A “lean” company puts processes in place that cause them to improve. While it can be a project, it also is a way of operating. It’s a method for improvement. I look at our company as hundreds of pieces that depend on each other for success. Every day each of us touches something that changes material into something we sell or helps people get their job done or helps us get paid or hundreds of
Sometimes it takes severe pain and discomfort before we initiate necessary change. In most cases, before there was severe pain, there were signs of a problem developing. For a variety of reasons it doesn’t get addressed: You don’t want to be an alarmist. You aren’t certain you are right. You are afraid your news won’t be received well. So, by not addressing it, things worsen over time. Before long, what could have been handled preventively
One of the most effective lean techniques we can use is asking “why?” five times. The wisdom in the technique is that it causes a pause for consideration. It also stops us from leaping to the first conclusion when studying a problem or an opportunity. I’ve been studying a bit about how people solve problems. Turns out that the brain works toward solutions using one of two paths. One calls on “gut” decisions made upon
I was listening to a guy talking about making cities better. He was describing how cities let big things sometimes get in the way of getting anything done. This was the example. Kids like playing in spraying water, especially when it’s hot. We’ve seen the spraying water systems. Amusement parks have them. Expensive parks have them. The systems are cool. Well plumbed. Sometimes have colored lights to make them look cooler still. Expensive to be
Are you “lean”? We talk about creating a “lean” company all the time. But, to accomplish that mission, every single person needs to embrace the mission. I’m writing this as a bit of a confession because I realize that I don’t always walk the talk. For instance, my office isn’t as 6Sed as it should be. If I scan my work area, there’s significant sorting and straightening that should take place. That being said, I’ve
I stood in a long airport security line today. It was an unbelievable cluster of inefficiency. As I stood there (almost an hour), I observed a bunch of things that could have improved the process. Some very practical, some probably not so practical. I’m sure hundreds of people missed their planes. As I stood there, I began to consider our lean efforts. One, there is great value in “going to Gemba.” As I said, there
For us to achieve a “lean” culture, it has to become an everyday activity. For every person. We get stuck sometimes waiting for someone to start something lean. But the truth is, everyone has that capability. For one thing, you can always refer to the concept of 6S as it relates to the workspace you and your team occupy. Is it clean? Is it organized? Is there stuff in the way? Are there things that
At Leadercast, John Maxwell used mathematical terms to describe simple leadership. He says leaders “add value” every day. We are in “add value” businesses. We take lumber and cut it, split it, treat it, nail it, paint it, staple it, notch it, chamfer it into a product that people want to buy. We add further value by shipping it, delivering it on time. We make sure it isn’t contaminated. We will add tags to make
I pay attention to trends. When a word or idea pops up a couple of times, I take notice. Our IT Pro in North Carolina, Kenny Reavis, sent me this quote: “As a manager, you play a critical part in either perpetuating mediocrity or helping your team break free in pursuit of extraordinary.” – Art Petty, executive coach Mediocrity is a dirty word. If you are in a mediocre state, the chances are great that
Revisiting Plan, Do, Check and Act. Hector Peña works to support the advancement of lean efforts at PalletOne. He sent me a note thanking me for talking about PDCA and shared with me an observation. He likes the bias for action exhibited by our teams in the Plan and Do stages. He thinks we do a good job identifying issues and doing something different to address them. But, he observes that we can be better
PalletOne Inc.
Company President, Howe Q. Wallace
Since 2005, he has been sharing his thoughts on the organization, leadership, and communication in an online daily note to teammates called Daily with HQ.
“Everything you want is on the other side of ‘hard’.” – CJ McCollum, NBA player McCollum is a story of overachievement. He was undersized. Played college basketball at a non-descript school. Was a long shot to be an NBA player but worked his way to being a first-round draft pick and was a solid star in his 10th year in the league. I heard him describe his approach to the game and his development on a podcast called
PalletOne leaders “happen to the world.” What does that mean? A PalletOne leader is confident. Each situation creates an opportunity for service and contribution. We are talented and put those talents to work. We see those around us as having talent. We seek to unlock it. We realize that we can be called upon to take the initiative to improve things at any moment. We act when the situation calls for it. We inspire through
“Weep, trust, pray, think, shift, hope, grow. Ways to handle suffering.” – Tim Keller Tim Keller was a preacher from New York City. He passed away in 2023. I followed him on Twitter because he tweeted profound thoughts like the one above. You don’t exit life without tough things happening to you. It’s a fact. None of us are exempt. In specific order, Keller gave us seven verbs to consider when challenged: Weep – It’s
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