In a process flow optimization or value stream mapping project, the organization is seeking the ideal process steps that will maximize the efficiency of its resources. By identifying waste and methods to increase output, the end result becomes a guiding reflection. Team members that bear the burden of the constraint can be motivated quite effectively by this process. However, when the evaluation crosses multiple organizations, it presents the challenge of motivating the non-c

Tina Fey has been referenced as using an activity that gets you in the mindset of creativity and invigorated imagination for improv. It has been referenced as Tina Fey’s Rules of Improvisation and is routinely referenced in the performance industry. Can Tina Fey’s approach work in manufacturing when conducting a feasibility analysis? Commonly referred to as “Yes, And,” the way the activity works is that a group of individuals start with a simple sentence. The group has to bui

Using numbers and estimates to predict outcomes can either be a hobby or a profession. This data is the fingerprint of what has happened, and if used correctly it can guide us to increase the probability of what could happen. If a profession sees a hobbyist as a way to leverage a situation, these two worlds might mingle. And when they mingle, it may influence who the winners are. There is a Professor of Management, Economics, and Strategy at the London School of Economics nam

To make a claim, I called the 800 number in the instruction manual of my coffee machine. A small fastener has broken, resulting in the machine being useless. I went through the web of “Please say or press 1 if…” to finally end at a voice. “Hello, my name is Caroline, how can I assist you?” Knowing my heart rate had increased and it's not “Caroline’s” fault my machine is broken, I dig deep to find what Christopher Voss would call the late-night DJ voice. "Caroline, I can't mak