Manufacturing Mentorship Weekly

Aron emphasizes the importance of moving from "constraint thinking" to "possibilities thinking" to avoid burnout and operational stagnation. He argues that leaders must step away from daily fire-fighting to define a clear vision for their organization. By asking two fundamental questions—"What do we want?" and "What do we not want?"—leaders can identify transformational opportunities in people, te...

Aron discusses establishing a baseline before setting goals by asking what is working and what is not. He recommends reviewing five areas: people, KPIs and results, leadership expectations, processes and systems, and relationships. He suggests identifying the strongest and weakest priorities, then asking why they are performing that way so strengths can inform improvement. He encourages leaders to...

Aron explains how unclear communication and escalation can leave plant leaders blindsided by downtime, safety incidents, quality risks, and missed targets. He shares lessons from discovering his plant had been down for 26 hours and argues that verbal expectations are not enough. Leaders should establish a written escalation matrix defining what to report, when to report it, and whom to notify. Cle...

Aron explains why plant managers can fight fires yet make little progress. He identifies six recurring disruptions—equipment failures, safety and quality incidents, process upsets, material shortages, and outside schedule changes—and cautions that longer hours and the rush of crisis response are not lasting solutions. Instead, leaders should stabilize operations, address one recurring problem at i...

Aron addresses the intense self-doubt and emotional pressure faced by manufacturing leaders during crises. Using personal examples like quality audits and production disruptions, he emphasizes that uncertainty is a natural part of leadership. To navigate these challenges, he provides four actionable strategies: writing down and fact-checking intrusive questions, separating professional setbacks fr...

Aron addresses leaders who lack support or technical coaching from superiors. He emphasizes that while autonomy is valuable, true growth requires being pushed toward expected outcomes. To overcome stagnation, he recommends five actionable strategies: understanding your boss’s strengths to leverage their expertise, setting bold deadlines for major achievements, finding experienced mentors outside y...

Aron discusses what happens after the first 90 days in a new leadership role, when leaders shift from observing to implementing change. He emphasizes choosing a single, trackable metric—such as throughput, safety incidents, or schedule attainment—and building a disciplined cadence of daily, weekly, and monthly reviews. He frames the leader’s role as coach, not firefighter, stressing the importance...

Aron discusses why performance alone isn’t enough to earn promotions. He builds on last week’s focus on results to introduce Dr. Harvey Coleman’s PIE model: Performance, Image, and Exposure. He explains that while strong results are essential, how others perceive you and who knows you often matter more for advancement. Aron stresses intentional relationship-building with corporate partners and dec...

Aron discusses how plant leaders can position themselves for promotion to VP, COO, and beyond by shifting from day-to-day thinking to long-term, business-level leadership. He stresses building strong business acumen, understanding the full P&L, and creating a clear, phased capital master plan tied to corporate needs. He also highlights the importance of developing a capable team, delegating de...

Aron discusses the significant pressures faced by plant managers, including customer service issues, cost targets, and safety concerns. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on one key metric to drive improvement, such as throughput or safety, which can positively impact other areas like productivity and costs. He highlights the need for early adopters within the team to achieve progress and th...

Aron discusses the challenges of starting a new job in manufacturing leadership, highlighting five dangers: making every decision yourself, accepting the status quo, referencing past companies, neglecting upward communication, and delaying safety improvements. He shares his experience transitioning from Procter & Gamble to Teva Pharmaceuticals, noting issues like material shortages and poor cl...

Aron discusses the challenges of manufacturing leadership, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and support. He shares his experience as a director of continuous improvement in Iowa City, highlighting the difficulty of implementing operational excellence programs without prior experience. He recounts how external support from a VP of manufacturing and other mentors significantly accelerated hi...

Aron discusses the final pillar of building a better plant and life: professional and financial health. He emphasizes the interconnectedness of physical, relational, mental, and financial health. He shares personal experiences, highlighting how financial insecurity can impact leadership decisions and job satisfaction. He advises creating a personal balance sheet, running the household like a P&amp...

Aron discusses the importance of mental health for manufacturing and operations leaders, emphasizing that stress and mental fatigue are common but often overlooked. He shares personal experiences and stories to illustrate how mental health issues can impact leadership effectiveness and personal well-being. He outlines five signs of mental fatigue: energy levels, temper, thinking clarity, decision...

Aron discusses the importance of relational health for manufacturing and operations leaders, emphasizing the need to balance work with personal relationships. He introduces the concept of the "Power Five" moments: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas, highlighting their significance. He shares personal anecdotes and coaching experiences to illustrate the impact of...

Aron discusses the importance of self-care for manufacturing and operations leaders, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to physical, relational, professional, and mental health. He highlights the dangers of neglecting sleep, nutrition, and fitness, using examples of plant managers who overconsume caffeine and neglect proper nutrition. He stresses that sustainable high performance require...

Aron discusses the challenges of overworking in manufacturing leadership, emphasizing the need to balance work and personal life. He highlights the importance of setting boundaries, such as not checking emails until morning meetings, and using tools like calendars, automation, and delegation to manage tasks more efficiently. He suggests eliminating unnecessary tasks, automating repetitive ones, an...

Aron discusses the challenges of balancing work and personal life in manufacturing leadership. He emphasizes that hours worked do not equate to outcomes, citing studies showing that 35-hour workweeks often outperform 50-hour ones due to Parkinson's Law, which expands tasks to available time. He introduces concepts like cognitive load, allostatic load, and decision fatigue, likening the brain to a...

Aron discusses the importance of building a robust operating system in manufacturing to prevent operations from breaking down when leaders take time off. He emphasizes the need for leaders to step away from being the "hero" and instead focus on creating systems that outlast them. He shares a case study of a plant manager who struggled with consistency and firefighting, highlighting the necessity o...

Aron discusses the importance of 360-degree communication for manufacturing and operations leaders. He emphasizes the need to communicate effectively with direct reports, peers, senior leaders, and across the organization. He highlights the consequences of poor communication, such as project failures and negative perceptions. He shares personal experiences, including a gas leak incident, to illust...

Aron discusses the importance of building a strong team in manufacturing leadership. He emphasizes the need for leaders to assess their team members' performance, attitude, and potential semi-annually. He highlights the significance of placing the right people in the right roles and making tough decisions when necessary. He shares personal experiences, such as moving a team member to a more suitab...

Aron discusses the importance of having a clear mission and focus in manufacturing leadership. He emphasizes the need for a breakthrough metric that can drive overall improvement, such as OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) or throughput. He shares examples of plant managers who achieved significant results by focusing on specific metrics, like reducing unplanned stops or increasing throughput....

Aron discusses the importance of strategic planning in manufacturing leadership, emphasizing the need to assess current operational status and set clear goals. He highlights key metrics such as safety results, productivity, OEE, and cost per unit, and stresses the importance of understanding team capabilities and processes. He advocates for benchmarking against industry standards to inform future...

Aron continues his discussion on the challenges faced by manufacturing and operations leaders, emphasizing the need for balance between professional and personal life. He reintroduces the concept of "better plants, better lives," highlighting 10 pillars for achieving this balance. These pillars include operating rhythm systems, mission and metrics, leadership bench, talent development, communicati...

Aron discusses the challenges of balancing work and personal life for manufacturing and operations leaders. He emphasizes the pressures of running a factory, including safety, product quality, and cost management, and the impact of these pressures on personal relationships and health. He advocates for intentionality in all aspects of life, including time management, mental health, and community su...