Many businesses, if not all, are being tested during these challenging times of the pandemic.

It’s like a black swan event – it doesn’t happen each year, but it’s a major disruptor.

In today’s economic climate, it’s important now more than ever to have an online presence, otherwise, people are not going to be able to see you. You can't do in-person meetings and networking like you used to do before.

While working on Google’s project, Aristotle, they’ve discovered five key elements of high-performing teams. These are great ideas that you could also apply to your organization so you can encourage your teams to be accelerating and not hesitating, as you create your new future together.

Especially during these times of change, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a national program geared towards helping U.S. manufacturers across the nation.

With the COVID-19 issues, businesses are going to have to figure out how to come out of this. And as part of planning your recovery, using this Business Model Canvas from the Strategyzer will help you get more granular information so you can have more specific things to work on.

Ready for your business to reopen? First, you have to make sure you’ve done the internal work necessary to help you move forward.

For the last few weeks, on Leading the Factory Forward, I've been talking about how manufacturing leaders can lead their team and organization through the novel coronavirus crisis.

For the last few weeks, on Leading the Factory Forward, I've been talking about how manufacturing leaders can lead their team and organization through the novel coronavirus crisis.

I'm not a medical or government expert, but I wanted to offer some thoughts on how you, as a manufacturing leader, might think about and approach this trying time; and begin to plan how to move forward after this crisis.

The novel Coronavirus is like a natural disaster in some ways. Yet, in other ways, it is very different. Our current pandemic will have long-lasting effects. It will affect people, but not so much property or your resources. In other words, when this comes to an end, your ability to make products will still be there.

Did you know 47% of manufacturing leaders and owners are looking for growth opportunities? They recognize the need to find new opportunities to sell to new customers or a full range of customers.

As a manufacturer, there are areas of technology where you must stay informed. Why?  Understanding and adopting trends makes you more efficient and faster.

Working with teams, clients, and colleagues to get the important things done is simply part of your job as a leader. Are you up to the task? Or, do you find yourself questioning, “How do I get the important things done with others?”

Are you able to concentrate to get focused work time completed? Being a leader usually means people and information come at you from multiple directions. It can sometimes be very challenging to sit down to a task and get it completed in an efficient amount of time without interruption. However, there are some strategies you can use to accomplish focused work.

To be an effective leader, you need to have good habits of mind and action. Today I am focusing on habits of action. I will share steps you can take to help create focus, energy, and momentum in your role as a leader.

Today I wanted to share some self-introspective questions that will encourage you to create (or at least consider creating) new habits of mind. 

As a manufacturing leader and business owner regardless of your daily responsibilities, there will come a time when you have the job of onboarding new talent. While it may be true leadership skills and trainer skills overlap, the skills of an effective trainer can sometimes differ.

Are you doing work you know you should hand off? Do you want to make progress in your manufacturing business but everyday tasks are crowding your schedule? Connecting with virtual teams might be the answer. When you set out to find and engage with virtual talent, there are some things to take into consideration.

As leaders in manufacturing, it is important to connect with your local educational institutions, connect with local industry groups, or connect with your Chamber of Commerce.  In this episode, I share some of my own experiences connecting to local apprenticeship programs and how that can be a benefit to small and medium-sized manufacturers.

If you are a Silver Entrepreneur, or a bit older than today’s youth, you may have thought about how you are going to connect and work with millennials. And perhaps now you are giving more thought to how you can support them in today’s workforce. The first step is understanding their work motivations.