With 40 years of experience in both the federal government and a Fortune 500 company, Paula Sparks had seen an awful lot of mistakes in organizational culture and organizational leadership.  

Metrics

In manufacturing, we always see safety metrics or quality metrics but we don't necessarily see people metrics. 

If you have a vision statement, a mission statement, or a core values statement, try to define the behaviors associated with those statements and become the role model for those behaviors. 

Look at how are people developing. What kind of development do you have for your people so that they can work on not only the technical skills but also the soft skills? 

Management style

Realize that one size does not fit all. When you have a company with a larger manufacturing footprint, and you have factories in different areas, it's really important to understand the culture of the country that you're going to and be open to shift your style to be able to fit into other cultures.  

It’s not just about shifting your speaking style, but also when you’re writing emails. Be mindful of the different culture and the different communication style that works.  

Pigeon-holing people

Oftentimes, you might find yourself pigeon-holing people as a supervisor, or a welder, or whatever role that is when they’re really more than their roles. Begin having those meaningful conversations with people in your organization and build strong relationships with them.