Weighing in on Healthcare
I have refrained from discussing Healthcare in my articles because the topic is so politically polarized. If I say that I am “for” healthcare reform, I am labeled a “socialist” (or worse) who is against free-markets – and if I say that I am against healthcare reform, then I am a heartless free-market capitalist. I wonder, “Why…
Happy Holidays…
Happy Holidays As we come to the end of another year, we find ourselves reflective of the year’s hard fought battles won and lost, of loves arrived and departed, and of business successes and disappointments. With rebuilding spirit, we look with great anticipation to what lay before us in the coming year. And, most importantly, we look toreconnect over the next…
To Build a Team, You Must Become a Leader
I am a big advocate of leadership development. I study and push leadership development through all I do in life. I once read that General Dwight D. Eisenhower was asked how he managed to lead such a diverse group of people to work together to win Europe from the Nazis. He answered, “Sir, it is one team, or we lose.” How alike…
Finding & Managing Bottlenecks in Process Plants
One of the primary objectives of Lean is to achieve smooth continuous flow of material through the process. If there are bottlenecks within your process, they can inhibit flow, cause inventories, and prevent throughput from matching customer demand (Takt). In order to make progress towards Lean goals, bottleneck resources must be identified, managed and improved. From a purely…
Start Building a Better Future Today
What a difference a year makes… Looking back at my last year’s Holiday article called 2008 “The year of quicksand” I made several references to the rip-saw in the economy and the plummet of almost every known economic indicator. Some pundits were even speaking of an “economic Armageddon”. Everything is still not back to the “before” – with…
Possibility Deficit Disorder (PDD)
Possibility Deficit Disorder (PDD) is the pervasive and persistent experience of ‘no possibility’ now, and no attractive prospects in the future. PDD is widespread in modern times. At a national level, it is evidenced in the lack of ambitious ventures in technology development, industrial policy, educating necessary resources, infrastructure planning, national security, and transportation. PDD can be observed at…