• Too Many Initiatives, Too Much Overload

    Too Many Initiatives, Too Much Overload0

    Having too many initiatives is a common problem in our workplaces. Leaders pile “critical” work onto everybody’s to-do list and stress levels increase. Cracks start to appear in the fabric of our teams as the pressure mounts. When there are too many priorities on which to realistically focus our effort, the feeling of progress we

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  • 7 Pitfalls to Avoid When Selection the Right Metrics

    7 Pitfalls to Avoid When Selection the Right Metrics0

    Choosing the right metrics is critical to success, but the road to good metrics is fraught with pitfalls. As your endeavors to become more metrics-driven, beware of errors in the design and use of metrics. Here I compile the most common mistakes that teams are committing when using metrics, so you’ll know what not to

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  • Three Most Important Questions in a Continuous Improvement Culture

    Three Most Important Questions in a Continuous Improvement Culture0

    A few weeks back John Knott’s wrote a post about 3 magical metrics within a continuous improvement culture. He said the three things that you need to measure are: 1) How much work you are doing, 2) How long it takes to do it every time, and 3) How well you do it every time.

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  • Get Aligned With OARRs

    Get Aligned With OARRs0

    Effective meetings require careful planning and management. Preparing for a meeting involves more than reserving a room, setting up a few chairs and plugging in the coffee. Thinking through the basics of the meeting will help cement a successful effort when the simple acronym O.A.R.R.’s is employed. O. Desired Outcomes: If a meeting is needed

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  • 10 Things I Learned from Lean Thinking

    10 Things I Learned from Lean Thinking0

    My Lean thinking has gradually evolved since my journey began in 2000. I have a real passion for learning and sharing my journey with others. I like to reflect deeply on key learnings to improve my understanding.  Here are some of the lessons I learned:  1. Practice makes permanent. – Tomo Sugiyama  Practice makes perfect.

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  • Using the Gemba Walk to Learn and Engage

    Using the Gemba Walk to Learn and Engage0

    While there are many things that affect employee engagement, getting leadership to the place where work is done, the Gemba, and actively engaging with the workforce, seeing with their own eyes the problems that occur, listening to associates and giving advice and direction (coaching) to the team is a critical factor in increasing overall engagement.

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