The Candle of 2010 Burns Away

The end of the year approaches and WOW what a year it has been! A year of bizarre weather patterns....a year of continued job cuts in the USA while the BRIC countries have all experienced rapid growth in many key business sectors. It has been the year that many techies will remember. Apple officially rocks....they have become the new Microsoft. Android has become something other than a 'space word'....

I am excited about 2011. My focus will be on innovation, safety and sustainability. I do not believe the 3 can be separated.....well, technically they can but only at a cost.

I have consistently preached quality, safety, lean, reduction of waste and sustainability during 2010. One by one I have watched the companies that are highly efficient remain highly profitable.....while those who refuse to embrace lean sustainability have watched profit margins wither away.

To all of the companies and employees I have worked with in 2010.....I wish you a safe and profitable 2011.

Look for more frequent updates in the future.

kml
2010

FABTECH 2010 - See you there!

I will be teaching a class at FABTECH 2010 this year.....starts next week in Atlanta, GA.....hope to see you there!

http://www.fabtechexpo.com/

kml
2010

Quality & Safety

Can either exist in business absent of the other? I have recently been in discussions regarding safety in a company. Often times people assume that safety in business is something that 'happens' only in the manufacturing areas. Many people also assume that quality is limited to one or two areas of the company. Safety and Quality are not simply 'other programs' that we will try and see if they work out.

I like to view these two areas as character traits. We must live them. We do not simply switch into 'safe mode' when we enter our places of work.

I'd be interested to see how other folks view 'safety' and 'quality'?

Can the two words be simply defined?

kml
2010

8D - INDUSTRIAL QUALITY

8D - QUALITY

1. Use Team Approach Establish a small group of people with the knowledge, time, authority and skill to solve the problem and implement corrective actions. The group must select a team leader. 2. Describe the Problem Describe the problem in measurable terms. Specify the internal or external customer problem by describing it in specific terms. 3. Implement and Verify Short-Term Corrective Actions Define and implement those intermediate actions that will protect the customer from the problem until permanent corrective action is implemented. Verify with data the effectiveness of these actions. 4. Define and Verify Root Causes Identify all potential causes which could explain why the problem occurred. Test each potential cause against the problem description and data. Identify alternative corrective actions to eliminate root cause. 5. Verify Corrective Actions Confirm that the selected corrective actions will resolve the problem for the customer and will not cause undesirable side effects. Define other actions, if necessary, based on potential severity of problem. 6. Implement Permanent Corrective Actions Define and implement the permanent corrective actions needed. Choose on-going controls to insure the root cause is eliminated. Once in production, monitor the long-term effects and implement additional controls as necessary. 7. Prevent Recurrence Modify specifications, update training, review work flow, improve practices and procedures to prevent recurrence of this and all similar problems. 8. Congratulate Your Team Recognize the collective efforts of your team. Publicize your achievement. Share your knowledge and learning.

Deming.....14 Key Principles for Management

The man was genius.....you can find this tidbit on Wiki....but I'd also recommend reading his material. Timeless.

Deming offered fourteen key principles for management for transforming business effectiveness. The points were first presented in his book Out of the Crisis. (p. 23-24)^[22]

1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and stay in business, and to provide jobs.
2. Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.
3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for massive inspection by building quality into the product in the first place.
4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move towards a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.
5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs.
6. Institute training on the job.
7. Institute leadership (see Point 12 and Ch. 8 of "Out of the Crisis"). The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets to do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers.
8. Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company. (See Ch. 3 of "Out of the Crisis")
9. Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, to foresee problems of production and in use that may be encountered with the product or service.
10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force.
11. a. Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute leadership.
    b. Eliminate management by objective. Eliminate management by numbers, numerical goals. Substitute leadership.
12. a. Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of his right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to quality.
    b. Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workmanship. This means, inter alia," abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objective (See Ch. 3 of "Out of the Crisis").
13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement.
14. Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. The transformation is everybody's job.

