Shop floors can be difficult - that's probably why most training-delivery companies prefer to cosy up with the management team who've already bought into the concept of continuous improvement. Shop floor staff don't really want anyone getting into their heads - "we'd rather stay where we are, thanks - a good day is one when you're left alone."
Fortunately for those long-distance engineers at that lathe a long time with no hope of anything changing around here, there is hope. There's engagement; it can be fun with easy ways to change things just by thinking about them differently. Constructive communication and cultural positivity mean no-one has to do anything drastically different to find themselves doing more with their working day. All you need to change your perspective is a new line of enquiry on the reality you're facing.
Line managers can get tetchy about human nature at play. They can fall into the trap of resisting change for different reasons, not realising they're digging their heels in and claiming all kinds of things to avoid getting caught up in the experience - "it's a waste of time," [that could be spent fighting those fires], "it's immature, you'd get more out of going down the pub," and so on. Anything but engage on a level playing field with people they're tasked to control.
The heady mix of subversive undertone and discordant harmonic overwhelms upper management tiers who frankly don't know what to do about it. Training companies (other than this one you're reading from now) stick to the safety of executive benches for fear of getting burned while intelligent, sensitive human beings are left to deal with daily despair amid negative impact ripping through the workplace they rely on.
Brave hearts with the biggest battles on their plates put the rest of us to shame when they come out with their truths, and one thing you could call 'a saving grace' today is that talking about mental health is actively encouraged. Nobody can ever turn round and poke fun at a colleague for declaring their inner turmoil. Giving peace a chance in today's industrial environment is a step too far for many - are you ready to man up to that task? While change is inevitable, it's in our hands to do something constructive with it and there is in all honesty no time like the present, for the present is all we have.