Charles Darwin in his book, “The Origin of Species” (read full PDF book here) proposed that evolution occurs with the introduction of challenging or adverse circumstances on a population of a species such that only those who are able to adapt (either by natural selection or by action) thrive (or even survive). For instance, the…
The Big Idea How can executives (or any of us, for that matter) use what we know about process improvement to engage and motivate the people in our lives? Which touch points for intervention are most effective? How can we measure success? Rachel’s approach to identifying defects in the way her family operates and harnessing…
Imagine this scenario: A customer gives us an order, the factory produces the products, and the order ships, autonomously, without any management intervention. No meetings, no expedites, no shifting priorities, no direction setting. Like turning a key to start your car engine, it just happens. Sound like a dream? It’s not. Many companies have achieved…
We started our discussion on Customer Focus last month with a general discussion about what it means to be ‘customer focused’, and how this term is overused and misunderstood in business. Everyone claims to be ‘customer focused’, yet customer loyalty is at its lowest point in years, complaints are higher than ever before, and almost…
As Continuous Improvement practitioners, it is natural (even a passion) to always seek ways to improve ourselves and the value we drive to our colleagues and the companies for which we work. During our quest for this personal and professional development, sometimes we know precisely which areas we wish to improve our skillsets and where…
