Manufacturing Leadership in 2022: Start With a Single Word

What is your company’s biggest goal this year? Its biggest challenge? Your primary objective? Corporate planning is part of establishing a roadmap for the future, and you probably have a well-defined plan for the next 12 months. To be effective, your plan demands execution and engagement at every level.

This year, consider distilling your manufacturing plan down to a single word. This may sound like oversimplification, but it could provide the clarity you need to get everyone on the same page about company goals, objectives, and challenges.

The one-word goal challenge

It’s sometimes difficult to get a company’s main goal across to every employee, especially if it is nuanced, complex, and/or evolving. The one-word challenge simplifies things by refining a plan’s core objective into something everyone can understand.

If your company’s goal is to scale in a major way, consider a word like “growth.” If the goal centers on reducing downtime and improving preventive maintenance, try the word “prevention.”

A single word can encompass much larger objectives, and it’s an easy concept to get behind.

The psychology of a rallying cry

Using one word to describe a company’s goal doesn’t diminish it. Instead, a one-word rallying cry provides employees with an easy reminder of the company’s main objective.

Upon thinking about or hearing this one-word rallying cry, employees will shift their focus to the broader objective. A rallying cry also brings an entire work force together through common language, which serves as a bridge between discussion and action. With the word “prevention,” for instance, every worker can apply the concept to their own tasks for improvement across the board.

It’s important to build a collection of ideas around  your word to give it context and meaning. “Prevention” means nothing if employees don’t understand how it applies to what they do, but if they understand it to mean “prevent waste” or “prevent downtime” or “prevent injury,” they’re more equipped to embody that effort through action.

What is your transformation word for 2022?

Condensing a company’s broad goals for the year into a single word isn’t always easy. Come up with a power word that encompasses your company’s goals and inspires a psychological or emotional response. Here again, it’s important to establish context around the word. Make sure it properly encapsulates the ideas it represents.

If you absolutely cannot come up with a one-word rallying cry, consider a short phrase or sentence instead. If your goal is to improve quality control, “quality” might not be a sufficient rallying cry, but you might adopt the mantra, “Pass no defects.”

Rally the team

Your company has lofty goals this year, and to meet them, you need to get everyone on the same page. Sometimes, one word is all it takes. Find one that embodies your objectives, and make it a rallying cry everyone can get behind. There’s power in words when they’re backed by clear context and meaningful action.

No matter what your leadership mantra, make sure your partners know and value it as well. You can always count on the professionals at Global Electronic Services. Contact us for all your industrial electronic, servo motor, AC and DC motor, hydraulic, and pneumatic needs — and don’t forget to like and follow us on Facebook!
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