Lean CEO Archives - Page 7 of 10

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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

Consistently Seek To Do Good

“What makes greatness is someone who consistently seeks to do good.” – Isaac Hunter A strong point in “lean” is consistency. In the 6S posters, it is referred to as “sustaining.” “Consistent” means it is common, daily, intentional. Effort doesn’t come in fits and spurts. You can count on it like clockwork. There is not a good hour then a bad one. There isn’t a good day then a bad one. There isn’t a good

Howe Q. Wallace September 11, 2012

A Note of Thanks To My Teammates

Labor Day is a great holiday. It is intended to celebrate the significance of all who work hard to make their enterprises succeed. I’m grateful to be your teammate. I’m humbled to be the one who gets to participate in watching so many work hard to create both personal and team success. So, as I enter the holiday, picture me raising a glass to you. My toast would be: “To the team – may our

Howe Q. Wallace August 31, 2012

Butner Shares Lean Successes

We are in Butner today for a tour highlighting the advantages and opportunities of embracing “lean” in our operations. When I say “we” I mean a group of more than 60. A combination of plant managers, maintenance managers and plant supervisors. We cross over almost every plant and every region. The Butner team did us all a phenomenal service by showing us the successes they have claimed over the last year and a half. There

Howe Q. Wallace August 24, 2012

Repetition Helps Concepts Take Hold

Perhaps you notice that I repeat myself in these daily notes. When I started writing these over four years ago, my goal was to put something fresh out there. I changed my mind. In order for a culture to take hold, we have to be diligent about repeating themes, ideas, strategies and methods that work for us. While it may be our instinct to assume because it has been said or addressed that everyone gets

Howe Q. Wallace August 22, 2012

Learning Lean Through Michael Phelps

Is there an Olympic story that is inspiring you? I’ve stayed connected to the stories. Michael Phelps is “lean”. And, I don’t mean just with his body. His story is classic. He is physically gifted. He has matched those gifts to hours of training in the pool. He has relied on coaching. In other words, he could have spent hours practicing but he wouldn’t have made it without a coach who became intimately interested in

Howe Q. Wallace August 6, 2012

Olympics Offer Lessons In Lean

As you watch the Olympic Games this year, take notice of the “lean” things that you see. I’ve been watching the Olympics a long time. The earliest ones I remember were in Mexico in 1968. The athletes truly are more skilled. Faster. As the years have gone on the racers have carved out new records hundredths and tenths of a second at a time. As you watch the back stories, you see that they are

Howe Q. Wallace August 1, 2012

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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