Podcast - Mindfulness Manufacturing
Trevor Blondeel ran manufacturing facilities and was not always a very ‘Mindful’ leader. He didn’t have a resource like this when he was caught in the whirlwind of manufacturing.
Experience taught him that you can be assertive and drive accountability in manufacturing, and also be kind. Inspired by the desire to make manufacturing a better place to work, and improve the lives of their colleagues, this podcast was born.
His intriguing offsets and authentic guests provide new ways of thinking for his audience. Have a listen to this relaxed, candid format you can consume on your drive to work, or whenever you are just looking for a different perspective!
Mindfulness Manufacturing
Our show is about providing listeners with real stories that come from a place of experience, transparency, and authenticity. Most importantly it’s about what we learn from these stories and applying Mindfulness in our everyday work and personal lives.
Our intention is to create an environment where people can learn through open honest discussions on how we apply Mindfulness. Although our experiences and stories come from time in a manufacturing environment hence the title “Mindfulness Manufacturing”, we still see our discussions and topics relatable to any organization or profession.
When a mistake occurs on the plant floor, your mind might jump to one question: who caused this issue, and should I write them up for their mistake? But there’s a more productive approach you could be taking—and in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, guest Dr. Jake Mazulewicz breaks it all down!
With a background as a firefighter, EMT, and military paratrooper, Jake knows the challenges of high-hazard industries, and works with organizations to reduce errors and create safer, more reliable workplace environments. In this episode, Jake shares why you can’t procedularize everything, including the way you handle errors and accidents, and offers great insights and stories about how to use connection and curiosity to improve safety, address errors, and strengthen your organization.
3:35 – Procedures and policies are the work that is imagined, and on the floor is how the work actually gets done
4:19 – The work as-done is almost always radically different than the work as-imagined
5:20 – Even when you have standards and people show up wanting to do a good job, you can still see issues that need to be addressed
6:44 – There will always be areas that absolutely need to have procedures in place
8:02 – There are also adaptive jobs, which leans less into procedures and more intro troubleshooting and tacit human knowledge
10:56 – In an ideal environment, both mechanistic and adaptive models are used and respected and needed
12:11 – There are four levels, ranging from strict procedurals to looser guidelines that show what to do, but not how to do it
15:36 – Tacit knowledge gets shared through conversations
16:22 – A way to share important information is to have frontline experts record videos sharing their insights to problems, especially those that are not covered in procedures
19:44 – Through conversation and connection, more knowledge is shared
21:58 – Debriefing also plays a central role
23:45 – If you have strong discipline, you’ll find more freedom
25:31 – In most situations, errors are signals, not defects
27:07 – When an error occurs, be curious and find the deeper cause of the problem
Connect with Jake Mazulewicz
Find him on Linkedin
Visit his website
Perfect Morning Mantra! I've incorporated this podcast as part of my morning routine before work and it is truly a fiery way to start my day. This will give the listener a refreshing perspective on managing and help prepare them for the day ahead.
Evan Pelton, Manager at NSG Pilkington
Love This Podcast!! All of the episodes contain a wealth of information, which I am able to implement in my everyday job duties! Do yourself a favour and start listening today!
Missy Jackson, TL A-Crew Supervisor, Nucor Tubular Products