The Recognition Mistake Costing You Your Best People with Michelle Kozin

Lisa Ryan sits down with Michelle Kozin, an organizational strategist who uses behavioral science to help manufacturers connect people strategy with business strategy. Michelle's background in change management started with large-scale ERP implementations, where she learned that the technology was never the hard part. The people were.

In this conversation, Michelle and Lisa unpack why the same recognition can motivate one employee and completely miss the mark with another, why pay is rarely the real reason a skilled tradesperson walks out the door, and why role clarity might matter more than personality type when it comes to unlocking performance. They also look ahead to a shift already underway on plant floors: leaders who will soon manage AI agents alongside human teams, and what that means for trust, communication, and job design.

What You'll Learn

• Why change triggers fear of loss, not fear of change itself, and what that means for how leaders communicate
• The difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivators, and why money is rarely the true reason someone starts job hunting
• How to recognize employees according to how they're wired, not how you'd want to be recognized yourself
• Why treating everyone "the same" often reads as unfair, and what real fairness looks like instead
• The difference between behavioral assessments and job assessments, and why role clarity solves more retention problems than personality typing does
• How AI and automation are reshaping job expectations the same way ERP implementations did two decades ago
• One question every plant manager can ask before their next one-on-one to build more trust this week

Key Quotes

Michelle Kozin on why people resist change: people aren't afraid of change itself, they're afraid of what they might lose, whether that's control, influence, or relationships.

Michelle on recognition: a gift lands based on the person opening it, not the person giving it, and that means leaders need to know how each team member is wired before deciding how to show appreciation.

Michelle on fairness: real fairness means matching your approach to the person in front of you, using the same standard of communication but a different path to get there.

Lisa Ryan on AI and human judgment: machines will be right the vast majority of the time, but the small percentage where human judgment matters is exactly where tribal knowledge and critical thinking need to be protected and passed down.

Actionable Takeaways for Plant and Operations Leaders

1. Before your next one-on-one, ask yourself one question. How does this person want to be led, similarly to you or differently? Let the answer shape how you open the conversation.
2. Audit your recognition approach by employee, not by policy. Some people want public praise. Others want a quiet handshake and a private word. Find out before you plan the next round of engineering week gifts or service awards.
3. Separate role clarity from personality typing. Before investing in another behavioral assessment, make sure every person on your team can answer this: what does success in my role actually look like right now?
4. Over-communicate during any transformation, especially the uncomfortable parts. Sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly builds more trust than protecting people from bad news ever will.
5. Get ahead of AI-driven job redesign the way you'd handle any major system change. As AI takes on more tasks, job descriptions and expectations will shift. Name that shift out loud instead of letting people guess at what their role now requires.
6. Watch for the quiet quitters. Most people disengage long before they resign. Treat consistent, values-aligned recognition as a retention tool, not an afterthought.

About Michelle Kozin

Michelle Kozin is an organizational strategist who helps companies and leaders connect people strategy with business strategy using behavioral science. She has spent 20 years using the Predictive Index methodology to help organizations improve hiring, define roles, and unlock performance through better leadership. Her work centers on how trust and connection form under pressure, particularly during periods of organizational change like digital transformation, technology implementation, and now the rise of AI in the workplace.

Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn or visit predictiveadvisors.com.

About the Host

Lisa Ryan, CSP, MBA, is the founder of Grategy® and host of the Manufacturers Network Podcast. She works with manufacturing, industrial, and skilled trades organizations on employee retention, workplace culture, and the human side of AI and automation. Her newest book, Smart Plant: Aligning AI, Automation, and People, is available now on Amazon.

Connect

• Explore more episodes of the Manufacturers Network Podcast
• Learn more about Grategy at LisaRyanSpeaks.com
• Get Smart Plant: Aligning AI, Automation, and People: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZMFBVZ2