Training & Thoughts About the Future

Over the past month I have participated in several different Lean Transformation and Leadership training events. A month ago I spent 3 days in San Diego working with SME on The Leadership Series. The next week MEP Utah announced a week long training session with Time Wise Solutions (Lean Consulting), and I have spent the past 5 days in Orlando at the NIST MEP National Conference. Needless to say I am sitting in the Orlando International Airport waiting for my flight home thinking about all of these new tools and approaches to the same old problems. Over the past 30 days I have invested more than 100 hours to training. What has it taught me? I have worked with professionals from SME, MEP, & NIST from all over the US. What have they taught me? I have heard various motivational speakers and listened to more than a dozen different industry experts tell me about their approaches and techniques. So what has changed for me?

First. What has it taught me? I think about all of these different trainings and approaches and start to break them down it seems like a common thread runs throughout. The US is changing, but we have faced similar problems before. The biggest challenge is getting alignment and courage to think outside the box while still focusing on our core business strategies. Going back to those key things that have helped companies be successful for the last 50 years. The biggest obstacle is CHANGE. Everyone needs to take a good hard look at what's going on around us, are we fully taking advantage of these great opportunities in the current market. At the MEP Conference one of the speakers talked about the similarities of the current economic downturn and compared it to the early 90's. The fact that less than 100 out of a 1000 people in 1991 had a computer or a cell phone. Are we truly looking for the next markets and innovations that will help us grow? I think the amount of potential is limited only by our fear of failure. But my opinion is failure is not an option, we need to focus on the long term even if we have short term losses. It may take a few swings to hit a home run; you may strike out for several games in a row, before hitting the grand slam. But if you are never willing to go up to bat you never have the opportunity to be apart of the success. Think about it, what will be the next iPod or World Wide Web... You can make history and help define the future, but whether it is you or someone else. The future most definitely will include a lot of change. Winston Churchill said, "To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often.”

Second. What have they taught me? The last month has been full of inspiring content and industry professionals sharing thoughts and ideas for improvement. Improvements in leadership, improvements in capabilities, and improvements in tools, techniques, and approaches. I have learned from successes and failures of these people and feel very lucky to have had the opportunities to listen to their advice, stories, and lessons learned. I have a lot of information to digest and the new challenge is to find ways to apply this new knowledge to the companies and services I work in. It will take a few weeks to get a good hold on all of the changes I will make but here are a few of the key elements I will be working on. Implementing Lean isn’t enough, it is more about culture and strategy then it is about Lean tools and techniques. The general feeling is we can’t even call it Lean anymore, it more like Transformational Thinking or as MEP might call it 20/2o Thinking. It is about reducing costs and being competitive, but more importantly setting us up for the future. Future innovations and improvements that will define the future and make us part of history. Another topic of training; Leadership. Leadership is more than a title or job; it is a state of mind, a vision to see the future and the details it takes to get there. I think they both work hand in hand. We need Strategic Leadership, Transformational Thinking, Innovation, and a more effective approach to Quality, Cost, and Delivery. I will work hard over the next few months to integrate these new thoughts into my presentations and training materials, hopefully even enhance them. Bottom line we need more Leadership, less management, more innovation to create less competition, a strategy that will allow us to win, and create sustainable growth.

Lastly. So what has changed for me? I have realized the only thing stopping us from success is action. Everyone is stalled out with the current situation and economic problems. I have realized that I am part of the solution, and I need to work harder and smarter than ever. I need to find new ways to help companies reduce costs, create capacity, and find growth opportunities. I am motivated and engaged! The future is bright and full of opportunity. Are you going to be part of the solution?