Why ‘The Boss Said’ Is Not A Reason
Sharing my fourth article for Forbes: Why ‘The Boss Said’ Is Not A Reason So many action-initiating conversations lead in with some version of “the boss said,” as if that’s a good reason to complete any task. Of course, it is one reason, but it’s a reason filled with waste
Read MoreA Person Is Not a Proxy
I witness this breakdown in critical thinking far too frequently. Just because a person or an organization is highly respected and capable, does not mean that we should judge all of their decisions, actions, and opinions based on that respect. We should be skeptical. We should challenge. After all, Aristotle
Read MoreStress Is Hopelessness, Tension Is Potential
Stress is hopelessness Stress is better understood today, and in particular its impact on our physical health. In our worst vicious circles, stress about poor health can lead to even further decline in health. Acknowledgement of stress is also now more acceptable, and not just a sign of weakness that
Read MoreWorking Genius Review
The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni is a thought-provoking and insightful guide to unlocking the potential of individuals and teams in the workplace. Lencioni, also known for books such as The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and Death by Meeting, identifies six types of working geniuses that
Read MoreThe Misunderstood Impact of Misaligned Perceptions of Your Abilities With Your Boss
The Misunderstood Impact of Misaligned Perceptions of Your Abilities With Your Boss …or, why it’s not about your risk of getting fired. You might hear from your boss “you’re great, a rockstar, we have every faith in you, you’re going to go far, but…you could improve in these ways…”
Read MoreHow To Do an Effective Personal Work Retreat
No matter what your profession, everyone should consider at some point in time a personal work retreat. For me, it is usually about research and writing. Certainly, almost all of People Solve Problems was written across multiple retreats up to the mountains. Bill Gates would take his “think weeks” away
Read MoreThe Important Gap Between Observation and Perception
Whether in problem-solving, or broad lean behaviors, or seeing the customer as an entrepreneur, there is much articulated about the idea of going to see for yourself. There are many terms for it, such as “direct observation” that we articulated in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean, or Gemba commonly used
Read MoreOverdesign, Overprocessing, and Overly-Complex
It’s too complicated. I don’t understand. It doesn’t work. It’s not for me. Whether launching a new product, or a new company initiative, these might be phrases that you’ve heard. It stems from overdesigning the solution. It shows up as the waste of over-processing, doing more than your customer requires
Read MoreCreativity, Problem Breakdown, and Problems Such As Eliminating Approvals
There are many problems where we struggle with things such as creativity and breaking down the problem. One such problem that is frequently voiced is the elimination of bureaucracy. You cannot just eliminate bureaucracy. What can you do? You can break down the problem, understand the elements and contributing factors.
Read MoreSteps to Running an Effective Book Club
A long time ago I was running an off-shift in operations. Late at night, we didn’t have any resources coming to train the team, and so if we wanted to learn, we were on our own. We began reading and applying books, beginning with two books from Kiyoshi Suzuki, The
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