Leadership
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Refreshing your team pays dividends
Since ancient times, harvest has been a community endeavor. The harvest window was typically small and numerous laborers would be hired to complete the harvest in time. As these harvest arrangements were usually at-will, the landowner understood well that his reputation in how he treated his workers would impact his harvest for years to come. There were generally…
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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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The Right Kind of Advice can make all the Difference
When we set our minds upon the notion of process improvement, we often recognize the need for a fresh and skilled outside perspective. Many people use the terms sensei and consultant interchangeably in this context, but this far from accurate. What are you looking for in your improvement journey? Which kind of assistance best suits your particular needs?…
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ROCE can provide a revealing peek behind the curtain of your organization
My advice is that you should temper your expectations when it comes to adopting a continuous improvement philosophy. Continuous improvement is inherently gradual and incremental without the dramatic, spectacular, or singular event we often hope for. Silver bullets are rare in life. The notion of Lean and other like approaches is one of small wins that build…
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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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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…