I was recently engaged by a VP of Operations to help him make the case for Lean to executive leadership. To that end, I was also tasked with convincing the CEO to revisit (and maybe refine) the organization’s values, purpose, goals. My recommendation was that an airtight business orientation would be essential to driving the organizational alignment necessary for Lean to flourish. While I waited for my meeting to [...]
As featured in the June 2014 issue of Effective Flow Magazine: It’s the elusive goal behind every Continuous Improvement initiative: Every organization wants to become a high performing workplace. But what does this entail? How does one go about achieving it? How long does it take? I’ve spent my career answering these questions. I have read countless tomes on the subject of business success and how [...]
Like many tortured souls in my line of work, I frequently enter places of business and during whatever wait there is, reimagine different elements of the operation from the layout and processes, to the product array, delivery mechanism and related possible revenue streams that would improve the customer experience, culture and / or profit. This activity comes as second nature to me and so I can run through scenarios [...]
Happy Friday! This is an oldie but goodie. A funny reminder that at the end of the day, CI efforts should focus on improving the means by which the business interprets and meets the needs of its customers. The impact of this effort is strongly enhanced by first taking the time to figure out what your customers want and expect. When was the last time you conducted a Voice of [...]
I agree that Nordstrom’s market defining customer service is as this article suggests, the result of employees empowered by automony which is tempered by standards. But to have this kind of impact, standards can’t be created in a vacuum. And this level of service doesn’t happen by accident. I believe this level of service and the standards that enable it, wouldn’t be as distinctive or impactful if they did [...]
Harvard Business Review’s article, “Storytelling That Moves People” , has resurfaced again recently. Though it’s been over 10 years since it was first published, I’m struck by its still very relevant message and how eloquently interview subject, writer and director Robert McKee, describes both the components and power of a good story as well as the qualities of a good storyteller. Organizations are desperately in need of both. Employee engagement [...]
I believe that everyone comes to work every day to do his or her best. Sometimes life and work can get in the way, but I believe that in general, when people are given a chance to “do good” they step up to the challenge. I didn’t always think this way. In all of my years of observing the way organizations went about improving performance, management consistently placed the blame [...]
