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Flawless Execution: Bridging the Continuous Improvement Gap
Lean and Six Sigma, while effective business tools, possess certain gaps that lead to reductions in ROI; Flawless Execution, a simple, scalable continuous improvement process taught to fighter pilots in the world of military aviation, bridges the gaps found between the two, while encouraging development and promoting leadership and team building strategies to get the job done right.

Elevating and Repairing Marketing Constraints
A continuation of my articles on Using the Theory of Constraints with your Marketing HourGlass. We are concentrating on optimizing the Throughput of the Marketing Hourglass utilizing the Five Steps of Continuous Improvement: Steps 4 and 5.

Exploiting and Subordinating your Marketing Constraint
A continuation of my articles on Using the Theory of Constraints with your Marketing HourGlass. We are concentrating on optimizing the Throughput of the Marketing Hourglass utilizing the Five Steps of Continuous Improvement, Steps 2 and 3.

Identify your Marketing Constraint

As I mention in a previous post: Every System, typically has relatively few constraints. However, to operate at maximum efficiency, the limiting constraint must be identified. Five Steps of Continuous Improvement help identify and improve the constraint. How do I correlate the Marketing Hourglass with the Theory of Constraints? TOC uses the weakest link, a chain as a visual in working with throughput.

Performance Indicators - Key to success
The time spent in making good KPI’s are well worth it but the task is seldom done. They are truly the backbone of any system and will allow you to do exactly what a system was developed to do….ALLOW FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.

The Service Factor during Economic Turbulence

Improving and maintaining good customer service is not an exciting endeavor. It involves detailed study and steadfast execution rather than temporary brilliance or inspiration. Therefore, customer service improvement is fundamentally an effort of continuous improvement. You must develop a basic competency in process improvement to attain and sustain high levels of customer service. This means that it is absolutely critical during tough economic times that you don’t make the mistake of cutting resources that support service excellence in your attempt to control operational costs.

Kaizen
Kaizen is a system of continuous improvement. It sounds complex - but it is not. Find out how to adopt KAIZEN principles in your organisation.

There is always a better way!
The 'big boys' call it continuous improvement. We know it is just common sense - always looking at what you are doing and finding ways of doing it better. This tells you the questions to ask ... to get the right answers.

The Idea List

Sometimes we feel like there are two kinds of people in the world: Those who have great ideas and those who don't. Often, when we see a new product, a new business, a new book, or a new movie, we wonder how people come up with these ideas. Sometimes if we will explore the deep recesses of our minds and be honest with ourselves, we'll realize that we have had similar or even better ideas in the past.

Five Principles of Effective Change Creation

As a leader you must implement change to create continuous improvement. It's a hands-on process. You can't lead from afar. A former colleague of mine used to always say; "It's easy to be brave from a distance." Arguably that may be one of the truest statements made when it comes to the instigation of change. Change is hard work. It requires process tools that are sensitive to your organizational culture.

Benchmarking your Core Competencies

All organizations claim to have “core competencies” but few actually benchmark their capabilities to track and measure improvements over time. Take the time to evaluate your business from a high-level, and commit to continuous improvement. Use Demand Metric’s Core Competencies Assessment to set a baseline for your organization, and work to improve your score before your next self-assessment.

Thomas Watson Jr. Quotes
Thomas Watson Jr. Quotes

Lesson #5: Be Flexible Enough To Change With The Times
“The third underlying element of the FedEx culture, after the philosophy and the continuous improvement management system, has been the focus on change,” says Smith. “As time changed and markets changed and peoples’ expectations changed, we changed with them.”

Industrial Engineering, a continuing productivity influence

Industrial Engineering contributes to productivity in many ways because it can improve performance throughout the P&L, the balance sheet, and customer service. Industrial Engineering tools can quantify and lower costs in administration, government, health care, labs, installation, maintenance, energy, the service industry, quality, materials, facility management as well as the production floor. Also see my four Amazon books, in print and Kindle editions. These topics are key to the practice of industrial engineering. Plant Design, Facility Layout, Floor Planning. Cost Reduction How to Survive, Recover, and Thrive Facility Relocation, Merger and Design Time and Motion Study What, Why, and How-To

Qualities of Leadership Part 6 Continuous Improvement and Physical Mental and Spiritual Health
This is the sixth article in our six part series which discusses the Qualities of Leadership. It builds on what was covered previously so if you haven’t read the previous articles, be forewarned. In this article we will discuss in greater detail the next two of the qualities of leadership: Continuous Improvement and Physical, Mental and Spiritual Health

Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead, and Succeed with PATIENCE!

Ouch. I have to admit that patience is probably not one of my better virtues. I also tend to expect that everyone will make decisions at the same speed as I do. As I get older though, I more and more can see the value of being patient with my environment and the people around me. Every person is unique. Every person has his or her own challenges. Every person has a different risk treshold, and every person makes decisions at his or her own speed. If we would be more considerate and patient, we would have better relationships. I want to master everything immediately and I want to be able to do it right away. However, it does not always work that way, and neither should it. Sometimes we get further ahead by practising a little patience rather than paying a high price for making a hasty decision or not allowing sufficient lead-time.

