Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead and Succeed with INNOVATION!

"There's a way to do it better—find it."
~ Thomas Edison

Yesterday I attended an event on innovation at the SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers). It was very interesting to hear all the different insights and perspectives from people who work in the industry.

Innovation can happen on so many levels and that's the exciting part. The backbone of our economy in the future will certainly be innovative start-up companies with the drive to change the world as we know it. There were discussions around protecting IP (intellectual property) but also about the power of collaboration. Should we trust others with a great idea? I would like to think so but reality shows that many times you can't. There are simply too many people who would do anything to make a profit and easily forget about values such as honesty, integrity and ethics. 

Can it be that we need a lesson or two on character building and basic life skills?

From my perspective, I believe that the most overlooked and least understood concept of innovation lies within the development of great ideas from the shop floor. It's the subtle discipline of making small and effective changes on a continuous basis. At the SME event yesterday it was suggested that 90 % of businesses don't understand the stages from having an idea to the successful implementation of this idea. Isn't this mind-boggling?

What would it be like if the corporate culture would fully support employees to constantly look for better ways of doing things?

Where could we be if more people in management would show a sincere interest in engaging people's hearts and minds? 

What could be achieved if we looked at every single idea with the full intention to implement it or at least to make a partial use of this idea? 

What if we embraced ideas more readily? 

What if we looked at ideas as a new possibility instead of an increase of unnecessary workload?

What if we would delegate the responsibility of making it happen to the people who do the actual job?

Continuous improvement is a must if we want to succeed in our endeavours to compete in this global market. The only way to separate ourselves from the competition will be creativity and innovation and this will require encouragement from the top. Standardized processes can hold people back from asking themselves if there is a better way. While standards are important, we shouldn’t forget that standards require regular review and improvement.

The ability to preserve what worked well in the past and move forward with successful new developments will depend on how well inter-generational groups can work together. The key is the right combination of an appreciation of wisdom and experience, and the acknowledgment of fresh ideas and vision for the future. Mutual respect and open-mindedness at all levels of the organization will also be critical. As long we keep this in mind we will be able to overcome roadblocks more easily. 

Inspire, Lead and Succeed Together for a Sexier Tomorrow!

In order to change people's perception, 

we have to start painting a different picture of the manufacturing industry.

~ Karin Lindner

I am proud to say that I finished writing my book "How Can We Make Manufacturing Sexy? A Mindset of Passion and Purpose". It's now in the final stages and will be on the market very soon. 

It is time for change and to make people think! I understand that it may be easier to point the blame at others than assuming responsibility. However, I do believe that we all have to take full responsibility for what's happening. Every single one of us is part of the big picture.  

I have started to share my unconventional insights and observations with the General Public at various Toastmaster and Rotary Clubs. Recently I also had the opportunity to speak at the SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers) and on February 23 I will speak at the CTMA (Canadian Tooling & Machining Association).

CTMA Event in Windsor on February 23, 2012

I believe most people in the industry are not aware how negative people's perception about the manufacturing industry really is. It is astounding how much I find out during and after my talks. Whenever I ask people outside of the manufacturing industry what comes to their mind when they think about manufacturing I hear words such as dull, boring, mindless jobs, dirty, long hours, unsafe, shift work, no education, assembly line, pollution, and the list goes on.

Obviously this is still the mindset of the industrialized age and most people don't seem to realize that we have already entered the knowledge worker age a couple of years ago. 

In the picture above you see the inside of the most innovative factory in the world - the transparent Volkswagen Factory in Dresden, Germany. It is half assembly plant, half museum. Highly automated, glass wherever you look, white overalls for the workers and Canadian Maple hardwood floor. This is the image that we should have in mind when we think about manufacturing because this is the future.

After my presentation people feel inspired and they tell me, "You have taught us newfound respect for manufacturing", "I have never looked at manufacturing this way", "You made us aware that this could be an interesting and rewarding career choice for our children", or "You gave us a lot to think about today."

Can we be surprised when people don't encourage their children to go into an industry that displays this kind of image? They are simply not aware about the opportunities and what the future will bring. 

Manufacturing environments are changing and progressive companies "get it" and go with the times.

However, in too many manufacturing facilities people lack hope, they don't have a voice and more often than not they are looked at as bodies and not as minds. On the other hand it's exhausting for management teams to get their workforce to go above and beyond. 

Doesn’t it make a lot of sense that when you can make a job, a product or service, and a business “appealing”, “wanted”, or even “coveted” by future apprentices, employees, employers, and customers that you have found the key to success? It is surprising what’s possible with the right mindset, attitude and drive. If we would have more sexy leadership, we would have more sexy businesses, and with that more sexy employee attitudes that could result in a sexier tomorrow.