Manufacturing Leadership Challenge - Why is it that Different Departments Don't Interact Effectively?

Two out of every three employees believes that the flow of communication between departments within their organization is poor. Inevitably, this results in a reduction in the quality of the products and services provided by the organization. Take a look what I have to say!

Manufacturing Leadership Challenge? Why is it that People Are Not Properly Respected in the Workplace?

Respect can be compared to a boomerang in the sense that you must send it out before it will come back to you. Today, I want to talk about what respect means to me. Take a look!

Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead and Succeed with PERSONAL TOUCH!

"Our worst comes out when we behave like robots or professionals." ~ Fernando Flores

What has happened to our world? Seriously!

Is our fast paced Internet world turning us into cold, heartless and apathetic people?

When I call into organizations it is my experience that I either get to speak to a phone system, or when I actually do get a live person on the line, they are neither friendly not sincerely willing to assist. It seems as if I’ve rudely interrupted their day.

How can this be? Have we forgotten how important the initial contact with a company can be?

Does a receptionist understand that he or she is the Director of First Impressions?

Are we no longer aware that politeness and helpfulness can go a long way?

People are so bombarded and overwhelmed by the plethora of services and products that are presented to them on a daily basis that the only thing you can do to truly stand out is your personal touch. This applies at home, at work, and in your social life. 

Just 2 weeks ago the Maintenance Manager in one of my Communication Workshops asked me why it’s important in a professional work environment to show a personal interest in the interests, needs and concerns of his co-workers. He told me that he wants to keep everything on a professional level, and he really doesn't want to know what's going on with them.

I tried to explain to him the importance of connecting with his people and I’m happy to say that he was eager and willing to listen. It seemed as if he has never received any management training or read a book on leadership. Everything I told him was completely new to him.

Is he completely at fault? Can we blame him? Certainly not.

Why is it that we still set people up to fail?

Most new employees go through orientation sessions but in many instances managers are somehow exempt and do not receive proper training and mentoring. Isn’t that strange?

Anyone in a leadership position has to understand that actively demonstrating an interest in his people will not only translate into a better work environment but also in a willingness of his people to do their best for the company. If this isn’t crystal clear then this leader is costing the company big bucks in the long run. 

If you neglect that personal touch with your employees, then they may as well be all robots. People have emotions and feelings. They may go through a divorce or have marital problems. They may have aging parents. They may have a sick child at home. They may have health concerns themselves. Whatever it is, why would they care about their work if you don't care about them?

Can you show a little more empathy? Do your employees know and feel that you genuinely care for them? Never underestimate the power and difference this can make in your workforce.

The Excellence Viewpoint ~ Pilot

When I moved to Canada 8 years ago I was looking for a job, any job. I was fortunate enough to land a job as a Administrative Assistant at Magna International. Thanks to Magna I discovered my passion and the rest is history.

Today I have my own business and I am inspired to help companies in manufacturing environments to tap into the brainpower of their people, help them to reach their full potential, and with that, improve their bottom line. Have you noticed that times change, businesses change and people change? Our fast paced environment requires us to keep up. Companies and employees have to accept that change has become a fact of life. Operational improvements can only be achieved by helping your employees to become the best they can be.

Take a look what our experts have to say!

Manufacturing Leadership Challenge - Why Don't We Want to Change Our Leadership Style?

Effective leadership is about self-reflection and the willingness to make improvements along the way. Sometimes it requires courage and intestinal fortitude. Are you up for it? Is your focus on change or on improvement? What's the difference? The answer is in this weeks' video.

Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead and Succeed with AWARENESS!

"Awareness without action is worthless."

~ Phil McGraw

Do you know that half of all Canadian employees are disengaged? 

The results of Mercer's new "What's Working" survey are loud and clear. Out of 2,000 Canadian workers a shocking number of 36 % are seriously considering leaving their organization at the present time, up from 26 % in 2006. Another 22 % are increasingly dissatisfied with their employers. This means your good people will take action and move on, and the whiners and complainers will stay on and their negative energy will affect the rest of your team. It's like a sneaky silent disease.  

Mercer's survey reinforces the importance of knowing what is going on inside the minds of your employees, which changes over time and evolves as new generations join the workforce.

Countless times I have heard employers say that they are not surprised with the outcome of my findings with respect to employee dissatisfaction. In fact they claim to know the reason for their employees' disengagement, yet nothing has been done about it. Instead many companies are "surveying their people to death" without putting their employee's feedback into action. As much as I believe in the power of asking questions, be advised that if you do, make sure that you want to hear the answers and invest the time and energy to implement the necessary changes. If you miss out on this great opportunity, you will lose the trust and respect of your people. 

Let me ask you, how would you feel if someone asks you for your opinion and ignores your input but then asks you the same questions 6 months later?

Today I want to share what you may not know about disengagement because you just may not be aware.

Let’s just imagine a regular workday. One of your workers comes to work. Let’s call him John. You don’t hear him complain and he seems to be doing a good enough job. John doesn’t really take initiative but you would certainly not call him a problem employee. He doesn’t stand out of the crowd.

Do you have guys like John in your company? No doubt you do, but here is what you don't know....

He spends approximately half of his day finding ways to slack off. If John works in the office, he may spend time on the internet or copying personal stuff. If John is a production guy, he does what he has to do but his energy is consumed by his frustration and negativity. His work ethic is kept at the bare minimum and this behaviour won’t get him fired.

John has many ideas in his head. He knows how to cut costs by more than 20 % and he has some great productivity ideas in his head but he doesn’t bother to tell anyone. John has emotionally disconnected from the company a long time ago. He is disengaged.

You cannot be blamed for that, can you? There are so many things on your mind and you just didn’t see it. You trusted that other management members would have an eye on it but they didn’t realize it either. Maybe you also didn’t worry about it because society as a whole has settled for mediocrity. Good enough is enough and that’s why guys like John don’t stand out in the crowd.

He is just one of many.

My question is…. Are you aware that you are not aware that you are not aware? It's time to put your awareness into action. 

"Manufacturing Leadership Challenge? Ask Karin!" What do Managers have to know to Avoid a Communication Disconnect?

I have a question! What does communication mean to you?

Do you want to be understood and do you seek to understand? If you said yes, you are already ahead of the game because most people don't. They are not aware. They don't care. They would rather blame than take action. They mumble what they want to say and then wonder why they don't get the desired outcome. Is there a better way? Absolutely. Take a look at my video and learn my 7 Steps to Communicating Effectively.