structure a business with a scalable model that can accommodate the inevitable

I began my role as senior VP international operations, by reviewing the performance of offshore sites around the world.  Most were profitable, but a few existed only to serve large international clients who demanded  global capacity from their suppliers. The UK office employed a skeleton staff with  expenses cut to the bone.   Five people with...

Like an expert jazz group, successful small companies succeed when a limited

number of players are motivated by the founder’s vision. They know the team’s strengths and limitations, can cover for each other, are experts at shooting from the hip, can change direction on the fly and are capable of multi-tasking—in short, they do whatever it takes...

Innovative technologies and new management processes come and go, but

the principles of effective leadership have remained constant throughout the ages. That’s because they are founded on timeless truths regarding what goes on within and between people. Management science however continues to deliver a never ending stream of time saving and quality...

Eli Goldratt, a world-class physicist, used his scientific prowess to

study a failing manufacturing plant owned by his brother. Findings turned the business around and inspired Eli to write a best-selling book called The Goal where he introduced his “Theory of Key .Constraint.”  Unfortunately,  rigid organizational structures and chain...

Effective companies manage by process-discipline--the equivelant of writing

In the music world, composers remain aloof from the inner workings of orchestras.  They remain process not execution oriented—they focus on what could be (if delivered properly). The job of the conductor and section leaders (management and supervision) is to select scores, attract and develop talent that can read music (rather than play by ear)...

Should the owners of small to midsize businesses be worried about the

...

Can people really change? Kurt Lewin sure thought so. Anyone who has ever

heard or used words like ‘feedback’ or ‘action research’ or ‘group dynamics’ or ‘self-managed work teams’ or ‘force field,’ has been impacted by Kurt Lewin. Known today as ‘the grandfather of applied behavioral science,’ Lewin, a Polish-born, Berlin-educated...

Non linear thinking has been a lifelong compulsion beyond my capacity (

Mid-career graduate studies in the applied behavioral sciences taught me to appreciate and more effectively work with disciplined thinkers.  Paradoxical thinking—as opposed to selling or defending personal positions from either end of the vision:production continuum, helps holistic and linear thinkers meld their gifts and achieve synergistic...

Consultants should be used selectively; they should not be considered

as surrogate managers—a substitute for competent corporate managers. They are used effectively however, as a complement to management when the company is facing an inordinately complex situation or assessing unfamiliar opportunities. Consider the value a consultant brings—appropriate...

Quick decisions have become the order of the day—and the hectic pace

of business continues to accelerate. Researchers suggest that decisions requiring only one “head” in 1950, now demand the involvement of ten.  Adding people to the problem solving mix makes shared understanding a critical success factor.  How often have you been asked to pitch...