Building trust: People-first Leadership for change transformation
OVERVIEW
Continuous Improvement initiatives succeed or stall not because of the tools — but because of the human system surrounding them. In today’s manufacturing environments, CI professionals are asked to drive results amid constant change, workforce strain and competing priorities. This interactive session explores how people-first leadership behaviors — coaching skills, psychological safety and clear accountability — create the conditions for sustained improvement rather than short-term compliance.
Grounded in the idea that “change moves at the speed of trust,” popularized by Stephen Covey, this workshop translates respect-for-people from a value into a set of observable, practicable leader behaviors. Participants will learn how accountability, when done well, becomes a trust-builder (not a control mechanism), how coaching conversations expand a leader’s circle of influence, and how psychologically safe environments increase adaptability on the floor and across teams. CI professionals will leave with concrete ways to lead change that sticks — by strengthening capability, resilience and ownership in the people doing the work.
Key Learning Objectives
1. Clarify expectations and deliver feedback that lands: Understand how clear expectations eliminate ambiguity and empower teams to own their responsibilities and master the art of providing feedback that motivates and drives continuous improvement.
2. Adopt a coaching mindset: Shift from being the expert with all the answers to being a strategic guide who helps team members develop their own solutions.
3. Build a people-first action plan for leading change: Create a personalized action plan that integrates accountability and coaching behaviors to immediately strengthen trust, resilience and adaptability during change initiatives.
Emily Smit is a leadership coach and culture consultant at The Perk, where she works with organizations and their leadership teams to strengthen workplace culture. Smit and her team are committed to creating workplaces where people feel inspired, included and celebrated and return home fulfilled at the end of each day.
Outside of work, Smit is actively involved in her community. She networks with local young professional groups, serves as a Big Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters and volunteers with nonprofit organizations throughout the Madison area.
Corie Hoffman is a leadership coach and culture consultant who uses core behaviors to strengthen workplace culture, connect teams and help individuals do their best work. With a strong commitment to learning and growth, Hoffman brings creativity to helping leaders and organizations build positive workplace experiences that support their most valuable asset: their people.
