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

Bad Economy Got You Down? Try Innovation.

I am a firm believer that economic downturns are the times that good companies dig in and create something new and radical!

I remember my late grandfather very well. His formal education ended during his 4^th grade year but he was a man wise beyond his years even as a young man. He managed to fight for America during World War II, build his own house and barns and own a farm in North Carolina debt free before his death.

I look back on the lives of 2 American boys whose formal education ended with high school. These boys refuted the modern scientific theory of their day and said that man-made objects, heavier than air, could indeed fly.  Many laughed........ but Wilbur and Orville Wright insisted........ and they are now considered the fathers of global aviation.

It does not take the brightest kids on the block nor does it always take the guy with the greatest college degree (granted, it helps) but many times it takes a person that has a dream and the fortitude to see it through. These are the people in business that look at the same old tired processes and they visualize a future that is more efficient than the present.

Does the gloomy economy have you down? Now is the time to find a better way. Think outside of the box. Be a pioneer. Remember many of the greatest of American companies were born out of our Great Depression!

Your thoughts?

kml

2009

Knowledge-Fest......Innovation Is Not Dead

Just returned from a week of soul cleansing. I've been couped up in a plane today for 13 hours so my feeble mind can not do the topic justice tonight.......however, I must say......Innovation is not dead in this world.

I have tasted of it this week. I have seen peoples from many nations united at heart.

It is soul-food for the mind. Give me a day to get over this jet lag and I'll give you a taste of this soul-food of the mind!!!!!!!

kml

2009

Are you too ‘old’ to think ‘young’?

I know there are lots of different opinions regarding Brett Favre (2009 Vikings quarterback). I’m not a huge NFL fan but I do occasionally like to follow a particular team or person if they are illustrating signs of innovation. Brett Favre is one of those old guys (old for the sport) that seek to maintain mental youth. I love it!! Age should simply add experience to our mental youth…….not replace it with ‘old thoughts’.

I have a friend that learned to play the trumpet while in his mid 60’s. My grandmother even decided to take up a nursing career well after her 4 children had careers of their own.

What makes the difference? The difference is thinking young. One of my favorite things to watch in business is an older person applying years of wisdom to a young progressive thought. Who in the world would have thought that a group of old guys (by the standard of kids) could come up with an iphone or the revolutionary ipod?

Successful business leaders envision the future and design into the future not the past or present. Designing a computer or machine that works today will fail when brought to the marketplace. We must be progressive and think like the Steve Jobs types in the world. We must ask ourselves, “How will the world function 10 or 100 years from now and can I be a part of it?”

Are you a ‘young’ thinker?

kml

2009

Business Update.......

How many of us screamed the last few years because Microsoft released updates that were an insult to the 'common man's' intelligence? Can I get a show of hands? I love gadgets and software......and hardware.......etc. etc.

I have followed the trends. Do you remember when the Palm device was a black and white screen? (or maybe a weird yellowish) How about the old 'bag phones' for your car? or even the early cell phones that looked as if you were speaking into a small satellite dish?

The trends are as plain as the nose on your face. While most companies were offering cloud based documents, Microsoft continued to sell office packages for $400.00 and up. They made a lot of cash but did they cut their own noses off to spite their face? Time will tell. I suspect Microsoft will suffer......in the short term and possibly in the long term without some major changes. See below article.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/28/technology/Microsoft_stock.moneymag/index.htm?CNN=yes

Remember, good business and innovation know no bounds. No matter the type of business, sound principles always apply. Keep your head facing into the winds of innovation. If you are truly daring, create your own winds of innovation so that others may feel it and be persuaded to participate in the free market!

kml

2009