Blog Archives

Is Job Shadowing the Missing Step in Your Career Transition?

Recently, I have received an influx of coaching calls from individuals who are looking to make a career change, unsure whether to continue climbing the corporate ladder within their organization or to start on a new ladder. In one of

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Posted in All

Rethinking Career Advancement: Beyond the Corporate Ladder

Our organizations often limit success to climbing the outdated corporate ladder, but this rigid, linear path fails to recognize that diverse career goals require multiple, flexible routes for genuine growth and achievement. By shifting our vision of development to a “rock wall” model, we empower professionals to lead with their strengths, move laterally, and define success on their own, non-traditional terms.

Posted in All, TED Talks & Other Videos

Are You Expecting AI to Do Your Thinking For You?

Here is a sneak peek of a talk that I am working on about how to better leverage AI as a thinking partner, not to take over your thinking completely. Remember Office Space when the consultants show up and everyone

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The Consultant Trap—Now Powered by AI

Last night, in a meeting about our growing dependence on consultants, it hit me: we’re making the exact same mistake with AI. How do I know? Because I used to be one of those consultants. Fifteen years ago, I would

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Posted in All, Motivation

Root Cause Analysis

Getting to the root cause of a problem is the first step taken to understand how to fix the problem. After all, if you do not know what is causing the problem, how are you going to fix it?

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Posted in Lean Toolbox, Problem Solving

“How to Build Your Creative Confidence”

From the founder of IDEO–an organization positioned around delivering innovative products–David Kelley discusses the importance for building a creative confidence.

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Posted in All, Behavioral Economics, Innovation, TED Talks & Other Videos

Lean 101: Kaizen = Continuous Improvement

There is no better video to explain the roots of Kaizen and the Toyota Production System than this one. When delivering food to those affected by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, efficiency is of paramount importance. Watch how Toyota helped streamline

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Posted in Kaizen 101, Lean Toolbox

Marshmallow Challenge by Tom Wujec

Here is an extraordinary TED Talk that discovers fostering collaboration by building the tallest structure with spaghetti, tape, string and a marshmallow. 

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Posted in All, Lean Toolbox, Motivation, Project Management, TED Talks & Other Videos

Standard Work: Draw a Pig Exercise

If you are wondering why individuals often deliver varied results when given the same instructions, you might want to check out this standard work exercise.

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Posted in Lean Toolbox, Standardization of Work

Multitasking Destroys Productivity

The title says it all. Take 3 minutes to see how well you can multitask.

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Posted in Lean Toolbox, Waste Elimination

Process Mapping: How to Make Toast by Tom Wujec

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Posted in All, Kanban, Lean Toolbox, TED Talks & Other Videos

We Don’t Make Widgets

Or do we? If you are ready to shake up everything you think you know about the way government works, this might be a great place to start.

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Posted in All, Behavioral Economics, Bibliography

Under New Management: How Leading Organizations Are Upending Business as Usual

“According to extensive and global research from the Gallup organization, only 13 percent of workers worldwide are engaged in their work” (as cited in Burkus, 2016, p. 208). As employees continuously seek careers that better mesh with their personal lifestyles,

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Posted in All, Bibliography, Change Management

Lean Coffee Meeting

“When we invite people to meetings and we give them a strong agenda upfront, we are completely robbing ourselves of all of the wisdom that the meeting attendees would bring with them.” –Jim Benson, 2014

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Posted in Facilitation, Lean Toolbox

The Power of Habit: How to Ignore Chocolate Chip Cookies 

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Posted in All, Motivation, TED Talks & Other Videos

Lean Coffee

Brilliant!

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Posted in All, Project Management, TED Talks & Other Videos

Behavioral Economics TED

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Posted in All, Behavioral Economics, TED Talks & Other Videos

Smarter Faster Better

Smarter Faster Better is a book about perception and how viewing any given situation from a series of windows can improve the outcome. We live in a world inundated with information. Finding the answers is not a difficult exercise. Nonetheless, understanding

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Posted in All, Bibliography, Motivation

Value Stream Mapping

Understanding how work flows through an organization is paramount to delivering a customer’s request in an accurate and timely manor. Every industry, from service to manufacturing, hospitality and even healthcare, could benefit from value stream mapping. Nonetheless, it has been

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Posted in All, Bibliography, Project Management

Peak Performance

  Challenged with budget shortfalls and economical mayhem from the recent 2007-2011 financial crisis, Peak Performance founders Brian Elms, Brendan Hanlon, David Edinger and Scotty Martin discovered an interesting phenomenon:

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Posted in All, Bibliography, Change Management
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