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 our experience in a manufacturing environment hence the title “Mindfulness Manufacturing”, we still see our discussions and topics relatable to any organization or profession.

#52 Social Capital gains with Mindful Influence 11/17/2021

#52 Social Capital gains with Mindful Influence In manufacturing we get to work on capital budgets for the next assembly line. In this episode we have a much more interesting conversation with Vivian Blade as she explains what is social capital, and why you should care! With a background in Lean Six Sigma, she just released her third book Influence in Talent Development, and we are excited to have her on the show as a sought-after leadership expert and thought leader, enjoy! Check out below the show notes to see how to connect with Vivian and learn more! 1:48 - In the news, is all about the great resignation and trying to do the great reset so we can retain those employees. 2:14 - People are searching for organizations that align with their values, lifestyles and making the move. 3:53 - Old way of thinking with command and control, do as I say. 4:29 – People want to be more involved in their workplace, making decisions and contributing in valuable ways. 4:59 - Leading with influence and engaging people, rather than leading by dictating and telling people what to do. 7:56 – Giving people leeway and coaching them through. 9:59 – Leading as a coach and guide at a level of influence. 12:39 – Think about how you can selflessly add value to others. 16:06 – How are people being measured and are your measuring outcomes as a team or individuals. 18:29 – What are you measuring, are you measuring individual goals or the collective effort. 23:10 – Take the temperature of your culture, be honest with yourself, reflect and see what impact it is truly having on your organization, and the health and well-being of your people. 24:59- How do we turn this ship around from a people standpoint, which is your most important asset. 26:52 – What people want today is the authenticity from leaders. Connect with Vivian! LinkedIn: Twitter: Influence in Talent Development on Amazon: Resilience Ready: The Leader's Guide to Thriving Through Unrelenting Crises on Amazon: /episode/index/show/mindfulnessmanufacturing/id/21175937

#51 The Economy and Perspective Taking 11/03/2021

#51 The Economy and Perspective Taking With guest Jim Ray! Mindfulness Manufacturing is grateful Jim got us up and running as a professional podcast production, he saved days of frustration and time. Check out more on how Jim can support here He is also a great small business consultant so why not have a conversation with him direct, email Jim to set up a time, [email protected] 1:33 - When you look at the economy you have inflation rising, issues with supply chain, it will take a long time to work its way out. 1:51 – People are getting a little nervous, I think that it is at the business level but also at the household level and you can bring it into the office. 3:19 – One of the things that is going to enable any business to succeed is their ability to communicate effectively, it will always come down to that. 3:40 – True leader need to be super cognizant even more than you have been. About what you say and what you hear, because there is going to be a lot of questions and people are nervous. 5:06 – It’s ok to raise your hand and say I don’t have all the answers right now, but the authenticity, honesty, and integrity that you back it up with will carry the day and help sooth people’s nerves. 5:33 - Leaders need to be cognizant to allow people to voice their concerns. 6:07 – The one thing that is going to enable a company regardless of the balance sheet, or the economy is the people. The people in the business are what will make it win or lose. 12:54- What worked in the past I don’t believe will work in the next 12 months. 14:28 – Allow people to arrive to the answer and they will have a stake in it. 17:12 - It’s ok to be nervous and scared about things, it’s ok to have those feeling it’s what you do with those feeling that will determine your success or failure. 17:53 – Cultivating advisers outside your normal channels will make all the difference, especially when things get more difficult. 22:22- Making sure your team is diverse is a strength, and the smart companies are the ones that are cognizant of that and are working towards those goals. /episode/index/show/mindfulnessmanufacturing/id/21032357

