Manufacturers Alliance Podcast
122 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago -Welcome to the Manufacturers Alliance podcast where we help everyone who works in manufacturing become a better leader and problem solver so all manufacturers can remain competitive.
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Episodes
Blake Explores Manufacturing
April 16, 2024 11:00 - 23 minutes - 42.5 MBIf you’ve ever wondered how to talk to your kids about your job or are looking for an easy way to support more kids learning about manufacturing your going to love this conversation. Keep listening and I promise you’ll feel equipped to talk to anyone about your profession in manufacturing. www.makepublishing.com Promo code: ma10
Learning to Deal with Conflict
April 02, 2024 11:00 - 21 minutes - 38.5 MBEveryone needs a plan to prevent or be prepared to deescalate conflict. For all kinds of practical tips and real world experience on how you can learn how to deal with conflict enjoy this conversation with HR leader Jessica Lyons. Download the Leaders Guide
Using DMAIC to Solve Problems
March 19, 2024 11:00 - 30 minutes - 55 MBIf you want to improve performance and feel great about it along the way your going to appreciate this conversation with Scott Helgeson and Andrew Maruska with Chart Industries. They will walk you through their 6 Sigma projects and how they helped improve quality and communication. Download the Leaders Guide
HR’s Role in Talent Development
March 05, 2024 12:00 - 30 minutes - 55.3 MBOn today’s episode, Sarah Lampert shares what it takes to successfully drive workforce development, get your leadership team on the same page, and overcome challenges HR leaders face so they have a worforce that's ready for the future. Download the Leader’s Guide
Servant Leadership - Leading the Jesus Way
February 20, 2024 12:00 - 27 minutes - 49.6 MBIf you’re interested in faith-based leadership principles and want to incorporate them into your leadership style so that you can helps others make an eternal impact, you’re going to love this episode. We’ve invited the President and COO of Cold Spring Granite, Greg Flint to talk about these principles and how he has applied them, so you can too! Download the Leader’s Guide
The Executives Role in Developing a CI Culture
February 06, 2024 12:06 - 27 minutes - 49.5 MBIf you’re an executive and you’re not sure what your role should be in creating a culture of Continuous Improvement, you’re going to love today’s conversation with Todd Roth! Download the Leader’s Guide
Developing a Lean Production System
January 23, 2024 12:00 - 35 minutes - 64.8 MBFor those of you who have struggled with using Lean tools, or who have felt like they have done more harm than good, today's guest Matt Colby is going to help you learn what you can do to use Lean systems to increase engagement, solve problems, and get real business results! Download the Leader’s Guide Thank you to our episode sponsor, Wipfli. They are the firm whose perspective can change everything for your business. Learn more at https://www.wipfli.com/manufacturing
Leadership and Workforce Development Executive Panel
January 16, 2024 16:04 - 39 minutes - 71.4 MBEvery December we bring together a couple hundred leaders from our 15 different Peer Groups. On this week’s episode, you get to hear the executive perspectives panel from that meeting, featuring Heather Stewart the President of ILLUME, and Jon Lundthe VP of Operations at Twin City Fan. Enjoy our conversation as we discuss leadership and workforce development. Request a Peer Group Invitation
Developing High-Caliber Teams
January 09, 2024 12:00 - 27 minutes - 50.5 MBFor those of you who have struggled to develop a team that works really well together, you’re going to love this episode. This week we’re talking with Jason Postelli, the Program Manager of Operational Excellence for Abbott. He shares what he’s done to develop high-caliber teams throughout his career, so that you can, too! Download the Leader’s Guide
Top Takeaways From 2023
December 26, 2023 12:00 - 18 minutes - 34.1 MBOn this week’s episode, we hope that you are inspired by Kirby Sneen and Brittany Bowling, as they share their favorite episode, and biggest takeaway from 2023! This episode of the Manufacturers Alliance Podcast is sponsored by Wipfli, the firm whose perspective can change everything for your business. Learn more at www.wipfli.com/manufacturing
Financing Capital Equipment
December 19, 2023 12:00 - 23 minutes - 42.5 MBIf you're an operations leader who has been wondering about the life of their equipment or when it’s time to start looking at replacements, you’re going to love today’s episode. Our guest Simon Malinski is here from Bremer Bank to answer these questions and more! Learn more about Bremer With bankers who know that in business, relationships matter more than ever. And understanding is everything. Find a Bremer Bank today at www.Bremer.com
Developing A Multi-Site Improvement Plan
December 12, 2023 12:00 - 26 minutes - 49 MBPlans for improvement have become an expectation. The challenge for some is scaling up that plan to impact and include everyone across multiple site locations. On today’s episode Nate Aguilar shares his first-hand experience of how to develop a scalable improvement plan, reach your profit goals, and engage everyone in improvement. Download the Leader’s Guide This episode of the Manufacturers Alliance Podcast is sponsored by The City of Monticello. In Monticello Life is Go...
