At its best Lean can be a powerful catalyst for cultural transformation. In the short term, its implementation can change the way teams interact and how they create and deliver value to the customer and each other. In the midterm, new processes beget new routines that together engender behavior change. Over time, if the Lean effort is sustained, that behavior change gives rise to the fabled continuous improvement mindset […]
Oftentimes my efforts to help client organizations improve performance involves assessing the impact of their culture on productivity. For example, despite the fact that many of our days are over stuffed with appointments and conference calls, we don’t typically feel like we’re getting enough done or doing enough well. This article from HBR sheds some light on why that is.
Interesting article from Harvard Business School on creating value versus the more common occurance of claiming value. Leaders that are looking to cultivate this skill in their organizations would benefit by having some fundamentals in place. First, they need to ensure that the purpose, core values and strategic goals of their companies are also value oriented. As the article states, “…Companies that make their purpose just about profit often […]
An organization’s record of safety incidents represents more than a measure of how cautious its employees are in high risk environments or with high risk materials. This metric also directly corresponds to an organization’s values, management philosophy and priorities, employee engagement and culture as well as productivity (cost, quality, delivery) issues.
Isolated incidents aside, the recurrence of unsafe practices is not simply a story of individual or human error specifically. […]
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 to achieve it, benefited from […]
If you haven’t already, check out NBA MVP Kevin Durant’s acceptance speech. It’s a little long, but worth what I thought was an inspiring refresher in leadership. Instead of using the platform to self congratulate, Durant took the opportunity to recognize his team – each individual’s impact on him, honor his journey and others who helped him along the way. Even the naysayers were thanked. The combination of gratitude, […]
To end the week on a positive note, I am pleased to see Barry-Wehmiller @barrywehmiller recognized as one of Inc’s 25 most audacious companies. #Audacious The basis of its audacity? It dares to treat employees like human beings, eschews the idea of “managing” people and defines leadership as a responsibility to “steward” those in your care. This organization’s financial success proves the value of their altruistic approach to business governance […]
Ironic how the act of being transparent is considered “radical” in business yet is a sign of integrity for the individual. At least the paradigm is changing, and the skill set of more CEO’s today is less Great and Powerful Oz and more Thoughtful Connector, Synthesizer and Communicator.
http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/5-lessons-in-radical-leadership-from-the-quick-and-nimble-author.html