#50 Making the Great Resignation the Great Retention 10/20/2021

#49. Staying out of Judgement Mode Michael Forhan Part 2 10/06/2021

#48 Thermostat or Thermometer? 09/22/2021

#47 Raw, Real, and Relevant 09/08/2021

#46 Conversations with the mirror; Shades of okay 08/25/2021

#46 Conversations with the mirror; Shades of okay If you have not checked out episode 44, head back there when we first had Nikki Langman on as a guest. Grateful to have her back as we look at the stress in the manufacturing industry and how leaning into our core values, and checking in on ourselves, is a great start to build short term and long term resilience! Link here to her website where you can purchase her book direct! 1:17 What are the core values in the business, that we’re going to stick to no matter what? 1:40: When push comes to shove at the end of the day, there are decisions that we look back on and think, was I was true to who I am or I did I go against my core values 2:39 Self awareness and core values are two of the most pressing topics that any industry needs to be talking about 3:09 Leave your personal ideas at the door and put on your armor, no way! 4:55 My history of being a recovering alcoholic, and this is something that I never brought into the workplace until a few years ago 6:49 I think that’s the heart of self-awareness and core values really lies is in our ability to be honest with ourselves 7:43 We are struggling with external pressure and our internal ways of coping with it and our ability to be honest with ourselves 9:27 There are things that we can do in the short term to relieve the pressures we’re feeling 10:35 Might be starting to feel untenable with our employees or even desire to want to be a part of that company 11:05 Look at the person in the mirror and just be have an honest chat to say all right, gloves off, and be honest with yourself 12:45 What does okay look like to you? Why are we tempted to use this bland word, ok, when we know that having a strong emotional vocabulary is one of the keys to emotional self 19:21 If people start seeing the results of your behaviors, then that is either going drive you deeper into that behavior or it’s going to be a wake-up call for you 27:18 Can you help me understand the impact I have had on you and how we can move forward and assist each other to be more present? /episode/index/show/mindfulnessmanufacturing/id/20250176

