An “after action review” considers what was supposed to happen and what actually happened. The third question is “why was there a difference?” If you study “lean management” very much, you learn that “asking why” is an intricate investigative and learning technique. Done appropriately, it drives you to a deeper understanding of your task and […]

There is a common perception these days that the path to mastery includes putting in 10,000 hours of practice. The theory includes a couple of qualifiers.  The 10,000 hours is best when the practice is the focused as compared to going through the motions. Focused means striving with specific improvement in mind. The 10,000 hours […]

I spent the day discussing the integration of the new Clarksville facility into PalletOne. There are many challenges. We’ve had more than a dozen folks on site there since the merger occurred. As a “standard setter” in our industry, you can imagine what an effort it is to teach what we expect in terms of […]

Our lumber is markedly more expensive than a year ago. In every phase of our business, we are spending more for it than we were a year ago. When lumber is more expensive, the cost of waste rises. It’s the nature of our business that material that goes in the dumpster may be ugly, but […]