Content by Bruce Hamilton
Tue, 10/20/2020 - 12:03
Over years of listening to people describe their work, one single word has surfaced repeatedly as a barometer of what is frequently called “culture.” The use of the word “they” in conversation gives me insight into an organization’s ability to…
Thu, 10/08/2020 - 12:02
One summer when I was a kid, my friend Rick and I built a pole vault setup in my postage stamp-sized backyard with a plant box (the place where you plant the pole as you begin your vault) and a couple uprights to hold the crossbar. We used bamboo…
Wed, 07/29/2020 - 12:02
Shortly after a recent post, in which I referred to sowing the seeds of change, I enlisted the help of my son, Ben, to reseed a particularly bare area of our yard. I’d neglected this spot for a few years, and it had become sparse and dormant.…
Wed, 07/22/2020 - 12:01
For the last four months, GBMP has, of necessity, pivoted to predominantly virtual consulting, training, and coaching. Now, as the economy begins to reopen, I’d like to share with you two lessons that we have learned.
Office space adds limited…
Tue, 05/05/2020 - 12:02
Most lean folks use 5 Whys daily to problem solve, but relatively few are familiar with a clever problem-solving device developed 30 years ago by Deming Prize winner Ryuji Fukuda, called the why-not diagram.
Because objection is a natural human…
Tue, 04/21/2020 - 12:01
Football is a tough sport, tougher than most who play it. Almost everyone who plays will eventually sustain at least a minor injury. It certainly took a toll on my body. At 15, I broke my leg in two places during a scrimmage and was out for the…
Wed, 01/15/2020 - 12:02
This year marks the 35th anniversary of a remarkable and unfortunately also singular event in my career: In 1985, my employer, United Electric Controls (UE), elected to remove time clocks from the factory.
At the time of this unusual decision, I…
Wed, 11/13/2019 - 12:01
After being recognized in 1990 by the Shingo Prize, my plant became an overnight hot spot for benchmarking. Hardly a week went by when there was not a visit from a distinguished visitor, Fortune 500 company, professional organization, or college…
Thu, 10/10/2019 - 12:03
Several years ago, I was asked to address a startup meeting at a new client, a large manufacturer of medical devices. The company was resource-rich, but after several years of trying had not yet gained significant traction with its lean efforts.…
Mon, 09/23/2019 - 12:03
Reflecting on Douglas McGregor’s X and Y theories of human motivation, Shigeo Shingo took the position that each of us by nature has a dual tendency: sometimes lazy and self-interested, and other times motivated and generous. Which of these…