You Cannot Recruit Your Way Out of This | Manufacturing Recruiting New research is challenging what manufacturing leaders assume about recruiting and hiring. A survey of workers found that physical safety, not pay, is the top barrier keeping applicants away from manufacturing jobs, a finding with major implications for hiring, workforce shortage, and applicants across … Read More
Why Nobody Pulls the Cord with Dr. Michael Gillespie | Leadership Decision Making Manufacturing leadership runs on decisions made under pressure, and psychology tells us that distance, not proximity, is what produces good judgment. Plants that struggle with silos, bias, and inconsistent quality often trace the problem back to the same root: frontline supervisors and … Read More
Nobody Inspects the Culture | Safety Culture Manufacturing safety and culture are more connected than most operations leaders realize. Frontline leadership, supervisor communication, and reporting habits all shape whether incidents climb or stay flat on the plant floor. Silence, retention, turnover, forklift incidents, and accountability are all part of the same conversation, and the data … Read More
Your Best Worker Is Already Halfway Out the Door with Darcy Eikenberg │ Employee Retention Retention is the word every plant owner and operations leader keeps coming back to, but turnover doesn’t start with a resignation letter. It starts with employees who feel unseen. Manufacturing leadership is often measured in output and uptime, but the … Read More
Why Your Best Technician Fails as a Supervisor | New Leader Onboarding Supervisor promotion should mark the start of real leadership development, but too often it becomes the point where onboarding, training, and coaching quietly disappear. A technician gets rewarded for strong performance with a badge, a schedule, and a team, yet nobody prepares them … Read More
Why Your Plant Manager Can’t Solve Complex Problems | Time Management for Manufacturing Leaders Manufacturing leadership today demands more than time management. It calls for attention management, prioritization, and clarity around focus, interruptions, and energy. Supervisors and plant managers who understand systems for coaching, boundaries, and recharge are better positioned to reduce burnout, protect priorities, … Read More
The Week-One Blind Spot Costing You New Hires | New Hire Onboarding Onboarding, mentorship, and retention are reshaping how manufacturing leaders think about hiring and workforce engagement. Frontline turnover remains one of the biggest challenges facing plant leadership today, and closing the expectations gap between supervisors and new employees starts with culture, not just training. … Read More
A Reporter Calls Me Every Week Asking Who’s Laying Off with Jason Bates | Manufacturing Community In manufacturing, capacity isn’t unlimited, but the requests on your time often feel like they are. Plant managers, supervisors, and frontline leaders face constant Manufacturing leaders across North America are learning that real growth depends less on chasing headlines … Read More
Every Time You Say Yes, You’re Saying No to Something | Manufacturing Team Leadership In manufacturing, capacity isn’t unlimited, but the requests on your time often feel like they are. Plant managers, supervisors, and frontline leaders face constant pressure to say yes to every ask, every delegation, every “can you help with this” that lands … Read More
The Team Member You’ve Quietly Given Up On with Nir Eyal │ Talent Development In manufacturing, leadership development often focuses on process, but the most overlooked driver of culture, talent retention, and frontline performance may be something less visible: belief. How a supervisor judges a person quietly shapes that person’s growth, engagement, and willingness to … Read More