# 267: How Meaningful Work, Optimism, and Relationships Drive Manufacturing Excellence, An Interview with Kathy Miller, Author of MORE is Better

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2025-12-23
- Length: 53m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-12-23-267-how-meaningful-work-optimism-and-relationships-drive-manufacturing-excellenc
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Kathy Miller, author of 'MORE is Better' and former manufacturing executive, discusses her framework for building excellence in industrial settings through meaning, optimism, and relationships. She explains how lean manufacturing principles like waste elimination can enhance meaningful work and how 'high-quality connections' (HQCs) foster resilience in teams. Miller also introduces 'More Mentor,' an AI-powered coaching tool on her website More 4 Leaders designed to help leaders apply these psychological principles to real-world plant floor scenarios.

## Chapters

- [1:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-12-23-267-how-meaningful-work-optimism-and-relationships-drive-manufacturing-excellenc#t=102) Introduction and Book Overview
- [13:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-12-23-267-how-meaningful-work-optimism-and-relationships-drive-manufacturing-excellenc#t=785) Meaningful Work and Agency
- [20:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-12-23-267-how-meaningful-work-optimism-and-relationships-drive-manufacturing-excellenc#t=1200) Lean Manufacturing and Optimism
- [27:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-12-23-267-how-meaningful-work-optimism-and-relationships-drive-manufacturing-excellenc#t=1627) Digital Transformation and AI
- [32:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-12-23-267-how-meaningful-work-optimism-and-relationships-drive-manufacturing-excellenc#t=1937) High-Quality Connections (HQCs)
- [36:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-12-23-267-how-meaningful-work-optimism-and-relationships-drive-manufacturing-excellenc#t=2171) Career Transition and More Mentor

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- MORE is Better (product)
- Steel Toes and Stilettos (product)
- More 4 Leaders (company)
- More Mentor (product)
- Moxa (company)
- Rolls-Royce (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Advancing the Manufacturing Community by Banding Together w/ Marc Braun & Jonathan Jones](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-12-14-advancing-the-manufacturing-community-by-banding-together-w-marc-braun-jonathan) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Empowering a Self-Directed Workforce w/ Matthew Rassi](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-05-14-empowering-a-self-directed-workforce-w-matthew-rassi) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [The Augmented Workforce: Enabling Humans with Technology](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-11-01-the-augmented-workforce-enabling-humans-with-technology) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Restoring Glory and Dignity to Manufacturing w/ John Kramer and Marc Braun](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-06-29-restoring-glory-and-dignity-to-manufacturing-w-john-kramer-and-marc-braun) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [014C - "The Final P: People" with Larry Mager](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2022-01-05-014c-the-final-p-people-with-larry-mager) (Let's Combinate)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-12-23-267-how-meaningful-work-optimism-and-relationships-drive-manufacturing-excellenc. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Manufacturing Happy Hour.