Drawing to celebrate a life.
A conversation with someone at the end of their life is hard. Yet, it is probably harder for them to explain their emotions to others. Draw.
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Aug 273 min
Applying lessons learned from the service industry into manufacturing
These are my Top 10 lessons learned from the service industry that are applicable to manufacturing.
Aug 113 min
Captain - Evaluation of shared versus singular leadership
Growing up in Texas, I vividly remember finding a Lubber Grasshopper struggling in the middle of Pine Island Bayou on a hot and muggy...
Aug 52 min
An escalation policy through the lens of an investment
I remember my first breakdown like it was yesterday. It was a Sunday when I responded to a breakdown of the cold mill's left-tilt...
Jul 302 min
Building an escalation policy - A guide for a first time manager in manufacturing
Need an escalation policy being a first time manager? Try this list that includes some of the basics for someone in manufacturing.
Jun 303 min
High, low, flamingo - Commit to conversation starters when one doesn't exist
Creating a conversation is simple as three. Try something new, something different, something you read. Or try, high, low, flamingo.
Apr 273 min
Briefends
Each Friday, I typically call a friend to catch up. I reach out to them, re-calibrating memories of old stories when camera phones...
Feb 254 min
When to use an extra life
If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, you most likely know what the green mushroom provides the gamer in Mario Brothers. If you played the...
Feb 183 min
The antithesis of Gemba
This morning was 14 degrees Fahrenheit, yet the sun showed off its superpower by making the recent 4 inches of snow sparkle in every...
Jan 63 min
The emotions of machines.
Charles Darwin is known for his insight into evolution and natural selection. In the mid-1800s, Darwin began to challenge how organisms...
Nov 14, 20233 min
Leveraging a new hirer's superpower.
During onboarding activities of new employees, I remind each new hirer that they have a superpower. It is a superpower that the current...
Nov 3, 20233 min
A katharologist gives a damn about safety.
I have been on a housekeeping mission as of late. It has not originated from a whitepaper that talks about 5S strategies for millennials....
Oct 8, 20233 min
And down goes a fan.
The score was 8 to 1 in the middle of the fifth, and the Pittsburgh Pirates were losing. Not exactly surprising considering the team’s...
Sep 10, 20233 min
Remove the obstacles preventing creativity.
Have you ever been stuck in a good rut? Have you caught yourself in the middle of an incident investigation, and the root cause continues...
Aug 6, 20233 min
Entropy and the puzzle
What is your approach to solving a puzzle? I assume it starts with flipping over each cardboard-brown piece to make the patterns face up....
Jul 23, 20233 min
Stagnation is the middle name.
Mastering a presentation takes time. Intensively interrogating each slide to enhance the message of the slide deck can take months and...
Jul 2, 20233 min
The designed route, may not be what is typically taken.
There is an office complex over 100 years old just outside of Chicago. Still occupied, it is an office complex for a leadership team that...
Jun 21, 20233 min
Be good faster.
What does be good faster mean to you? Since I heard this, I have been stirring on it. Challenging myself with the interpreted wisdom, I...
Jun 11, 20233 min
Lead with safety by discussing yesterday's incidents second.
Think about a recent morning meeting that you have been part of. I will assume that most of us start with safety at the forefront of this...
May 28, 20234 min
Mildew on roses makes no wine.
I try to make time daily to walk up and down production lines. I learned early on to use all of my senses during these walks to indicate...
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