Unleashing the Power of Problem Solving
November 28, 2023 12:00 - 27 minutes - 50.7 MBPart of creating a culture of continuous improvement begins with developing people so that they fight less fires and work more towards identifying and addressing the root cause. The problem is that this takes more time, doesn’t come naturally for a lot of people, requires discipline, and certainly can’t be done in a conference room. Enjoy this week’s episode featuring Eugene Arrington, as he shares how he has overcome these issues and unleashed the power of problem solving so that you ...
The Mistakes that Make Us
November 14, 2023 11:00 - 32 minutes - 59.8 MBThere is a lot that can be learned from someone else’s mistakes, but only if people are willing to share, and not just sweep them under the rug. As a leader you need to figure out what behaviors you can model that are ideal and what systems and structures you need to put in place that will create a culture that encourages people to speak up! Enjoy my conversation with Mark Graban as he shares about his new book, The Mistakes that Make Us. Get the First Chapter & Enter to Win ...
Making it Safe to Perform at Your Best
November 07, 2023 11:00 - 24 minutes - 45.7 MBThere are a lot of things to be learned by leaders on how to draw out different perspectives and respect people’s ideas. Enjoy this week’s conversation with Jim Doyle, as he shares how he has helped make it psychologically safe for teams to perform at their best! Download the Leader’s Guide https://mfrall.activehosted.com/f/261 This Podcast Episode was sponsored by Wipfli: The firm whose perspective can change everything for your business. Learn more at www.wipfli.com/manufacturi...
AI Unleashed
October 31, 2023 11:00 - 21 minutes - 39.6 MBHave you ever wondered about how your small shop could take advantage of what the big industry players are doing to drive digital transformations and use AI or machine learning? You know using data to proactively make improvements is the way you want to go, but how do you get there? Enjoy this week's conversation with Mo Abuali, Senior Director of Digital Strategy at Wipfli, as we discuss the process they have used to engage manufacturers to identify and eliminate bottlenecks all with ...
Becoming a Strategic Leader
October 17, 2023 11:00 - 26 minutes - 37 MBThe reality is that once you have a role where you are leading people as a manager, director, or VP you will still face a handful of leadership issues. You may feel the tendency to micromanage, struggle to acquire resources or even ignore performance issues. Avoid these issues and enjoy my conversation with Matt Kanz and Kelly Hanson, our instructors for the Strategic Leader Certification, as they share what they have done to overcome these issues… so you can too Download the leaders g...
Influential Leadership (LIVE from MOY 2023)
October 10, 2023 11:00 - 31 minutes - 57.5 MBIn this week’s episode, we talk with Brad Konik, CEO of Konik and Matt Kanz, SVP NA at Jack Links, as they share their leadership experience, how to avoid micromanaging, practical leadership tools, and some of the biggest surprises they faced going from manager to senior leader. Download the Leaders Guide >> Whether you’re seeking a direct-hire or contract employee, Konik’s technical talent network can quickly build a high-caliber team to meet your needs. Contact them today at www.k...
