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Drive in Japan Part 1
By Drive, Inc. on Friday 15 July 2016.
In June, we had the pleasure of visiting three manufacturers in Japan, including Toyota and AVEX, a tier two supplier of valves to Toyota. There was a great deal of learning that I would like to share with you.
Strategic Alignment Part 4
By Drive, Inc. on Wednesday 15 June 2016.
Once the leadership team has created a list of all the gaps using the processes mentioned in the previous newsletters in this series (in addition to any other processes or data), it is time to determine which gaps the team will focus on in the coming year. This is where we have to make some tough choices. Sometimes success isn’t determined by what we choose to do, but by what we choose NOT to do. This means we may say NO to some very good ideas; and that should be acceptable to the team. The resulting vital few gaps will be what drive the plan and alignment going forward.
Strategic Alignment Part 2
By Drive, Inc. on Friday 15 April 2016.
Last month, we introduced our series on Strategic Alignment. We discussed the importance of Speed, Reliability, and Flexibility. This month, we will continue to discuss the importance of Strategic Alignment.
Strategic Alignment Part 1
By Drive, Inc. on Tuesday 15 March 2016.
We wrapped up our series on Creating Alignment with the team in last month’s newsletter. Now that we have aligned our thinking as a team, we will focus on creating and aligning to a strategy to move the business closer toward perfection.
Creating Alignment Conclusion
By Drive, Inc. on Tuesday 16 February 2016.
We have dedicated an entire year to our “Creating Alignment” series. It all started with the story below: Can you imagine with me for a moment a boat at sea. The boat has all of the horsepower it needs and three times the fuel it needs to get to its destination. However, the rudder is broken. Although this ship has the fuel and horsepower necessary to get it to the destination, it will spin around in the ocean and eventually run out of fuel and never get to its final destination. This is analogous to many teams we encounter these days. These teams have enough people, those people are even energized, but they lack clear direction based on principles.
Creating Alignment - Part 13
By Drive, Inc. on Friday 15 January 2016.
This month we will continue our discussion on the importance of Respect for People. Again, this is the last principle in this series; we have saved arguably the most important principle for last. One of our main business improvement focuses must be to expose problems, so those problems can be resolved. Listed below are three of the most commonly used methods.
Creating Alignment - Part 13
By Drive, Inc. on Friday 15 January 2016.
This month we will continue our discussion on the importance of Respect for People. Again, this is the last principle in this series; we have saved arguably the most important principle for last.
Year End Newsletter 2015
By Drive, Inc. on Tuesday 15 December 2015.
This year, I have been reminded more than ever that everything rises and falls on leadership. The best strategy and improvement plan is only as good as the top leader’s ability to ensure proper execution of that strategy. Even a sub-par plan can yield outstanding results given the right leader. My reflections lead me to believe that effective leadership is so crucial because leaders are the hope givers. They provide hope to all stakeholders.
Creating Alignment - Part 12
By Drive, Inc. on Saturday 14 November 2015.
The last two months we have focused on the principle of Learning Organization. We discussed how important it is to include the entire team in problem solving while transitioning the managers to coaches and the workers to learners. This month we will discuss the importance of Respect for People. This is the last principle in this series; we have saved arguably the most important principle for last.
Creating Alignment - Part 11
By Drive, Inc. on Thursday 15 October 2015.
Last month was the first half of a series on Learning Organization. We discussed how important it is to include the entire team in problem solving while transitioning the managers into coaches and the workers into learners. This month we will discuss the importance of using Scientific Thinking within the Learning Organization.