Years ago, a tennis coach told us that the follow-through was just as important as hitting the ball from the racket’s “sweet spot.” He described the follow-through as the swinging of the racket so that the racket ends upward, way above your shoulders. It was much better than hitting the ball and letting your elbows […]
Finding the Balance Lean and Six Sigma concepts are well understood in many business situations. Each concept has found its place and proven their value. Lean does its part, focusing on improving the process and eliminating waste. Six Sigma performs its role by eliminating variable in the process. Organizations implement each strategy differently, based on […]
Change Management is an approach to helping people transition from an old state to a new state. Its goal is to help the organization and its employees cope with change in the most efficient and seamless manner so as not to disrupt operations. Coping with change means dealing with the need for new skills or […]
Uncovering the Cover Up Customers. What do they really know? Fact is, my business is doing just fine and am pretty confident there aren’t any issues. Oh, I have a few ‘difficult’ customers, but I really don’t worry about them. They cause us more problems than there are worth in sales, so it really doesn’t […]
What is the ultimate route to business success? There are those who assert that hard work and dedication are the answer to this question. Business gurus though, might, deride such a simplistic view. It is almost unheard of, for a newly launched product to be immediately profitable. Instead, every aspect of the product from design, […]
May The Force Be With You Force Field Analysis is a powerful tool used to clearly understand the true position of a process. When trying to understand a process or a “why” there will always be proponents and detractors. Debates will ensue with lively arguments from both sides of the issue, clearly advocating their positions as […]
Benchmarking – The acceptable face of cheating What is the ultimate route to business success? There are those who assert that hard work and dedication are the answer to this question. Business gurus though, might, deride such a simplistic view. It is almost unheard of, for a newly launched product to be immediately profitable. Instead, […]
May The Force Be With You Force Field Analysis is a powerful tool used to clearly understand the true position of a process. When trying to understand a process or a “why” there will always be proponents and detractors. Debates will ensue with lively arguments from both sides of the issue, clearly advocating their positions as […]
What Are Your Plans? Memorial Day. It’s a four day weekend! Time to hang out by the water with friends, light the BBQ grill and cook some meat. Whatever you like, it typically evokes thoughts of fun in the sun, travel, friends and welcoming in summer! Before heading out on that road trip or stocking […]
The Qualities We Seek Leadership. What is it and how do we get it? The concept is one of the most debatable subjects in business today. As individuals, we lean toward what we like. Your personality gravitates towards like personalities and that is where you find your comfort zone. Fact is, no one find success […]
Overcoming the Obstacles Specialized training presents a prime opportunity to expand your knowledge base and critical skills. The obstacles most professionals face is the expense of the training and finding the time in a fast paced environment to attend the courses. In today’s work environment, between finding the time to manage meetings, burgeoning email streams […]
Ready for a Challenge? Taking on more responsibility and moving your career forward is crucial! Not only should you be focused on how to improve your skills in your current role, you must be laser focused on improving your skills for the next level of responsibility. There is no better way to demonstrate your ability […]
Sharpening Your Skills Training is one of the most crucial habits you must practice on a daily basis to become a valued professional. If you look at the most successful business leaders, you will find that they place a high value on personal and professional development. They set aside time daily to practice their craft, […]
Do You Have the Competitive Edge? Technical competency and proficiency are crucial to professionals competing in today’s workplace. Having the skills necessary to do the job is just not good enough anymore. Today’s work environment is becoming more and more competitive. Professionals who are seeking advancement are doing whatever it takes to put themselves ahead […]
Improving Quality in the Insurance Industry How many times have you had a negative experience with the insurance industry? From a phone call with customer service, to dealing with underwriters, to having a confusing and pressured experience with an agent, the industry can be frustrating. Insurance is a product that plays a crucial part of […]
Are You Investing in Your Future? No matter what you read or hear about highly successful people, there are common habits they practice which can be directly attributed to their success. They have a determined, focused drive to be the best and their habits are religiously practiced. One of the most valuable habits highly successful […]
5 Whys Inspiration Part of the morning routine of coffee and working through a to-do list for the day, the morning network news is always going in the background. We filter out the fluff and our attention is piqued when a story is of significant value or importance. Recently, our attention was drawn to an […]
A History of Excellence Since November of 1775, the Marines have forged a reputation as the premier fighting force in the United States and the world. The Marines proudly preserve their history and constantly strive to maintain a reputation of excellence. The Marines are global leaders, developing expeditionary doctrine and innovations that set the example, and […]
Just What is The Internet of Things (IoT)? Gadgets, electronics and devices: we all have them and they fill our world. As the technology improves, so do they! Part of the improvements with these devices is that they are connected to the Internet. Cars, kitchen appliances, personal devices are just some examples of devices that […]
Sizing Up Six Sigma Studies show that 2/3 of European employees and roughly 1/2 of American employees work for small and medium businesses. Small and medium businesses create 65% of all new jobs in the US. These facts fuel the debate on whether Six Sigma is a good fit for small business. Typically Six Sigma […]