The same principles that built modern day Japan and brought Ford from the very grasp of death still work today. Some folks modify a few of these but the basic principles are timeless.

kml

2010

Quality.......during rapid business growth...

During economic downturns, quality and safety are often tossed out of the window......or I should say, during economic downturns those companies intent on 'failure at any cost' will toss quality and safety out of the window.

I think back to the economic explosion that occurred in the automotive industry during the early 2000's. Specifically, I am thinking about the great global demand for Toyota vehicles during this time period. I fear many of our businesses could easily have found ourselves in the same predicament as Toyota. The demand for output begins to exceed our desire for quality.......ironically, it is often our dedication to quality that led to the great demand for our product!

Our global economy is experiencing a soft rebound. I encourage us to all remember quality and safety. These are two chief cornerstones of industry. Product demand is directly proportional to quality of product.



kml
2010

Memorial Day 2010 - USA

People from every Country in the world have things they like and appreciate about their culture. I live in the USA so naturally there are things about my Country that I love.

Today is a day that forces me to reflect back in time. I think about a time before me. I think about men and women who served our Country. There were many who gave all. I would not be where I am today without those who paved the way for Freedom. I do not deserve such freedom. I look around in other parts of the world and see many people who are oppressed. To those people I can only pray that your day of freedom comes soon but I must tell you that freedom comes with a great price tag. It requires that many good men and women shed their blood. Ironically, 'freedom' is never 'free'.

On this day, May 31, 2010, I thank my God that I have the freedom to celebrate as I see fit. I humbly offer thanks to those men and women who came before me and paid the price so that I could be free. I am eternally grateful!

kml

2010

Recession and the National Trend…..Industrial Safety

I began to notice a trend back in late 2008. The number of folks reporting accidents within the USA started to drop sharply. At first glance a person might be led to believe that the ‘national layoff’ that occurred in the USA was the obvious reason. The thought being that if fewer people were working that fewer accidents were being reported. However, after a deeper study, we see that often times after layoffs instead of experiencing an ‘even work distribution’ we usually have a more lopsided situation in which ‘fewer people are doing more’ work. In fact, overtime is usually the only option for those lucky souls that didn’t get the hatchet.

I have been engaged in a recent study with a few of the top 20 liability and worker’s compensation insurance providers in the USA. We have a few ‘non-official results’ tallied. We have found that there was a ‘perceived fear’ that if employees reported accidents during the severe economic recession (2008-2010) they would lose their jobs or experience negative repercussions. This has been a sobering study because the obvious result could be a sudden increase in injury reporting as the economy rebounds.

It is also possible that many folks who may have been injured on the job did not report and are simply waiting until they perceive it is ‘safe’ to report. Those of us in the industry feel that this could result in a temporary spike in more serious cases. An example could be ‘back strains’ that went unreported that may now be ‘herniated disks injuries’. Back injury is only one example. There are many cases in which injuries could be underreported and later become a logistical nightmare to deal with.

If you are in the industry and have any feedback on this issue please send me an email with an explanation and your company name if you would like to be included in our study. Please annotate any oddities in your Corporate Health & Safety trends during this last economic recession.

kellymlangdon@gmail.com

kml

2010

Physical Fitness = Life Changing!!!

I fit many of the American stereotypes. I am 37 years old. I sit at a desk many hours during the day. My sugar levels had been gradually increasing over the past 10 years. I have a history of heart disease in my family with a mild history of diabetes on my father’s side of the family. My total cholesterol had eased into the ‘mid 200’s’ category. My liver was just on the verge of not being able to convert fat. (fatty liver) I found myself feeling low on energy and high on stress. It seemed like at least 2-3 days a month I kept a headache or a backache. My weight had crept up to approximately 255 lbs. This was not obese but certainly out of my range at a height of 6’ 1”.

