Manufacturing Can’t Afford Training Downtime. Or Bad Supervisors.

Manufacturing plants across the country are reporting the same problem. Nearly half cite insufficient labor supply as the main factor affecting their capacity utilization. You can’t find enough skilled workers, and you can’t afford to shut down production to train the supervisors you have. But here’s the brutal reality. Poor supervision is creating more operational […]

The Manufacturing Leadership Crisis is Getting Worse

Manufacturing is facing a perfect storm. The sector needs up to 3.8 million additional workers by 2033, but 1.9 million of those jobs could go unfilled if workforce challenges aren’t addressed. Here’s what’s making it worse. Companies are promoting their best technicians into supervisor roles without any leadership training. 75% of manufacturing supervisors manage people […]

How Do You Develop a First Time Manager?

Most first time managers get tossed into the deep end. One day they’re the best on the crew. Next day, they’re in charge. No real training. No real prep. Just, “figure it out.” And it shows. They hesitate to give feedback. They avoid conflict. They either micromanage or disappear. The first time manager isn’t lazy. […]

Aligning Leadership Practices with Company Culture

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis An organization needs more than a team of employees and a list of clients to thrive. It needs inspired action, a sense of purpose, and most importantly, a clear direction toward an agreed-upon definition of success. In other words, aligning leadership practices with […]

Leadership and Change Management: Guiding Teams through Transitions

Change is inevitable in the workplace. An effective leader knows how to manage change on a personal level and can constructively lead their team through pivotal transitions. Below are some strategies and best practices to help leaders manage change effectively.  Communicate Transparently A smooth transition in the workplace revolves around clear and open lines of […]

Enhancing Employee Performance Through Coaching and Feedback

“How well do you take constructive criticism?” It’s one of the most frequently asked questions in job interviews, and a main topic in employee performance. An equally important question that organizations should introspectively be asking themselves is this: how well equipped is your leadership team to provide actionable feedback to their team? A coaching approach […]

7 Tips for Building Trust in the Workplace

Trust is a two-way street. You want to know that the members of your team will work to complete the job that they have been hired to do. Your employees want to know that they are working for a company that has their best interests in mind. At the foundation of any relationship built on […]

Management Styles: 4 Common Effective Leadership Styles

Do you draw inspiration for your management styles from a past role model in your career? Maybe you felt empowered by a boss who listened to your experience, felt supported by a mentor that gave you clear instructions when you were brand new in the industry, or felt inspired to push beyond your self-doubt and […]

Leading with Empathy: The Key to Building Strong Teams

“Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing.” – Marshall B. Rosenberg Your high-performing employee missed her deadline for a report. In the years you have been working together, this is a first. Instead of reprimanding her, you decide to approach a conversation with her from a place of curiosity. “Why would you […]

Stop by Our Booth at the CareerTech Summer Conference!

Front Line Leadership will be attending the 51st Annual CareerTech Summer Conference taking place on August 1st at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CareerTech Expo is held in conjunction with the conference, and showcases vendors in partnership with the CareerTech conference. Front Line Leadership will have a booth at the exposition portion of […]