Want Your Organization to Change? Put Feelings First June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in change management, workforce.Tags: change management, workforce
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Dan Heath observes that knowledge rarely leads to change (knowing that smoking is dangerous won’t necessarily make you quit). GM had long known that it was too dependent upon SUVs and large vehicles, but it didn’t change up its lineup. Rather, an appeal to emotions must be made. “Smoking kills” doesn’t strike quite the same chord as yellow teeth or the knowledge that “smoking causes impotence.” To get employees to change, put them in touch with underserved customers, Mr. Heath suggests. Or get them fired up about a competitor.
Check out Mr. Heath’s article here.
Want Your Organization to Change? Put Feelings First June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in change management, workforce.Tags: change management, workforce
add a comment
Dan Heath observes that knowledge rarely leads to change (knowing that smoking is dangerous won’t necessarily make you quit). GM had long known that it was too dependent upon SUVs and large vehicles, but it didn’t change up its lineup. Rather, an appeal to emotions must be made. “Smoking kills” doesn’t strike quite the same chord as yellow teeth or the knowledge that “smoking causes impotence.” To get employees to change, put them in touch with underserved customers, Mr. Heath suggests. Or get them fired up about a competitor.
Check out Mr. Heath’s article here.
Why Change Is So Hard: Self-Control Is Exhaustible June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in change management, personal productivity, work-life balance, workforce.Tags: change management, personal productivity, work-life balance, workforce
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Failure to change is written off as laziness. But Dan Heath at Fast Company says it isn’t laziness, but rather exhaustion. A study claims to prove it. Subjects left in a room with cookies and radishes were told to eat one or the other, and not both; and then were asked to solve a problem that had no solution. After an average of 8 minutes, the radish-eaters gave up; after an average of 19 minutes, the cookie-eaters gave up. Self-control is demonstrably exhaustible, which helps explain why one might snap at a spouse or have another drink after a long day at work.
Check out the FastCompany article here.
Why Change Is So Hard: Self-Control Is Exhaustible June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in change management, personal productivity, work-life balance, workforce.Tags: change management, personal productivity, work-life balance, workforce
add a comment
Failure to change is written off as laziness. But Dan Heath at Fast Company says it isn’t laziness, but rather exhaustion. A study claims to prove it. Subjects left in a room with cookies and radishes were told to eat one or the other, and not both; and then were asked to solve a problem that had no solution. After an average of 8 minutes, the radish-eaters gave up; after an average of 19 minutes, the cookie-eaters gave up. Self-control is demonstrably exhaustible, which helps explain why one might snap at a spouse or have another drink after a long day at work.
Check out the FastCompany article here.
What Employees Need From Leaders June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, leadership, workforce.Tags: culture, leadership, workforce
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The Arizona branch of Cox Communications, in 2000, was in dire straits financially. Yet today, it is Cox’s most profitable region. The cause of this dramatic turnaround was the product of Steve Rizley. Unlike a traditional leader, Mr. Rizely was transformational –rather than simply exchanging money for labor, Rizely challenged his employees to grow as people. Love and loving, the need to grow, the need to contribute, and the need for meaning –all fulfilled by the relationship between the leader and employees –yield incredible results.
Check out the Harvard Business Review Article over at Bloomberg Businessweek
Podcast: Dr. Stephen Covey on Respect for People and Lean June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, workforce.Tags: Lean Thinking, workforce
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Mark Graban at LeanBlog had the pleasure of conversing with Dr. Stephen Covey at the Shingo Prize Conference in Salt Lake City. Their conversation focused around Toyota’s “Respect for People” principle, in which Dr. Covey explains its importance in that one trusts those working to do the right thing. Such a trust implies that one worker can shut down an assembly line if that worker could show it would improve quality and lower cost.
Check out the Podcast interview here.
What Employees Need From Leaders June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, leadership, workforce.Tags: culture, leadership, workforce
add a comment
The Arizona branch of Cox Communications, in 2000, was in dire straits financially. Yet today, it is Cox’s most profitable region. The cause of this dramatic turnaround was the product of Steve Rizley. Unlike a traditional leader, Mr. Rizely was transformational –rather than simply exchanging money for labor, Rizely challenged his employees to grow as people. Love and loving, the need to grow, the need to contribute, and the need for meaning –all fulfilled by the relationship between the leader and employees –yield incredible results.
Check out the Harvard Business Review Article over at Bloomberg Businessweek
Podcast: Dr. Stephen Covey on Respect for People and Lean June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, workforce.Tags: Lean Thinking, workforce
add a comment
Mark Graban at LeanBlog had the pleasure of conversing with Dr. Stephen Covey at the Shingo Prize Conference in Salt Lake City. Their conversation focused around Toyota’s “Respect for People” principle, in which Dr. Covey explains its importance in that one trusts those working to do the right thing. Such a trust implies that one worker can shut down an assembly line if that worker could show it would improve quality and lower cost.
