In modern manufacturing, many employees want more than just a paycheck—to truly feel engaged and show up as their best selves at work, they need to feel like they’re part of something bigger. This means that if you really want to build momentum, drive greater results, and find higher employee retention rates, you need to transform the way you interact with your team.

How do you do this? It all starts with curiosity and storytelling! I recently spoke with a storytelling expert: David Sermersheim, a seasoned team leader, public speaker, and the founder of Celebrate Audio, a podcasting service that allows people to share their own unique stories. In this episode, David shares his philosophy for why storytelling and curiosity leads to stronger teams, plus gives actionable insights leaders can use to empower their teams and make stories a central part of their leadership.

1:33 – Through personal and professional commitment, you can transfer customer-focused strategies to employee-focused leadership
2:51 – Autonomy plays a key role in employee retention rates
6:22 – There are many creative ways to connect with remote team members, like starting a podcast
7:35 – During new hire orientations, embed core company values and the “why” behind your organization
10:35 – Employees need to connect with something beyond just your mission statement
11:51 – Make sure your job postings reflect your organization’s value and purposes
13:18 – Connect orientation, behaviors, and metrics to your organization’s core values
13:53 – Quarterly reviews and structured feedback sessions can improve job satisfaction
18:20 360-degree feedback is important for self-awareness and leadership
22:02 – Be genuinely interested in the people you lead and take the time to understand everyone’s unique story

Connect with David Semersheim
Learn more about Celebrate Audio
Email David at david@celebrateaudio.com

Are you tapping into your team’s full potential?

As the manufacturing industry continues to grow, many leaders find themselves searching for ways to engage their teams, drive productivity, and create a culture where everyone shows up ready to reach their full potential. In this episode, learn more with Christopher Santomassimo, a lawyer and founding partner of Outside General Counsel (OGC) Solutions. With OGC Solutions, Chris assists companies with a wide range of legal and business issues, from employment claims to compliance counseling.

With over 30 years of legal experience, Chris has many great lessons and insights for handling personnel issues, fostering accountability, and unlocking the untapped potential of your current workforce. In this episode, he shares how leaders can use transparent accountability to engage their teams and unlock the potential of their current workforce, even in an ever-changing industry like manufacturing.

2:30 – When companies hold people accountable in a transparent and uplifting way, they tend to see higher engagement and productivity
2:58 – Accountability is about building trust and team spirit through setting clear goals and expectations
7:10 – By listening to employees and celebrating their contributions, you can boost morale and retention
11:52 – Transparency fosters ownership and reduces negative incidents, like HR issues
14:47 – When employees feel like they’re part of a team, it drives productivity and lessens workplace conflicts
16:37 – Accountability is about coaching and support, not penalization
19:40 – For long-term improvement, you need consistent practices at all levels of your organization

Connect with Christopher Santomassimo
Listen to his Podcast
Connect on LinkedIn
Learn More About OGC Solutions

In manufacturing, we’re all about meeting goals, staying productive, and keeping up with new and ever-changing technology and machinery. If you’re a busy manufacturing leader, it might feel impossible to balance your goals and your role in your plant with setting boundaries, prioritizing your energy, and avoiding burn-out.

But there is a way to create a sustainable path toward your goals—and you can find out more in this episode of Mindfulness Manufacturing with guest Kathy Oneto. Kathy is a consultant, advisor, facilitator, and executive coach, who shares powerful lessons on how professionals can avoid burn-out, align their ambitions, and design sustainable paths toward success. She’s also the author of Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work. In this episode, Kathy talks more about her book and shares actionable strategies for managing the intense pressures of manufacturing, establishing personal boundaries, maintaining energy, and finding real meaning at work.

2:43 – With the rise of modern technology, we often feel like we have to be “on” all the time, which leads to overload
4:08 – Humans can’t operate like machines
7:52 – In manufacturing, pressures like hitting targets and dealing with setbacks can quickly became unsustainable
8:36 – To find sustainability and align your ambitions, you need to make the right choices for yourself
10:00 – Just like machines, manufacturing leaders also need regular, preventative maintenance
16:06 – Language plays a key role in helping people clarify what really matters to them
17:09 Practice micro-reflections and intentional focus
19:49 – Learn to move beyond the stigma of taking breaks and allowing time for recovery

Connect with Kathy Oneto

Connect on LinkedIn
Visit her website and sign up for Kathy’s newsletter
Tune in to her podcast