How to Be a Good Manufacturing Leader
Everyone knows that at the heart of a great manufacturing organization is great leadership. While different people may have various ideas about what makes a great leader, and there are definitely a variety of leadership styles that can work, here are a few leadership training tips that will usually help those looking to be a leader in the manufacturing sector.
- Embrace the New World Order
The era of the tyrannical boss is over. Slave-driving bosses who rule with an iron hand and get production by subjecting their employees to a reign of terror are not going to succeed in the modern business environment. While employees still need to follow some rules, today’s leaders understand a more flexible environment that encourages growth will yield happier, more loyal and more productive employees.
Furthermore, you can’t do it all in today’s manufacturing. Your manufacturing business probably involves a lot of technology and digital control. You need well-trained and constantly learning employees who specialize in their area of your manufacturing business. Manufacturing workers are no longer a fungible commodity you can simply step in and replace at any time. Your employees have value, and if you are to succeed, you will need to need to treat them as such.
- Build Trust
Too many manufacturing leaders today think that having a company culture is the same thing as building trust. But the reality is that if your company culture is forced and inauthentic, it can be worse for your team than having no culture at all. To build trust, take an interest in your workers and offer benefits that are in line with their goals and desires, then follow through on those offers.
- Build Engagement
When industrial/organizational psychologists discovered that better working conditions made employees work better and more productively, it changed the workplace atmosphere. The latest research tells us that employees work the most productively and effectively when they feel the most engaged. Employees want to feel they, specifically, have value to the company and that you are all building something together, rather than they are just working for someone else’s fulfillment.
There are many ways you can build engagement with employees, such as:
- Tangible incentives like stock options
- Team-building exercises that involve both executives and on-the-floor employees
- Regular feedback sessions where managers and employees both give and receive feedback on the company’s operation
- Inspire Your Team
This can be a challenge because manufacturing can often feel boring and repetitive. How do you get workers to be passionate about doing the same thing day after day? This is where leadership really comes into play. If you are genuinely passionate about the product you are providing to the public, your employees often will, too. If you’re not excited about your product, you should be asking yourself what changes you need to make so that you will be.
Great leaders also ensure all their manufacturing equipment is working optimally as much of the time as possible. For fast, effective electronics equipment repair, contact Global Electronic Services today.