Leading with a Vivid Vision
September 26, 2023 11:00 - 26 minutes - 48.9 MBFor those of you who have struggled with inconsistent results, turnover, or just need to make sure you’re on the same page as your leadership team, you’re going to love this conversation. We’ve invited the CEO of Konik, Brad Konik, to talk about what he has done to establish a vivid vision for his company that is engaging and inspiring for his employees, clients and community. Download the Leaders Guide Learn more about Konik by visiting www.konik.com
Training That Fits Your Culture
September 12, 2023 11:00 - 17 minutes - 31.7 MBFailure to customize your training can result in people feeling left out, not willing to be open about real issues, or cultural roadblocks like the infamous “that’s not how we do it around here.” Avoid these issues and enjoy this week’s conversation with Monica Smith, as she shares what she’s done to help members successfully customize training… so you can too! Download the Leader’s Guide This episode of the Manufacturers Alliance Podcast is sponsored by Bremer Bank. With bankers...
My Favorite Lesson Learned
September 05, 2023 11:00 - 25 minutes - 46.2 MBEnjoy this week’s special 100th episode featuring Manufacturers Alliance team members Jeremy Blake, Monica Smith, and Jim as they discuss their favorite lessons learned and how they keep growing. Download the Leaders Guide This episode of the Manufacturers Alliance Podcast is sponsored by Bremer Bank. With bankers who know that in business, relationships matter more than ever. And understanding is everything. Find a Bremer Bank today at www.Bremer.com
3 Behaviors that are Sabotaging Your Leadership
August 29, 2023 11:00 - 23 minutes - 42.9 MBBecoming a successful senior leader is predicated on your ability to address emerging leadership challenges with new skills and strategies. The challenge I see most leaders face is that they went to school for engineering, operations, or supply chain management, not leadership. That’s why I want to break this problem down, look at some of the most common causes, and share what I’ve seen other successful executives do so that you can become a more strategic leader. Download the Leaders ...
2023 Manufacturer of the Year Winners
August 22, 2023 11:00 - 29 minutes - 54.2 MBEvery year we award three manufacturers for their dedication to developing a culture of continuous improvement and willingness to share their lessons learned with their peers. In this episode, we’re talking to the 2023 Manufacturer of the Year Award Winners about their success, lessons learned, and looking forward to the future. Register for the 2023 Manufacturer of the Year Awards This episode of the Manufacturers Alliance Podcast is sponsored by The City of Monticello. In Mont...
Developing Master Level Front Line Leaders
August 08, 2023 11:00 - 28 minutes - 52.3 MBFront-line leaders have to be good at getting work done through the voluntary cooperation of others but what does it take to master your ability to get high-quality products and services to the customer on time consistently? On this week’s episode Todd Voit, the Director of Continuous Improvement at the Bernard Group, shares what you can do to develop master-level front-line leaders. Download the Leader’s Guide This episode of the Manufacturers Alliance Podcast is sponsored by Br...
Kata for High Performing Teams
July 25, 2023 11:00 - 26 minutes - 47.9 MBHave you ever wondered how to get your team to stop pencil whipping and start problem solving? On this week’s episode, Continuous Improvement Leader Jill Hillyer shares her experience with developing high performing teams with Kata! Find a Peer Group This episode was sponsored by Blue Key Media. Blue Key Media specializes in helping manufacturing companies increase sales, recruit more efficiently, and cut through the noise with the power of video. Learn more at www.blueke...
Monticello: Working, Living and Retiring Well
July 11, 2023 11:00 - 24 minutes - 44.5 MBHave you ever experienced constraints to growth like access to talent, transportation, moving or going multi-site? Having a community partner on your team ensures that you take advantage of every financial and lifestyle incentive. Enjoy this week’s conversation with Angela Schumann & Jim Thares as they discuss how you can work, live and retire well in Monticello. Questions about moving to Monticello? Contact Jim or Angela Why are industrial and manufacturing businesses choosing Mont...
