Culture
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When we understand what drives bad behavior, we can get in front of it
Have you ever wondered why we behave the way that we do? Is behavior of the individual or the organization a fixed matter, something possibly predetermined by nature and therefore futile to control or influence? Or is behavior, perhaps, just a reaction to aggregate stimuli? Maybe the truth lies somewhere in between. When we attempt to make productive changes…
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Purpose is Powerful.
Attracting and retaining the right talent these days is a challenging business. People are inherently complex, and it should come as no surprise that money alone is not the secret to long-term employee satisfaction. There are other, less concrete factors that influence our professional affiliations to be considered. One such factor that is increasingly important to people…
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It all revolves around Trust
Many books and articles address the need to nurture a culture of trust in an organization if improved performance is the aim, but that trust is often only oriented vertically. True, this is the best place to start. Management must demonstrate trust in their workforce that they will do the right thing before the organization reciprocates with…
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Overcoming Breakdowns is Valuable Experience to any Organization
To many of us, there is no greater paralyzing fear than the nightmare associated with a system breaking down. We strive to keep the plates spinning, and whether through neglect, overloading, or just rotten luck, things can come crashing to a halt in an instant. While the system implodes and the fires rage, take solace in the…
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Is there Virtue in Competition?
Society rightly endorses desirable behaviors and qualities in its members. Some norms are promoted while others are discouraged through shaming, ridicule, or outright discipline. Perceived virtue is ever-changing with time, and no one individual determines the course of these societal norms. Rather, it tends to be influenced over time by the events, circumstances and the collective experiences…
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Protecting IP is a high priority. Are you capturing it all?
Intellectual assets come in all shapes and sizes. Traditionally and almost instinctively, we limit the notion of intellectual property (IP) to patents and possibly throw in trademarks, copyrights, or other valuable assets readily afforded governmental protection. However, the truth is that the most prominent, critical, and vulnerable forms of intellectual property are the processes used by your organization every…
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Digital is our new reality for Project Management
Make no mistake; the world of industrial project management has recently taken a remarkable turn. The world is rapidly shifting digital and for good reason. We are experiencing great breakthroughs in the areas of Industry 4.0, IoT, cloud computing, and AI that facilitate the ability to harvest, collate, curate, and parse vast amounts of formerly disparate data. We…
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Will your project truly stand the test of time? Commission it with confidence.
Allow me to don my PMP hat for an extended moment. In the continuous improvement world, projects come in all types and sizes. They may be small kaizen-based projects, intensive Six Sigma improvement initiatives, ambitious new product launches, or even enormous green-field site construction projects. Regardless of the size, all projects share commonalities that need to be addressed,…
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Our ability to relate is our ability to come together for greater things
Sensei is typically translated as either teacher or “one who has gone before”. That second definition really resonates with me. It makes me think of someone who has gone ahead of me, seen and experienced it all, and has come back to help me through it. There is an enormous amount of comfort in knowing that someone has…
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There’s no substitute for Practice
There are numerous accounts out there of the mission to capture Osama Bin Laden. Each story recounts the painstaking intelligence gathering, planning, and highly precise execution of the early morning raid. What is often glossed over is the ridiculous amount of training that the soldiers did to cover each and every conceivable scenario that they might encounter. Seal…