#45 Mindfulness Employment: Throwing the Baby Out with the Bath Water 08/11/2021

#44 Your Key to Greater Self-Awareness 07/28/2021

#43 Coaching: When You’re Sick & Tired of Being Sick & Tired 07/14/2021

#42 "I know Something You Don't" 06/30/2021

#41 A License to Call Out Your Boss 06/16/2021

#40 Go-Givers aren't Takers 06/02/2021

#39 You ARE in Sales - Embrace it! 05/19/2021

#38 Fear is stupid. So are regrets. 05/05/2021

#37 Those Magic Mindset Goggles 04/21/2021

#37 Those Magic Mindset Goggles 00:00:03.510 --> 00:00:51.510 Trevor Blondeel: Well Dave I was about to start a training session a couple of days ago, and with a group of manufacturing leaders and we're talking about the aware leader I’m all pumped up. And I got a call from my son about 15 minutes before he's 22 and he's going through some major challenges that I can't all explain here, but I can tell you, as a dad, I was shaken up, and it was difficult for me and my mindset to kind of get back on track. A lot of that comes down to just that resilience and what we practice ahead of time, but it was still hard and you Dave had had something in your life to change your mindset this week and tell us a little bit about that. 00:00:52.050 --> 00:02:30.000 Dave Baker: yeah, well you know I tell you. there's you know our guest today provided us this great quote which has helped me check this out mindset drives and shapes all that we do, how we engage with others and how we behave. In every moment and every situation and it's from the Arbinger Institute, and I saw that and read that, in the wake of having to put my best buddy down - man's best friend. On Monday, just a couple of days ago, and you talk about a heartbreaker it absolutely tore me up and quite honestly, it's not easy to talk about but. I have been doing my best, thus, far to just hold it together and that's, all I can do, but you're you know it's all about mindset and my mindset in this grieving process of losing him. It’s has been ebb and flow in the days that you know, since it's transpired and where I keep you know I fight self-pity, anger, restlessness you know just woe is me and what am I going to do it says, you know my if I don't check my mindset man, we go in dark places and I know you can't move forward, and I’ve found myself stuck and it's like check your mindset they where's your head at where is your head and 00:02:30.330 --> 00:03:23.610 Dave Baker: So, know just in time we've got Jacob Knight, our guest with us today, Jacob is all about mindset and we’re so excited to have Jacob with us today, he's the manager he's a leader at FC in the Florence South Carolina area he's he owns Jacob Knight, and he runs Straight Talk on LinkedIn, which is fantastic. It's a community of like-minded folks to sharing thoughts and inspiration so Jacob welcome and man, we can't wait to hear and learn how mindset has impacted you and your career and your personal life so let's jump in man, I mean tell us about this. 00:03:24.150 --> 00:05:00.510 Jacob Knight: yeah, first all day then Trevor, thank you for having me on the show I’ve listened to several episodes and really enjoyed the content and the material, so thank you for that also sorry to hear about your son Trevor going through some things in his life now and I’ll be hoping and praying that it'll strengthen him and helping him in the long run. You know Dave about you about your dog I was like you said man's best friend, I know it's tough and just let me say one thing on that I know you talk about mindset. doesn't always mean that you must pretend like something different happen or something ever happened, you have to do with what happened but deal with it in a positive way that'll get you out of that slump so sorry to hear about that as well. Again, thank you, but the mindset, and whenever you think about mindset, there's a lot of different things that may come to mind. Maybe just how you think about some particularly or to be a small scale or larger scale, but when I think about mindset, I just mean your general frame of mind, you know, whenever you get out of bed. Whenever you look at a task whenever you have an obstacle come your way you know what's the foundation. Of where you're coming from, and I think there are different levels to talk about, but I think at the end of the day, success is driven by having the right kind of mindset, as your foundational steppingstone. 00:05:00.540 --> 00:05:12.360 Dave Baker: So Jacob, as a dyed in the wool manufacturing born and bred, I mean, as I understand man, I love the story, where were when you started sweeping floors? 00:05:12.720 --> 00:06:40.050 Jacob Knight: that's right off the bat. I grew up you know southern in the country most of my family was I guess you'd call them entrepreneurs I didn't know what that word meant back then. We built houses wired houses was pushing was on total lumber did all these things from I think my dad kind of laughs about it. I was three years old, the first time I pull wire under the house, so I was doing that forever since I was born right come out when pulling while my GI joes under the House. Yeah, so you talk about the first large company that I, I was hired on to I’m still a teenager. Just at a high school and we're waiting on equipment to come in the facility, and you know we were asked to sweep the floor and I’ll tell you what I didn't know at the time, but you could really tell a lot about people whenever they were asked to do that task you had, I think I had 24 to 30 people in my group. And most people were pretty upset about it, but I didn't know it at the time, but in my mind, you know I thought hey I’m going to sweep the paint off the floor. I want to be the best floor sweeper into the plan and most people may have thought that look beneath them, which I still sweep the floors now and I don't mind if I get pretty doggone good at. 00:06:43.890 --> 00:07:11.760 Trevor Blondeel: yeah, it's funny those first impressions it's not necessarily. Of course, there are discussions around does this person has the hands, do they have just the mechanical mindset and that is a part. But if they don't and they're sweeping that floor like nobody's business and whatever they do they're just going to do it the best they can, and it's hard to turn people away like that right. 