Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead, and Succeed with PATIENCE!

"The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it."

~ Arnold H. Glasgow

Ouch. I have to admit that patience is probably not one of my better virtues. I also tend to expect that everyone will make decisions at the same speed as I do. As I get older though, I more and more can see the value of being patient with my environment and the people around me.

Every person is unique. Every person has his or her own challenges. Every person has a different risk treshold, and every person makes decisions at his or her own speed. If we would be more considerate and patient, we would have better relationships.

Like the chicken on the picture, I want everything to be happening NOW. I want to master everything immediately and I want to be able to do it right away. However, it does not always work that way, and neither should it. Sometimes we get further ahead by practising a little patience rather than paying a high price for making a hasty decision or not allowing sufficient lead-time.

I would be what you would call an "action person" in the 4 different temperament styles. That's also how I started my business. I just wanted to make it happen - not even knowing what I did not know.

Knowing what I know now, it is of unspeakable value for me to embrace different opinions and to get different perspectives before making a blindfolded decision and before losing ground paddling in the deep end of the water. If we want to build better and more meaningful business relationships, it will require patience - depending on the company, culture or country we are dealing with.

My mom has a favourite Chinese proverb which says: "If you are in a hurry, go slowly." She told me that she learned over the years how true this is. It is more likely that something unexpected will happen when you rush out of the door. By not paying enough attention to the task at hand, small little accidents can occur.

Could you be accused of something called the "hurry sickness"? Keep in mind that going at a fast pace all the time and demonstrating impatience won't serve you in the long run.

If you are patient, you are less likely to become upset when the traffic is unexpectedly heavy. It is not something you can change or control anyhow.
If you are patient at home, with your spouse and with your kids, you will certainly experience fewer stressful confrontations.
If you are patient, you will take more time to listen what other people have to say.
If you are patient, you will appear more balanced and relaxed.
If you are patient and don't look for band aid solutions, you will be more likely to achieve a greater level of excellence.

I am not sure if there are people who are born patient but I certainly know that this is a skill, like so many others, that can be learned. I know that because patience is something I have to practise every single day and slowly I can see progress in the way I approach things.

So, be patient with yourself and be patient with others, and if you manage to do that, you will notice an immediate difference.

Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead, and Succeed with WISDOM!

Knowledge speaks,

but wisdom listens.

~ Jimi Hendrix

Wikipedia defines that wisdom as a deep understanding and realizing of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to choose or act to consistently produce the optimum results with a minimum of time and energy.

The older I get, the more I realize that all the dots in our life are connected and some things may not make sense when they happen but looking back, they do. Have you ever noticed that? I certainly know that everything I had to struggle with and overcome, now makes perfect sense. I am grateful for all of my experiences and that I am open enough to learn and grow every single day, but more than anything else, I want to pass this knowledge on to other people. 

In my line of work I meet different people from different backgrounds, different religions, different cultures, who have been raised differently, and as a result I have learned to embrace diversity.

We all know that people nowadays get categorized into different generations like the baby boomers, generation X and generation Y. While I believe there is a lot of truth to that, I do not like to stereotype people and generalize that younger people are unwilling to put effort into their work. They just know better than the generations before what they want and their main goal is to be treated well and to enjoy life. Younger people also want to be treated with respect and the way in which we communicated in the past simply does not work for them. 

Lately I have noticed that many senior people in organizations feel threatened and insecure by younger people entering the workforce. I hear comments like "what can THEY tell me about my line of work that I have been doing for more than 20 years" or "THEY think they can tell me how to do things better" or "THEY are unwilling to learn". Could it be that younger people don't want to be bossed around? Could it be that the way how you communicate with them is not effective? Could it be that their minds need more stimulation as they have grown up in a fast paced world of technology and information?

Wouldn't you agree that those who are older and have more experience should be smarter and should try to figure out how to take advantage of these differences, to make them work for the benefit of everyone?

We all know, every side has two stories. The younger people tell me "THEY are not willing to share their knowledge" or "I have ideas to make things better but THEY think they know it all and their ego does not allow them to listen" or "I can't stay in this place if THEY don't appreciate my input". 

Let's stop it right here. Do you notice that it is all about perspective and how you look at things? It is about your values, your upbringing, the things you have learned in your life, and overall it is about who you are as a person. Are you interested in finding out and showing a genuine interest in the people around you? 

