Observations

It's a good idea from time to time to stop and observe the flow around you. Pick up on the details that you would have normally missed. Pick up on the details that others have missed. Don't be ashamed to go back and adjust for the misses. In the long run your system will be more robust than others and your customers will thank and reward you.

Innovation

Innovation is the key to success. Whether it be in your individual career or the goal of a major company. If you don't continue to reinvent yourself how will you ever sift through the waste and find that golden opportunity that will help you to (temporarily) satisfy your dreams!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Interesting Day

It makes for an interesting day when you have to problem solve your problem solving equipment. Times like these highlight the various degrees of tolerance in your team. As a leader it's important to put the positive spin while at the same time embrace the frustration - accept it, digest it, and move forward.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Easier said than done

What about the plan? When the world seems like it is crumbling around you and you discover there is no system in place then it is time to gather yourself. Make a plan - you gotta start somewhere. Don't just dive into the haystack looking for that needle without a plan.

Working far away

Changing times have encouraged the typical worker bee to consider working far from home.  In this case I define far as at least 250 miles away from home.  Many drive and some may fly to their jobs in order to maintain their quality of life.  In many cases work life balance boundaries must be redefined and it is often an interesting negotiation with one's employer regarding flex time definitions.  All in all it comes down to what is best for you and the opportunity considering development goals and business objectives. It is important to remember that family is everything - right up their with your health and well being.  Jobs may come and go but family is with you forever.

Contingency Planning

When assessing the risk of a failure mode it is important to have a certain level of control in place. If there is no control then your cross functional team should agree on a recommended action as well as choose a person responsible to follow that action through. A flow plan should be outlined and yes if necessary an assessment of each step of the flow should be fortified with its own risk mitigation. This process can be arduous however if the risk is high it will take some thorough work to reduce that risk. In the case of the gulf oil spill a bunch of ideas were laid out at recommended actions but no-one took the responsibility to validate those ideas. In the case of Toyota's issues earlier this year, I'm sure they had a plan - a thorough plan in their back pocket, however the choice to implement was at the time outweighed by the cost. Now, they have chosen to implement their backup plan via their "SMART" safety plan because the cost of poor quality was directly aimed at their profits.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Ask the Right Questions

When investigating the root cause of a failure mode be sure to ask the right questions. A simple guide is "who, what, where, when, and why" - aptly named the 5-Ys.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile