What is the missing piece of manufacturing manager training?
To help manufacturing leaders become more effective, we have to look at this issue and understand what this missing training piece is.
Why Do We Disagree About Training as Leaders?
Probably the biggest myth we believe in is that frontline leaders do not care about attending training. True, there is something to that myth because a lot of the training they are subjected to does not resonate with them. It is not meaningful, so they do not see the value in it.
That does not mean those leaders do not want and do not need training. The fact is that training is only deemed to be successful when it generates a change in behavior.
If you have gone to a class and then you have incorporated some of that training into your routine, you can say that was successful. But if you attend training, nothing ever changes, and you put nothing into action, then it is seen as a waste of time.
Leadership Tips on Maximizing Your Training
Let us say you have finished delivering some training to a world class medical supply manufacturer. One of the things that could make you happy is if, near the end of the course, they say, “Well, this is the best training I have ever seen.”
Some of these kinds of leaders have been in the business for 20 or 30 years.
What they are speaking to is that most of the training they are subjected to uses references from banking, insurance, and other industries that do not feel like the shop floor they work in.
I think it is a big feather in your cap when you hear that kind of feedback from those attendees. So, what can you do as the leader to place this missing piece in manufacturing manager training? Well, I have three tips for you.
Tip Number One: Demonstrate Support
There is nothing new here. Most of the effective change initiatives in your organization need a great deal of commitment from the top. You cannot expect to say, “We hired this training company to come in. You are scheduled to attend.”
You also cannot expect to utilize phrases like, “Yesterday, my boss told me to come to training today.” That does not demonstrate support. Rather, it demonstrates that you did not think it was important to note whether you were going to be attending training.
Only by actively participating in the development of the program can you truly show support for its success.
Most of the effective change initiatives in your organization need a great deal of commitment from the top. Share on X
Tip Number Two: Lead By Example
Your people are going to be looking at you as they are learning these new leadership skills and behaviors. One of the common things a supervisor who is attending a course will say is, “My boss needs this training.”
Why not get a head start by doing the same training as your trainees?
Furthermore, you can achieve the same result by hosting your own executive briefing. This way, you can at least be up-to-speed on some of the training.
Another thing we can do is create a manager toolkit. Managers of people taking our courses can see what the key learning points are and then lead by example.
Tip Number Three: Plug In The Missing Piece And Coach The Change
Coaching the change means that it is inevitable that you are still going to struggle as you try to adapt what you have learned after attending training into your leadership habits and behaviors. After all, your role as a manager is to observe and reinforce the positive changes you are seeing.
Just as well, you must deal with the gaps. In doing so, you may notice the cracks between how a person is acting now and how they should be acting based on the training that was provided.
You must deal with the gaps. In doing so, you may notice the cracks between how a person is acting now and how they should be acting based on the training that was provided. Share on X
Investing Yourself in Leadership Training
We all benefit from some degree of coaching. Specifically, coaching is good in that someone is observing you objectively and then providing those kinds of suggestions to make you more effective.
Once you have followed them and plugged in the missing piece of manufacturing manager training, you are going to want to work on some of the other leadership skills – both for yourself and for the leaders who report to you.
That is where our Front Line Leadership Training comes in.
Whether it is from our virtual training studio, a beautiful multi-camera environment, or a person on the site, we always deliver. We also do so in English, Spanish, and French.
Of course, all these projects usually start with a small assignment. They then grow based on the capabilities and success that people see from the project.
What you need to do is to begin with a conversation. That means getting started on this journey to leadership excellence by visiting our website at uniquedevelopment.com.
