As the saying goes, "What gets measured, gets done." Organizations seeking improvement need to accurately assess both their operations and their culture. Here are some good places to start.
Joseph P. Truncale, Ph.D.
In working with a rapidly growing client company, the subject of continuous improvement was added to the “issues list.” As they continue to add and grow key accounts, mistakes borne of the need for speed are predictable.
Technology is only as good as the people behind it. Without a well-defined process, a new system will likely be seen as a useless layer of complexity for your team. Here are some tips to help get members on board when implementing new technology.
It's not uncommon to begin a strategy and planning session with a thorough assessment of the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis). But perhaps it's time to fine-tune how we assess our businesses in order to yield more successful strategies.
One question I like to ask business leaders is this: “How do you gather, analyze and apply feedback from key stakeholder groups, specifically customers?” The most prominent answer is surprising.
After a recent shop tour, I asked the company owner how they manage to maintain such a clean, first-class facility. “We wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. “We work at it. After all, it’s our brand.” What does the look of your shop floor say about your operation?
There is a fair amount of discussion these days on the challenge of employee engagement. And while there are many organizational techniques available to leaders, here is one method that can have a great effect on your team.
There is a strong consensus among business leaders that future investments will primarily involve technology resources and applications. Here are seven measures leadership teams can use to help guide these important discussions and lead to better, more informed decisions.
In a recent study of sustained business success in organizations, the characteristics and traits of executive leaders was an area of particular focus. While personality matters, there are four traits which form the foundation for leadership success. The impact they have on printing industry organizations is huge.
Highly developed interpersonal skills, combined with other needed attributes, can spell the difference between average to good performance and sustained, superior results in the printing industry. Clearly, being “good with people” is not just something that is nice to have, it is essential.
Investing in new and upgraded capabilities is among the most necessary and impactful decisions any leadership team can make. But how do you know when it's the best time for your company to upgrade? Joseph Truncale has five guiding questions for you to consider before making a purchase.
For business leaders, “strength in the middle” refers to the core competency, supervisory and leadership skills of their middle managers. The strength of your middle management team correlates directly with sustained organizational success.
Research into CEOs of the most successful privately held businesses reveals several common themes. Among them is a relentless focus on how they spend their time and, perhaps more importantly, what they choose to ignore.
Recently, I was invited to lead a Zoom-based discussion on the topic of leadership. A list of questions was prepared in advance of our one-hour session. Here are a few of the questions.
I was once asked at a leadership seminar for the key to attracting and retaining superior talent. “Don’t hire jerks” was my reply. That got a quick laugh but a serious and robust discussion on the topic ensued. Is your hiring process robust enough to spot “jerks?"