What Type of Managerial Attitude Do You Have?
Many of us are familiar with the inspirational phrase, "your attitude determines your altitude." In the worlds of human resources and management, this phrase holds much truth. In this issue of Astronology, we take an in-depth look into managerial attitudes, and how they affect the overall health and functioning of an organization.

What Is a Strategy Map & Why Do I Need One?
Review of Strategy Maps and how they enhance the strategic planning and execution process. Strategy Maps are the foundation for Balanced Scorecards.

Motivating Employees
These days, retaining your top talent may not be your biggest challenge with your staff. With these economic challenges in our midst, many individuals are happy just to be working so they can continue to support themselves and their families. However, continuing to keep your employees motivated should still be foremost in your strategic goals of running your business.

There may never be a better time than now.
The cold, hard fact is that for most of us, this economy has jacked up the challenge of selling more faster BIG TIME. I'll give 5 to 1 odds there are two things you wish you had already gotten done.

Personal Guiding Principles
Without values and character strength, the challenges of life will replace short-term success with failure.

Connecting with your employees through Social Media

Today was an awesome day! It started off with my VP greeting me at the door and showing his appreciation for my efforts in 2008. Next, it was my Director pointing out the main successes that were achieved and finally I had the opportunity to show my gratitude to my staff. What a great way to connect with your employees and build sincere relationships by recognizing them for their contribution to the overall success of the corporation. Thanks to the organizing committee for pulling off a great “Employee Appreciation” day.

Why Employee Suggestion Boxes Don’t Work
What does your employee feedback program look like? Do you have one of "those boxes in your office that sit in the corner of the break room with napkins piled on top of it? How do you really gauge the mood of the employees in your organization? Do you really know what’s getting in the way of your people’s performance?

What Is Personal Mastery?
Personal mastery is about approaching life from a different perspective. Sometimes people would refer to it as a journey towards continuous improvement. Personal mastery is guided with key principles like vision, personal purpose, creative tension, commitment to truth and understanding the subconscious mind.

ANCORA IMPARO
Ancora imparo, translated as "I am still learning" or "Still, I am learning," is attributed to Michelangelo in his eighty-seventh year. The man who painted the Sistine Chapel and sculpted the Pieta and David, whose very name evokes mastery of his craft, exemplifies a lifelong learning philosophy.

Sales Training Courses that Bring Lead Generations to Life
Sales training can turn your stale sales force into lead generation experts. Developing leads in today's challenging business economy is harder than ever, but it is no excuse for becoming lackadaisical in generating leads. Advanced sales training courses can reinvigorate your sales team to generate new sales leads at an unprecedented rate for your team.

Sales Training for the Fiery Edge on your Competitors
Your company’s rival could be investing in sales training for their sales staff while your sales staff sits complacently at their office desks, perhaps reaching sales goals but never exceeding them. Not investing in sales training gives your competitors another edge that maybe you can’t afford to lose.

A Stimulus for a Better World: Give them Sustainability without Compromise
Sustainability sounded good when money was flowing in. But now that the economy is broken, business sustainability is taking a back seat to business survival. However, now more than ever, this is a time to advance your business case for sustainability as a top-line and bottom-line strategy for not just survival, but long-term growth and profitability.

Do You have a "Sales Prevention Department?"
When was the last time you met with your sales prevention department? Did you listen closely to what they had to say, the excuses they had, and their plan to mishandle customers in the future? Sales Prevention Departments can masquerade as your advertising, marketing, frontline sales, customer service, phone technology, or any department including accounting.

How Does Your Business Stack Up to your Competition?

Recently we have been hearing more and more about business failures like Circuit City and Linens and Things. These “Big Box” retailers showed tremendous growth over the past years. The concept rolled into town in earnest over a decade ago and was instantly embraced by consumers. Their creation facilitated the birth of the “Power Center” and wreaked havoc on locally owned small businesses. Wall Street applauded the growth curve of these concepts and rewarded the stock price with each announcement of new store openings. Once they hit maturation, the same store sales “boogey man” kicked in.

Continuous Improvement
Firstly, this article asks the question ... "Is Continuous Improvement possible?" With a slight caveat ,the answer is 'yes'. It then sets out how you can achieve continuous improvement - without adopting any of the commercial 'methodologies, without using expensive consultants. You will , of course, have to put in some effort ... mainly thought! But it is possible - for any busines.

Building better performance expectations

Ask yourself: on a scale of 1-10, 10 being high, how effective are the staff in the business? Chances are you will offer a number between 6 and 7. If extra effort is put in by the leadership that can be lifted to perhaps 7.5 maybe as high as 8 for short periods, then when the extra effort stops, as it must, performance slides back to where it was that is about 6.5. Our research states that 65% is about as good as you will get with the current set of performance and HR tools; to achieve consistently better staff performance, without extraordinary leadership efforts requires much better thinking about how staff are supported to be successful and perform as well as they are able.

