Most of us hire people to fill a slot — a given role. That happens all too often because we hire in a reactionary mode, …

When I worked for TRW in the 1980’s, the company required everyone with purchasing responsibilities to take the Chester Karrass negotiating course. At that time …

Phil Spector was a very successful music producer and songwriter, who was also convicted of murder and serving a long sentence when he died in …

Why would a senior employee keep tricks of the trade secret from others? For one reason only: a lack of confidence. Someone who acknowledges his …

A few years ago I volunteered to support the Continental Cup activities in Cleveland. This is an international sporting event that included 2500 youngsters from …

A majority of adult Americans do not vote in our elections. Why is that? Simply because they don’t believe their vote matters. They believe nothing …

An effective operation may have bad days, but they are a rarity. When you walk through operations, is the angst palpable? Clearly that swamp monster …

Even the best of us can benefit from cold water to the face occasionally. In mid-2022 I finally quit making excuses and enjoyed a 3-week …

Excerpted From: © 2021 Manufacturing Mastery: The Path to Building Successful and Enduring Manufacturing Businesses; Taylor & Francis, Author: Rebecca Morgan “I have long advised …

Your people are no doubt working hard to do a good job. The question is: Have you given enough structure for them to know what …

While the worst of the supply chain fiasco of 2020-2022 is behind us, elements certainly continue to challenge us daily. What we should have done …

Wouldn’t you love to see an organization that was fully aligned across all functional arenas? We talk about specific excellence, like Nordstrom and service or …

In the late 1970s, Ken Olson, co-founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), and Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, had very different predictions for the future …

In my lifetime the US economy has experienced bank and savings and loan failures, inflation and full employment, a 20% prime rate and a Fed …

As fast as the world turns these days, it is not easy to stay abreast of the latest concepts and management trends. While it is …

You’ve all heard that great strategy with poor execution is no better than poor strategy with great execution. Operational effectiveness requires excellence at both levels. …

Partner. Relationship business. It all sounds so good. But then reality slaps you up the side of the head. In a true partnership, can one …

I’ve invested the vast majority of my long career in operations. I find it fascinating. Regardless of industry, operations includes the technologies, processes, materials, and …

We manufacturers know that we are responsible for the outputs of cost, quality, product performance and delivery; we also know that many others in our …

Why are some manufacturing businesses a hot mess, while others are a great place to work as you provide exciting value to the market? A …

Manufacturing has played a major role over time in advancing automation, computerization, digitization, and more. Our industries are amazingly different now than they were 15 …

There are business buzzwords, and then there are important business concepts you cannot afford to ignore. Resilience is one of the latter. Resilience emanates from …

It was not that long ago that most manufacturers and distributors carried entirely too much inventory. The drag on cash flow was never offset by …

Strategy is one of those important business concepts that many cannot recognize, develop or implement, yet businesses that endure have mastered. “Growth” is not a …