With Intention: A Proven Path to Uncommon Results, Unleashed Influence, and Ultimate Fulfillment

| Author : Jon Giganti, 2022

What’s It All About?

Do you ever start with positive intentions, but struggle to take the action you need to find your desired outcome? You might have an “intention deficit disorder!” This feeling is definitely something I’ve struggled with before, but I feel much better about it after reading Jon Giganti’s With Intention.

Jon is a friend, professional speaking colleague, and amazing human being. He is also someone who has struggled with mental health, and used his own vulnerability to craft the authentic, transformational lessons and stories he shares in With Intention. In his book, he presents the concept of his “With Intention Wheel,” which includes components like awareness, agency, and ambition. He also shares how to master and leverage these components, so you can find success in areas like identifying your blind spots, taking ownership of your past, and impacting your world and organization in a meaningful way.

I read With Intention in one sitting on my way back from a vacation in Portugal, and found it to be a very inspiring read, with a great combination of Jon’s personal stories and actionable insights and models.

Favorite Quote

“Schedule margin. Don’t overbook yourself with meetings and calls. Doing so dumps cortisol into your bloodstream, unleashing an abundance of byproducts that negatively impact your health.”

Biggest Takeaway

When Jon talked about building into others and the energy we have, it felt like a humbling punch between the eyes! This past year, I’ve been more focused on my work than ever before, and I’ve been working jam-packed days and using my weekends to catch up. Through his book, Jon shifted my intention. His words showed me that through stepping back, I can actually have a greater impact. Through allowing myself more space in the day, I have more opportunities to take action and serve others.

Bonus Information

Jon’s book is a great investment, and also includes a course for crafting your own “With Intention Plan.” In his course, Jon walks you through three sections: your current state, your future state, and what you can do to close the gap. It really took me to the next level, and I would highly recommend it!

Reviewed by: Trevor Blondeel, October 31, 2023

At Manufacturing Greatness, Trevor Blondeel works with manufacturers to connect the top to the shop. If you’re ready to improve your own organization, contact Trevor to learn how Manufacturing Greatness can help you build stronger leaders and develop a dynamic, high-performing workplace.

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