Selecting Your Next Green Belt Candidate
June 27, 2023 11:00 - 23 minutes - 42.9 MBWe all have limited time, energy and resources, but we also know that investing in people can unlock huge potential. Enjoy my conversation with Continuous Improvement leader Steve Drueen as he shares his expertise on what you can do to Select Your next Green Belt Candidate. Learn more about the Six Sigma Greenbelt Certification This episode was sponsored by Wipfli: The firm whose perspective can change everything for your business. Learn more at www.wipfli.com/manufacturing
The Recruitment Revolution
June 13, 2023 11:00 - 26 minutes - 49 MBThe market for talent is still competitive. The challenge for most is being able to let go of those old recruitment practices and coming up with new ways to attract talent. Enjoy today’s episode featuring Jim Mulrooney with Bremer Bank, as he shares what he’s learned working with small business owners and how they’ve revolutionized recruitment. Learn more about Bremer Bank by visiting www.bremer.com
Writing Problem Statements That Attract Resources
May 30, 2023 11:00 - 27 minutes - 50.3 MBEnjoy this week’s conversation with our leadership and development coach, Jeremy Blake, as he shares his expertise on how to write the kind of problem statements that attract resources! Download this week’s resource by visiting www.mfrall.com/resources This episode of the Manufacturers Alliance Podcast is sponsored by Bremer Bank. With bankers who know that in business, relationships matter more than ever. And understanding is everything. Find a Bremer Bank today at www.Bremer.co...
Using Data to Make Better Decisions
May 16, 2023 11:00 - 32 minutes - 60.1 MBOn this week’s episode, Ryan Swiderski and Kate Brown share how you can use better data to optimize inventory, effectively communicate price increases, and counteract labor shortages! Thank you to today’s sponsor, Konik. Whether you’re seeking a direct-hire or contract employee, Konik’s technical talent network can quickly build a high-caliber team to meet your needs. Contact them today at www.koniknetwork.com
What it Means to be a Great Team Leader
May 02, 2023 11:00 - 43 minutes - 79 MBA lot of people think that the fastest way to increase their income is to take on a leadership role and although a raise will likely come with the promotion how do you know that you’ll really like it and be successful at it? Enjoy this week's conversation with Jessica Lyons, Kelly Hansen, and Diane Bartels, as we discuss the challenges leaders face around communication, delegation, running meetings, engagement, and cross-functional collaboration. Get today’s resource by visi...
Becoming a Professional Team Leader
April 25, 2023 11:00 - 17 minutes - 31.8 MBBecoming a successful team lead hinges on your ability to lead yourself. The challenge most leaders at this level face is balancing leading a team while accomplishing hands-on work. That’s why on today’s bonus episode, we share some things you can start doing and some things you should stop to help you become a more successful team leader. Get today’s resource by visiting www.mfrall.com/resources
The Real Cost of Neglecting Safety
April 18, 2023 11:00 - 36 minutes - 67.4 MBIt’s easy to let safety take a back seat when there haven't been any lost time incidents and your metrics are all about getting quality products to the customer on-time, but what is the real cost of neglecting safety? Enjoy this week’s conversation with Tim Sheehan, the Owner of OECS, as we discuss his new book Building a Safety Culture and how it can help you ensure that safety is number one for your company! Get your complimentary book by visiting: https://form.123formbuilder....
How to Develop a Leadership Mindset
April 04, 2023 12:00 - 31 minutes - 57.5 MBEveryone has an opinion about what it takes to be successful, but the ones that are worth listening to come from the people that prioritize the success of their team. Enjoy this week’s conversation with Paul Langlois, Vice President of Enterprise Learning, careers and engagement for Ecolab as we discuss the four traits that will help you acquire the mindset of a leader. Download this week’s resource by visiting www.mfrall.com/resources This episode was sponsored by Wipfli: ...
