#1 Root Cause of All Operation Problems and How to Solve It
At Toyota, I drew the conclusion that the number one root cause of all operation problems always comes down to the same thing. ? Someone didn’t know what they were supposed to do, when they were supposed to do it, or how they were supposed to do it. In my work now leading teams through […]
What is One-Team Alignment and Why Does it Matter
While Eastern culture places emphasis on teamwork and culture, Western culture values individualism. Employees are encouraged to be self-reliant, make decisions and be held accountable for their actions. And this isn’t a bad thing: It’s not about collectivism versus individualism. But when it comes to solving problems, we can learn from Eastern companies’ ways of […]
How to Build and Maintain a Customer-for-Life Philosophy in Business
If you want a sustainable business, predictable revenue, less costly acquisition engine, and shortened sales cycle and lead times, create a business that lives by the customer-for-life philosophy. According to a study conducted by Marketing Metrics, the success rate of selling to an existing customer is 60-70% while the probability of selling to a new […]
3 Ways to Problem-Solve Without Spending All Your Money
When it comes to addressing process problems, people love spending money because it makes them feel like they are doing something valuable. Here’s a classic example: Adding someone new to your team to solve a process problem. Getting a new staff member makes organizations feel great about themselves. If they can afford it, why not, […]
How to Create a Process-Based Culture
Toyota gets over a million ideas a year from their team members on how to improve their processes. Not all of them are good, and fewer are actually implemented, but one of the reasons that Toyota is a leader in their industry is that they have a system to turn good ideas into action. They […]
Business Is Evolving: The Rise of Jobs Focused on Culture, Wellness and Continuous Improvement
More and more companies are listening to their employees. The increase in job titles focused on flex work, culture, wellness and continuous improvement is one indication that companies are paying more attention to their workers and responding to the new ways they want to work. According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends 2022 Report, the COVID-19 […]
4 Best Practices for Managing Remote Teams
Remote work is here to stay. Based on the 2021 Remote Work & Compensation Pulse Survey by Salary.com, 48% of employees have a desire to work fully remote and 44% favor a hybrid work model. 51% of employers who were surveyed support the hybrid work model, but only 5% are saying that a fully remote […]
6 Post-Pandemic Predictions Business Leaders Should Know
The business landscape remains unpredictable and ever-changing, but this year we have been getting a much clearer picture of the post-COVID world. Here are business trends that we will continue to see as we emerge from the pandemic. 1. Social media’s influence will continue to rise. According to Statista, in 2022 internet users in the […]
How I Spent The 4 Months Preparing for A Commencement Address
I’ve been invited by Elon University to give a commencement address. This is something I never expected. I haven’t even thought of it as a possibility. I am an achiever. I relentlessly go after my dreams and have fulfilled most of them, but this is different. This is not something you pursue or chase after. […]
Fire Drills, Shit Shows, Smoke & Mirrors: Problems in Company Culture and Leadership
I recently caught up with a Scaling Up Coach, and he told me that in his annual planning with a company they made the statement that “they are firefighters.” His response was “You fight fires for business?” And they said “No, we’re just really good at putting out fires.” This opens up a larger conversation […]
