Big life decisions, like applying for a new job, having kids, or starting your own company require a more sophisticated decision making process. These decisions require research, weighing the costs and benefits, and perhaps even consulting with loved ones or other professionals. Sometimes, we can easily acquire these resources to quickly identify the best choice for [...]
Employee engagement and satisfaction will often make or break how long an employee stays with the same company. While there are factors outside of a company that contribute to an employee’s willingness to stay, the two key factors inside a company are job satisfaction and the company environment. How does Lean Boost Employee Engagement? Shared Meaning [...]
More than half of all U.S. buildings are more than twenty years old, providing building owners with unique problems each year. Over time, systems break down, become inefficient, and cost more money to maintain. The key to addressing all of these issues is having a plan for the future. Planning for the Future Buildings don’t collapse [...]
During these unprecedented times, it is important to remember how critical leadership and learning are to every organization. (and also, because we could use some inspiration) I would like to share one of my favorite articles written a few years ago by Alex Knapp at Forbes – Enjoy and stay safe out there! - Bill [...]
This summer I lost a good friend. We all lost a visionary lean leader and legend in the automotive community, Lee Iacocca. Lee was a self-made man who many Americans once wished would run for president, Iacocca saved the Chrysler Corporation from financial ruin, masterminded the creation of the minivan, and oversaw the renovation of Ellis [...]
No one likes sitting in a directionless, hour-long meeting while silently waiting for it to end. Meetings like these drain motivation and productivity, while wasting a company’s most precious resource: its employees’ time. Enter the stand-up meeting. While not meant to be a replacement for traditional sit-down meetings, stand-up meetings provide a fresh way for teams [...]
It is important for workplaces to enable their employees to engage their creative sense in finding solutions for various challenges. A team of employees with a problem-solving mindset can push the organization to great heights. Many employees often find it difficult to get their leaders to engage with their ideas, so the ideas just “fizzle out”. [...]
Farmers use greenhouses to provide the perfect conditions for the growth of their plants. The conditions in a greenhouse are often set to ensure maximum benefit to plants. Compare that to planting the same plant in a cold and dark plot. The yield obtained from the two places would be very different. Thinking from that perspective, [...]
“Fake it till you make it.” It’s quite the cliché`. It sounds good, and everyone will like any statement that provides some sort of solace. However, it’s a statement used to justify wrong choices. As a business leader you will be setting yourself up for failure if you decide to fake anything. In business, you cannot [...]
This is part two of The Layered Process Audit. If you haven’t already, you should read part one. In many organizations, the line supervisor has the responsibility for auditing to ensure that structures and processes such as standard work, 5S, safety, and quality checks are adhered to. The supervisor is usually the only one who is [...]
