2018-11-07 07:39
In a previous post, I presented the idea that problem-solving, although critically important to an organization’s success, is not given the focus it deserves. As a result of… Read More
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Thoughts and examples - good and bad - on the state of business and how to improve competitiveness, performance, and quality of life for everybody. Copyright © 2008 - 2016 Gregg Stocker. All rights reserved.
2018-10-11 06:58
There is little argument regarding the critical role that structured problem-solving plays in a lean transformation. Besides the business results associated with solving problems, developing… Read More
2018-09-09 06:24
There seems to be a common misconception that lean thinking and innovation somehow conflict with one another. Many companies approach innovation as something completely separate from l… Read More
2018-08-01 12:38
There is very little debate about the importance of culture to an organization's success, and that the responsibility for defining the culture lies with leaders. Once the culture starts to d… Read More
2018-06-23 05:28
This post was published to Avoiding the Corporate Deat... at 7:22:51 AM 6/23/2018Energy Companies Need to Stop Worrying About Oil Prices “It is not enough to do your best. You… Read More
2018-06-05 05:43
One of the most important – and elusive – objectives of lean is creating a culture of continual improvement throughout an organization. In most cases, this requires changing the… Read More
2018-03-13 07:12
"One thing that makes Chris [Evert] such a great champion, is that she doesn't play games or sets, she plays points." – Billie Jean KingI've played tennis most of my life and learned m… Read More
2018-02-14 06:17
One of the most common obstacles to successfully deploying lean is failure to appreciate the level of transformation required in behaviors and systems. Far too often, companies attempt to im… Read More
2018-02-07 06:38
Much has been written over the years about the destructive effects of the traditional performance rating systems used by so many organizations. It's a process that most people do not like bu… Read More
2018-01-29 11:07
People don't go to Toyota to work, they go there to think" – Taiichi OhnoAlthough much of what we now call lean has been practiced by Toyota and its suppliers for decades, most of the… Read More
2018-01-03 07:48
“There is not a day I don’t think about what Dr. Deming meant to us. Deming is the core of our management.” - Shoichiro ToyodaAccording to W. Edwards Demi… Read More
2017-12-19 11:32
Why do so many organizations give up on lean even after experiencing initial success with the effort? There are several examples of companies in various industries that experienced sustained… Read More
2017-11-28 16:11
"The ability to learn faster than competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage" - Arie de GeusOne of the misconceptions that interferes with an organization's transformation… Read More
2017-10-31 07:23
Borrowing From Neuroscience to Drive Kaizen Thinking"If you are going to do TPS you must do it all the way. You also need to change the way you think. You need to change how you look at thin… Read More
2017-10-18 09:18
One of the most critical but underappreciated skills required to successfully transform an organization toward lean thinking is the ability of leaders to u… Read More
2017-09-19 06:10
One of the problems with some of the books and articles on lean leadership is the tendency to oversimplify the concept in terms of a dictator&nbs&hell…Read More
2017-08-23 05:57
"Why are we here? To learn, to make a difference, and to have fun." - W. Edwards Deming Many years ago, I was fortunate enough on a couple occasions … Read More
2017-06-25 09:15
"If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself." - Albert EinsteinFor most people, structured problem-solving is not a natural process. &nbs&hell…Read More
2017-05-31 06:38
One of the misconceptions about lean thinking is that it automatically leads to flattening the organization. Many people think that layers of management are always a bad thing and start… Read More
2017-05-21 06:15
"Management of a system requires knowledge of the interrelationships between all of the components within the system and of everybody that works in it." - W. Edwards Deming On… Read More
2017-04-30 09:29
Over the years, I have found many organizations the lack the ability to effectively balance short-term pressures with long-term improvement. The situ… Read More
2017-04-08 17:33
One of the challenges in teaching people problem-solving is to get them to follow a formal process based on the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle rather than quickly jumping to countermeasures… Read More
2017-01-22 11:08
It’s inauguration time and a new administration is moving into the White house attempting to fulfill its promise to “make America great again.” A key to Donald Trump… Read More
2016-05-15 06:50
“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.” - MichelangeloIt is common for… Read More
2016-05-01 06:20
Dashboards are critical for a successful continual improvement effort. Effective dashboards can drive better coaching, faster team meetings, and more effective problem-solving. A… Read More
2016-04-24 06:16
One of the areas of lean that people tend to have difficulty grasping is the relationship between leading and lagging metrics, and how to identify effective leading metrics. People spend a l… Read More
