Yearly Archives: 2008

Cost Cutting is Much Different than Waste Removal

Cost Cutting is Much Different than Waste Removal by Jim Womack The very last thing to consider is the one thing managers seem to embrace most readily: cost cutting. This means leaving out steps and features that actually create value … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Lean thinking | Tagged | 1 Comment

A Programmer’s View of the Universe

A few weeks ago I wrote about integrating information technology and business process management. This post from Steve Yegge is interesting and discusses one reason I find that a good strategy. Programmers, by and large, are good, practical systems thinkers … Continue reading

Posted in Creativity, Management, Respect, Software Development | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Management Blog Carnival: 2008 Overview

Over the next 2 weeks several management blogs will be posting their contributions to the management improvement annual blog carnival. Posts will highlight some of the best posts on other management blogs in the last year. Lean Six Sigma Academy: … Continue reading

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Cutting Hours Instead of People

When financial and economic realities reach the point that labor costs must be cut I believe a good option to consider is cutting hours (and pay) instead of people. Continue reading

Posted in Career, Creativity, Deming, Innovation, Management, Respect, Systems thinking | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Managing Passionate Employees

Passion vs. Productive There are actually few organizations that can support passionate employees – even if they say they want them. That’s because the original industrial revolution was designed to support productivity. Productivity means you produce. That’s how you’re measured. … Continue reading

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Management Improvement Carnival #50

Corey Ladas is hosting the Management Improvement Carnival #50 on the Lean Software Engineering blog, highlights include: Where did middle managers come from? by Jeffrey Krames: A new anecdote from a conversation with Peter Drucker, which leaves the reader wondering…where … Continue reading

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Looting: Bankruptcy for Profit

Looting: The Economic Underworld of Bankruptcy for Profit by George Akerlof, University of California, Berkeley; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and Paul Romer, Stanford Graduate School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). George Akerlof was awarded the … Continue reading

Posted in Deming, Economics, Management, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Creating Customers For Life

Shopping at Trader Joe’s is odd. The workers actually seem like they like that they have customers. Continue reading

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Some Firms Cut Costs Without Resorting to Layoffs

Some Firms Cut Costs Without Resorting to Layoffs Hypertherm Inc. has never laid off a permanent employee in its 40-year history. A 20% downturn in sales in recent months led the closely held maker of metal-cutting equipment to eliminate overtime, … Continue reading

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Management Blog Posts From November 2005

Photo of John Hunter at Glacier National Park. Management Improvement – Management concepts should evolve and improve over time. We should build upon the good ideas of yesterday and build in new innovations as they are shown to be effective. … Continue reading

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