I think that doubt, especially self doubt, is a necessary component of humility. If you buy into that, then becoming truly great at anything necessitates realizing that you very often don’t have any clue what it is you are doing. Doubting your own abilities and decisions is what causes you to step back, reflect, seek advice from others, and adjust your behaviors to yield a better outcome. Only those who are not humble lack self-doubt. [Read more]
Putting a Band Aid on a sense of purpose.
December 2, 2010 By 3 Comments
(I return from a month-long hiatus from the blogging! More on that in an upcoming post. For now, however, let’s get into the Holiday mood!) The other morning I was in the Holiday spirit and so I turned on the 24×7 all-Christmas station. I heard the drums, the bells, then the voice of Paul Young singing, [...]
The connection: Mura, Muri and Muda
November 1, 2010 By 4 Comments
Through mechanisms such as this, mura (unevenness in operations) and muri (overburdening of people) become a part of the workplace. While trying to plow through a cycle of high pressure and, consequently, worry and fatigue, we are not busy looking at the muda (waste & inefficiency) with an eye for improvement. Instead, we are focused only on getting through the day, only to come back tomorrow and do it again the next day. We stop creating, breathing, living and we start only existing, hoping only to survive. Improvement becomes impossible as concern for one another is replaced with detachment and indifference. [Read more]
The button can push itself: Tools mastery vs. Concept mastery
October 18, 2010 By 4 Comments
We should all delight more in our humanity and the capabilities of people, and stop looking for a button to push. Afterall, in a world where programming enables the button to push itself, we’re wasting our own unique abilities to think, explore, innovate and create when we spend time doing nothing more than learning to push the button. [Read more]
Enabling Genuine Leadership: Hierarchy to Wirearchy
August 24, 2010 By 9 Comments
It is quite clear that most organizations do not produce good leaders. The leadership crisis is openly and widely discussed in many circles, and has been for quite some time. Nonetheless, there is still an outcry over the lack of quality leaders and those who demonstrate leadership capability. Unfortunately, the way we have structured our [...]
The Stranded Manager: A lesson in working with people
August 20, 2010 By 4 Comments
Once upon a time. I worked with a manager who had 2 employees: Employee A he absolutely could not work with, since employee A was a complainer. Employee A saw multiple problems in the status quo, and in the decisions of his management to overcome the status quo, and would seek out alternative means of [...]
Unemployed need not apply? Fix the Value Stream!
August 18, 2010 By 7 Comments
Ever since it was reported a couple months ago that many recruiters are not considering individuals who are currently unemployed, any number of bloggers, pundits, commentators and others have sounded out about the short-sighted in justice that this policy seems to represent. Many HR pros, however, have responded that the real problem is time: Time [...]
Solving Problems with Nostalgia
August 9, 2010 By 2 Comments
Lumberjacks and workhorses: A dedicated team.
August 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Everyone wants to be dedicated to something. It gives us, as individuals, a sense of purpose. Organizations look for dedication among their members – dedication to the organization’s purpose. Unfortunately, when individuals dedicate themselves to what they believe is worthwhile, it may run counter to what the organization values. You may work alongside, or work [...]
Are Poor Attitudes Justified?
August 4, 2010 By 2 Comments
In a recent conversation, I was talking with someone in a leadership position who sternly addressed people in his organization that simply didn’t seem to care. He declared that the people who are just there for a paycheck and don’t put in anything extra to the quality of their work should just be fired. There [...]
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