Apr 15, 2026
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.
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What if the biggest obstacle to your lean manufacturing results isn't the process at all? It might be the person leading it.
In this episode of Manufacturing Greatness, learn more with Debra Clary, author of The Curiosity Curve, about one of the most overlooked blind spots in plant leadership. You can run kaizen events, map your value streams, launch six sigma projects, and roll out 5S methodology across your facility, but if the mindset isn't right, none of it sticks.
Debra brings real-world experience from the shop floor, starting
with her early days at Frito-Lay, and makes a compelling case for
why curiosity might be the most underrated tool in your leadership
toolkit. She covers topics why certainty shuts down problem
solving, how communication skills and conflict resolution play a
bigger role in process optimization than most leaders realize, and
what it actually takes to drive meaningful change management in a
manufacturing environment.
This episode also discusses what's shifting on the floor right now,
from managing a millennial workforce and Gen Z manufacturing
talent, to diversity and inclusion, burnout prevention, and talent
retention. Because production efficiency and manufacturing
productivity aren't just about automation, Industry 4.0, or smart
manufacturing technology. They're about the people running the
operation.
If you're a frontline supervisor, shift supervisor, or part of a
plant leadership team focused on leadership development, workforce
development, and building a safety culture that supports continuous
improvement, this one's for you. Better KPI management starts with
better people leadership. And better people leadership starts with
asking better questions.
00:00 — Lean manufacturing efforts fail not because of process but
because leaders rely on certainty instead of curiosity, limiting
true continuous improvement in Manufacturing Greatness.
01:30 — Early frontline experience at Frito-Lay builds strong
operations management skills and a deeper understanding of
production planning and supply chain management.
04:00 — A kaizen approach that asks why a change will not work
unlocks better problem solving, communication skills, and employee
satisfaction on the shop floor.
06:00 — Involving frontline workers in decisions improves
production efficiency, workforce development, and trust across
shift supervisors and plant leadership.
10:00 — As leaders gain experience, certainty replaces curiosity,
weakening leadership development and reducing innovation in lean
manufacturing and six sigma environments.
12:00 — Bringing in fresh perspectives helps teams break through
roadblocks in process optimization, value stream mapping, and
manufacturing productivity.
13:30 — Strong plant leadership focuses on facilitation over
direction, building coaching skills, ownership, and accountability
in frontline supervisors.
15:00 — Lean manufacturing must be practiced as a daily mindset
rather than isolated kaizen events to drive sustainable quality
management and production management results.
18:00 — Curiosity-driven leadership strengthens employee
satisfaction, talent retention, and engagement, especially across
Gen Z manufacturing and the millennial workforce.
24:00 — Leaders who develop people instead of just solving problems
improve performance management, problem solving, and long-term
manufacturing productivity while reducing burnout.
Learn More with Debra Clary
Visit her website
Buy The
Curiosity Curve