Accelerating Operational Performance
Leadership Insights with Operational Leaders
Unique Training & Development
Show overview
Accelerating Operational Performance has been publishing since 2024, and across the 2 years since has built a catalogue of 51 episodes. That works out to roughly 25 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 29 min and 36 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Business show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 1 weeks ago, with 18 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2025, with 29 episodes published. Published by Unique Training & Development.
From the publisher
The Accelerating Operational Performance podcast, hosted by leadership author and expert Greg Schinkel, is your destination for breakthrough strategies in manufacturing, supply chain, and operational leadership. Here, a diverse array of guests delivers a trifecta of value in every episode: accelerating projects, engaging teams, and enhancing leadership skills for a stress-reduced path to success.
Latest Episodes
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Mimi Brown: How to Build Confidence as a Leader
5 Mistakes New Plant Managers Make in Their First Year
What 49 Interviews Taught Us About Leading People
B2B Sales Strategy for Manufacturing Leaders: Stop Being a Commodity
Josh Post: What a Fractional COO Does For Organizations
Kevin Schinkel: Manufacturing Leadership Lessons From the Plant Floor
Nadia Dawe: Frontline Leadership Development That Builds Trust
Darcy Scott: Building High-Velocity Teams
Jeff Gallant: How Leadership Drives Results
Greg sits down with Jeff Gallant, an operations leader with over 30 years of experience driving transformation across some of Canada’s most recognized industrial organizations. Jeff has led billion-dollar investments, large teams, and major operational change—but what stands out most is his perspective on leadership. This conversation gets into what actually drives results on the floor: - The shift from technical expert to people leader - Why employee engagement directly impacts KPIs - How to implement change that actually sticks - And what great leaders do differently Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 04:52 – From technical expert to people leader 08:01 – Managing by email vs in person 11:00 – Advice for new and aspiring leaders 13:20 – Talent management and succession planning 15:33 – The link between employee engagement and KPIs 21:17 – What makes change initiatives successful 25:41 – Organizational silos and misalignment 29:38 – Decision-making waste and pushing decisions down
Kandis Neth: Making Frontline Leadership Training Stick
Discover how to turn frontline leadership training into lasting behavior change. Greg Schinkel and Kandis Neth share secrets to making operational learning stick.
Rick Richkowski: Scaling Operational Excellence
    In this episode, Rick Richkowski, VP of Operations at Arrow TruLine, shares leadership insights. He discusses scaling operational excellence through a situational problem-solving approach, the impact of automation on high-volume manufacturing, and the importance of leadership stability in driving long-term sustainability.  
Rob Szabo: From Micromanagement to Open Book Management
    In this episode of the Accelerating Operational Performance Podcast, Greg sits down with entrepreneur Rob Szabo, owner of Palasad and Escapology, to talk about his journey of leadership growth. Rob shares how he evolved from a hands-on operator in the hospitality industry to a strategic leader running multiple locations with a strong management […]
Ted Bezner: How to Elevate Your Team with Frontline Leadership Training
    Greg is joined by Ted Bezner, instructor with Unique Training & Development and an expert in cross-cultural communication and frontline leadership development. Ted shares his journey into training, his experience teaching leadership programs across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, and what it really takes to engage adult learners—especially frontline leaders who […]
Steve Cohen: Building a Leadership Training Strategy That Works
Greg Schinkel and Dr. Steve Cohen share how to build a leadership training strategy that drives real behavior change.
Plant Manager Effectiveness: 3 Tips for Better Results
In this special edition of the Accelerating Operational Performance Podcast, Greg Schinkel shares critical insights gained from his recent manufacturing site visits in 2025. As we enter the new year, Greg discusses the common traps that keep plant operations from reaching their full potential and provides a roadmap for leaders to go from good to great.
Accelerating Operational Performance Rewind: Leadership Lessons That Stick
On this Accelerating Operational Performance Rewind, Greg Schinkel and Kirk Langford look back at some of the most impactful conversations from the podcast—episodes that resonated most with plant managers, operational leaders, and manufacturing executives. This episode isn’t about theory. It’s about what actually works on the shop floor and in leadership roles where pressure is real, and results matter. We revisit insights from guests and colleagues on topics like: - Taking the work seriously without taking yourself too seriously - Building psychological safety in manufacturing teams - Managing competing corporate priorities as a plant leader - Rewarding effort, not just outcomes - Addressing toxic behavior to protect culture and performance Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 01:02 – Take the work seriously, not yourself 04:09 – The reality of plant leadership 05:28 – Managing corporate centers of excellence 06:57 – Rewarding the try 09:29 – Overcoming the fear of peak performance 13:19 – Dealing with toxic behavior 17:07 – Getting 1% better If you found this episode useful: Like the video Subscribe for future episodes Share it with a colleague who leads people in manufacturing If you are interested in the clips, you may be interested in the full episode! 1. https://youtu.be/tONlo100jmk 2. https://youtu.be/8em4CnRl-EU 3. https://youtu.be/dKqoEuP3ZM0 4. https://youtu.be/7YMeyIm6AJc 5. https://youtu.be/KDXcNmQgYIs Small changes in leadership behavior can create big gains in performance. Connect with us: Website: https://uniquedevelopment.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unique-training-&-development-inc-/ Email: [email protected]
Michael Farrell: 5 Essential Operational Leadership Lessons
    Learn operational leadership lessons from Graphic Packaging EVP Michael Farrell. In this AOP podcast episode, Greg and Michael discuss accountability, breaking silos, and leading with authenticity to drive efficiency and productivity in any manufacturing or operational environment.