Register Today for NFFS WD Webinar - Bridging the Generations
From Friction to Focus: Practical Ways
to Lead Multi-Generational Teams
Every foundry is feeling it. Communication breakdowns. Frustration between generations. Supervisors spending more time managing misunderstandings than managing work. These challenges are not unique to one department, one shift, or one age group. They show up everywhere and they cost foundries time, engagement, productivity, and retention.
Today’s foundry workforce spans four generations working side by side. Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers bring different expectations about communication, feedback, authority, and work culture. Most leaders were never trained to manage across that kind of diversity. They learned by trial and error, and in today’s labor market, error is expensive.
This session is not about generational labels or stereotypes. It is about giving foundry leaders practical tools to reduce friction, increase clarity, and lead more effectively without lowering standards or overcomplicating management. Even experienced supervisors will recognize situations they deal with daily, and more importantly, leave with better ways to handle them.
The webinar will be led by Jeremiah Sinks, Senior Services Manager for Leadership Development at Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). Jeremiah works directly with manufacturing leaders across the country and understands the realities of production environments. His experience spans automotive, mining, and construction, and his work focuses on leadership development, employee attraction and retention, and building strong workplace cultures. He is also the author of The Field Does Not Come to the Farmer: Leading Gen Y & Z and The Field Does Not Come to the Farmer: Great Management Leadership.
During this one-hour session, participants will gain insight into why communication often breaks down between generations even when expectations seem clear. More importantly, they will learn simple, repeatable practices that can be applied immediately on the shop floor and in the front office. These are the kinds of tools that improve shift handoffs, strengthen daily huddles, make feedback conversations more effective, and reduce unnecessary conflict.
This webinar is valuable not just for supervisors, but for anyone who influences people in a foundry. Plant managers, HR and training leaders, safety and operations professionals, and executives will all benefit from a shared understanding of how communication drives engagement and accountability. When leaders across the organization use the same language and approach, teams operate more smoothly and problems are addressed faster.
Strong communication is one of the most overlooked drivers of retention and performance. Foundries that invest in improving it are better positioned to keep good people, develop future leaders, and build cultures where employees want to stay and contribute.
This webinar is a direct member benefit and a practical investment in your leadership team. If your foundry employs more than one generation, this session is for you.
Registration is open now.
Make the time to join us on February 11 and take away tools you can use immediately to strengthen communication and leadership across your workforce.