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News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace better.
Operational Excellence, Improvement, and Innovation
Relentless Pursuit: Duke Basketball's Kaizen Journey
The term “Kaizen” became a motivating mantra for this year's Duke men's basketball team, reflecting their commitment to the ongoing quest for excellence. Although it didn't lead to a victory over Houston in the Final Four, Duke has maintained its reputation as a powerhouse in college basketball for many years.
A colleague recently shared the perspective that continuous improvement is most effective when an organization has already established a solid foundation of excellence. Do you share that viewpoint?
Lean is Dead? Don't Tell GE CEO Larry Culp
Searching for an inspiring Lean success story? Look no further than GEO Aerospace, as highlighted by GE CEO Larry Culp. He explains how a commitment to purpose, safety, and the effective use of their proprietary Lean operating system, FLIGHTDECK, has driven GEO Aerospace to impressive growth and profitability in its first year as an independent company.
Don't Ditch the Weirdos: Outliers Are the Real Data Gold!
It's easy to want to discard outliers when cleaning a data set. After all, outliers can distort averages and summaries, complicating model fitting and making it hard to convey a straightforward narrative. As a result, analysts often remove them without a second thought. But what if those outliers are the key to understanding the story? Outliers can provide valuable insights, revealing important signals within the data that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Creating a Culture of Improvement
Help Wanted: Must Be Perfect (Just Kidding–Sort Of)
Ask any job seeker, and they'll tell you–most job postings sound more like “Unicorn Wanted” than “Help Wanted.” Employers pile on requirements like a shopping list for a mythical creature, holding out for someone who's already mastered every skill. But here's the thing: waiting for that perfect candidate often slows everything down.
According to a Gartner survey, companies might be better off hiring for potential–specifically, someone's ability to learn quickly–rather than waiting for full proficiency. It's a smarter, faster way to close skill gaps at scale.
But that raises a big question: how do you spot potential? Unlike years of experience or a bullet point on a résumé, “promise” isn't so easy to measure. And yet, in a world where adaptability is gold, learning to recognize it could be the key to staying ahead.
Costco and Organizational Culture
If your culture sets you apart and gives you a competitive edge, it's crucial to protect it. We've seen numerous organizations, like Starbucks and Southwest Airlines, lose their essence after a long-standing CEO leaves, ultimately resulting in a diminished advantage. While evolving culture can be beneficial in some contexts, it's not advisable for market leaders.
Costco serves as a prime example of a company that has preserved its culture and leading position in the market. With Ron Varchis, a former forklift operator and 42-year veteran of the company, now at the helm, that culture is not likely to change anytime soon. Hear how CEO Varchis plans to harness Costco's culture and strategy to not only maintain but also enhance its dominance in the industry.
KBI: Measuring and Monitoring Key Behaviours To Calcify Your Culture
You get more of what's rewarded. Your systems drive behaviours – good or bad. It's simple, yet elusive. Jake Raymer returns to Connecting the Dots to share his practical insights from over two decades of helping organizations design better systems for supporting sustainable cultures of excellence.
Coaching – Developing Self & Others
Three Simple Words
Legendary speaker Simon Sinek shares the three simple words that could help elevate your career.
The Real Reason You're Not Reaching Your Goals
Do you set goals only to find you don't really see or feel meaningful progress? You're probably not being really honest with yourself. Read more from Matt DiGeronimo.
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