Arguing and debate (I don’t generally feel there is a difference – except, perhaps, that a debate consists of a series of arguments) goes back to the beginning of the ages, probably starting at the very moment mankind was able to communicate. One of the most famous early debaters was Socrates, a philosopher from Ancient…
A few months ago, I was asked to conduct a Workshop, deliver a Keynote, and Chair a three-day Conference on Manufacturing Process Excellence in Europe, produced by the Process Excellence Network (PEX), a division of IQPC, and held in Munich, Germany. Although that was a lot to ask of me, the line-up of speakers and…
Finnish Railways ran with steam power until the late 1960s. The cockpit of the locomotive offered a workplace for two: the engine driver and the shovel man. The shovel man’s duty was to continuously shovel coal to the red-hot mouth of the furnace to keep the engine steaming. The century-long idyll of the two man…
Willie Sutton, a famous bank-robber during the mid-1900’s, was once asked why he robbed banks. Willie responded, “Because that’s where the money is.” Contrast that with a commercial on television I saw, several years ago (perhaps it was even in the 1990’s) from a major American bank. The President of the bank was speaking to…
It seems not too long ago, many businesses were only local and could be managed directly. However, in a quest to reduce costs and grow sales, businesses have graduated to global status. You might say this is great because the limited market once covered has now expanded exponentially and many more sources of supply have…
