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Has there ever been a better time for Lean Six Sigma?
General Motors just stopped the Toyota NUMMI joint venture after 25 years. From all that I have heard, it was a very good experience and that GM learned a lot more from the JV than Toyota did. But, Toyota got additional capacity in the United States to (guess what?) … grow! Now is the time for
How to create a culture by design to retain right-fit talent
In my last blog, I presented strategies for managing layoffs. Hopefully you have not had to downsize, or maybe you’ve completed this difficult process and are ready to move forward. It seems contradictory to speak about retaining right-fit talent when thousands of organizations have had to let some
The art of managing layoffs: What to do when cuts are unavoidable
Prior to layoffs, you must maintain lines of open communication regarding the state of the company. The idea of keeping bad news from employees never works. They often hear through the grapevine or even the news media that the company is struggling. If you do not share this information with them, you
Three alternatives to laying off staff members
In this blog, I had intended to discuss the tips and strategies for retaining right-fit employees beyond the training process. It occurred to me that discussing employee retention when so many companies are in the midst of downsizing seems a bit contradictory. So, I thought it best to address the topic
Hunker down or crush your competition
With the current economic environment, there is always the tendency to hunker down and try to ride the storm out. But, is that the best strategy? Probably not. While there is most certainly a need to watch budgets closely - even very closely - and tighten up on extra activity, now is the time to take
A comic and the economy: Lessons from Calvin’s Mom
There has been an e-mail going around with a copy of an old Calvin and Hobbs comic attached to it. In the comic, Calvin has a lemonade stand where he is trying to sell a glass of lemonade for $15. He justifies his price because of demand - his demand for monstrous profits as a shareholder, his demand
Now more than ever, your plant needs to implement 5S
One of the basic tenets of manufacturing is there is never a shortage of challenges. When times are good, the challenge is how to make more on-time deliveries with the least cost possible. In this current economic environment, the challenge is how to make on-time deliveries with the resources available.
Lean lessons for the recession
Transforming a manufacturing business into a lean enterprise during boom times is a fun and exciting experience. Lean generates growth, new customers, market penetration … all good things. In today’s world, one might ask, “How do I use lean now?” The answer is much the same as in
Win with TWI or lose without it!
What does TWI (Training Within Industry) have to do with the current economic issues? Well, it can have a very positive impact for firms struggling with the current business conditions. Whether times are prosperous or not, any business can benefit from: improving output per employee, resolving people
The bad news has arrived: Your plant is undergoing severe curtailment/closure
It’s happened … the announcement that a major portion of your facility is being closed for the foreseeable future. What do you do next? Accept the news that your plant is facing an impending plant shutdown. It is not necessarily a “knockout” for the plant or your career. Remember,