Focus On Talent Management… It’s Your Future!

The future of your company depends on your ability to develop talent! The question is... are companies headed in that direction? I was recently in deep conversation with one of my mentors. He said, "Employees these days have no loyalty to the companies they work for. This new generation of employees doesn’t think about that stuff. For this reason, many companies today are less focused on developing their people. Many of these companies expect employees to invest in developing themselves."

All the Truth about Business Coaching
Demand for Business Coaching has been soaring in the last few years. Hundreds of entrepreneurs and executives of large corporations contract business coaches with the objective to reach higher levels of business performance. This article provides details about the Business Coaching methodology, areas of application and guidelines to select the best coach.

From Transactional To Transformational Leadership
A CLEAR PATH FOR LEADERS What do high performing leaders actually do on a day to day, week by week basis? What happens to the team when you are a skilled leader/developer and how do you get these skills? How, as a leader, can you lead with strength and dignity, passion and compassion? What you do is simple and entertaining... you watch the 'Karate Kid'!

Start with the End in Mind
How to Balance Your Business for Success!

Changing Gears

One thing is true; if you keep doing what you always have done you will keep getting the same results. Whether you are achieving what you want or not, it is always important to understand what is driving the present results. What is causing your current performance? What can be done to make it even better or eliminate any obstacles or distractions? Is the problem internal meaning is it your attitude or bad habit, or is it external or is it external such as money, other people etc. One thing is for sure, we choose the circumstances we find ourselves in, whether it be the work environment or relationships. The good thing is that when we acknowledge our power of choice, we also empower ourselves to change the situation.

Vision, Innovation, and Teamwork
Vision, innovation, and teamwork are the components for success that this president has chosen for creating a high-performance organization.

How to Implement Successful Change Fast A Case Study
This article is about how one company dealt with an unprecedented pace of change.

The Memo From HR Says Maybe To Green
The highly respected Society for Human Resource Management has released its 2008 Green Workplace Survey and of the HR professionals polled, 50% said they had a formal or informal eco-strategy but on the other hand, 43% said they didn’t have one and didn’t see implementing one in the next year. Find out about the latest trends in greening the HR department.

Continual Process Improvement
Organizations need to look at challenging the status quo as a way forward, the pursuit of fresh, innovative ideas, and a process to develop both the individual and collective organization agility. Challenging the status quo is a way to embrace change, and facilitate the endless search for new possibilities.

Challenging the Status Quo

Challenging the status quo receives its first life when there is a recognized awareness of the need to change. The individual and the organization must see itself differently and from a perspective that points to a definite need to change. This typically begins to happen when we question the premise upon which we have viewed ourselves in the past, ask thought provoking questions, and then begin to support formulating a new direction for the future.

More On Business Manners From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach

Business manners are essential to build relationships in today’s business world. People, who present themselves very favorably, will maximize their business potential. I must tell you that I remain very passionate about business manners and believe very strongly in the results that follow the use of good business manners. In my own efforts for continuous improvement in business manners, I recently did some research that resulted in me finding a great resource - a quiz to establish your Business Etiquette Quotient. he quiz was developed by Lydia Ramsey, a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author.

COACHING SKILLS
Coaching is a valuable concept and skill that can be the key to distancing yourself from your competitors. Learn what coaching is and what it can mean to an organization. Also become introduced to practical, uncomplicated solutions that leaders can apply immediately.

Organizational Gravity: Three Steps to Foster Continuous Improvement, Defy Obsolescence and Take Flight
Organizational gravity keeps an organization grounded and focused, contributing to a passion for continuous improvement at a tactical level. However, these improvements seem to arrive at the expense of innovation and adaptability. So what steps can an organization take to defy organizational gravity?

FIRST LESSON OF LEADERSHIP: ‘THE BUCK STOPS HERE!’

Among Leadership Proficiencies, one is paramount. 'I Take Responsibility for my actions and choices.' we focus on 'what value does leadership provide to the followers, be they individuals or organizations, in or out of business. In the 21st Century, with the speed up of change, this proficiency is pivotal. It opens the door for individual and organizational learning, growth, and development. In its absence, stagnation and paralysis rule.

"How" Power Sales Tip
It's been said, "You can tell the quality of the question by the quality of the response." You'll get higher quality responses to your sales questions when your questions begin with the word "How." This article includes 14 "How" questions you can ask.

The world’s greatest Business Tool revealed
Or Metrics that Matter.... Continuous improvement

The Hawthorne Effect is Alive and Well
Genuinely good ideas have staying power, right? What if you could find a proven approach to continuous improvement with roots nearly a century old? Would you pursue it?

Is Continuous Improvement More Important Than Results?
Could a focus on continuous improvement prove more useful than concentrating just on the results we seek?

What type of Manager do you want to be?
In this article, I’d like to touch upon a real passion of mine – Continuous Improvement.

Upgrade Your Selling Skills
Your're in trouble if you don't commit to continuous personal improvement especially if you're in sales. Read this article to see if you should upgrade you selling skills.

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