A manager or supervisor’s job should be easier. After all, as long as you have the right people, the right materials, the right information and the right equipment, everything goes smoothly. For most of us this fairy tale scenario only happens on occasion. The rest of the time we are scrambling because one or two […]
Category: Change
Misdirected by metrics?
You’ve likely heard the expression, “What get’s measured, gets managed.” And yet, if you pay attention to the wrong metrics or measurements, it can distract both management and employees from desired behaviors. Metrics provide management with the key information needed to make decisions and assess performance in the business. Paying attention to the wrong metrics or […]
Evolution or Extinction?
During our vacation this summer we spent a few days in Chicago and spent one of our days at The Field Museum. As we walked through a great exhibit on evolution a couple of quotations caught my eye along with a couple of observations of how successful species who are better at adapting to their […]
Leadership – The Missing Ingredient Needed in Process Improvement
Why is it that most process improvement initiatives never quite pan out as advertised? Whether it is Lean, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, ISO/TS 9000 – the end results often fall far short of the promise and potential. There is a crucial ingredient missing – Leadership. We’ll explore that more below. — Last week we ran […]
Productivity Crisis?
The news media has been reporting that Canadian productivity gains are embarrassingly low. Instead of viewing this as abstract information that is irrelevant to you, why not take up the challenge to boost productivity. You may not have a choice anyway. The Conference Board of Canada predicts that by 2031, only 23 workers will be […]