About 9 months ago my doctor gave me the wonderful news. He said, “Kelly, you have a family history of diabetes and heart disease …………and you are well on your way to becoming a young diabetic with possible a stroke or heart issues.” To make matters worse, I was only a couple of months away from a rigorous travel schedule which would certainly be more difficult on any ‘diet’. I wondered how I could have gotten to this point within a few years of being a soldier in the US Army.

I walked away from the doctor’s office emotionally crushed that day. For a few days I was depressed and feeling sorry for myself but then it occurred to me that no one was going to do it for me so I could either settle for a possible heart attack or get busy. My wife and I got online and started seeking heart healthy food tips. We refused to engage in any fad dieting but rather opted for an old fashioned well balanced diet enjoying foods from all groups each day. We increased our raw fruit and veggie intake. We also began using whole grain breads and pastas. We trimmed down on the sugar and replaced soda with cranberry juice, orange juice and water with some limited tea.

It was soon after that I started walking a few minutes each day with a goal of being able to once again run 2 miles within the same time requirements as when I was in the US Army. I did not set a date but rather chose to start very slow and let it happen when it happened. With some encouragement from athletes at work (Paul McKeithan, Jim Plant and many more) I began to push myself a little more. Losing weight was never my goal. I simply wanted to live a healthier lifestyle and let my body decide what happened as a result.

Several weeks back I had my semi-annual physical. Blood pressure, Cholesterol, Sugar, Liver etc……….all back within the ‘perfect range’………I was 60 lbs. lighter. Needless to say I was as happy as I had been depressed before!

The one thing that has shocked me beyond words is not the physical impact on my life but the mental. My attitude towards life is improved. I wish that I could share in some small way my success with others. I’d love to help someone else if you are where I was a few months ago! It is worth it!

More to come…….stay tuned!!

kml

2010

Fat Sound Guitars .....Highly Recommended - Kelly Langdon

http://www.fatsoundguitars.com/

Every now and then I run across a group of folks that I would shop with myself.....or a group I'd actually recommend to family or friends. Fat Sound Guitars in Cary, NC is a company like that. The guys are actually 'gear junkies' themselves. They don't sell junk.....so if you are into junk, go to one of the chain stores but if you really want service....the kind where the folks spend all day if needed to help you really get that tone you are after....then Fat Sound is for you.

No, I get no kick-backs.....I get no deals.......I don't work there.....if you know me at all, you know I am a picky...picky...picky shopper....and if I offer a referral for a book, a store or any other service you better believe that I have faith they are good.

Check out their site.......if you are in the area, you must stop by the store......if you are not pleased, contact me and I'll buy your lunch.





kml
2010

regarding 'Safety & Sustainability' from my friend Mike Taubitz

From my friend Mike Taubitz......too good to not pass along...

http://www.fdrsafety.com/how-safety-fits-with-sustainability/

How safety fits with sustainability

March 24th, 2010 posted by Mike Taubitz 

Sustainability is a board level issue in most companies. It is a complex strategic challenge that balances social, economic and ecological issues for sustainable growth of the organization.

In its simplest form, sustainability can be remembered as “People, Profit and Planet.” The question for safety professionals is “where do we fit into this C-suite initiative?” If you have a sound safety process, my suggestion is to make sure that safety is a value within the organization.

Sustainability, “green” and environment are terms often used interchangeably. For clarification and purposes of this blog, let us agree that “green” and environment is essentially the same thing. While key, they are part of “planet” – just one piece of the overall equation.......................

and also this:

http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&gid=2888693&discussionID=16224819&goback=.anh_2888693

Safety culture is a myth. So is “lean” culture...

How many HSE professionals are actively dealing with the integration of lean, green and safety? Are safety pros still talking about compliance, OSHA recordkeeping and “safety culture.” In another LinkedIn forum, I had several positive responses to the challenge that “safety culture is a myth.”

There can only be “organizational culture” and safety must be a value within that culture. A sustainable organization cannot have competing cultures. Every time, I read about “safety culture,” I wonder about the company’s “quality culture,” “lean or production culture,” “service culture,” etc….

