IndustryWeek

IndustryWeek has talked and written about the power of employee #engagement many times before. In short, it helps build a better #manufacturing organization. Lee Novak Green adds to the conversation with this IW contribution. "Individuals who feel empowered are more engaged and?more likely to develop novel solutions to challenges—and overall, the organization has a more collaborative culture," says Green, who serves as assistant vice president of content and strategy at the Innovation Research Interchange, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers - NAM. In this article, Green outlines the Top 5 elements to developing more-empowered teams. These findings are based on a study by NAM and Babson College. #employeeengagement #employeeempowerment #teams https://lnkd.in/egQ367F5

Business leaders in several industries strongly oppose the 25% #tariffs that President Donald #Trump imposed on Canada and Mexico today, March 4, calling the duties in recent months a gift to foreign #manufacturers and a massive hardship on U.S. producers. https://lnkd.in/eVpkyuaG #manufacturing #trade #supplychain

Continuous Improvement to the Rescue in 2025? Production Pulse Developing a #workforce firmly focused on #continuousimprovement leads to engaged employees and a problem-solving culture, the building blocks of operational excellence. Join IndustryWeek's Jill Jusko as she discusses ideas and methods to boost your continuous improvement initiatives in 2025, including the real meaning of kaizen and leadership characteristics that support a problem-solving mindset. Joining Jusko are: Katie Anderson, leadership consultant, speaker, and learning enthusiast, author of "Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn" as well as a regular IndustryWeek contributor John Dyer, author of "The Fa?ade of Excellence: Defining a New Normal of Leadership," as well as a frequent speaker on topics of leadership, continuous improvement, teamwork and culture change. Michael Bremer, author of "How to Do a Gemba Walk" and "Learn to See the Invisible"

What do President #Trump’s early moves signal about #labor policies during the next four years? IndustryWeek's Ryan Secard lays out the current landscape, including a surprise labor secretary pick and multiple changes to the National Labor Relations Board, and offers some potential directions. Several labor lawyers offered insights, including David Rosenfeld with WEINBERG, ROGER & ROSENFELD A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION and Christopher Foster and Tony Torain, II of McDermott Will & Emery #NLRB #IndustryWeek https://lnkd.in/eMNiG5ZW

We asked the IndustryWeek manufacturing community how they felt about President Donald #Trump's performance in office so far as it relates to the #manufacturing sector. Among the comments: 'No clear plan on #tariffs. On again/off again. NOBODY works like that in manufacturing.' How would you respond to this poll? https://lnkd.in/er23QHF5

Welcome to?So That Happened, our editors’ takes on things going on in the #manufacturing world that deserve some extra attention. In addition to gum and the grid, IndustryWeek?editors look into possible Mercedes-Benz AG plant investments in the U.S., Tesla not to the rescue at Nissan Motor Corporation, #robots are watching you and the story of a two-timing bald eagle. And more. https://lnkd.in/e9ZAzHgF

According to new reports, in recent days President #Trump has said #tariffs against #Mexico and #Canada will move forward. Remember, these are the tariffs the administration announced and then paused in early February. What happened to #USMCA, we asked when talk of these tariffs first gained steam. Doesn't the U.S.-Mexico-Canada #trade agreement play a role in preventing a unilateral trade action by a partner to the pact? We went in search of answers and got some, with an assist from Dan Swartz, international tax services principal at Crowe and Gregory Husisian, partner at Foley & Lardner LLP. We also gleaned some insights from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Read what we learned. https://lnkd.in/gTsdPng4

Positive workplace cultures are built on trust, and a cornerstone of trust is #communication, says Carl Livesay, general manager at Mercury Plastics Inc. In his latest IndustryWeek contribution, Livesay points to what he calls an "often-overlooked tool" to improve communication: the value of a well-thought-out performance review. "Performance reviews provide an opportunity to communicate one-on-one with team members openly and clearly, he says. "They are also a chance for #leadership to demonstrate their understanding of the #team members while both sides learn more about each other. However, a review that resembles a report card more than a meaningful evaluation "diminishes communication gains," and can negatively impact team members' perception of the company. In this article, Livesay suggests an alternative to the report-card-as-performance-review, one that give #leaders an opportunity "to supercharge their greatest asset—their people." Read on. #IndustryWeek #performancereview #talentmanagement #workplace https://lnkd.in/gYAqVknb

One company is a venerable #manufacturer operating in the heavy industry sector. Its R&D process can take from 18 months to 2 years. Then you've got your tech start-ups, "serial risk takers with high tolerance for failure, creating success from nimble iteration." How do you blend these two very different philosophies? You don't. Instead, Kubota Corporation—the #manufacturing company in question—found a different answer. IndustryWeek's Dennis Scimeca shares the solution, with an assist from Kubota Tractor's?Todd Stucke and Josh Skanderup. https://lnkd.in/g9hwP52K Kubota Tractor Corporation AgJunction #IndustryWeek Bloomfield #startup #technology #researchanddevelopment

Production Pulse: Hungry for Power America is hungry for #electricity. Between the rising number of #datacenters that power #AI #chatbots and #cloud computing systems to #electricvehicles to new home construction to trends in #manufacturing, we need more electricity going into the system and upgrades to the distribution #grid to safely deliver that power to users. Major electrical equipment manufacturers are boosting production of transformers and switches to make that happen. Our editors roundtable from Endeavor Business Media (owner of IndustryWeek) include: ? Sara Jensen, executive editor of Power & Motion ? Robert Schoenberger, editor-in-chief of IndustryWeek ? Matt Vincent, editor-in-chief of Data Center Frontier ? Rod Walton, managing editor of Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech