122 Good People, Bad Process: How to Measure and Improve Your Team with Martin Low
Release Date: 07/24/2024
161 Frontline Manufacturing Leadership: How Structure, Curiosity and Accountability Drive Retention with Ken Handsaeme
Manufacturing Greatness
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, which he first operated out of a barn with a single machine. It eventually grew into a thriving manufacturing company serving military, aerospace, and medical customers—and helped Ken fulfil his successful retirement dreams. In this episode, Ken shares the lessons he learned throughout his career, ranging from the...
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160 Manufacturing Retention and Team Engagement: Why Leaders Must Reduce Uncertainty with Falisha Karpati
Manufacturing Greatness
In manufacturing plants, the same leadership action can motivate one employee and overwhelm another. Why? It’s all about brain science! In this episode, guest Falisha Karpati discusses how frontline leaders can harness brain science to build more inclusive, human-centered organizations. Falisha is a Brain-Based Inclusion Consultant located in Montreal, Canada. She holds a PhD in neuroscience and a decade of experience studying the brain. Through her signature UNITING BRAINS framework, she guides organizations through the development of inclusion-focused initiatives and provides interactive...
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159 The Showing Up Gap: Why Great Manufacturing Leaders Get Overlooked with Susan M. Barber
Manufacturing Greatness
In manufacturing, it often feels like there’s nothing more importance than performance. If they want to move up in their career, leaders are told to hit their targets, keep the line running, and solve problems as quickly as possible. But in reality, performance alone rarely drives real career growth. If you want to actually grow in your manufacturing career, it’s time to put more emphasis on visibility, curiosity, and building stronger relationships. Learn more in this episode with guest Susan M. Barber, a former Fortune 500 leader with over 25 years of experience at Kraft Heinz. She’s...
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158 Improving Manufacturing Retention Through Purpose, Optimism, and Better Relationships with Kathy Miller
Manufacturing Greatness
Welcome back to previous guest Kathy Miller! Kathy is a member of the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame and has held leadership roles at General Motors, Delphi, and Rolls-Royce. She is also the co-author of Steel Toes and Stilettos and the author of a new book, MORE Is Better, which introduces practical frameworks for frontline plant leaders. She’s an expert in blending academic research with real-word stories, and it’s always great to hear her insights! In this episode, Kathy draws on both her manufacturing experience and her master’s degree in applied positive psychology to...
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157 Better Teams, Better Outcomes: Manufacturing Leadership Through Deeper Conversations with Reggie Davis
Manufacturing Greatness
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 if you’re ready to transform your leadership and change how you show up for your team, the first step is leaning into discomfort. Learn more with guest Reggie Davis, the founder of UpLift Coaching and Consulting and the author of Better Together: Embracing the Discomfort of Difference. With over two decades of leadership experience, Reggie helps people navigate the hard-but-necessary conversations they need to forge lasting...
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156 Manufacturing Teamwork and Accountability: Leading with the Thermostat Mindset with Sheri Holt
Manufacturing Greatness
Are you leading like a thermometer or a thermostat? If you find yourself reacting to problems instead of setting the tone for your team, you might be acting like a thermometer. But with practice and the right mindset, you can become a thermostatic leader who sets the climate for your whole team or organization. Learn more in this episode with guest Sheri Miller Holt, the author of Thermostatic Leadership: The Quiet Power of Creating Balance and Influence. Drawing on her years of experience in organizational development and leadership training, Sheri unpacks the true meaning of thermostatic...
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155 Culture Improvement Starts with Self-Awareness in Leadership with Anne Bonney
Manufacturing Greatness
Change can be daunting, but learning how to effectively navigate uncertainty and discomfort is essential for leaders who want to grow their mindset, shift from panic to curiosity, and show up as their best selves for their team. In this episode, take a deep dive into the psychology of change with Anne Bonney, a certified speaking professional, leadership expert, and TEDx speaker who specializes in helping leaders navigate change. She covers topics like how leaders can shift their mindset to thrive in uncertainty, how to manage the fear of the unknown, and why understanding the human brain’s...
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154 Break the Blame Cycle: Approaches to Solving Problems with Maggie Harlow
Manufacturing Greatness
If you want to change your results, you need to change your approach. These words of wisdom come from Maggie Harlow, the co-owner of Signarama Downtown in Louisville, Kentucky. With years of experience in the custom sign manufacturing industry, Maggie doesn’t just talk about leadership—she lives it. She’s also a keynote speaker and speaks on a range of topics, including visionary leadership, gratitude, and finding new approaches to problem-solving. In this episode, Maggie shares more about her background in the sign industry and offers practical, transformative insights on what it...
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153 Closing the Generational Gap: What Manufacturing Leaders Must Get Right Now with Michelle McCullough
Manufacturing Greatness
When your workplace includes baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z employees, it can seem impossible to keep everyone happy and fulfilled. In a multigenerational workplace, can you really create an environment where everyone feels supported, valued, and motivated? It is possible—and in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing, guest Michelle McCullough provides the insights and tools you need to drive engagement, trust, and emotional well-being across all generations. Michelle is a nationally recognized speaker, leadership expert, and workplace culture expert and has spent years...
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152 Why Your Team Lacks Motivation and How You Can Improve It with Jim Pancero
Manufacturing Greatness
When you’re dealing with a disengaged team or low morale on the manufacturing floor, a motivation team might sound like a myth. But with the right mindset and workplace environment, you can improve morale, performance, and engagement. Learn more on the Mindfulness Manufacturing podcast with guest Jim Pancero! Jim is a legendary sales and leadership coach and has over 40 years of experience working with manufacturing, warehouse, and distribution teams. In this episode, he shares insights on what truly motivates teams, touching on subjects like positive communication, building engagement, and...
info_outlineResults matters! Whether you’re looking at safety, quality, or productivity, you and your team want to know how you’re performing. But when it comes to people, it can be difficult to measure your return on investment.
In this episode, guest Martin Low walks us through the best strategies for measuring your team, plus shares great insights on why people matter most in your organization. Martin is the founder and CEO of On Plane Consulting, where he helps organizations transform and improve by building and leveraging their people capabilities. He also has over 20 years of human resources experiences at companies like Amazon and Blue Apron, and brings great insights on how to measure your team, clarify your processes, and create a culture where everyone shows up at their best.
3:23 – You can’t measure people in the same way you measure inventory, cash flow or other main areas of your organization
6:31 – If you don’t invest in your people, it leads to issues like high turnover and halted productivity
7:36 – If you don’t have a baseline, you can’t measure
8:45 – If someone on your team is underperforming, use curiosity to find the cause
8:52 – Establish a baseline for what good looks like within your team or organization
9:45 – If someone on your team has higher rates than others, study their process and see how you can implement their methods for your whole team
11:50 – When results don’t meet expectations, approach the issue with curiosity instead of judgement
14:08 – With clearer processes, your team can improve and your organization can reduce turnover
14:24 – As a leader, you should make your expectations clear and hold others accountable
15:33 – With clarity, your team members find more agency and can improve the way they show up
17:31 – Create a process where you and your team can use your energy in a productive way, instead of just trying to survive the day
19:37 – Surveying your team is a strategy for assuring everyone is aligned and understands your processes, values, mission, and goals
22:52 – With a survey, leadership can find solutions directly from their team on the floor
24:18 – Most people show up wanting to do a good job, and clear processes can help them improve how they show up
Connect with Martin Low
Learn more about On Plane Consulting
Contact On Plane Consulting at hello@onplane.com
Contact Martin at martin@onplay.com