Can an organization that plans to survive and thrive in a sustainable manner have competing cultures? Answer: NO…


Respect for employees and environment and integration of functions is key to sustainability.

What are you seeing in your company or with your client base?

Your thoughts?

kml

2010

Reality Check by Guy Kawasaki

I don't often plug a book but this one is a keeper. It is segmented for easy reading and is chock full of timeless material. Check it out......I did and felt I had to pass the word along.

http://www.guykawasaki.com/books/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1591842239/guykawasakico-20


kml
2010

Finding Solutions

Often times I am asked, “What is the best way to find a solution to my problem?” In business many problems (or opportunities if we are being politically correct) arise. I am often in meetings and someone will present a problem but they rarely have thought through the moment and considered possible solutions. One of the prerequisites to presenting problems in meetings that I chair is that for each problem I ask the presenter to offer at least 3 possible solutions. Any person can find problems within processes but it takes a real jewel to find the problem and also think through several scenario fixes.

It is my belief that identifying problems is the easiest of processes. In fact, human nature creates this inclination within each of us to be somewhat critical.  Human beings are analytical creatures. We are constantly searching for and finding problems. We can do this at home, at work or even when discussing politics. In fact, in the United States we are especially accustomed to complaining and finding fault. In business, I always try to seek out those folks who bring problems and then real solutions to the table. Those folks who also bring solutions are the ones I want to expose for advancement.  It is easy to measure the growth of employees based on a collection of little things. The new hires usually are pushing for advancement and many times are highly critical in an effort to be noticed. Over time, you can watch these folks grow and if they are ‘keepers’ you will notice they become agents of 'solutions' as well.

I ask each of you to perform a self-evaluation. Are you simply a critic or do you also find solutions? Successful employees can and will do both.

Your thoughts?

kml

2010

FMA Safety Conference 2010 - People, Profit, Planet

Mark your calendar if you are a Safety Professional, CEO, Risk Manager or are in the HR field.  Amada America, Inc. will be hosting the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International Annual Safety Conference this year at their Schaumburg, Ill. facility. Check out the link here:

http://www.fmanet.org/training/event.cfm?eventid=379

I will be speaking this year on Wednesday April 14, 2010. Look forward to seeing you there.

kml
2010

Clearly Communicating in Business, Part II

It is not enough to simply communicate……now we must dig a little deeper and explore different personalities and how these personalities require different approaches.

I am one of those folks that prefer a straight forward approach to conflict resolution and general communication. I want all of the news ‘right now’ and I want it ‘honest’ and I want it ‘unfiltered’.  I suppose I would be considered a ‘Type A’ personality in North America. ‘Type A’ personalities do not always understand why the rest of the world can’t view all things through the same ‘mental lens’ in which they view them. We might wonder why everyone doesn’t want all of the news ‘right now’ and ‘unfiltered’.

It is imperative in the business environment that managers and directors really ‘know’ the people and the personalities in which they work with! Clearly communicating with all people in the same way as communicating with ‘Type A’ personalities would be a fatal error. Oftentimes I think about my employees much the same as I would my children. I have two daughters and each of them respond very differently to discipline…………same parents………same environment…………but they respond VERY differently. We must remember that employees are in fact human beings. I fear that all too often we treat our employees like ‘machines’ when we should connect with them as human beings first and foremost.

Clear Communication is when all involved parties understand an issue within the same context. There are no questions left as the people leave the discussion.  Managers must focus on the delivery and the context of each personality.

International business is a perpetual classroom. Those who communicate clearly……..they succeed in the long term. At our next writing, we will discuss methods of gaining ‘employee buy-in’ within large companies.

Feel free to contact me via email to purchase a full presentation on this subject matter.

Your thoughts?

kml

2010

Clearly Communicating in Business

I was reminded again today just how important clear communication is.

