As leaders in manufacturing, your thoughts and words have a profound impact not only on your mindset but also on those you work with daily. Let’s take a moment to consider how your internal dialogue and external communication shape your experiences and outcomes.

How often do you pause to reflect on the way you speak to yourself and others? Think about a team goal you have on your list; one that you must do with the help of others. How are your thoughts impacting the results? How do your thoughts make you feel when things are not going as planned? Many times, automatic thoughts appear in our minds without warning, and we flip into judging ourselves or others. When repeated, these automatic negative thoughts can turn into the words we speak aloud. Don’t believe me? Do any of these phrases sound familiar?

  • “I am so frustrated!”

  • “I am so overwhelmed!”

  • “It’s a rat race!”

  • “I am pushing a boulder up a hill!”

  • “This is insane!”

  • “He is a drill sergeant!”

If you’re honest, you’ve likely said one or two of these. Now, ask yourself: how do you feel when you think and speak this way? Do you feel positive or negative? Empowered or deflated? Energized or drained? It’s clear that negative thoughts and words can hold you back from achieving the results you desire, both in relationships and in your goals. It’s time to challenge your inner critic.

The Power of Reframing The first step to changing this cycle is agreeing that it’s necessary. If you get doing what you have always done, you will keep getting the results you always get. As soon as you have decided to make a change, you can begin to reframe your thoughts and words.

Here are some ways to transform negative statements from above into positive, empowering ones:

  • Instead of “I am so frustrated!” try “What lesson can I learn from this?”

  • Instead of “I am so overwhelmed!” try “I should focus on one step at a time.”

  • Instead of “It’s a rat race!” try “I need time to breathe!”

  • Instead of “I am pushing a boulder up a hill!” try “How can I influence this situation?”

  • Instead of “This is insane!” try “There are things I don’t understand about this situation.”

  • Instead of “He is a drill sergeant!” try “He likes to get stuff done on time.”

Shifting your perspective will help you reframe your thinking and improve your emotional intelligence, a vital skill for effective leadership.

A Story from the Shop Floor A supervisor named Zain led a team at a manufacturing plant that was experiencing frequent delays. His usual reaction to any issues was to vent: “This is a disaster! Why can’t anyone follow my instructions? These people are so frustrating?” This approach just made him even more frustrated and angry. And to top it off, it often left his team feeling defeated and unmotivated.  After attending an emotional intelligence workshop, Mike wanted to give reframing a try. The next time a delay occurred, instead of reacting, he paused and responded with: “I can see we have an issue. Does anyone know what is causing the delay?” This subtle shift slowed him down from immediately judging others and encouraged his team to collaborate on solutions rather than fixating on blame. Over time, morale improved, and delays became less frequent as the team adopted a problem-solving mindset.

Your Next Step Reframing your thoughts and words can unlock new possibilities for growth, productivity, and connection. Start small by noticing when negative phrases creep into your language. Then challenge yourself to reframe them so you can break your old habits and form a new transforming mindset. You will see a ripple effect through your team.  If you find these exercises helpful, consider joining one of our live or virtual training classes at Soaring Leadership. These sessions delve into foundational skills like emotional intelligence and communication, equipping you to lead with clarity and confidence.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE STARTS WITH YOU!