2016-04-17 09:10
It has been decades since we first learned about the Toyota Production System and how it contributes to the company’s quality, productivity, and competitive success. And although… Read More
2016-04-03 07:18
“Nobody gives a hoot about profit. I mean long-term profit. We talk about it, but we don’t do anything about it.”– W. Edwards Deming W hy do so many com… Read More
2016-03-20 06:57
Many companies today are jumping on the lean bandwagon and expecting huge cost reductions as a result. Unfortunately, many of these companies will never see the type of improvements th… Read More
2015-08-23 13:33
One of the biggest problems companies have that interferes with long-term success is variation in people, team, and leadership styles throughout the organization. This variation wreaks… Read More
2015-08-16 15:40
“You are non-value added, Charles,” I was told. “Your sole job is to take care of the team member who is creating the value.” – Toyota Trainer to Char… Read More
2015-08-09 13:30
“The first step is transformation of the individual. This transformation is discontinuous. It comes from understanding of the system of profound knowledge. The indivi… Read More
2015-08-02 13:55
“Our whole company is founded on the principle that there is something very different that happens with one person, one computer.” – Steve JobsThe May issue of Fo… Read More
2015-07-26 13:35
“What we need to do is learn to work in the system, by which I mean that everybody, every team, every platform, every division, every component is there not for competitive profit or r… Read More
2015-07-19 15:03
“I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day, you bet on people, not on strategies.” – Lawrence… Read More
2015-07-12 12:57
“A company should limit its growth based on its ability to attract enough of the right people.” – Jim CollinsWhen a company is buying an expensive piece of equipm… Read More
2015-07-05 13:23
“If we do not give people accurate feedback based on real behavior they are not growing and we are not respecting them. The job of a leader is not to put them in positions to fail, but… Read More
2015-06-28 13:36
“The greatness in people comes out only when they are led by great leaders. We are all growing and learning, and we all need teachers and coaches to help guide us. We say at Toyota tha… Read More
2015-06-21 13:28
“The culture of a company to me defines how excellent it will be, how helpful it will be, how ambitious it will be, how innovative it will be . . . And in my mind, [Apple] wouldn&rsquo&hell…Read More
2015-06-14 12:47
“You can observe a lot by watching.” – Yogi BerraOne of the basics of lean thinking is connecting to gemba. Attempting to create a lean culture without establish… Read More
2015-06-07 13:09
"[Management is] an integrating discipline of human values and conduct, of social order and intellectual inquiry, [a discipline that] feeds off economics, psychology, mathematics, political… Read More
2015-05-31 13:16
One of the most difficult aspects of transforming an organization toward a lean mindset is getting leaders to understand the importance of using questioning to develop team members. It… Read More
2015-05-27 18:46
If the room is too cold, do you work on the thermometer or the heater?Which is more important . . . process or results? It's a question that spurs debate on bulletin boards and in blog posts… Read More
2015-05-17 12:54
Since the 1990s, consultants and authors have been touting the benefits of the flat organization. Among the advantages commonly associated with flattened organizations are improved inn… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
"All anyone asks for is a chance to work with pride." - W. Edwards DemingWhen you get right down to it, the formula for creating an organization that performs at a high level and contin… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
Lean in Oil & Gas – Part 2 This is part 2 in a series of posts related to applying lean to the oil and gas industry. To read part 1, click here.The previous post presented… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
After several years of working with lean in the oil and gas industry, I've seen people go from open resistance, to active and, in some cases, enthusiastic support. I've worked with dif… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
"Management is prediction." W. Edwards DemingOne of the beliefs that often interferes with a successful lean deployment is the assumption that kaizen only applies to workers. Thi… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
“The basis of the Toyota production system is the absolute elimination of waste.” – Taiichi OhnoEvery now and then, I like to go back and reread books I’ve read in th… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
It takes far less energy to move from first-rate performance to excellence than it does to move from incompetence to mediocrity. – Peter DruckerThroughout my career, I’… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
There are many traits that make one an effective leader. Among the most important of these are confidence and humility, two attributes that many think cannot coexist in… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter DruckerMany companies today have vision statements that are well-written and effectively describe future… Read More
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