Our business unit has been without a CEO since we merged with a larger company almost 2 years ago….....until this week. Our new CEO has been at our facility since Wednesday of this week. Today he arranged small group settings in which he could get to know the employees better.  Each group of people met for approximately 1 hour today with the new CEO.

I have really enjoyed these changes. My small training and consulting company has been up and running for about 2 years now. I have viewed each of these changes at my primary job as ‘ a business case study’.  The beauty is that this is real life stuff……real people with a real world class company.

I said all of that to lead to this…..today our new CEO asked each group what we ‘the employees’ expect from him ‘the CEO’.  One of the key points mentioned was that people wanted ‘clear communication’. I thought about this and it struck me as odd. We are a company that is very established. We have been around a long time and are a small to mid-size company. One would think that clear communication would be easy in such a company …….yet people felt the need to make it a point. As the day continued on I thought about a book that I purchased back in November of 2009 entitled Just Listen by Mark Goulston.

It suddenly registered with me……many businesses, partnerships, governments and marriages all fail based on one key factor, ‘poor communication’. Our new CEO made a GREAT point. In this age of email, social networking and gadgets, the tools of communication are available however in a small company such as ours we often communicate less. ‘Context’ can easily be lost in an email. A text message can’t completely capture your smile or frown as you speak. He encouraged us all to use one of the most powerful tools available to mankind, ‘face to face communication’.

I’d venture to say based on several years of continual study and job experience that we all fail to one degree or another regarding clear communication. I look back over the last year and see where I could have communicated more clearly. In fact, my worst defeats in the last year were self-imposed based on poor communication skills on my part.

I challenge you to think about your particular situation. Think about your specific customers. How can you communicate more clearly? I’d place ‘clear communication’ at the top of the list for any successful business!

Your thoughts?

kml

2010

The ‘Science’ of QUALITY in business! TOYOTA

At work last week, one of our VP’s sent out a weekly ‘internal operations’ update. In this update he mentioned the latest ‘quality issue’ that has arisen within Toyota. (the gas pedals that stick) He mentioned the issues and pulled a few comparisons out that might apply to our company as well as other companies. I had been following Toyota since the late 1990’s and writing articles about the Japanese automakers for several publications. So needless to say, his mention of the most recent Toyota episodes aroused my interest.

His email started quite a bit of debate among the folks at our business. Many people replied with various opinions and feedback. I read an article just this morning that mentioned the fact that Toyota has recently engaged in cost cutting initiatives and that these initiatives have caused easily noticed deficiencies within their automotive lines. The article mentioned the differences in the RAV4 line which at first appears to be ‘more value for the money’ but after closer observation it becomes obvious that the materials have become cheaper and that the fit & finish has been sacrificed. (the opinion of the article and not necessarily my own)

As I listen to the folks at my company, read the articles and speak with friends of mine that work within some of the Japanese automaker companies I realize how easy it is for us to ‘jump on the bandwagon’ and pontificate about these companies such as Toyota when they suffer a ‘hit’ like this. (and make no mistake, this will hurt Toyota…..even if only in the short term)

The real truth of the matter is that 85% of the companies in America (and probably in the world) are doing the same things that will lead us to the same results. Have you tried finding a company in this economy that is not attempting to trim internal costs? We have collectively cut our experienced labor force and we trim every single process that we can trim. The areas in which we trim and still can not make it work for a ‘predetermined $$$ amount’, we simply find a vendor (or Country) in which the part can be made cheaper. We have become a society that must make it cheaper and sell it for more.

Did you notice the last time you bought a bag of snack chips how many were in the bag? Did the price change when the company started placing fewer chips in the bag?

Quality is a real ‘Science’ and many good men & women have argued and fought over the real definition of quality. Oftentimes an engineer will define quality in a different way than the salesman selling the product. Sadly, most of our companies define ‘quality’ from within………I submit that our customer should define the vast majority of our ‘quality equation’……….and we must remember that quality comes with a price.

