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The Pandemic as an Opportunity for Radical Change
In my book The End of Management I describe how complex managed systems such as businesses change. The short version is: they usually don’t. Most business systems are in stable equilibrium most of the time. This state can be thought of in terms of chaos theory and complexity theory. The gist of it is that…
Are You Sitting in the Right Seat?
When it comes to your employees, it is important to hire selectively, but equally important to ensure that each employee is in the right position. Having all of the right people on your bus is not helpful or even workable unless each team member is also in the right seat. So how can you determine…
Top 5 Signs Your Workers Are Scared Of You
Are your workers very skittish around you? Are you constantly losing employees? Do you often wonder if they are frightened of you? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. Quality Guru Dr. W. Edwards Deming lists “drive out fear” as point #8 in his 14 point model of management. This article describes how…
5 Signs Your Workers Are Scared Of You and How to Correct The Problem
While fear can easily take hold in a work environment, trust can also be reestablished, as long as there is an honest desire to see it happen. Don’t be afraid; be the first one to step up and take a chance. As the boss, it’s your job.
Build Continuous Improvement into the Business Plan
Continuous improvement means applying democratic principles to the running of day-to-day operation of a business. These ideas came from the experience of Japanese companies during the reconstruction of Japan after World War Two. Many in Japan credit the quick recovery and growth of Japanese industry during the 1950s and 1960s to the work of Dr. W.E Deming,…
Why Do Businesses Need Structured Improvement?
While it may be important for bigger businesses and organizations, is there a need for the structured improvement found in Lean Six Sigma in the medium to small business realm? According to a recent article from Business 2 Community, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Here are just a few reasons why.
Reduce the Cost of Quality with Lean Six Sigma
The cost of quality involves the price organizations pay for inefficient and wasteful operations. Inspections, scrap, over-processing and rework all narrow profit margins and potentially lead to poor products and services. Lean Six Sigma certification helps to educate employees on the cost of quality and what can be done to improve operations. What are the…
Why Most Companies Fail at Lean Six Sigma
Everyone has an opinion on why Lean Six Sigma fails. Who is right and who is wrong doesn’t really matter. The important thing is to figure out what you can do to prevent it from happening to your company. Keep Lean Six Sigma Alive and Well A June 2012 Wall Street Journal post, “Where Process-Improvement…