Complicating Continuous Improvement

Does the continuous improvement industry need to practice more of what we preach: do we need to lean out our Lean process and reduce our Six Sigma variations? Humans, by nature, tend to over-process the simple into complexities that are not strictly necessary. We change agents are acutely aware of this as we busily go…

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Are You Training People to Think or Follow a Checklist?

Several weeks ago, at the MoreSteam annual Executive Briefing in Houston, Texas: Excellence in Process Improvement, there was an interesting presentation and discussion on Lean/Sigma training. The conference participants were comprised of a select group of experienced continuous improvement professionals, many of whom are program leaders. The question was raised (in essence): “Do our historical…

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The Value of Open Dialogue [Why Old School is Cool]

How many emails do you have in your inbox? How much time out of your day do you spend trying to catch up on email? In today’s world, personal and business correspondence has drifted sharply away from in-person conversation and even voice communication. Email, social media, and texting have valuable benefits when used in moderation.…

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