In order to achieve Operations Excellence, organisations need to be good at both Reactive and Pro-active Improvement. Unfortunately, many organisations are so focused on Pro-active Improvement through their Lean, Six Sigma and TPM initiatives that they lose sight of the importance of effective Reactive Improvement. I often refer to Reactive Improvement as ‘below the line’…
I enjoy guest lecturing at University. In fact, it is one of my most favourite things I do. I believe what I enjoy most is the optimism and energy of the students. They are far too young in their careers to have been tarnished by the pragmatism, and even cynicism, of “real life” – or…
Each of us belongs to a community, or network. In fact, each of us belongs to a great many different networks – with each network being defined by some kernel at its core. These kernels may be physical, ideological, geographical, genetic, religious, or one of countless other characteristics that might define who we are and to…
Many people confuse effectiveness with efficiency. Organizations strive to be more efficient and in doing so, forget about how effective their actions really are. It should not come as a surprise that often the price for greater efficiency is less effectiveness. One of the first steps to take is to understand what efficiency and effectiveness…
BACKGROUND After having worked with cultural change initiatives for nearly 40 years, there is one rule I can state with certainty. The level of cultural change attained will be directly proportional to the level of management commitment applied. With a serious commitment from the top management, success is possible; without this commitment, failure is guaranteed. The conversion…