00:07:13.320 --> 00:08:45.240 Jacob Knight: But, if you look throughout you know my career that's definitely been the game changer for me and, if we look out in our society in our culture, yes, there may be a lot of things going on now. That isn't right per se, or maybe they've got this the odds are stacked against you, but I believe that you must have a successful mindset, even while you fight against those things because it's like you know negative breeds negativity you know, and you never really going to get out there slumping and pull ahead unless you have the right kind of mindset that's ownership taking responsibility. Taking you to know I’m going to own up to this I’m going to dig out of this hole, and I have 30 years kind of developed. Some of these characteristics some type of you know, mental strength that you need that doesn't cost you a penny, and I think that's a big thing about mindset is anybody can have the right mindset. You don't have to be rich or poor, or you know you can be anybody and I think that's the strength that you have with mindset is not a degree, you have to get it's something you can actually you know work up in your mind in it comes out in your attitude and your behavior. 00:08:45.870 --> 00:09:16.020 Dave Baker: So, Jacob you and you open the can of worms up and I’m going in all right I’m going to pull them out. What specifically for you, has been so impactful in keeping your mindset, where it is, I mean what do you do that others may learn from or might could benefit and learn what you do. Every day that impacts that. 00:09:16.500 --> 00:09:22.560 Jacob Knight: Okay, so a big question, and this could be a long answer. 00:09:28.680 --> 00:09:44.130 Jacob Knight: I’m going to just tell you kind of about my personal process I’m not saying everybody must have this but I’m just going to let you know kind of where I come from, and then maybe some things I’ve put together that I think or are crucial to have the right, having the right mindset. For me I had a process through life I ended up going to school later on in life after I’ve had had four children, and it was an obstacle, but it was well worth it very beneficial but had a lot of questions about my foundational like you know-how. How I thought about the world what is reality, what is no morality. All those types of type of questions you know what knowledge is, you know starting to get an hour's philosophy and my background is Christianity and probably some you know stoic philosophy, you know just where you know you put your nose down in an obstacle is the top of mine, since I’m kind of a mesh. If you think about it that way that's kind of my foundation that I have grown into, and I believe that's What helps me propel forward but there's some there's generalities there are some general rules if you want to call it that. I think are beneficial for the mindset I call them, and I can't take all this credit I got a great team I’ve worked with some great people in some companies and we've always participated and knowledge-sharing training. Building each other up - one of my big things is I share everything I know I don't keep any trade secrets or any secrets from anybody or anything so I’ve always poured myself out because that made me grow in the process, but having said that, just to I like to think of it in three categories one is the golden rule. And everybody basically knows what that is you know do unto others as you'd have them do unto you, but under that is more respect. You know it's this genuine respect for people, where I really believe people are valuable and I want to behave in such a way that shows respect to them. And I know there were there, how they're valuable in my worldview they're made in the image of God. I want to treat them right and I want to help them succeed and the other one is like an internal drive, so I got this one aspect where I believe it, I’m going to respect. Everybody the best that I can I’m going to give them respect right off the BAT and then it's a strong work ethic, you know you know I’m doing my work on to the Lord or you know you can think about hey I’m doing my work, you know. For me, so to speak for my betterment I’m not trying to impress somebody internally, instead of an external thing I’m not doing it just for $1 or just for a title. Passion and energy preparation, think about it, having a positive attitude, all these things and I’m saying doesn't cost you anything you know these are developed from within your mind. One is progress, moving forward, I want to keep getting better I need to be flexible; I need to be coachable I need to be able to learn and to grow, and those are the things I kind of put together. That, I believe everybody can benefit from, and I call them the golden rule the internal drive-in progress, and I think that and that's really not anything new you can go online and find a means or whatever you call them that have broken down. Types of mindsets that don't cost you anything but those are how well look at him. 00:13:50.880 --> 00:14:11.130 Trevor Blondeel: So, Jacob, you know I hear you and, yes, it's on the Internet, and those are good things we're talking manufacturing here we're making the same thing we got a routine. So, I get on calls and I see people and I’ll say they take up how you are doing and how do you respond when they say I’m living the dream. 00:14:17.280 --> 00:16:13.350 Jacob Knight: Pretty funny line and I even use it joking around because we've here so much you know we hear that phrase, a lot of times live in a dream, just to kind of take a step back right I’m going to go off of what you said, a second ago. You were saying that you know, in the manufacturing world how is it, how do we have this top of mind said. This, when you needed the most I mean whenever you're doing some a day in, day out you're punching a clock if you and I know you all have experienced this but morale you can lose it in a heartbeat. Morale can be lost and it's hard to build a good culture in manufacturing, I believe, and maybe I’m partial because this was in my blood, but culture and morale or everything, so this is the utmost importance in a job, where people can easily feel like they're stuck right. You feel like you're stuck, and I think that the plan that we put together is the path to get you unstuck so whenever somebody says something like that you know. Living the dream right I’ll kind of laugh about it, too, I may say I’m living in a dream or I’ve been busy but really was going on is you know some ways probably giving you some sort of clue that your own happiness. And they want to tell you that and play hey you know what was going on and going back to the story about losing you man's best friend Dave. You were saying it was hard to focus really if you were able to open up with somebody a lot of times that helps you clear out so usually whenever somebody has something to say I’ll say you know. I might laugh about it start where initially didn't ask that you know what's going on, tell me about it, you know what happened and then kind of sympathize and empathize with them a little bit and usually that does start to change the mood. 00:16:13.770 --> 00:16:29.820 Dave Baker: yeah, and I, you know, and Jacob appreciate you bringing that up and I’ll tell you twice this week, I was asked to go to dinner, and I said I mean I know the guy and I said honestly no I don't want to go, he said guess what they've come on we're going anyway. 