Creating a Kaizen Culture
March 21, 2023 12:00 - 26 minutes - 49.4 MBGetting people to want to change can feel impossible, but with a few practical tools you can be on your way to developing a Kaizen (change for the better) culture! Enjoy this week’s Podcast conversation with Mario Calvo, Sensi and Division Lean Manager for Parker Hannifin as we discuss how to develop a culture of kaizen and accomplish the results that come with it. Download this week’s resource by visiting www.mfrall.com/resources This episode was sponsored by Bremer Bank. With...
Reducing Rejects and Rework
March 07, 2023 13:00 - 32 minutes - 59.4 MBHave you ever built specs that the customer didn’t want or need? What is the true cost of tolerances being too tight, unneeded functionality, or overkill on fatigue testing? On this week’s episode Chad Moertl shares how you can build quality at the source and give the customer exactly what they want! Download this week’s resource by visiting www.mfrall.com/resources This episode of the Manufacturers Alliance Podcast is sponsored by Konik. Whether you’re seeking a direct-hire or ...
Coachability: The Leadership Superpower
February 28, 2023 13:00 - 26 minutes - 47.7 MBIn this special bonus episode, Kevin Wilde discusses his new book Coachability and how it will help you minimize your blind spots and maximize the positive impact you can have on others. Be one of the first 80 people to register and get your complimentary copy of Coachability: The leadership Super Power by visiting www.mfrall.com/resources This episode of the Manufacturers Alliance Podcast is sponsored by Konik. Whether you’re seeking a direct-hire or contract employee, Konik’s ...
How to Decrease New Hire Turnover Rates
February 21, 2023 13:00 - 28 minutes - 51.6 MBIn this week’s Podcast episode, Dan West with Blue Key Media discusses how having a realistic job preview video can help you attract the right people to the right role, and decrease turnover. Download this week’s resource by visiting www.mfrall.com/resources This episode of the Manufacturers Alliance Podcast is sponsored by Maertens-Brenny Construction Co. Building solid foundations and complex projects. Maertens-Brenny Construction. Contact them today at maertensbrenny.com
Optimizing Resources & Eliminating Waste
February 07, 2023 13:00 - 29 minutes - 53.2 MBIn order for operations to run smoothly you must identify and eliminate those non-value added steps in every process. In this week’s conversation, Kara Slocum, head Of Operations for Artistic Finishes discusses her high mix low volume operation, the types of waste they are up against, what causing it, what they’ve done to remove it as well as lessons learned along the way. Download this week’s resource by visiting www.mfrall.com/resources This episode of the Manufacturers Allianc...
Driving Quality and Quantity of Improvements
January 24, 2023 13:00 - 28 minutes - 52.7 MBIt can be hard to get the best of both worlds, where you’ve got a team of people working on daily improvements as well as taking steps towards big improvements. But with the right mindset, motivation, and vision, you will have the same success as our guest Thanh Osmancevic, from GNResound! Download this week’s resource by visiting www.mfrall.com/resources This episode of the Manufacturers Alliance Podcast is sponsored by Bremer Bank. With bankers who know that in business, relati...