If you have many years of experience in your field, why not share your wisdom with others?

Could it be that a fresh set of eyes and a new perspective could be valuable to make necessary changes?

Is their a slight chance that you would enjoy asking younger people meaningful questions to hear their thoughts and ideas?

How would it make you feel to know that people value you as a mentor who is still interested in learning more?

The advantage older people have to younger ones is that they have gained more knowledge and experience, and therefore they have more wisdom to share. Please don't stereotype our new generation, instead help them to learn, grow, and become better and better so that one day they can follow your footsteps. 

Please share your wisdom but more than anything LISTEN to what other people have to say.

There is a leadership shortage in the world and these young people will be the leaders of tomorrow. Don't you think that it is our obligation to help them to become the best leaders they can be?

Manufacturing Excellence - A Case FOR Employee Engagement

Manufacturing Excellence - Are You Aware That You're Not Aware?

Inspire, Lead, and Succeed by GIVING BACK!

"Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more."

~Anthony Robbins

I want to thank all of my friends, clients, business associates and potential clients for supporting my journey for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Thank you so much!

Thanks to you I was able to exceed my fundraising goal of CAD 5,000.00 and without you none of this would have been possible. 

http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/karin.lindner

As a member of "Steve's Cyclepaths" team, I am proud to say that collectively our team of 150 individuals raised CAD 455,565.96. 

This weekend was certainly an emotional experience for me, especially since the whole journey started with the main purpose of supporting one of my best friends who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. However, I am glad to report that the cancer was caught early and the prognosis is excellent. 

This 2-day event was not only a great athletic, emotional, and mental challenge but it also made me realize just how many people really are affected by this debilitating disease. All the cancer survivors had yellow flags on their bikes and they are proud to show that they won their battle against cancer. If this doesn't give you goosebumps, I don't know what will. 

I am aware that not all of you are willing and ready to cycle more than 215 km in one weekend to demonstrate the strength and willpower to do everything it takes to conquer cancer. However, I believe the amazing lesson learned by participating in such an event is that it doesn't matter how you give back to the community as long as you do and that EVERYBODY should feel obliged to give back in one way or the other. 

Please don't be so consumed by living your life so that you forget to support others and/or worthy causes that deserve your attention.

So what are some of the things you can do?

• Donate money to a good cause
• Offer some of your services for free
• Participate in fundraising events
• Organize fundraising events
• Engage in some volunteer work
• Help friends and strangers with your advice
• Sign up as big brother or big sister
• Become a member of world vision
• Offer random acts of kindness to the people around you

I believe from the bottom of my heart that it does not matter what you do but I am convinced that when you give with sincerity, you will also receive. 

I am certainly glad that I participated in this journey and I can only encourage each of you to add an event like this to your bucket list.

You won't regret it, I promise!

Life is a Marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself

Please take a look at my contest speech at the Toastmasters International Speaking Competition!

It is my goal to become the best possible speaker I can be to serve and inspire my audience around the world!

Our Next FREE Workshop is at the Richmond Hill Central Library on June 8, 2010

We have scheduled our next workshop "Layoff During Difficult Times - The End or a New Beginning?" to give back to our community.

Did you lose your job?
Are you fearful and stuck, looking for guidance?
Are you ready to be pro-active and make a plan for your life?
Do you need help identifying and setting your goals?
Do you want a confidence boost and create more self-awareness?
Do you know someone who lost their job recently?
Do you want to move forward and find the right job for YOU?
Are you thinking about self-employment?

We can help! We 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, we have learned from own experience that attitude is everything and it is our goal to communicate to YOU how you can turn a positive outlook in your job search into action.

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

Our 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 us 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!

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it, and the faith to believe it's possible."
- Rich Devos

When? June 8, 2010 from 6 pm - 8.30 pm
Where? Central Library, 1 Atkinson Street, Richmond Hill L4C 0H5 (west/south corner of Major Mackenzie and Yonge)

Manufacturing Excellence - Why Mindset Matters!

A mindset is a set of assumptions, methods or notations held by one or more people or groups of people which is so established that it creates a powerful incentive within these people or groups to continue to adopt or accept prior behaviours, choices, or tools. it is also sometimes described as "groupthink", or a "paradigm". Please consider my unconventional insights.....