Check out the Podcast interview here.
Biodegradable Packaging Now in the Frozen Food Aisle June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in green business, new products and technologies.Tags: green, green business, new products and technologies
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Stahlbush Island Farms has upped the ante in the environmentally-friendly packaging arena by producing a biodegradable bag. The bag –composed of brown kraft paper and water-based ink –dissolves in months. Stahlbush is looking to develop compostable packaging, and is even willing to share what it knows with other companies to do so.
Check out the FastCompany article here.
Companies See Mixed Results Implementing Energy Efficiency Measures June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in government, green business.Tags: energy, government, green business
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Companies worried about pending carbon emissions legislation are looking to preempt new laws by looking for energy efficient production alternatives. Either production costs or increased energy tax rates –or both –will strain companies. While some companies may find it easy to reduce energy consumption, other companies will find it difficult to make energy changes, with costs ranging in the range of hundreds-of-millions of dollars. The steel industry, for example, has cut emissions by a third over the past two decades –but the technology they need to continue cutting emissions hasn’t progressed enough yet –and the pending carbon emissions legislation doesn’t allow enough time.
Check out the New York Times article here.
Biodegradable Packaging Now in the Frozen Food Aisle June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in green business, new products and technologies.Tags: green, green business, new products and technologies
add a comment
Stahlbush Island Farms has upped the ante in the environmentally-friendly packaging arena by producing a biodegradable bag. The bag –composed of brown kraft paper and water-based ink –dissolves in months. Stahlbush is looking to develop compostable packaging, and is even willing to share what it knows with other companies to do so.
Check out the FastCompany article here.
Companies See Mixed Results Implementing Energy Efficiency Measures June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in government, green business.Tags: energy, government, green business
add a comment
Companies worried about pending carbon emissions legislation are looking to preempt new laws by looking for energy efficient production alternatives. Either production costs or increased energy tax rates –or both –will strain companies. While some companies may find it easy to reduce energy consumption, other companies will find it difficult to make energy changes, with costs ranging in the range of hundreds-of-millions of dollars. The steel industry, for example, has cut emissions by a third over the past two decades –but the technology they need to continue cutting emissions hasn’t progressed enough yet –and the pending carbon emissions legislation doesn’t allow enough time.
Check out the New York Times article here.
Manufacturing Industry May Be Affected By Rising Chinese Wages June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in economy, manufacturing, workforce.Tags: economy, manufacturing, workforce
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As Chinese workers push for higher wages, companies outsourcing to China, as well as the Chinese government, are responding. The average wage in southern China is only 75 cents an hour, but wages in China are beginning to rise (in some cases, salaries are doubling) which would cause an increase in export prices. In addition, if Chinese currency appreciates against the United States dollar, prices of Chinese products are predicted to rise. Officials in China are hoping to make the country less dependent on producing low-priced foreign goods, and international pressure has also been applied to China, urging it to consume more.
Check out the New York Times article here.
Cats and Dogs in Manufacturing June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, manufacturing, supply chain.Tags: Lean Thinking, manufacturing, supply chain
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Mike Wroblewski over at Got Boondoggle is often confronted by the problem of producing “cats and dogs” –the parts and products needed in smaller numbers, harder to produce, etc. So to improve flow, companies would probably opt to outsource or drop the cats and dogs. Mr. Wroblewski objects, however, because of the difficulty of making a good profitability estimate on a part-by-part basis. Indeed, outsourcing then becomes a nightmare itself –due to added concerns about quality, inventory levels for protection of delivery, and so on.
Check out Mr. Wroblewski’s article here.
Continuous Improvement June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, Lean Thinking, workforce.Tags: culture, Lean Thinking, workforce
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Lee Fried once visited a company where everyday, the leaders shut down production for a 30-minute improvement session. What Mr. Fried thought was continuous improvement in action was revealed by the leaders as their company just beginning continuous improvement in their process. Continuous improvement, it was explained, could only be achieved when improving the process was no different than completing the process task.
For Mr. Fried’s reflections on the experience, check out his blog post here.
Manufacturing Industry May Be Affected By Rising Chinese Wages June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in economy, manufacturing, workforce.Tags: economy, manufacturing, workforce
add a comment
As Chinese workers push for higher wages, companies outsourcing to China, as well as the Chinese government, are responding. The average wage in southern China is only 75 cents an hour, but wages in China are beginning to rise (in some cases, salaries are doubling) which would cause an increase in export prices. In addition, if Chinese currency appreciates against the United States dollar, prices of Chinese products are predicted to rise. Officials in China are hoping to make the country less dependent on producing low-priced foreign goods, and international pressure has also been applied to China, urging it to consume more.
Check out the New York Times article here.
