With People, Performance and Culture at the core

At International Road Dynamics (IRD), success achieved through Continuous Improvement provides the employee with challenge, growth, and satisfaction, creating a foundation for long term mutual prosperity. As a low mix, low volume manufacturer, where Engineers and Field Service employees outnumber production by 5:1, IRD has taken a surgical approach with Lean and achieved success along the way. Hear about IRD’s journey and understand how daily support of Continuous improvement is the key to success. By committing to incremental change every day great things will eventually occur. “Continuous Improvement is better than delayed perfection!”.

Rating: Intermediate

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Surviving a Pandemic Through Employee Engagement

Tasty Catering’s employee “revolution” happened in late 2005, when seven employees met without any senior leaders to draft Tasty Catering’s core values, vision and mission. Ownership read the finished product and agreed to support them. Since then, year-over-year employee engagement scores have been over 90 percent, in an industry known for high employee turnover. With this high level of employee engagement, learn how Tasty Catering survived the pandemic and held on to almost all 150 full-time employees. Hear the story of how the Walter brothers decided no employee’s family would lose their home or go without food – and together they would figure this out.

Rating: Beginner

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Own it, learn it, deliver it!

Metal Depot is a supplier of metal roofing and wall panels as well as a full-service custom fabrication shop. Innovate, educate, fabricate describes their "raison d'être". Hear the unique story of Metal Depot, a team of driven individuals who believe in building a great company with great people! Hear how the core values guide decisions and behavior every day; Own It, be personally accountable, Learn It, aways be learning and growing, Deliver It, get the job done, on time, on budget and on spec. Hear how the team at Metal Depot are challenged every day to focus on improvement, and some of the successes, challenges, and lessons they have learned along the way.

Rating: Beginner

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A reminder of the importance of three simple words

Dimatec is a leader in the design and manufacture of high-quality metal bond diamond products, drilling equipment components, and precision machined parts for mineral exploration, mining, geotechnical and energy sectors. Hear the Dimatec story and the importance of three simple words that have the power to bring about change and drive you, the people you serve and your company to succeed. These words are "Please", "Thank-you" and "Sorry". We trust you will be thankful for investing time in this session!

Rating: Intermediate

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Come see how the cool kids at Zingerman’s Mail Order are doing this!

Zingerman’s Mail Order is an online and catalog company, purveyors of traditionally made, full flavored foods. Half of the business happens in the two weeks prior to the December holidays, when production is ramped up from 1,500 boxes a day to 22,000 boxes a day. Zingerman’s has developed a system that allows them to hire and quickly train 300 people every year for this busy holiday period. Hear how scientific thinking has been the cornerstone of Zingerman’s success, creating a different way of thinking and managing. Learn what scientific thinking is, what it is not and why Zingerman’s needs it. Learn also about the obstacles and strategies to learning, practicing and coaching scientific thinking.

Rating: Beginner

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A glimpse into the impact of employee engagement in sustaining high performing teams.

The COVID pandemic has brought into sharp focus the crucial role employee engagement has in deeply challenging work environments. Hear how through a person-centred leadership approach, maintaining a focus on continuous quality improvement was sustained at Danwood Manor through these tumultuous times. Learn through practical examples how person-centred leadership helped create a fulfilling and inspiring work culture. Hear how employee engagement reduced time loss days from workplace injuries, how coaching improved key performance indicators, and how communication and training were key factors in reducing COVID outbreaks and protecting those in our care.

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A tactical look at what supportive leadership & tribal philosophy can do for you!

Argus Industries is a gasket and seal manufacturer that has been supplying the aerospace and industrial marketplace since 1962. TerraCab Industries manufactures industrial cabs for mining/ag/turf vehicles. Learn what twenty years of supportive leadership and a ‘tribal’ philosophy has done for these companies and how to turn a ‘surviving’ culture into a ‘thriving’ one. Hear practical examples of small changes that have had a big impact on the people and how to spark and grow an engaged culture!

Rating: Intermediate

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From blank slate to the secret sauce of employee engagement

The Innovair Group comprises four business, including Innovair Industrial, the largest independent distributor of compressed gas and welding supplies in Canada, Innovair Medical, distributor of medical devices and related products and services across Canada, and Innovair Automation. Hear why this successful seventy-year-old company felt the need to develop an operational excellence strategy, with a focus on employee engagement. Learn about the Lean journey, the successes, the failures and the learnings along the way.

Rating: Beginner

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Pitfalls and Promising Results

HME manufactures communication systems for the quick service restaurant and other industries. Beginning the Lean journey in 2003, HME has experienced many of the benefits Lean can bring. In spite of these accomplishments, the leadership at HME saw the need to improve and heighten the level of employee engagement. In August of 2018 HME adopted People-Centric Leadership as the core of a new leadership development program. Learn about the deployment strategy, mistakes made along the way and how People Centric Leadership has impacted the engagement of the entire workforce.

Rating: Beginner

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