We can browse back through world history and see that within any manufacturing process or product line quality always comes at a premium. Toyota in the early years was built upon quality and with the assistance of a lean (not to be confused with attempts to strip a company from within and do the job with less people working more hours) manufacturing attitude. I suspect we will find, as has been the case nearly 95% of the time in the history of the automobile industry , that somewhere along the way Toyota became more concerned with cutting cost and increasing profit margins than they did with making a quality product.

This is a tough lesson and I find that often times the people who ‘laugh the loudest’ when these things happen to a company are guilty of the same exact way of thinking!

I challenge you to search deep within your organizations and see if every single internal operation adds quality & value to your product. If it does not, you are setting yourself up for future failure. Quality is not a ‘meeting’ or a ‘group of people’ or even a ‘program’ within an organization………but rather, much like safety…….quality must be a lifestyle. We must live it…..we must not be guilty of cloaking ourselves in ‘quality’ as we enter our places of business and leaving it at the door on our way out……we must walk the talk for if we do not it will be glaringly obvious to those who look at us…..and most importantly the end user suffers in the long run…….and the end user is where our paychecks ultimately come from!

Your thoughts?

kml

2010

Adapting to 'Change' in Business

A couple of months ago I was speaking with some executives in a business regarding change. One of the gentlemen is a great guy but he was so convinced that change would come to everyone except him. He was determined to ‘make’ me understand that he had a specific vision and that his vision alone was how ‘it must be’.  A couple of months before our conversation, I was made aware that change was coming for these folks and in what form it was coming but I was not at liberty to discuss it at the time.

An important lesson to learn here is that change can come to anyone. It matters not at what level you operate within your organization. This recent economy has proven that many thousands of people who were sure they were ‘at the top of their game’ were in fact just hours away from total collapse.

So, where does this leave us? How can one adapt to change? It seems ‘CHANGE’ has been a buzz word during the last 2 years. An American President was elected into the White House based on a campaign devoted to ‘change’.

I fear for folks who continually ‘burn bridges’ and then are one day faced with ‘change’ within their organizations. In this global economy we must embrace change. We must also remember that not all change is ‘good change’……..however, not all change is ‘bad change’.

Successful people will quickly determine which change is negotiable and which is not and once the decision is made they will embrace the future. They will not live in fear of the change but rather will devote as much time as required to understanding and successful integration!

Your thoughts?

kml

2010

I also ‘Have a Dream’

..........I have a dream of a world in which all people take initiative……..a world in which every single person works and studies according to the absolute limit of his or her God-given abilities and talents.……..A world in which every single person treats his or her neighbors better than his own family…………….A world in which race matters not……….A world in which hard work and perseverance are rewarded every time……….A world in which the wealthy help the poor, out of the goodness of their hearts because they understand that it is the Lord which giveth and also the Lord which taketh away, giving from their hearts and not at the point of any tyrant’s sword………..A world in which no evil exists…….A world in which stereotypes are damned to hell and every man and woman stands upon his or her own merit outside of any government mandated quotas but simply upon their God-given abilities…….A world in which the old are not reduced to centers of living not fit for an animal but rather where they are brought into the home and loved like a human being during their final years………A world in which ‘men are men’, not because of their genitals but rather because they loved their wives and supported their children………A world in which women are mothers, defending their families no matter the cost………..A world in which employees once again can believe in their companies……..A world in which politicians return to the principles of George Washington in that they refuse ‘Kingship’ and simply become a servant of the people, no more or less human than others…………..

Yes, I have dreams too……..I suspect it would take many books to contain the dreams that I have………I may not live to see all of my dreams come true…………I also know that I can’t see my dreams all fulfilled at one time but I can embrace them as I do each moment of the day……..one at the time…….the only thing preventing a dream from becoming a reality is a ‘lack of action’………Yes, I have dreams too.......

kml

2010

‘Being Different’ & ‘Standing Out’ In Business!