00:16:31.050 --> 00:17:10.890 Dave Baker: And I’m telling you, it was the best thing I needed that and the second time, you know so buddy called me, and you know it's like hey. You know I don't feel like talking, I was totally transparent with him, I said dude I don't feel like talking. And he said all right well if you don't call me back and calling you again, so in my time I called him back, I did not want to, but I did anyway. Because I knew that that was, I needed to do that I just absolutely needed to do it and that helped keep me moving forward and that's us. 00:17:12.270 --> 00:17:47.880 Trevor Blondeel: And I referenced this a lot around women in manufacturing and how the numbers are not growing they've been stagnant, for a long time. That's definitely one thing that women can bring to manufacturing that sometimes males suck at which is living the dream. You know just laugh it off, but I’d love your response Jacob it's kind of like tell me more about that later, you know is that funny is a little sarcastic, or is that actually a call for help. Because I totally agree with you it's kind of like um what's underneath that. 00:17:48.150 --> 00:18:01.410 Dave Baker: But it could be a forced thing, and it could be real and that person truly is excited and on the top of their game living their dream, and so it can be anywhere In between there but yeah. 00:18:01.950 --> 00:18:46.710 Trevor Blondeel: So maybe the right responses tell me more because then you can understand, is it like Are they in their dream, or are they there and yeah, it's just one of those little things and I think it's what you said Jacob it's being that having the mindset of being open enough to be curious you know if you're in the right mindset, you can do that and. You know it's those little things that you do like I watched some Ted Talk; I remember it was like when you put your feet outside your bed, and you know the morning first thing you say is something greats going to happen today, I mean it can manufacturing is not something we talked about a lot but it's like you got to have something right and it's not going to make your day worse if you say something creates could happen. 00:18:48.870 --> 00:19:32.430 Jacob Knight: yeah, I mean you have to believe you'd have I’m more of a realist, but I don't let that stop me from being positive, you know as you know business owner business leader, you do have to be a realist you can't prove proceed, you know with unicorns you know hopping around and everything is going to be wonderful, but you can proceed all right here's the situation, what do we do about it, you know how do we change this, how can we, how do we get where we're going here's a little setback. But we know we're going to get through this look what we are to get through, you know remind yourself of where you've already come and then where you need to go and that's another great example of the right mindset propelling you forward. 00:19:32.820 --> 00:20:35.190 Trevor Blondeel: yeah, and I think that's what the listeners want to hear they don't want to hear that you have a perfect mindset, they want to hear that it's okay. To be upset, that's okay it doesn't mean on a positive person that actually makes you more authentic because it's like yeah this, this is not good right now and however, we know that it's not always going to be like this, you know it's just where we are right now, and we got to where we’ve got to own it like you said and sit with it and figure out the next thing but it's I think it's what I’m hearing from you is that it's like that bigger picture higher vision, I was talking to a manufacturing team this morning they're basically just saying they're kind of stuck I just there in that routine. But they really weren't working towards anything, so you know I like what how you describe that and it's like, however, that looks like to your plant or to your organization or to you as an individual, but where are you going and enjoy the process. 00:20:35.880 --> 00:21:24.570 Jacob Knight: And if you don't have the opportunity to create that vision. It may be easy for me to say that because I can somewhat create a vision, and everybody goes towards that but not everybody has it and I’ll say one thing you can do. Is if you're stuck, how can I add value to my friend, how can I add value to. My coworker and if you really work on adding value to other people you'll start to grow even if maybe your supervisor doesn't have the vision, you want to see maybe the company you're at. You feel like you're just going nowhere and is hopeless will start actively adding value to other people and your mindset will begin to change, maybe that company won't be there for you forever, but you'll start to develop the right type of mindset for success. 00:21:25.230 --> 00:21:34.290 Dave Baker: And the lens that you look through. This right is exactly how you're going to end up see seeing things and begin shaping your future. 00:21:35.550 --> 00:22:36.030 Jacob Knight: Yes, right and you brought up the lens so that it reminds me of my glasses analogy. A lot of times you know, life is like the weather, you get saying coming in, you as you get when you get it get hail you get tornado will no doubt this is going to be kind of rough but all these things are just flying around at you and a lot of times I think about mindset as a good pair of goggles a nice pair of glasses that allow you to see clearly even during these hard times. It’s not you paint some perfect picture some fake picture or fake analogy it doesn't have you know things done on the lenses but it's giving you a clear view so you can clearly see. look forward and math your goal now so mine says a lot like a good pair of goggles good glasses that keeps those keeps the dust of the world and it keeps those struggles from interfering with your vision, and it really helps you set your mind man forward. That's a good analogy that I like to use. 00:22:36.810 --> 00:22:58.020 Dave Baker: Then another one is its kind of like you know your mindset is kind of like your diet you've got a junk food diet or a healthy diet and between the two, I mean just like you know your mindset it directs your future it impacts, the result right it. 00:22:58.050 --> 00:23:36.960 Jacob Knight: 100% you have to have food to come in your body right or most of us do we have to have food to survive, you can fill it with junk, or you can fill it with something fairly nutrition, even if... /episode/index/show/mindfulnessmanufacturing/id/18581666

