Accountability for Operations Managers: Using Transparency to Build Trust and Improve Team Performance with Scott Turner #16

Jul 1, 2020

1. 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!

    1:48 What was it really like working in that culture?Scott explains what it was like working for Horst and the type of transparency and culture he focused on.  Scoot encourages the listeners to listen to the podcast with him and Horst if you haven't yet as it will help understand some of the items he discusses.
2. 4:07 Leadership approach, what was yours?We had a lot of successes and in many cases the guys were promoted into leadership because they were the best tool and die maker, best engineer but we didn’t equip them to be prepared as a general manager.  We were just go, go, go and growing.  In this type of setting you better be a good listener!  We had to empower and help each of these guys and girls and be open to learn to be able to adapt to those different functionalities.
3. 7:30 Learning opportunities.Scott explains his strategy on helping the general managers to be great leaders.  We had regular interactions with them, and we created this “Lean leadership Development program “We integrated the leadership expectation with lean learnings and functions. Lean gives you the tools right on the shop floor, focused on the people and the floor.
4. 10:17 What’s the how look like?  Scott talks about the successful divisions and the only way this program was going to work is it had to start with me.  I had to start with me and being open to change and being that humble learning leader.  I had the most opportunity to change but it’s tough as I had to expose my weakness.
5. 12:35 How do lean and mindfulness go together?Scott talks about the humble learning leader and how my behaviors affect those around me.  I learned a lot about how my behavior was affecting others around me, I was always late for meetings and taking calls when I was talking to others.  So, it was a lot of self-reflection and making changes to be better.  I had to make a conscious decision if I can’t be on time then be early. 
6. 17:38 We would go to each division.Scott talks about the lean leadership transformation how himself and other leaders would visit each plant and learn and share what each of them were working on as part of their lean leadership journey.
7. 19:02 Leaders model.Some general managers were open to change, and some were not, they would push back, and I looked at it that they didn’t get it yet.  Scott talks about his role helping the general managers understand the program.  We would do a little bit of modelling certain things and sharing with others. 
8. 23:47 What were your results?Scott talks about the lean leadership program and the results from it.  The was really good impact but keeping in mind lean is a very long journey. We had much more opened minded general managers.  The financial crisis of 2008 happened, and everything went from long term to what is happening right now, and this pushed off the rails for a bit.  I feel good about the impact the program had on the capabilities of the general managers.  I don’t think enough of the lean stuck and I didn’t do enough aligning or creating measurable results.
9. 33:00 Are you a chicken or are you a pig?As we wrapped up Scott explains the breakfast analogy that he referenced over the years “are you chicken or a pig” this refers to are you committed?  In a breakfast the pig is 100 % committed and give its life for the greater good and a chicken is only partially in.  The same commitment is in your work and everyday life.  Are you a chicken or a pig?