I had a young entrepreneur ask me a question recently that I really had to think about before I gave a quick answer. The question was, “Mr. Langdon, what do you think the single best way to ‘stand out and be different’ in the global business environment is?” I must admit when I pondered all of the many things a person or start-up business could do to be different, I was torn regarding the best way to prioritize this so that the young man could take something tangible away from our conversation. I gave him my answer and it even shocked me momentarily.

I said, “Do you really want to stand out and be different?” The young man replied, “Yes, of course I do or I would not have asked the question!” I said, “It is simple, BE YOURSELF………nothing more or nothing less, just be yourself!”

I have been thinking about my answer for several days now and I am convinced it was the right answer in the context of my conversation. I have watched person after person in business attempt to follow the crowd……….or follow another start-up………or follow a great business leader…….and the one thing I have found in common with each of these situations is that the people in them were ‘followers’.

In my opinion, the greatest people and businesses in the history of the world had one thing in common, they were’ leaders’! Please don’t misunderstand me, there is certainly a proper place and time to ‘follow’ but there is also a time to ‘be yourself’ and be a ‘leader’.

I believe that every human being was created and given a slightly different DNA makeup. I believe every person on the planet is unique. Steve Jobs is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant business men of our time. Love him or hate him, we must agree that he is highly successful. Steve was never successful because he followed others. He pioneered in the true spirit of an American entrepreneur.

The next time you run out of options and wonder what you can do to stand out in business and be better or different……….try ‘being yourself’. Sometimes (many times) we overcomplicate things that are simple.

kml

2010

Political & Business Experts?!?

Have you ever stopped and thought about what it means to be called an ‘expert’? Let’s break this thing down a bit.

What exactly is an expert?

Can a person claim themselves an expert?

Can someone else claim a person an expert?

Does the claiming of one’s self as an ‘expert’ …………or the claiming by someone else actually make the person an ‘expert’?

I have enjoyed reading Intellectuals and Society by Thomas Sowell.  It has been in this book that I was reminded that even so called ‘experts’ in a given field usually know only 10% or less of the knowledge to be known on their subject of expertise. What is even more frightening is the fact that an ‘expert’ in one field………. can only ‘know’ 1% or less of the knowledge to be ‘known’, in general, about most other subjects.

When I think about this and I watch our government make so many decisions about so many different subjects……………and then I think about the best case scenario is that they operate individually on 10% or less of the known knowledge even in their given fields……………and the worst case scenario  is that they operate on 1% or less of the known knowledge about a subject…………WOW

We have folks who somehow think they can ‘outsmart history’………..and be an expert in every possible field and on all subjects……….I am understanding more and more why the power was given to the people when this Country was founded and not to an elite few who supposedly had a ‘corner on the market’ regarding knowledge……….

The more I read and learn the more I realize just how little I know!

kml

2010

2010 Opportunities Abound

I remember going into the ‘end of the year’ holiday season of 2008. I vividly remember the economic bloodbath that unfolded during January of 2009.

I was on Christmas vacation (late 2008) in Nashville TN with my family and was mentally gathering my thoughts about my next safety article that had to be at the publishers during the first quarter of 2009.

How the heck to you inspire safety professionals as companies are slaughtering quality control, R&D and safety positions by the thousands? It occurred to me that regardless of the economic situation, there are sound principles that must remain in place.

I believe 2010 can be one of the most productive years in American history. I will be taking several calculated risks this year as a small business owner. I will be paying very close attention to the quality of my work. It pains me to watch companies cut their best employees or opt to send their labor to another Country when we have the means to be profitable in America. There are cases when sending work to an area (Country) closer to the end user makes sense but too often companies are faced with trimming cost internally or just shipping production somewhere else and they choose the easier option…………….they send it out. I contend that we can reduce our ‘life-style’ and be innovative to get ahead. It takes hard work. We seem to have forgotten what hard work is in America. We want fast food, fast service, fast cars and overnight success. This is a fatal view of life.

We are in a new year and opportunities abound. Feel free to add your ideas of what it takes to be successful in 2010.

kml

2010