Leading Leaders & Upcoming Trends in Continuous Improvement
January 10, 2023 13:00 - 36 minutes - 67.1 MBThis episode was recorded LIVE at our Peer Group Mega Meeting, and includes executive perspectives from Nate Aguilar, Vice President of Manufacturing, Starkey, Matt Colby, Sr. Director of Lean Enterprise, Toro and Greg Flint, President & COO, Coldspring. Enjoy our conversation as we talk about the biggest trends in Leadership and Continuous Improvement in 2023 and beyond. If you want to learn more about Peer Groups visit www.mfrall.com/resources
2022 Top Takeaways
December 27, 2022 13:00 - 26 minutes - 48.9 MBThis year we've seen explosive growth with over 100,000 listeners, leveraging some of the best talent the manufacturing industry! In this episode we go back and review some of the top episodes you might have missed including: How to Kill your company with Strategic planning Influence Without Authority Improving Retention with Stay Interviews Developing an army of problem solvers Learn more about today’s sponsor by visiting www.wipfli.com/manufacturing
5 Why: The Ultimate Tool to Get to the Root Cause
December 13, 2022 13:00 - 26 minutes - 48.7 MBA problem well defined is a problem half solved. Enjoy this week’s episode featuring Peter Fritsche, as he shares how The 5 why method can help you get to the root cause without jumping to conclusions. Download this week’s resource by visiting: www.mfrall.com/resources
Overcoming Material Delivery Delays
November 29, 2022 13:00 - 36 minutes - 67.6 MBFrom supply lines down, to high demand and competition, if you’ve experienced material delivery delays you won’t want to miss Kirby’s conversation with Supply Chain leader Kat Perron! Unfortunately, lots of manufacturers are seeing their lead times double on raw materials, parts, components, and even subassembly deliveries. We dive into options for you to consider if you are experiencing backlogs from supply lines being down, high demand, or new products being introduced to the market ...
Preventing Burnout
November 15, 2022 13:00 - 31 minutes - 58 MBWe all want to help our customers, coworkers, and team members be successful… the challenge is accomplishing this while not stretching yourself to thin for to long! In this week’s episode, Leigh Erickson and Kirby Sneen discuss how you can find your groove, work in your sweet spot, and get things flowing better so you have the energy required to tackle more problems without experiencing burnout. Learn more about today’s sponsor, by visiting www.wipfli.com/manufacturing
Top Traits of Problem Solving Teams
November 01, 2022 12:00 - 26 minutes - 48.5 MBHave you ever been working with a team on a process improvement project and thought to yourself, “There has got to be a better way?” If you have, you won’t want to miss Kirby’s conversation with manufacturing executive David Badger. David discusses the attributes of the most successful teams out there including: aligned goals, skilled leadership, support from sponsorship, courage, and having the project be a priority. Special thanks to this episode’s sponsor. Bremer Bank knows that ...
Recession Proofing Your Business
October 18, 2022 12:00 - 29 minutes - 54.2 MBHave you ever wondered how to position your manufacturing business so you can weather an economic storm? On this week’s episode, Kirby Sneen and Josh Howard, Chief investment officer at Bremer Bank, discuss the nuance of what makes up a recession, and how to best position your business to avoid the impact of a slowdown and continue to grow. Special thanks to this episode’s sponsor, Konik. Whether you’re seeking a direct hire or a contract employee, Konik’s technical talent network ...
Competitive Compensation Adjustments
October 04, 2022 12:00 - 24 minutes - 44.2 MBOn this week’s episode John Hacker, the head of Finance for Design Ready Controls, shares how they ensure compensation adjustments are fair for the individual, in line with the market, and something the company is proud to offer!
Selecting Your Next Plant Location
September 20, 2022 12:00 - 31 minutes - 57.2 MBSelecting a site for your next plant is a big decision with high stakes. The opportunity to make a mistake presents itself at every turn in the process. Choosing to go it alone could cost you million’s of dollars in cash, cost savings, and opportunity costs, not to mention disappointed customers. Enjoy this week’s episode featuring with Justin Erickson and Royce Pavelka with The Brookshire Company as we talk about these mistakes and others they’ve seen made and what you can do to avoid th...
2022 Manufacturer of the Year Winners
September 13, 2022 12:00 - 22 minutes - 41.5 MBOn this week’s special bonus episode of the Podcast, the winners of the 2022 Manufacturer of the Year Award Winners share about their growth, lessons learned, and what they are most excited for in the coming year! Thank you to Kent Djubek, President, Ajax Metal Forming Solutions, Brian L. Johnson, Vice President of Global Engineering, Reell Precision Manufacturing, and Dale Hentges, Plant Vice President of Operations, Boston Scientific. Join us Thursday, Sept. 27th for the Awards, Keyn...