The Evening After the Storm, The Huddle Before the Shift—What is Common?
April 1, 2025
OPINION By Swathi Mohan, Founder of Leanacle Inc.
Do your current Huddles bring your team together? Are they problem-solving powerhouses or just routine meetings everyone tolerates? Take this scenario as an example of how these actions can make an impact.
It is the evening after a massive snowstorm, and you are racing against the clock. You grab the snow blower, determined to get the job done quickly so you can make it to dinner with your friends. But just as you are halfway through, the snow blower breaks down. You feel a wave of disappointment, you know there is no way you will finish in time. Resigned, you grab a shovel and start clearing the snow manually, already convinced you will miss dinner.
Suddenly, your spouse steps outside, sees you shoveling, and asks what happened to the snow blower. Without hesitation, they pick up a shovel and start helping. You feel a spark of hope, you might actually make it on time. Then, your neighbor notices the two of you struggling and brings over their snow blower. With three of you working together, the driveway is cleared in no time.
You are filled with gratitude. What could have been a frustrating and disappointing evening transforms into a heartwarming moment of teamwork and support. You happily make it to dinner, knowing you could not have done it without their help.
Now, imagine your team on the manufacturing floor starting their day with this same feeling of teamwork, support, and shared accomplishment. Imagine the level of productivity when they walked onto the floor every shift feeling positively charged, motivated by collaboration and empowered to solve problems together?
If you want this for your team, give them a structured Huddle, one that creates this feeling every day, every shift.
Huddles are often mistaken for mere status updates or worse, platforms where supervisors vent and operators disengage. Instead of inspiring the team, they become meetings people endure. Supervisors frequently do not know what to say or how to engage their teams. Employees show up, but they are mentally checked out. A tool that has the power to energize and unite teams is often misused or underutilized.
But what if your Huddles could be the spark that charges up the entire floor? What if they became the daily boost that makes people feel connected, motivated, and solution- oriented?
Ever Had One of Those Days?
You know the kind, when you just do not feel it. No matter how urgent the project, you cannot seem to find the energy. We have all had those days.
What helps you break through? For me, it is reconnecting with the why. Simply asking, “Why am I doing this?” brings back a sense of purpose. It reminds me of the bigger picture and re-energizes me.
Do you think your employees have those days too? Of course they do.
Huddles give them that same sense of purpose and clarity, helping them reconnect with the Big Why behind their daily actions. When employees understand how their contributions move the needle, whether it is reducing waste, improving quality, or hitting production targets—they feel more motivated and engaged. It becomes more than just another shift. It becomes meaningful.
Two Things Every Huddle Should Do
For your Huddles to be truly effective, they need to accomplish two things:
- Empower teams to solve problems together. Huddles should be a space where employees collaborate, share insights, and tackle frustrations as a team—turning obstacles into opportunities.
- Align everyday actions to the Big Why. When employees see how their daily efforts contribute to larger company goals, they gain a deeper sense of purpose and ownership.
Are Your Huddles Achieving This?
Do your current Huddles bring your team together? Are they problem-solving powerhouses or just routine meetings everyone tolerates?
If you are not sure, click here to discover your Huddle effectiveness score.
Think back to the snowstorm. You were stuck, frustrated, and sure you would miss dinner. But with a little teamwork, everything changed. The same is true on the shop floor. When your team faces challenges together, they gain more than just solutions: they gain trust, connection, and shared purpose.
A well-run Huddle is a daily catalyst for collaboration and momentum. Over time, these daily doses of teamwork and alignment compound into higher engagement, faster problem-solving, and stronger results.
So, the next time your team gathers for a Huddle, ask yourself:
Are they simply meeting?
Or are they building something bigger together?
About the Author
Swathi is the founder of Leanacle, a lean consulting company helping SME automotive manufacturers in Ontario boost their operational efficiency. With over a decade of experience at Toyota, Swathi is passionate about transforming shop floors into hubs of collaboration and productivity. Through structured Huddles and people-powered Lean principles, she helps manufacturers achieve profit-boosting efficiency.
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