Comments for My Flexible Pencil

Comment on Everyone owns their own shop by David M. Kasprzak

David M. Kasprzak — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:55:00 +0000

Thanks, Martin. I think pride of ownership is critical. The shop owner example is a useful metaphor, but even a hobby that you pour yourself into serves to illustrate the point. Leveraging intrinsic motivation to fuel constantly looking for ways to make things easier, better, faster, cheaper seems to me like the end goal business leaders ought to embrace.

Comment on Everyone owns their own shop by Martin Boersema

Martin Boersema — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:45:00 +0000

During lean discussions a wise old lean guy kept asking me, “If this was your plant, your business, your personal money invested, how would you change it?”
I think this question puts any problem in perspective and adds that personal connection to any process discussion.

Comment on Muda is Bullsh*t! by Raising awareness of ROWE and Lean, redux

Raising awareness of ROWE and Lean, redux — Tue, 08 May 2012 08:48:46 +0000

[...] off due to burnout is good. Taking the day off because I’m sick and tired of dealing with bullshit is not. Fixing the problem, or learning how to influence the problem, or experimenting with [...]

Comment on ROWE: An attempt at achieving the Lean Ideal? by Raising awareness of ROWE and Lean, redux

Raising awareness of ROWE and Lean, redux — Tue, 08 May 2012 08:44:13 +0000

[...] In my investigation of ROWE and Lean, I initiated the process with the belief that ROWE could help Lean. My conlcusion is a firm and definite…..maybe. [...]

Comment on You are at the mercy of your analysts (and you don’t even know it) by Project Management & Measurement gamed

Project Management & Measurement gamed — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:08:39 +0000

[...] that ought to be occurring right under their noses but, unfortunately, have become dependent upon analyst-manipulated reports to convey information. This reality only seems to point out the importance of applying [...]

Comment on Broken glass, broke and hungry, Broken hearts and broken bones by David M. Kasprzak

David M. Kasprzak — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:18:00 +0000

Hi, Karen. Thanks for the well wishes. He is doing much better these days and, except for the cast on his arm, is just about back to normal.

These little episodes are great opportunities to take a step back and see how much of what we learn as we go though them can be applied to other things. That’s a form of innovation, I think, that doesn’t get enough credit – finding the cross-links between seemingly unrelated events.

Comment on Broken glass, broke and hungry, Broken hearts and broken bones by Karen Wilhelm

Karen Wilhelm — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:47:00 +0000

Hope your older son feels better soon. Kids usually adapt quickly once they are not in pain and heal fast — or we as parents wouldn’t be able to handle the worry and thinking “If only I’d…” The younger one seemed to adapt in seconds. Really, children can have all sorts of feelings of distress that they can’t understand, so they can’t express them as we would expect. Maybe “push” was just a way to connect with you and be reassured that the swing is not a threat he has to be afraid of.

But I agree with you when you say that caring for someone so intensely is suddenly much more real than other things we get absorbed in.

Comment on Leaders Say No by David M. Kasprzak

David M. Kasprzak — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:20:00 +0000

Great thoughts! When the environment supports the dissenting opinion that is, of course, the ideal. That environment must be created by those in leadership capacities, as you mentioned.

The real leader, in my mind, is the contrarian who speaks up even when that environment is not present. If a person is willing to “Do the right thing” even when it is not the “Popular thing,” that person, to my mind, is willing to sacrifice at least some personal, intangible benefit for what her or she believes is the greater good.

That’s something to be cultivated, IMHO.

Comment on The inexcusable “I just don’t have time” excuse. by David M. Kasprzak

David M. Kasprzak — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:16:00 +0000

Thanks, Karen.

Decision fatigue sounds like a concept I must have come across once upon a time. It’s certainly understandable given the hectic pace we all try to maintain.

I think the LI example is a perfect case of letting one’s self get caught up in some good ol’ batch-and-queue thinking. If the number of boxes to fill in on LinkedIn is overwhelming – which it certainly can be – there’s nothing that says they all have to be done RIGHT NOW. Clearly, there’s a bottleneck…so improve the flow! Fill in a box a day, or update one past employment profile at a time, or something manageable. With practice, it gets easier, and every little bit moves you closer to Done.

Comment on Leaders Say No by Karen Wilhelm

Karen Wilhelm — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:45:00 +0000

Real policy deployment (hoshin kanri) involves a lot of saying “no” in a respectful catchball process of agreeing between levels of what will be accomplished in the planning period. It will go through as many cycles of propose and counterpropose, then be a firm commitment based on the right resources and understanding of what’s to be accomplished. So it takes the risk out of saying no, and removing that risk for members of the team you lead is another thing that defines leadership.