Have you ever seen those videos of Japanese factories where the workers do morning exercises together? Before you dismiss something like that as a cultural quirk, it might be worthwhile to look at it with an open mind. A lot of useful ideas can seem silly at first, simply because they are new and unfamiliar.
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Raise your hand if you have ever had a bad experience with Lean! There is a good chance that it was the result of the misinterpretations of Lean explained in Collin McLoughlin’s new LinkedIn Pulse article 5 Myths About Lean That Are Holding You Back. These myths create a vicious self-fulfilling prophecy, both for those
Continue reading »Leadership is a difficult thing to train for. Management classes and seminars can help, but when it comes down to it, developing successful leadership skills is a matter of getting the requisite experience. All the business tools and strategies in the world can't replace real-life management experience and being in the front lines of a real
Continue reading »Too often, people view titles such “executive” or “manager” as milestones they hope to achieve at the end of a long career, when in actuality these jobs are a core part of business strategy. Upper management is expected to lead people, and those titles aren't just goals to strive for. Leadership is a strategic value
Continue reading »Great leaders are often the most visible people within a company, and many of a business' accomplishments are accredited to these individuals. However, in a number of those situations, these people aren't entrepreneurial masterminds who are capable of doing things that no one else can. In general, outsiders looking in are much too quick to
Continue reading »Leadership has always been an important quality for companies. Successful companies such as Microsoft and Apple are known for their innovative and effective leaders. When it comes to developing skills and attributes, leadership is frequently at the top of the list for many managers and executives. Continuous improvement isn't just a concept for processes and
Continue reading »Art Byrne is a CEO with whom many people in the world of manufacturing are familiar. Over the past few decades, Byrne has worked with 30 companies in 14 different countries and has helped them transform into successful organizations. Perhaps the best example of Byrne's impact is Wiremold. In the 1990s, the company's earnings had
Continue reading »When companies are prosperous, they spend money more freely on things they might not normally invest in. However, in times when money is limited, they tend to manage expenses more carefully. This may lead firms to eschew operations and investments they view to be non-mission critical and conserve resources for only necessary expenditures. For some
Continue reading »The onboarding process, in which new employees are quickly brought up to speed and provided the knowledge they need to do their jobs, is quickly becoming a focal point for many businesses. As many as 62 percent of companies have formal onboarding processes in place, and this number is slated to hit 77 percent within
Continue reading »While some would argue that leaders are born instead of made, the fact of the matter is that anyone can improve his or her leadership skills. Here are two tips that can help managers and business leaders develop position-specific skills. 1. Listen to workers: When employees are talking to leaders and managers, it's crucial that
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