Construction has traditionally been criticized as a wasteful industry. Builders use a tremendous amount of raw materials in the production of new buildings. They also do substantial damage to the environment, most notably in the form of rainwater runoff from all the dirt and mud on construction sites. Architects are doing their part to help
Continue reading »State and federal organizations are known for tedious and slow processes that are bogged down by red tape and other administrative nightmares. The state of Iowa was no different, but administrators weren't content with the current system and launched an improvement effort. Iowa underwent a Lean transformation, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. The strategy powering the change
Continue reading »Few companies would dispute the importance of training. Whether businesses are trying to bring new employees up to speed or teach existing workers new skills, training and learning programs can help greatly expedite this process. That said, there is a lot of debate over the best ways to run these educational programs. Should they be
Continue reading »Being a successful leader takes a variety of innate skill sets and characteristics, ranging from the ability to get up after being knocked down to dealing with and engaging people. That said, depending on their position, business leaders might need a more specific set of traits as well. For example, financial officers must be well
Continue reading »Efficiency isn't just something that companies are striving for – it's the standard at which every business must operate, or else risk falling its behind competitors. Achieving efficiency has grown particularly important over the last few years because of the economic recession, with many companies looking to accomplish more with fewer resources. Unbeknownst to many
Continue reading »No business wants to be the stereotypical successful corporation – the one that dumps oil into rivers or clears rainforests to make room for new factories. At the same time, however, Deloitte brings up a key point: Regardless of how well-intentioned a company is, the fact of the matter is that many green initiatives don't
Continue reading »Often when companies hire executives, it's because of their proven track records in regard to financial matters. Leaders are traditionally brought on because they helped make a business more profitable or envisioned a new way to make more money. However, now companies are looking for leaders that will benefit organizations in other ways as well.
Continue reading »Kaizen and Lean practices have crossed the ocean from Japan to Singapore, with manufacturers located throughout the country leveraging these methodologies to save money and bolster efficiency. Singapore Technologies Aerospace is one such company. Despite economic woes in Europe that affect trading policies, the aircraft maintenance firm has been able to thrive by implementing Kaizen
Continue reading »Training is one of the most effective means of developing the skills and abilities of the people being mentored, regardless of whether they are employees, students or anything in between. However, there are several issues associated with traditional training programs – for example, seminars can only be held so often, and there are set financial
Continue reading »The management of people has always been a core characteristic of a successful leader. However, many managers approach these positions with the wrong mindset, assuming they must be good at giving directions to their subordinates and teammates. In reality, while this is an important ability, there is more to being a successful leader. Another key
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