Learning Center - Articles

So many of us who were leading a business in the middle part of 2008 were witness to a phenomena never before seen, and hopefully will never be seen again. The damage caused continues to reverberate through the economy, and the effects will be permanently transformational. To accentuate my point, ... Full article

Hoshin Kanri has been described as the application of quality management principles to change management.   And it is true, frequent checks are made to ensure the kinds of breakthrough improvement efforts typically managed by Hoshin Kanri are both proceeding as planned and delivering th ... Full article

It’s no secret – companies often struggle to implement Lean.  In fact, according to an Industry Week article,  Full article

An executive in charge of Operations for a division of Fortune 500 company evaluated several alternative strategies for reducing operating cost.  Ultimately he settled on a plan to transition from MRP style "push" material management to Lean "pull" ( kanban)&nbs ... Full article

Each organization has its own personality but all large organizations are made up of similar parts - just as every face is different even though each has eyes, a nose and a mouth.  Hoshin Kanri takes advantage of the commonalities big corporations share.  Some of thes ... Full article

"Center Stage Management" is a simple approach Lean leaders can use to boost team performance and project quality.   

Some Lean leaders push, prod, and cajole their teams to perform.  Others rely on an easier, more effective, and fast ... Full article

On the world wide strategy deployment stage no star shines as brightly as Hoshin Kanri.  The renowned methodology has been credited with playing a large role in the continuing success of some the world’s leading organizations - Toyota, Bridgestone, and Procter and Gamble to name just a ... Full article

Stress-free, Waste-free, Resistance-free Implementation of Change

Imagine your strategy to implement Lean as a racetrack.

Imagine your organization as a first time driver.   

Imagine Lean methods as the car.

The car (Lean) is ready.  T ... Full article

It’s an all too common problem, executives launch a Lean initiative and then watch it run into obstacles right out of the gate.  This well documented fact is even more alarming when you consider all of the typical steps taken to prepare the organization for success – training, consultants, h ... Full article

Most organizational leaders know their organizations must continually change to survive. But they may not know something that has been kept virtually a secret until now....There are "good" reasons to resist change ..... Yes, you heard correctly, "good reasons to resist change" and here they are:< ... Full article

All too often, the mere mention that management has decided to purchase a new software product instantly produces groans and complaints from the targeted end users.  Sarcasm often kicks in to high gear right away with comments like, “I love it when management decides to help me do my job.”&n ... Full article

How to discover untapped potential in your organization… Natural leaders crave the opportunity to take on more responsibility. You do not have to look for natural leaders, they make themselves known. Sounds like a reasonable statement, right? Though it sounds reasonable, it is not always true. So ... Full article

The boss is relying on you to make improvement happen in a particular area of your business. So you do the usual. You come up with a plan and put a team together to get it done. Being a good leader, you inspire the team to action and everyone is full of energy at the beginning. Success seems a ma ... Full article