117 You Can’t Proceduralize Everything! With Jake Mazulewicz
Release Date: 05/15/2024
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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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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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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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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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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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...
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In manufacturing, mental health is not always at the forefront. But when you don’t pay attention to your team’s mental wellbeing, it can negatively affect your entire organization, leading to big issues from disconnected teams to high employee turnover. In this episode, find the insights you need to transform your organization’s approach to mental health with guest Adam Nemer. Adam is a former CFO and senior operations leader, whose own mental health struggles inspired him to start Simple Mental Health, an organization that partners with leaders to bring stigma-free mental health culture...
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In manufacturing, it seems like it’s always go, go go! But what if we could take a moment to pause, think, and act a little more thoughtfully and intentionally? Learn what can happen in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with guest Darcy Luoma! Darcy is an author, consultant, and the creator of the Thoughtfully Fit approach, a dynamic and practical model for enhancing leadership capabilities, improving team dynamics, and navigating the complexities of leadership and teamwork. In this episode, she shares a deep dive into her Thoughtfully Fit method, plus shares other tips and lessons...
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In manufacturing, we often emphasize complex processes and new technologies, like artificial intelligence. But to bring true change and productivity to your organization, don’t forget about your people! In this episode, learn all about the balance of technical skills and human connection with guest Emily Nichols! As a professional engineer with decades of experiences in manufacturing and innovation, Emily has worked with organizations like PepsiCo, Janssen, and Henkel. She now works with organizations who want to strengthen the human skills they need to thrive in an increasingly technical...
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In the busy field of manufacturing, how do you make yourself stand out? Find out in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with Mark Levy. Mark is a “differentiation expert,” who helps his clients find bold, innovative ways to showcase their big ideas and differentiate themselves from the competition. Mark has worked with dozens of corporations, brands, and thought leaders, including Simon Sinek, Amazon, Harvard Business School, and Major League Baseball, as well as leaders from government bodies like the United Nations. In this episode, Mark talks more about the importance of...
info_outlineWhen 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
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