#36 The Currency of Success - Kindness 04/07/2021

#36 The Currency of Success - Kindness Trevor 0:12 You know Dave, I've been working a long time on my awareness of others, and I'm a task-oriented. Go get them, type person, and really been trying to balance that. And the same thing is that I always kind of wake up thinking, I'm a good person. But then sometimes I find myself being short with people and someone said to me, you know, it's not about, you got to try to be kind, you just got to be mindful of not being unkind, what do you think of that Dave. Dave 0:47 That's crazy. I, first of all, I appreciate you admitting your work through your self-awareness because that's all part of the process here. But as we all are, especially me, but, you know, with kindness. A my take on that is, you can be kind all day long but if you're not aware of how you come across people read through that kindness perhaps as manipulative or a little bit of, it's not sincere. And you may be kind, but you're truly unkind, in the eyes of others and Tate's gets kind of cool and we've got Elizabeth guests with us here today and she is. Got a quote or a motto that is just phenomenal. It's, it's basically genuine kindness is tested and proven method and leaving people better than when you met them. And that's just, that's extraordinary and I used to say that about safety at work in a manufacturing environment. We want people to leave as good or better than they were when they came here but, Elizabeth, put a different twist on this relative to kindness, and we're going to jump in with Elizabeth today on this topic in many others I'm sure as we go but welcome Elizabeth, how are you doing today? Elizabeth 2:17 I'm doing well, thank you so very much Dave and Trevor for having me I am super excited and stoked to be here with you all today. Dave 2:25 Good deal. Good deal. Well, you know, from Queens, New York as a native of Queens, New York. With this migration south, you know, as I understand from back in oh six of kindness was not a part of your experience in one of the reasons that you moved to South Carolina. Right, I go in there and ask you to unpack that for us because you've got a great story there. Elizabeth 3:00 You see, in 2006 I didn't understand kindness. I was actually… I am a survivor of domestic violence and uprooted my family my three boys at the time and moved to South Carolina barely knew anyone here had some family here and I really just was looking for that fresh start. And you know, being from Queens, New York. Kindness is not really the thing that's associated with the New York, uh you know you've got the, you know I'm looking here kind of thing going on. And, you know, so I always felt that, yes, I was born and raised in New York but I believe I'm, I've always been a Southern belle but, you know, at heart, but kindness is just, to me it is just the most important thing to me it is the currency of success. It is what I have used it is tested and proven, and more than likely people will understand, you know how your interactions have impacted them and they'll want to experience those things over and over again, and the method that has to be included in that is going to be kind and how you continue to treat others and how you know that is reciprocated through relationship. Dave 4:10 Well, Trevor. I mean, don't ask me about kindness I mean you set me up in the beginning, but that's why I'm so glad Elizabeth is here today. Yeah, Elizabeth. Trevor 4:23 So what do you think about kindness then, you believe like everyone is naturally kind, and then our brains are kind of hardwired, and take stealing from Brene Brown a bit there, you know, we'd love to judge, and for some reason our, our brains if we're not intentional, just turn to that judgment, and it's not a good feeling and I catch myself doing it sometimes and it's kind of like, why did that unkind thought, Where did that come from because I don't want that. Where do you think that comes from or what are your thoughts on that? Elizabeth 4:58 I believe it's the understanding of kindness. Kindness is not the absence of judgment, it's not the absence of error, I think it is intentionality, it is you're making an intentional decision to treat someone better, you know than maybe they would expect to go above and beyond what's expected and kindness sometimes has this, I guess misperception of being weak, or you know just being you know no place in the workplace or, you know, I've got to be aggressive or you don't have to, you can have such significant present presence, and leave a kind, you know, I guess feeling with someone and just really just have an exchange that is pleasant. So, I can still have great influence I can still have great negotiating skills, but you may want to do business with me more because of the experience you have with me. I am all about experience, every experience, every interaction with someone should be five stars, or very close to it, where we should be striving to do it. Trevor 6:05 So how did you, like that's beautiful what you said, and how did you get from like that New York State to that. How well you articulate that, and I can just feel the passion in your voice when you say that. Was there something? How did you get there? Elizabeth 6:20 I think, if I may use just the experience of being a domestic violence victim, of course, you don't have a voice, you don't really know how to advocate for yourself, you know you're receiving things that are not kind or unkind and as he mentioned earlier. So I really had to learn first to be kind to myself, and one, and then I also had to learn to be kind to others because I was so suspicious of everyone, every interaction I figured this would bring some form of hurt, and there was a defense mechanism that was up, so I felt like you know, maybe I'm not going to show my kind side because I don't want you to take advantage and I started realizing I was running into these brick walls because I had such a tough exterior. And when I learned this key skill and actually transferred it over into my professional world. I'm telling you like my success with people just skyrocketed through the roof, because I was able to be vulnerable, and that's why I'm so transparent with my journey messy says everything that I've accomplished Hey, whatever I know I'm willing to share with you because I believe it'll help make you better. Dave 7:37 Well, so when you know when I think of the best compliment I've ever received is “Dave, you're one of the kindest people I've ever met!” And I'm not sure that I've heard that. But once or