Lean Is NOT A Legacy

Lean can be summarily defined as “The pursuit of perfection (value) through the relentless elimination of waste.”  Understanding what this actually looks like in the real world is an entirely different matter. The 8 wastes (technically 7) and the tools to continually strive to eliminate them are well documented.  Why is it then that companies still find themselves struggling to […]

The Dunning-Kruger Effect

  Have you ever heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect?  I stumbled across this term while reading 8 Unexpected Signs You’re Smarter Than Average by Jessica Stillman (Contributor Inc.com). The Dunning-Kruger effect, according to Wikipedia, is best described by the first two paragraphs and paraphrased in context as follows: The Dunning Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people of low […]

The Pulse of Leadership

In theory, Employee Opinion Surveys provide a pulse of the workforce and the workplace in general.  In practice, they measure the performance of executive leadership and the management team.  They serve as a tool to understand what is working and to identify opportunities for improvement. Unfortunately, collecting and compiling survey data is very time-consuming and only represents a snapshot in time.  While […]

Leadership is NOT an Event

We’ve all been to the employee “town hall” meetings where a senior executive attempts to motivate the team and clarify the vision just one more time. A captive audience, donuts, and free coffee are all it takes to reignite the passion and synergy that once was – or so they like to think. Leadership is not an event, it’s a […]

Collaboration …

Great minds don’t necessarily think alike, they think together. ~ Redge How many times have you heard someone say you should just set aside your differences and move on? I suggest that bringing our differences to the table is an opportunity to create something that is new and better than we ever imagined. We tend to be quite content when […]

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

It’s hard to believe that four years have passed since we started blogging here on WordPress! We would like to thank our many subscribers and visitors for your many e-mails and comments, making this a fulfilling learning experience for all of us. This blog was originally founded on the premise that very little information was available on the topic of […]

A Lesson in Lean Over a Long Holiday Weekend

What? Another long weekend? That’s right! The first Monday of August is a civic holiday here in Ontario, Canada. However, if you ask people what we’re supposed to be celebrating you may be surprised by the vast array of answers – including “I don’t know.” Some of the confusion begins with its declaration – the provincial government has not defined […]

Anticipation – Wait For It!

Anticipation We’ve all said it, “I just can’t wait!”  We look forward to certain events, both big and small, with eager anticipation. We carefully plan for vacations, family events, a get together with friends, or major purchases like a new car or home.  Our minds race, eagerly waiting for that magic moment to arrive. Anticipation instills excitement and expectation in […]

Reality Undercover

One of the few Reality TV programs I enjoy watching is Undercover Boss on CBS.  This program exemplifies all the reasons why it is so important for executive leadership and senior management to keep in touch with the front lines of the company.    As a lean practitioner I consider the culture of the company to be the defining difference […]