Just like that, 2025 is rolling! Did you make any resolutions for the new year? More and more, I hear less about resolutions—and maybe for a good reason! While many people like to start the new year with big, bold resolutions, most people falter early in the year. January 19th has been declared the unofficial … Read More
Judgement is like a poison. When you jump to judgmental or defensive conclusions about a team member’s performance or attitude, it can affect and corrupt your leadership and your entire organization. It might even eventually spread to create a culture of disconnected, low morale, and high turn-over. The Problem with Judgement: A Case Study In … Read More
As Jim Collins describes in his book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t, the companies that thrive are the ones that work together. When teams are united, there’s stronger communications and decreased disconnect. This leads to better productivity, increased morale, and an overall better flow on the floor and … Read More
Imagine you come into your plant on a Monday morning and find that your team only completed half of the work they were supposed to complete. What would you think or say? You might immediately jump to negative and judgmental thoughts like: What a disaster! Someone should have raised the flag. This is going to … Read More
Have you recently encountered a challenge or setback? You’re not alone! Throughout our lives, we all experience struggles and adversity. This includes career setbacks, like getting passed up for a big promotion or underperforming in a meeting, as well as personal challenges like a scary medical diagnosis or a breakup with a partner. I know … Read More
Last month, we made a big announcement: Operations Kickstart is now Manufacturing Greatness! This new name symbolizes our mission of guiding manufacturing teams into greatness by bridging disconnect, fostering curious dialogues, and sharing the tools for finding stronger leadership and more productive outcomes. Are you ready to manufacture greatness in your own organization? Here are … Read More
Operations Kickstart is now Manufacturing Greatness! After years of helping manufacturing organizations combat disconnect by connecting the top to the shop floor, my team and I are excited to keep up the same work under a new name. Why The Change? While change can be scary and uncomfortable, this shift felt right for three big … Read More
On the manufacturing floor, there are always going to be dozens of different, diverse personalities. When people with different—or even conflicting—personalities need to engage with each other, and it can cause conflicts that drain the energy of the team, create frustration, and lead to low productivity or high turnover. However, it’s still possible for a … Read More
When you have a big success as a leader, it’s all too easy to pat yourself on the back, congratulate yourself on a job well done, and take all the credit. On the flip side, it’s also incredibly easy to blame others at the first sign of trouble. If you find yourself taking credit for … Read More
I am busy, lots of meetings, can’t get anything done! A surefire way to know a drastic change is needed. There was a standard production meeting in comfy chairs that usually ran over an hour every day. We had lots of data to review and had interesting discussions on what happened the previous day and … Read More