twice in my life. Right. And it's like, you know, why is that not. Why do I not hold that with greater regard? Why is that not a higher priority for me? Well, the bottom line is it doesn't sound or feel that ‘manly’. Right, living in a manufacturing environment it's about being tough it's about delivering it's about hitting the home, and, you know man-made, but I'll also tell you that I have fired people with the utmost kindness to where when they walked out of the room, they either shook my hand hugged me, smiled and said, thank you. In the end, I think that's just a real demonstration of kindness, kindness like you had said earlier is not a weakness. It's not something that shows the sign, you know, shows vulnerability, it's something that basically commands. The situation or commands the circumstance, and a kind person, can be kind in whatever it is that they’re doing. And that's, this is, this is awesome it's a great conversation. But I want to change it up just a hair. I want to talk a little bit about something that I know about you, where you believe that you've got to have this mindset where average, and, you know, the average is average but breaking through this glass ceiling is like. You can do this, I can do this regardless of who you are and from your background, your, your life story, to where you are today. You know glass ceiling. Right? I know glass ceilings, believe it or not as a white guy. Right, I know a glass ceiling. I know when I see it I know when I feel it I know I’ve experienced it, but what's your take on the trick, other than kindness, right, which is in there, where what? Where's this coming from that this mindset of we can break this glass ceiling? Take us down that path. Elizabeth 10:26 So, I'm back to your analogy of glass ceilings, which is one of my favorite sounds, the sound of glass, hitting the floor after you have shattered the ceiling. I love it. I love being perceived as the underdog, and then just coming in and just kind of walking and leading the pack that's me. And I only learn that by taking advantage of all of the opportunities. So, for example, moving to South Carolina. I didn't really have any employment, um, when I first got here it was almost like you needed to know someone to get in here I knew I had skills but you needed to know someone. So I ended up traveling back and forth to New York for a year. The brain now might be. And so having to go back and forth, until I was able to find a position here. Once I landed a position here, I knew in my mind, I'm not going to waste this opportunity. I have been given a second chance. And so I'm going to take every opportunity given to me and just run with it. So, the first step is to really believe that you can be something other than what you've been so it does start with a mindset. It starts with something of saying, Okay, what I've done to this date, I want it to be different from what I do tomorrow. So even now if you look at my story now, it is so uncommon. I didn't graduate from college until I was in my 30s. I'm now a director of human resources I own a consulting agency I'm a Director of Human Resources for five branches at Carolina Foothills Federal Credit Union, which I absolutely love working there because it gives me an opportunity to get into the community, but all of that aside, all of that couldn't have been done without a renewed and retrained mindset. So all of those things would just allow me to say hey I'm just going to keep breaking barriers and just shattering glass ceilings, and that wasn't done by anything that I've done, it's not that I'm that great, that I was able to do it. It's a renewed mind that transforms you and kindness, helps more people take chances on me than rudeness. So being unkind, it's what allowed people to say hey I want to take a gamble on her, and they - they're winning. Trevor 12:51 They say I've got a whole, whole concept of you look externally to things but never trust someone that gives you a shirt that isn't wearing one. So it's that same thing of, you know, you, you got to look inside yourself. So, for the listeners then Elizabeth, how do they know or are they being kind to themselves and you have to do those things that those accomplishments that you've, you had to work on yourself first, and then note that because you got yourself in that right mindset. You were able to do anything you did anything you want to do, and how about for someone, when you talk to people, I know you've helped others, how do you help someone that's maybe stuck, and right now they're trying to touch that glass ceiling, they're not breaking through. What can they do listening and maybe driving into work right now? Elizabeth 13:45 One of the biggest things I believe is understanding your expectations. If we understand the frustration. Frustration is the unmet expectation, it means that I haven't clearly communicated my expectations to you and therefore, you can't meet them, I never told you what I was looking for. So, I think if that person understands truly what it is they're expecting from whether it's the organization, they're in, whether it's the business they're trying to launch the book they're trying to write whatever it is they're trying to do, they have to have that vision and goal. Once you have that vision and goal in place, then you can begin to command the response that you're looking for, and I use Command very loosely because I don't use it in a way to where you have to come in a brace it and aggressive. You don't have to do that. I think if you're very clear in advocating for yourself. Also, giving out what you expect to receive. So, if you're looking for support. If you're looking for genuine leadership, you've got to put those out there, you can't hoard all of your kindness to yourself and expect everyone else to divvy out their areas of kindness, it's just not fair. So, I think you have to be positioned in that to show the world what it is you're expecting for them and be okay to actually receive it and do something with it, and then be okay to give it out. You don't keep it, you give it. So hopefully that answers your question. Trevor 15:14 Yeah, I think that ties into that whole transformational aspect that, that I know that you have experience in your space, how does that tell you that that whole transformation. I think it is about transforming the area, most people, you can transform two areas. One internally, you can transform what's happening within you and within your mind. You also have the power to influence your environment. And that is really what I specialize in with