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The leadership path is often paved with mistakes. These mistakes, both minor and major, are the metal that can either forge or destroy leaders and their reputations along the way. The reality is that there is no such thing as a perfect leader, there are leaders who have honed their skill through trial and error. […]
August 31, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
Everyone has an opinion about everything it seems. It can be particularly frustrating when those opinions come in the form of candid, constructive feedback from a third-party. The frustration is rooted in not knowing the intentions of the third-party in providing such feedback – is it based on observation or speculation, is it intended to […]
August 31, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
For the most part, it’s been argued that the point is that you are there (where ever that is) regardless of how you got there. Well, sometimes, how you got there is just as, if not more important. Sometimes the value of the journey is worth sacrificing (albeit a controllable one) the outcome. In the […]
August 15, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
Problem solving strategies provide a great deal of value in an organization’s efforts to implement lean principles. Effective problem solving strategies allow the organization to drill down to the root cause and any contributing factors of safety incidents, quality spills, and variations to standardized processes. These deviations can then be contained, controlled or completely eliminated. […]
August 7, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
Great leaders have the ability to motivate, if not inspire people to action. The ability to conceptualize a vision and then communicate it to others in a manner that elicits excitement, passion and desire to see the vision realized are hallmarks of a great leader. In this excellent TEDTalk, Simon Simek illustrates what he believes […]
July 23, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
The exercise of power is a reflection of the leader’s temperament, character, confidence and competence. Failing to moderate the use of power can have negative consequences on the organization, particularly on the level of employee engagement. As such, power and its use should be informed by two things…moderation and consideration. Moderation Power informed by moderation […]
June 19, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
From a lean standpoint, stranger theory implies that an organization’s workplace should have visuals that are so clear and easily understood that even a stranger can “go and see” the status of the operations at any given point. The visual controls used should meet the needs of the operations team and the leadership team in […]
June 7, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
Do a quick search on YouTube(c) and you will find a host of videos, long and short, that illustrate selective attention and it’s basic premise. In essence, by spending a concentrated effort focusing on one thing, larger, more obvious things get missed. This notion is summarily captured in the phrase, “can’t see the forest from […]
April 22, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
Lean reflects the use of standardized work/processes, capturing and deployment of best practices, and continuous incremental improvements that provide greater overall value to the customer through the elimination of waste. The key elements of lean include elimination of waste, elimination of unnecessary work due to poorly defined or designed work flow, and achieving smooth work […]
March 1, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
Mentoring is one the primary means for individuals to learn new skills, develop self-efficacy, build networks and assimilate into new situations. “Mentoring is often described as a symbiotic relationship between two adults who assist each other to meet mutual career objectives in an organization or professional discipline” (Haines, 2003). When effective, the mentor is able […]
September 28, 2013 by Dr Gail Lewis
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