Big Freakin’ Change: Leading Manufacturing Through Uncertainty
Modern manufacturing leaders are currently facing unprecedented shifts, from tariffs and labor shortages to rapidly evolving new technologies. In the words of recent Mindfulness Manufacturing guest Cara Moeller Poppitt, manufacturing is seeing some “big freakin’ change!”
As the founder of two award-winning companies, Cara ranks among the top 2% of all female entrepreneurs. Through her speaking and coaching, she now guides thousands of other business leaders toward unlocking their full potential, breaking down barriers, and taking bold action to achieve their highest aspirations. She’s also the author of the upcoming book Big Freakin’ Change: How to Gain Confidence by Stepping Out Before You Are Ready.
On Mindfulness Manufacturing, Cara shared her game-changing model for keeping up momentum, staying connected with your team, and navigating big changes with confidence.
Five Steps for Navigating Big Freakin’ Change
Step One: Acknowledge Where You’re Stuck
If you don’t acknowledge a problem, you’ll never find a way to address and overcome it. To move forward, you have to admit where something isn’t working — whether it’s a specific process, team alignment, or even a personal leadership habit. Start by identifying areas that feel stalled or repetitive. This doesn’t have to be dramatic, since even noticing a recurring minor issue is the perfect entry point for improvement.
Step Two: Identify the Type of Change Needed
The next step is identifying the type of change your team or organization needs. Cara breaks these types of changes down into a few major categories:
- Behavioral
- Financial
- Relational
- Environmental
It might also be a mix of a few of these categories. To determine the type of change you need, ask yourself: what’s creating the biggest ripple effect in your operation? Once you identify the type of change you need, work toward an outcome that directly addresses your most pressing challenges.
Step Three: Manage Your Mindset
Change starts at the top—but it only sticks if you truly walk the talk as your team’s leader. This means you can’t change your team’s mindset unless you manage your own. If you’re overwhelmed or hesitant, your team will pick up on it. To better manage your own mindset, start by shifting from shame to curiosity. When you encounter an area where you feel stuck, don’t just to judgmental questions like “why can’t we get this right?” Instead, try empowering questions like:
- “How can we make this better?”
- “What’s getting in the way of achieving the results we need?”
By using empowering questions, you’ll find more empowering solutions.
Step Four: Build Momentum with Small Shifts
In a high-pressure manufacturing environment, there’s a temptation to overhaul everything at once. However, sustainable change starts with small and repeatable wins. Instead of launching a full-scale transformation, find the one process, meeting, or ritual you can tweak today. For example, you make focus on improving shift pass-offs or reinforcing safety checks. These wins might seem minor, but they are still worthy of celebration.
Step Five: Act Boldly and Celebrate the Journey
After building confidence with small successes, it’s time to make bigger and bolder moves. Depending on your organization, this might mean changes like introducing a new operating procedure, realigning department relationships, or tackling uncomfortable conversations. Acting boldly means stepping outside your comfort zone as a leader and bringing your people along with you.
Learn More on Mindfulness Manufacturing
To hear more about navigating “big freakin’ change” with Cara Poppitt and to hear more insights about her upcoming book, listen to Cara’s episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing here.