leadership development is really teaching the leaders or whether it's emerging leaders or leaders that have been doing this for 15 plus years, you have the authority and ability to transform your environment, if you're willing and open to change. If you keep giving out the words seven expensive words ‘we've always done it that way'. If you keep giving out those words you're never going to experience transformation is an intentional change. Change is disruptive, you have to be willing to disrupt your normalcy. So even in organizations. That's why I say relationships are so key and being intentional and building those relationships because it's going to require your change it's going to require you to do something different than you've always done. Dave 16:30 So listen, if you did something that you had never done before, in making the transition from New York to South Carolina but let's bring it up, maybe more recently and share with us I'm putting you on the spot here, but again, share with us a transformation that you've made recently that really took a, an intentional effort in checking your mindset. Elizabeth 17:06 So for me, um, and I'll talk about joining the credit union, if I may join the credit union, a whole new industry I came from a large retailer. And so I came from a large sports retailer and so going into the credit union was a totally different new industry. So I was coming in, brand new to an organization that never had an HR person at all, they've always kind of operated on their own. And I was tasked with, you know, having all these policies and procedures and things and, and, and I was fine with that. But what I asked for my seat, CEO is May I have time to just go sit with the employees. And he kind of, you know, looked at me a little perplexed and he said well, you know, do you want to start there and I said yes because I need their buy-in. I need to build relational equity with the employees. So my first two weeks I believe I went around to all the branches and I sat down one on one with all employees, and I went in thinking that I had to find out the problems to solve the problems, I didn't. All I had to do was sit down and listen to them, and influence them and make them aware that they were the solutions to the problems that they had. And there were some things of course that they that were out of their scope of control that I needed to take, take care of cool we can do that. But for some of these things, they're in your wheelhouse, you can do this, you can fix these things, and it was so amazing because it took me out of the mindset of a problem solver to a part of the solution that was already in place, so I was coming in thinking I needed to wear a cape and fix all these things, they already had what they needed, I just needed to help influence the change. Dave 18:59 Wow. And then so that transformation was not transactional, it was a process, it was relational. Elizabeth 19:10 It was relational. Too many times, you know, I remember and think about where, in order for me to transform to change, to take it to the next level, it's like, what box, do I need to check right from a performance basis, you know, what can I do as opposed to making that investment in overtime. In, with the relationships of the people, and look at it more of as a process. Elizabeth 19:50 Absolutely. I mean it, even and I'll add this to it if I may, it was a matter of just creating those just because moments, and I ended up and I still do these to this day where I just send a Skype, how are you, you know how's the family, what's going on with you and it's to the point where now, not only am I having conversations with the employees about HR issues and topics, but they're telling me, hey I just bought a house, I want you to see my daughter's you know dance recital, I'm so I'm ingrained in their life, and I think it's so important because they spend so much time at work, why would you want to spend time at a place where no one cares about what you have going on. So it's so important to build those relationship blocks and just continue to build upon them and they just kind of serve itself because now employees want to work. Now they want to come here now they want to share their successes so it's a give and take. Trevor 20:46 That's pretty cool how you're able to come in as a fresh set of eyes and. And they always say, you know the answers aren't within the four walls. Law those answers are there, you have every, every employee’s an engineer. And you, you have to have that give and take and the fact of, if you don't care about me personally. How can I trust and if I can't trust, how do I engage and it's just that whole circle that always comes back and forth and it's like the answer is right in front of us and it's like, and I was guilty of that of just getting so much on the task. And really it's kind of like as, especially as leaders. It's sometimes less effort we put in the greater results we can get and that ties into the whole coach approach right and just the fact of, hey, what's, what's going on, counts want to get to know you want to have that. If I want to help transform you and then I think that ties back into the whole, you know, kindness and not judging and just, Hey, I'm just curious, that's interesting, how you feel that way. Tell me more. And just, it just comes out and then all sudden and what, how can we didn't talk about this before I don't know where we are now, that's good. Elizabeth 22:00 Exactly. Well, Trevor, I mean that was even, you know just such a great point that you just made, and even in that it is understanding, even as leaders, you know, this is not to beat up on leaders at all at all at all because a lot of times we are tasked with getting the targets done getting the goals that making sure we meet our goals is, you know, production up and a lot of times those things that noise crowds out the fact that hey I actually have I even checked on my people today have I even asked how to do it, you know, so a lot of times, it depends on what the noise frequency is of the organization. If it's goals, then that's fine. Let it be goals but let there be a section where you have a people strategy, where maybe you're tasked with keeping an eye on your people. So that could be something that that could be, you know, a fix to that too if you don't really have yourself finding the time to check on some kind of ties right back what you said earlier about just being intentional doesn't just happen. There's enough noise in the day and enough... /episode/index/show/mindfulnessmanufacturing/id/18490817