Libsyn Directory

Leadership Self-Awareness in Manufacturing for Capability Managers: Using Personality Assessments to Improve How You Show Up with Christy Smallwood #87

Release Date: 03/22/2023

Why People Leave Manufacturing Jobs — A New North American Research Study #166

Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit and to subscribe to Trevor’s monthly newsletter. If you have questions regarding workforce development in manufacturing operations in North America, email me at and we will propose it in the project scope of research. Why are manufacturing organizations struggling to recruit and retain great people? Let’s find out together! Manufacturing...

Resilience for Frontline Supervisors: Building High Agency to Navigate Adversity and Improve Team Performance with Vickie Lanthier #165

Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit and to subscribe to Trevor’s monthly newsletter. Now, let’s jump in! In this episode, Vickie Lanthier author of High Agency Human: Navigate Adversity and Live Big and former military leader with four deployments shares practical strategies for building personal agency in high-pressure environments like manufacturing. Drawing...

Defining Manufacturing Greatness: Help Me Choose the Subtitle #164

Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit and to subscribe to Trevor’s monthly newsletter. Now, let’s jump in! In manufacturing, most leaders don’t struggle because they lack technical knowledge. They struggle because they’re not connecting with their teams. When skill gaps widen, labor shortages grow, and hiring challenges persist, it’s rarely an operations problem. It’s...

Manufacturing Leadership Development for Plant Managers: Driving Continuous Improvement Through Curiosity on the Shop Floor with Bruce Mayhew #163

Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit and to subscribe to Trevor’s monthly newsletter. Now, let’s jump in! In this episode, Bruce Mayhew, corporate trainer, keynote speaker, executive coach, and author, shares insights on manufacturing leadership, communication skills, and trust building for Operations Managers, Production Managers, Manufacturing Managers, and Shift Supervisors. You’ll...

Employee Engagement in Manufacturing for Plant Managers: Designing Time for Frontline Connection with Brian Herriot #162

Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit and to subscribe to Trevor’s monthly newsletter. Now, let’s jump in! In this episode, Brian Herriot shares insights on manufacturing leadership, productivity, and employee engagement for Operations Managers, Production Managers, Manufacturing Managers, and Shift Supervisors. Brian brings a practical, human-centered approach to help manufacturing...

Employee Retention in Manufacturing for Frontline Supervisors: How Structure, Curiosity, and Accountability Build Strong Teams with Ken Handsaeme #161

Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit and to subscribe to Trevor’s monthly newsletter. Now, let’s jump in! How do you turn a one-machine operation into a thriving business? Find out in this episode with Ken Handsaeme, founder of On Time Precision. Ken’s unique journey started as a machinist, but when he decided he wanted a better retirement plan, he started his own business,...

Employee Retention in Manufacturing for Plant Leaders: Reducing Uncertainty to Build Engaged Teams with Falisha Karpati #160

Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit and to subscribe to Trevor’s monthly newsletter. Now, let’s jump in! In manufacturing plants, the same leadership action can motivate one employee and overwhelm another. Why? It comes down to brain science, communication skills, and how leaders show up under pressure. In this episode, guest Falisha Karpati shares insights on manufacturing...

Leadership Effectiveness in Manufacturing for Plant Managers: Closing the Showing Up Gap to Increase Influence with Susan M. Barber #159

Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit and to subscribe to Trevor’s monthly newsletter. Now, let’s jump in! In manufacturing, it often feels like nothing matters more than performance. Leaders are told to hit their targets, keep the line running, and solve problems as quickly as possible. But performance alone rarely drives real career growth. If you want to advance in manufacturing...

Employee Retention in Manufacturing for Plant Leaders: Building Purpose, Optimism, and Stronger Relationships with Kathy Miller #158

Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit and to subscribe to Trevor’s monthly newsletter. Now, let’s jump in! Welcome back to Kathy Miller, Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame member and former leader at General Motors, Delphi, and Rolls-Royce. She is the author of MORE Is Better, which provides practical frameworks for frontline plant leaders. In this episode, Kathy shares insights on...

Manufacturing Team Performance for Operation Managers: Driving Better Outcomes Through Deeper Conversations with Reggie Davis #157

Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit and to subscribe to Trevor’s monthly newsletter. Now, let’s jump in! Strong manufacturing leadership isn’t just about process improvement or hitting production targets. It’s about how we show up for people on the shop floor. And real leadership growth often starts with leaning into discomfort. In this episode, Reggie Davis, founder of UpLift...

More Episodes

Welcome to Manufacturing Greatness with Trevor Blondeel, where we work with organizations to manufacture greatness by leveraging resources you already have to achieve greater retention, productivity, and profits. To learn more, visit www.manufacturinggreatness.com and click here to subscribe to Trevor’s monthly newsletter.

Now, let’s jump in!

Personality assessments like DiSC and Myers Briggs can help manufacturing leaders better understand how they show up on the shop floor and how their leadership style impacts engagement and performance.

In this episode, Christy Smallwood, speaker and author, shares insights on manufacturing leadership, emotional intelligence, and employee engagement for Operations Managers, Production Managers, Manufacturing Managers, Team Leaders, and Shift Supervisors.

Christy explains how self awareness, communication skills, and authentic leadership strengthen trust building and accountability. You will learn practical strategies to improve feedback delivery, support workforce retention, and create manufacturing cultures where leaders connect more effectively with their teams and drive stronger productivity and results.

1:54 – There are many reasons for manufacturing leaders to consider implementing personality assessments

2:29 – One major benefit of personality assessments is learning your communication style and the communication style of others on your team – this helps you understand what you need to do to get the best results from conversations

3:32 – “We don’t see the world as it is, we see it as we are”

5:03 – As a leader, it’s important to take advantage of any tools you can use to better connect with your team, including personality assessments

5:14 – There are many different types of personality assessments to choose from, and you can pick something that best suits your team or organization

5:53 – One type of personality assessments is the DiSC assessment

7:26 – Some personality types assign an animal to go along with different personality traits

9:40 – If someone is acting differently from their normal personality type, it could be a sign they’re dealing with an issue, like a family problem outside of work

10:55 – In a personality test, there is no wrong answer

11:43 – When people have different personalities, it may sometimes lead to conflict or miscommunications – this is why it’s important to understand why others behave the way they do based on their personality

14:00 – With understanding, even people with vastly different personality types can get along

16:19 – Your personality type impacts the way you show up on a daily basis

18:31 – The COVID-19 pandemic has made personality assessments more important than ever

20:00 – By understanding a team member’s personality, you’ll have a better awareness of what they need to feel energized or supported

25:00 – We all have different aspects of our personalities

Connect with Christy Smallwood

Website

TOPICS