Cats and Dogs in Manufacturing June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, manufacturing, supply chain.Tags: Lean Thinking, manufacturing, supply chain
add a comment
Mike Wroblewski over at Got Boondoggle is often confronted by the problem of producing “cats and dogs” –the parts and products needed in smaller numbers, harder to produce, etc. So to improve flow, companies would probably opt to outsource or drop the cats and dogs. Mr. Wroblewski objects, however, because of the difficulty of making a good profitability estimate on a part-by-part basis. Indeed, outsourcing then becomes a nightmare itself –due to added concerns about quality, inventory levels for protection of delivery, and so on.
Check out Mr. Wroblewski’s article here.
Continuous Improvement June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, Lean Thinking, workforce.Tags: culture, Lean Thinking, workforce
add a comment
Lee Fried once visited a company where everyday, the leaders shut down production for a 30-minute improvement session. What Mr. Fried thought was continuous improvement in action was revealed by the leaders as their company just beginning continuous improvement in their process. Continuous improvement, it was explained, could only be achieved when improving the process was no different than completing the process task.
For Mr. Fried’s reflections on the experience, check out his blog post here.
Motivation and Incentives in the Lean Company June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, strategy, workforce.Tags: Lean Thinking, strategy, workforce
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Motivation, incentive, and engagement are all important in lean organizations. Jamie Flinchbaugh notes that many lean strategies and tactics interface with motivation and incentive. He provides a list of ideas, including using the dreaded and decried annual review to establish a set of goals towards which individuals can work. For example, these goals can include forcing employees out of their comfort zones in order to examine, observe, learn, and improve.
Check out the rest of Mr. Flinchbaugh’s incredibly helpful article here.
How to Give a ‘TED-Worthy’ Presentation June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, personal productivity.Tags: leadership, motivation, personal productivity
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The TED Conference in Long Beach, California, hosts a number of speakers who deliver timely, thought-provoking, and well-delivered talks on all manners of subjects. Carmine Gallo, over at Bloomsburg Businessweek, has written an article on how to give a “TED-worthy” talk of one’s own. Some suggestions include keeping the talks short (eighteen minutes for TED), personal involvement, and simple and easy slides for the audience to follow along with.
For the rest of Mr. Gallo’s ideas, check out his article here.
How to Give a ‘TED-Worthy’ Presentation June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, personal productivity.Tags: leadership, motivation, personal productivity
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The TED Conference in Long Beach, California, hosts a number of speakers who deliver timely, thought-provoking, and well-delivered talks on all manners of subjects. Carmine Gallo, over at Bloomsburg Businessweek, has written an article on how to give a “TED-worthy” talk of one’s own. Some suggestions include keeping the talks short (eighteen minutes for TED), personal involvement, and simple and easy slides for the audience to follow along with.
For the rest of Mr. Gallo’s ideas, check out his article here.
Motivation and Incentives in the Lean Company June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, strategy, workforce.Tags: Lean Thinking, strategy, workforce
add a comment
Motivation, incentive, and engagement are all important in lean organizations. Jamie Flinchbaugh notes that many lean strategies and tactics interface with motivation and incentive. He provides a list of ideas, including using the dreaded and decried annual review to establish a set of goals towards which individuals can work. For example, these goals can include forcing employees out of their comfort zones in order to examine, observe, learn, and improve.
Check out the rest of Mr. Flinchbaugh’s incredibly helpful article here.
How to Give a 'TED-Worthy' Presentation June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, personal productivity.Tags: leadership, motivation, personal productivity
add a comment
The TED Conference in Long Beach, California, hosts a number of speakers who deliver timely, thought-provoking, and well-delivered talks on all manners of subjects. Carmine Gallo, over at Bloomsburg Businessweek, has written an article on how to give a “TED-worthy” talk of one’s own. Some suggestions include keeping the talks short (eighteen minutes for TED), personal involvement, and simple and easy slides for the audience to follow along with.
For the rest of Mr. Gallo’s ideas, check out his article here.
The Fine Print About Lean Transformations June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in change management, Lean Thinking.Tags: change management, Lean Thinking
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Jon Miller, in creative fashion over at Gemba Panta Rei, highlights the difficulty of the lean transformation process. People want positive results fast, yet when the going gets difficult, they abandon the process. In other words, as Mr. Miller explains, they haven’t read the fine print –they were simply attracted to the large, bold print.
Check out the article, and the fine print, here.
The Fine Print About Lean Transformations June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in change management, Lean Thinking.Tags: change management, Lean Thinking
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Jon Miller, in creative fashion over at Gemba Panta Rei, highlights the difficulty of the lean transformation process. People want positive results fast, yet when the going gets difficult, they abandon the process. In other words, as Mr. Miller explains, they haven’t read the fine print –they were simply attracted to the large, bold print.
Check out the article, and the fine print, here.
