Content by Kevin Meyer
Leadership by Welch, Immelt—and LayerLean leaders put people first
Wed, 08/28/2013 - 09:05
Regular readers know I’m not a big fan of Jack Welch, to put it mildly. My opinion is shared by many in the lean world, at least those who recognize that the second, oft-forgotten, pillar of lean is “respect for people”—a concept diametrically…
The Creativity of the Low ScoreA lean lesson learned while compromising productivity
Tue, 08/13/2013 - 15:43
A few years ago when I was a young lad, a friend of mine introduced me to a newfangled gizmo called Pong. We temporarily disconnected his Betamax from his 27-in. big-screen TV (a new color model) and connected up the game. I was hooked. I couldn't…
Chasing Cheap Instead of QualityReflections on snakes, GM, engineers, and wine
Mon, 07/22/2013 - 16:39
It’s time to clear out some thoughts on an eclectic mix of articles I've been reading, so please pardon the potential mental whiplash. What does your company do to keep an eye on competitors? Perhaps it’s an informal process handled by the sales…
Leadership: the Force Multiplier of KaizenImagine the results of <em>kaizen</em> at the C-level
Tue, 07/02/2013 - 17:14
Electronic manufacturer Jabil’s website promotes its commitment to lean, especially its report showing the following: • 13,000 kaizen events so far in 2013 • 322,000 completed in 2012 • 9,500 Lean Bronze practitioners • More than 200 Six Sigma…
Learning by Writing... by HandPutting pen to paper creates understanding, ownership, introspection
Tue, 06/18/2013 - 16:47
Iam an early-adopter tech geek at heart, and generally am among the first to embrace a new technology. I love my gizmos, although I focus on how they can be used to streamline and simplify life, not add unnecessary complexity. But there’s one area…
Net NonsenseYep, that’s partnership: Turn your much smaller suppliers into a bank
Mon, 05/13/2013 - 12:28
I n my past life as president of a medical device company, I had two reliable leading indicators of a potential customer relationship. Basically, one was if the customers demanded automatic annual price decreases, and the other was if their payment…
What Harley-Davidson Learned From GMLeadership matters
Mon, 02/26/2007 - 22:00
Established in 1903, the Harley-Davidson Motor Company grew rapidly during the two world wars. Foreign competition hit the industry early, and by 1953 Harley-Davidson was the last remaining major motorcycle manufacturer in the United States…
Refining and Reinforcing PrinciplesThree grounding principles: reduce friction, share, and grow
Thu, 04/09/2020 - 12:03
Earlier this year Ron Pereira discussed his top 10 lessons from the last decade, and Jon Miller wrote about what he believes is the most important word of the year (“daily”). Although I have tried to divorce myself from the arbitrary boundaries of a…
Empirical Evidence for the Power of KataTell me about a failure and what you learned
Mon, 02/10/2020 - 12:01
We’ve long known that embracing failure with an aim toward learning and improvement can create future success. Organizations that see failure in that light, and support their people with cultures and systems to learn from failure, can become engines…