Lean CEO Archives - Page 6 of 9

Recent Articles

The Benefits of Plant Tours

The PalletOne Board of Directors was in Bartow for its quarterly meeting and an annual budget review. Among the activities was a plant tour of the Bartow facility. Bartow, like all of you, has been engaged in “lean” activities. The plant looks good. We should offer plant tours all we can. Whether customers, vendors, public officials, family or friends – a tour of our facilities raises awareness of our excellent team. It only helps us.

Howe Q. Wallace November 14, 2012

Lean Efforts in Siler City Improve Appearance, Efficiency

Some of the best “lean” efforts I have seen involve straightening and reorganizing our outside spaces. I was in Siler City on Monday. It is one of our largest facilities housing a sawmill, a pallet plant and a recycling operation. It sprawls over 50 acres. I’ve been to the plant on a regular basis for over 16 years. Having ample space, it appears that bad habits took over and due care for storage and organization

Howe Q. Wallace November 7, 2012

Contributing to a Culture Change

I got a chance recently to speak to a group of students. I was describing my thoughts on converting a culture like we’ve been working on at our company as we become “leaner.” One of those listening sought me out after I finished. “Those ideas sound good but you don’t understand the place where I work. They would never allow it.” My answer to that is be the best you can be at controlling what

Howe Q. Wallace October 30, 2012

Creating Value for Customers

Figuring out how to add value to our offerings should lead us in considering how to proceed with “lean.” One premise is that we make our products more valuable by eliminating waste: time, motion and material. The other is creating value by enhancing customer perceptions. How? Demonstrate you care. Listen, pay attention and communicate concern orally. My experience is “caring” can’t be faked. You do or you don’t. We “focus” on getting better. Do we

Howe Q. Wallace October 16, 2012

Keys to the No-Huddle Offense

No-huddle offenses are the rage in football this season. Twenty-five of the NFL teams are using them extensively. It is being proven that the no huddle is giving an edge to offenses. It is a competitive advantage. What are the keys to no-huddle success? The quarterback is an expert. Rookie quarterbacks aren’t inclined to use them. Veterans who understand how the game is played are leading the successful no-huddle efforts. Communication is simple. The New

Howe Q. Wallace October 12, 2012

Achieving a “Lean” Culture

“Lean” thinking creates a willingness to try new things. We have taught 6S which focuses on safely reorganizing our spaces and establishing ways to maintain it. We have done Kaizen events which are intensive efforts to transform a place or a process in a hurry. As you do these things, we hope it changes your way of looking at the world, especially at work. We hope that when you see disorder, your mind says “that’s

Howe Q. Wallace October 11, 2012

Pride in Our Lean Efforts

It’s exciting to see the efforts in “lean” around the company. Every plant I visit, significant efforts are being made to sort and to straighten our operations. The efforts make a difference in the pride exhibited. I was touring our Smarr, GA, facility yesterday. They have made significant strides in organization and housekeeping. Three separate times I was stopped and asked what I thought about the changes. The pride on the faces was readily observed.

Howe Q. Wallace September 26, 2012

Lean Gives a Sense of Purpose

I was comparing notes with New London manager Dan Krznarich. We were talking about our teams. Our sports teams. He’s excited about the Milwaukee Brewers. I’m pulling for the Tampa Bay Rays. Both teams are in the pennant race in Major League Baseball. For those who don’t follow baseball, they made a change this year. They created one more playoff spot for the championship. The effect is that more teams have a chance to make

Howe Q. Wallace September 21, 2012

Saban’s “Process Focus”

We are only a few weeks into the college football season and the University of Alabama Crimson Tide has fans shaking their heads with awe. While they are the defending National Champs, many of the pundits thought they would be good but not great this year. The Tide lost many players to the NFL this year and their lineup at the beginning of the year was untested and inexperienced. Nevertheless, the Tide has rolled up

Howe Q. Wallace September 18, 2012

The “No Huddle” Offense an Example of Lean

As you are watching football this weekend, pay attention to the number of teams going “no huddle.” In college, you will see Oregon or Texas A&M do it. In the pros, you will see some of the most productive offensive teams like New Orleans, New England and Green Bay do the same. Five years ago, no one did the “no huddle.” This year, 14% of the plays run in an NFL game are “no huddle.”

Howe Q. Wallace September 14, 2012

Talk To The Leader in PT Lumber. Request A Quote for Pallets.

Articles About Leadership

THE JUICE IS WORTH THE SQUEEZE

“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

Howe Q. Wallace March 25, 2024

HAPPENING TO THE WORLD – A SATISFYING WAY TO LIVE

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

Howe Q. Wallace March 25, 2024

SUFFERING AND CHALLENGES

“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

Howe Q. Wallace March 22, 2024

Recent Articles

The Benefits of Plant Tours

Lean Efforts in Siler City Improve Appearance, Efficiency

Contributing to a Culture Change

Creating Value for Customers

Keys to the No-Huddle Offense

Achieving a “Lean” Culture

Pride in Our Lean Efforts

Lean Gives a Sense of Purpose

Saban’s “Process Focus”

The “No Huddle” Offense an Example of Lean

Talk To The Leader in PT Lumber. Request A Quote for Pallets.

Articles About Leadership

THE JUICE IS WORTH THE SQUEEZE

HAPPENING TO THE WORLD – A SATISFYING WAY TO LIVE

SUFFERING AND CHALLENGES

Products

Services

About

Contact Us

Corporate Office