71 Bringing Brain Power to the Manufacturing Floor with Dr. John B. Molidor
Release Date: 08/10/2022
146 Manufacturing with Meaning: How Vision Motivates Results
Mindfulness Manufacturing
In manufacturing, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day production numbers, KPIs, and hitting targets. But what about the bigger picture? How do we inspire our teams to not only do great work, but to actually want to be part of something greater? In this new episode with guest Simon Vetter, we dive deep into an overlooked-yet-powerful aspect of manufacturing leaderships: vision. Simon is a Vision Architect, executive coach, and speaker who helps leaders cultivate vision-driven, engaging environments. He’s also one of the authors of Leading with Vision: The Leader’s Blueprint for...
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145 Big Freakin' Change: Leading Manufacturing Through Uncertainty with Cara Moeller Poppitt
Mindfulness Manufacturing
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....
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144 From the Casino to the Factory Floor: How to Play to Win with Joel Block
Mindfulness Manufacturing
What does successful manufacturing leadership have in common with winning big at the casino? It’s all about being an advantage player! In this episode, guest Joel Block breaks down the strategies you need to win big, whether you’re at the casino or on the manufacturing floor. Joel is a former professional blackjack player, who later took his talents to Wall Street to work in venture capital and hedge funds. He’s a dealmaker, strategist, and trusted advisor who helps others grow the mindset they need to outpace the competition and win the game. In this episode, Joel shares unique stories...
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143 Beyond the Hammer: Transforming Manufacturing Leadership with Brian Gottleib
Mindfulness Manufacturing
In manufacturing, many leaders try to use the same tools to address different problems. But just like a hammer won’t work for all projects around your house, your routine leadership approach might not work for all your team members. This means you need to go “beyond the hammer” and find ways to have deeper interactions with your team. The hammer analogy comes from Beyond the Hammer: A Fresh Approach to Leadership, Culture, and Building High Performance Teams by Brian Gottleib. In this episode, Brian shares more about the lessons and insights in Beyond the Hammer, plus offers actionable...
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142 HR Partnerships in Executive Coaching with Kristin Rivait and Joe Carrothers
Mindfulness Manufacturing
When there’s a leadership shift in a manufacturing organization it leads to major change—and brings its own unique challenges like new team dynamics, cultural shifts, and general growing pains. With the right approach, a change in leadership can also lead to valuable opportunities for growth. Just ask Joe Carrothers and Kristin Rivait from SWT Group. Joe is the president of SWT Group who moved from being the CFO to being the president of the organization, and Kristin is SWT Group’s HR director who worked closely with Joe during this unique leadership transition. In this story-filled...
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141 Negotiation Strategies for the Manufacturing Floor with Fotini Iconomopoulos
Mindfulness Manufacturing
On the manufacturing floor, you have dozens of everyday opportunities for negotiation, from talking with a team member about an upcoming pay raise to trying to get a better deal from a supplier. In your everyday negotiations, what can you do to say less, get more, and make effective changes? You need to master the art of negotiation—and in this episode, guest Fotini Iconomopoulos is here to share the tools you need to know. Fotini Iconomopoulos is a master communicator and negotiator based in Toronto. She’s also the author of In this episode, she shares more about the power of...
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140 De-Escalation and Conflict Prevention: Keys to Manufacturing Safety with Carol Cambridge
Mindfulness Manufacturing
When your manufacturing organization is experiencing a crisis, the last thing you want to do is add more oil to the fire! But in a technical industry like manufacturing, many people don’t have the skills they need to safely and effectively address a dangerous situation, like how to de-escalate a conflict or communicate a safety issue to their team. Carol Cambridge is here to help bring more safety to your organization! Carol is an authority on workplace violence, active shooter, and workplace conflict. She’s also the founder of the Stay Safe Project, where she teaches others how to...
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139 Embracing Discomfort to Manufacture Resilience with Paul Taylor
Mindfulness Manufacturing
In manufacturing, we’re all familiar with stress. But did you know that a lack of challenges and too much comfort can also have a negative impact on your health, mindset, and productivity? This is the core concept Paul Taylor presents in his great book As a former British Royal Navy crew member and a current Ph.D. candidate in applied psychology, Paul has in-depth knowledge about stress, resilience, and performance. In this episode on stress, comfort, and psychological safety, Paul draws from his own experiences and research to delve deeper into why discomfort and challenging...
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138 Cost-Savings for Manufacturing: Deliberate Creativity with Dr. Amy Climer
Mindfulness Manufacturing
To find improved cost-savings and better team dynamics, there’s a solution—more creativity! In the technical world of manufacturing, creativity isn’t always a priority, but in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, guest Dr. Amy Climer is here to show why deliberate creativity is the key to driving improvement and cost savings. With a Ph.D in Leadership and Change, Dr. Climer is a speaker, trainer, and coach who teaches teams how to innovate on demand. She is the author of Deliberate Creative Teams: How to Lead for Innovative Results written to help leaders understand how to...
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137 Good People, Bad Decisions: A Fresh Look at Root Cause Analysis in Manufacturing with Bob Latino
Mindfulness Manufacturing
Are you really doing root cause analysis (RCA) or only scratching at the surface of your organization’s problems? When a problem occurs in a fast-paced industry like manufacturing, you want to find the root problem—and you want to find it as quickly as possible! But if you’re not taking some mindful time to ask the right questions and understand the human element beyond your issues, you might be missing deeper, more sustainable solutions. Learn more about the world of RCA in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with seasoned RCA expert Bob Latino! Influenced by his father, who...
info_outlineIn manufacturing, so much revolves around our brains. How we use our brain (and how well we take care of it!) can have a huge impact on many factors on the manufacturing floor, from how we communicate with our teams to how we budget our time. To gain a better understanding of the brain’s role in leadership, I welcomed Dr. John B. Molidor onto the podcast! Dr. John is the CEO and president of the Brain Based Leadership Institute and professor emeritus at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine. In this episode, he shares some key details about brain structure and why people act the way they do, plus offers a few ways leaders can utilize a better understanding of brain power to help motivate, inspire, and empower others in their organization.
1:00 – Brains don’t fully form until we turn 25, so people from younger generations may have different ways of responding and behaving than older generations
2:42 – The main function of the brain is regulating energy
3:15 – Given a choice, your brain will focus on tasks that don’t expend a ton of energy
5:00 – To better help people understand and remember what you say, start with the big picture first, then move onto the details
6:17 – Your brain loves water, so stay hydrated!
6:56 – Later in the day, be mindful of the fact that people’s brains are trying to maintain their energy
9:15 – Help people understand the “why” behind your statements
10:40 – When assigning tasks to someone, try not to give them too many things at once
10:57 – If someone has a lot of tasks, they will probably focus on the easiest ones first
12:28 – Rewards and rest are important
13:51 – The brain is unique because it’s the only organ that can rewire itself
17:16 – Tell people which tasks you want them to focus on first, and what order you want them to accomplish the tasks in to help them prioritize
20:00 – Avoid “by the way” tasks thrown in with the others
21:02 – Set others by for success
24:00 – Brains are very predictive
27:00 – Culture often separates the head and the heart
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