“Lean” thinking creates a willingness to try new things. We have taught 6S, which focuses on safely reorganizing and establishing ways to maintain our spaces. We have conducted Kaizen events, which are intensive efforts to quickly transform a place or process. As you engage in these practices, we hope it changes your way of looking […]

Once upon a time, I was part of a team that faced an extraordinary opportunity. A customer reached out with an urgent request—they had just received a massive order and needed as many pallets as we could build, as fast as we could make them. This was a first for us. Nothing like it had […]

What makes a team effective? You can answer this as a teammate or leader. But here are the questions for which everyone needs answers: Does each player understand their job and how the team prospers when that job is done well? Is there a premium placed on good, honest, and transparent communication? Is all the information […]

If we are wise, we allow people to “earn” respect and extend the courtesy of “owed” respect. What’s an environment where you “earn” respect look like? Our annual survey gives us a bunch of clues: We make expectations clear. When people know what is expected, they have targets to aim for. Giving a person a target […]