain for the largest Private Label Health and Beauty Care Company in Canada, where she was responsible for Purchasing, Procurement, Demand Planning and Logistics/Warehouse operations.

Susan loves traveling and the outdoors, and these two passions have brought her to trekking trips in Nepal, New Zealand, and the mountains of France, Switzerland and Italy. The adventure continued with scuba diving in Egypt, Honduras, the Mediterranean and the US. Susan has a daughter named Mikayla, and her 4 legged family includes Nikki, her dog and Lana, her cat. 

Susan is excited to be a part of Karico Performance Solutions as the next chapter in her professional career. She looks forward to the opportunity to work with the operational staff, line leaders and executive teams to create game changing capabilities derived from a passionate, engaged and focused team.

Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead and Succeed with DEPENDABILITY!

"God does not begin by asking our ability, only our availability, 

and if we prove our dependability, he will increase our capability."

~ Neal A. Maxwell

"You can count on me." How often do you hear this today in our work environments? There are companies and departments that work together through difficulties and would never abandon a teammate in need, but these examples are rare. 

Dependability is a character trait demonstrating the reliability of a person by means of his/her integrity, truthfulness, and trustfulness, qualities that encourage others to depend on him/her.

When I speak to people, they often have the feeling that dependability and reliability are not too high on the priority list of most employees, and I would agree. However, have you ever asked yourself why? 

Most people are simply not aware how their actions may affect someone else's job, impact another department, or in the long run influence the end result. In many instances they don’t have proper role models and the actions and behaviours they see all around won't help them to improve their interpersonal skills. Have you ever noticed that people who are not dependable themselves ask other people to be more dependable? Never ask more of others than you expect of yourself!

I sincerely believe that the majority of people want to help and support each other but our corporate environments have unfortunately become very egocentric workplaces. When people observe that everyone is in it for themselves, their initial spirit disappears and what's left is negativity and frustration. 

If you cannot establish an environment of dependability, it not only makes it more difficult for you to do your job but  it also becomes difficult for your body, mind and spirit, which in the long run can affect your overall health. It is very important to have the cooperation of other people but this cannot be forced upon them. Dependability is a discretionary effort and I am not aware of any cases where people lost their job because they weren't overly dependable. 

Here is my simple piece of advice. Always do what you say and say what you do. If you are able to inspire people by demonstrating dependability first, others will want to follow your lead.  

Manufacturing Leadership Challenge - The "Why" and "How" of Delegation

Delegation is the assignment of authority and responsibility from a manager to a subordinate to carry out specific activities. Please note that delegation is the opposite of micromanagement. As a manager, you certainly want to guide your employees but avoid giving too much input or demonstrating controlling behaviours. Delegation empowers people to make decisions and challenges them with new responsibilities. Anyone can learn the skill of effective delegation! Take a look!

My Talk at the Canadian Tooling and Machining Association (CTMA) in Windsor, Ontario

This is a very exciting time in my professional life. My book "How Can We Make Manufacturing Sexy? A Mindset of Passion and Purpose from the Production Floor to the Executive Suite" will be on the market in April. Last week I had the opportunity to share my message at the CTMA chapter in Windsor. It was a great experience and here is what some of the people said:


“Karin's presentation "How To Make Manufacturing Sexy", was a huge success in Windsor. Her enthusiasm and inspirational message were a hit with the audience. Karin's passion and energy are contagious and I am positive future audiences will enjoy her talk's on this and any subject she chooses, as much as I did!" 
Colin Docherty 
VP at Clinton Aluminum
Windsor Chapter Chair
Canadian Tooling and Machining Machining Association


“If ever given the chance to see Karin's presentation on "How To Make Manufacuting Sexy", do it! Her bubbly enthusiasm and passion shines through in an inspirational message on how to help change the mindset of the manufacturing community and the public in general in working towards getting our youth and young adults interested in manufacturing as a desired career choice.”
Jeff Lambing
Cost Estimating Software Sales Specialist at JDL Technical Services


“I met Karin at the CTMA meeting in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. As the featured speaker (How can we make manufacturing sexy?) Karin brought many important facts to the forefront as regards the current views on manufacturing in North America as compared to those of the European and Asian views. I believe that Karin is on the right track with this program and if our Canadian manufacturers & employees choose to participate in her vision, those companies can realize improved production (and profits) as well as retain a 'willing to do' employee base that would be proud to say they work for 'X' company. We will be adopting many of her ideas as time progresses.” 
Cliff Black
General Manager at Spartan Sling Mfg. Inc


"I recently had the pleasure to hear Karin Lindner speak at a CTMA meeting in Windsor Ontario. It was, without a doubt, one of the most inspiring and motivational talks I have attended in many years. She was well researched and spoke straight to were we as an industry live. Karin has a way of getting into important and sensitive areas with the skill of an experienced educator. No one left the room while Karin held the floor. She had us all at "Hello my name is Karin Lindner." 
Terry Bachmeier 
Sales Manager at Rubig Engineering


“I had the opportunity to attend a seminar presented by Karin for the Canadian Tooling and Machining Assocation and found the content to be easily understood and well presented. Who would have thought that Manufacturing could be sexy? I do now! Well thought-out and fun too!”
Paula Theaker
Personal Lines Manager at Hub International

"Karin:

Your presentation last week at the CTMA dinner in Windsor brought up a number of relevant points. Quite honestly, I wouldn't  want my kids to get into the manufacturing business because the competition in that field today isn't fair and that truly is a shame. You also hit the nail on the head when you advised not to confuse Power & Position with Passion and Purpose.  All too often managing and leading get confused; they are definitely NOT one and the same. I thoroughly enjoyed your enthusiasm, your point of view and share most of it. Thank you for sharing your point of view, it was refreshing and inspiring.  From my perspective as a free-enterpriser and small business owner, you are a breath of fresh air."

Randy Cyr

President at R.J. Cyr Co. Inc

A big "Thank you" to everyone who supports my cause 

to inspire positive change in the manufacturing industry!

My Next FREE Workshop at the Richmond Hill Library is on March 6, 2012

Lost your Job?  Hate your Job?

Discover what you want and go for it!

Have you been laid off once or multiple times? Are fearful that you may be laid off soon?  Do you feel stuck in your current career? Do you  want to change direction but don’t know how?  Are you ready to be proactive and make a plan for your life?

I can help! I provide a supportive and positive learning environment and empower people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. It is all about taking action and taking 100 % responsibility for your life and for your results!

Sometimes it's tough to stay positive considering all the fears and insecurities we have to deal with. However, I have learned from my own experience that attitude is everything and it is my goal to communicate to YOU how you can turn a positive outlook in your job search into action.

Come and join me! It's time to sign up.....

My commitment to you is to give you positive energy, a lot of new ideas and a fantastic workshop without any investment for you, except your time. If you give me your commitment to participate, please do not let anything prevent you from attending. It will be well worth your time and effort.

This attitude alone will separate you from others who are looking a job. I firmly believe, how you do anything is how you do everything!

"When one door closes, another opens. But we often look so regretfully upon the closed door that we don't see the one that has opened for us."

~ Helen Keller

When? March 6 from 6 pm - 8.45 pm

Where? Central Library, 1 Atkinson Street, Richmond Hill, L4C 0H5 (west/south corner of Major Mackenzie and Yonge)
Why? This is our contribution to serve the community

Please register @ the Library or via email at karin@karicosolutions.com.