A new business book, How can we make manufacturing sexy?, addresses the industry’s and the public’s roles in bringing manufacturing back to Canada. The book takes a look at how to create a “mindset of passion and purpose, from the production floor to the executive suite.”
Author Karin Lindner, founder and owner of Karico Performance Solutions, wrote the book to create positive change in the manufacturing environment.
“I couldn’t stop wondering why so many people think that manufacturing in North America won’t survive. Nobody seemed to think mindset could have something to do with it…The perception about the manufacturing industry is important [and] the mindset is important,” she said at her official book launch in Richmond Hill, just outside of Toronto, recently.
The perception, she said, is still that of a dirty and unsafe industry. In fact, even 80 percent of the top-level manufacturing executives she interviewed for her book admitted that they wouldn’t want their children to work in manufacturing.
“So what if we start painting a different picture for people so that they want their children to pursue a career in manufacturing?,” she asked. “What we need is skilled production workers, engineers, scientists. And the industry has to do a better job working together with our schools in order to achieve that. I believe 100 percent that we can create a ripple effect, one person at a time, one company at a time, one manager at a time, one worker at a time. And this is how we will create change…I believe passionate people in the industry who care about our tomorrow have to take the first step.”
Lindner also said that organizations need to develop a mindset of excellence, shifting from a cost mentality to a quality mentality.
“This is really what’s killing us today – a mindset of mediocrity, complacency and entitlement in our organizations,” she said. “When have we settled for good is good enough? Why doesn’t everyone strive for excellence?”
Lindner added that Canadians need to re-establish national pride by being aware of their purchase decisions, looking for “Made in Canada” items.
A combination of all of this, according to Lindner, is how we can make manufacturing sexy.
To purchase a copy of the book, visit http://sexymanufacturing.wordpress.com/.
