Tonight a friend asked me, when comparing two organizations, why one seemed capable of accommodating and adapting and the other seemed closed and rigid. Both organizations operate from the same set of rules and yet one bends to the situation and the other breaks at each slight breeze. Why? Here’s what I suggested as the
It’s about will, not rules Read More »
In July 1881 President James A. Garfield was shot while waiting to board a train in Washington, DC. He lived for eleven weeks after the shooting, dying from sepsis on September 19, 1881. What’s intriguing about Garfield’s story is that the president likely would have survived the wound had not so many doctors tried to
Poking a dirty finger into the wound Read More »
I think about things that other people think are odd. For example, I’ve wondered for years why it is that almost all business books and consulting pitches assume that the reader or receiver of services is an executive (the .01 to .1% of employees of an organization). That led me to wonder why I, clearly
The failed model of executive-led change Read More »
Three quotes to start this rant: …important issues should be presented in writing. Nothing so sharpens the thought process as writing down one’s arguments. Weaknesses overlooked in oral discussion become painfully obvious on the written page.” – H. G. Rickover The Devil is in the details, but so is salvation.” H. G. Rickover It is
Finding the Devil and Salvation Read More »
I often get into conversations with people about which rules to follow and which rules to fight. Being a good alumnus of the Navy’s nuclear power program, I pull out a good Admiral Rickover story. This is the story I always tell. Rickover was keenly aware that there are two kinds of rules. He understood
Which rules to follow – a story Read More »
Have you ever been punished in your organization for an error that someone else did? Usually these punishments aren’t personal (e.g., Joe gets a fine for Bob’s behavior), but are more subtle versions like Joe now has to follow a 10 page checklist because Bob messed up once. Why do punishments like this one and
The Destructive Power of Similarities Read More »
A few weeks ago Industry Week ran a story “Can Lean Six Sigma Reduce Government Waste?” The main title was interesting, but it was the sub-title that got my true attention, “Quality professionals say ‘yes,’ but outline challenges to implementation.” I was shocked to find the following list of obstacles to implementation. An environment faced
False Challenges to Implementation Read More »
I have a newly acquired pet peeve: trying to discuss a Lean organization. Why is this a pet peeve? Because “Lean organization” is a high level abstraction that in common usage does not have a common definition. Try this experiment for yourself: Ask two or three or four people what a Lean organization is and
Words absent meaning Read More »
A story: Paul was a heavy drinker in high school, an alcoholic really. Shortly after graduation he realized the suffering his alcoholism was causing him and his family. He broke ties with his high school drinking buddies and started a new life of sobriety. For years he’s been sober and his life has improved. This
Staying sober and driving change Read More »
Is standing up for a change a courageous act? It depends on where you are in the organization. If you’re an executive, then you’re expected to set a course and encourage others to go with you. Some changes may be harder for your organization to swallow than others, but it is not courage you require
Courage and Convictions Read More »
