management
Just in Case Leadership?
Herman "Just in Case" Conway (not his real name, but close) was the manager of an organization for which I worked very early in my career.
Read MoreSuccession Planning Phobia
Franklin Delano Roosevelt said in 1933, "Fear paralyzes those who succumb to it."But some things are downright scary.
Read MoreMaking the case for training American workers
When the downturn ends and manufacturers are ready to bring on more workers, will there be enough qualified people to hire?
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Active Duty: Doing Business With Uncle Sam
Dona Burkard’s left a nice job at General Motors to go to work for her husband’s surface finishing business with one thing in mind: get Burkard Industries more work from the military.
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Turning Up the Heat on Paint Productivity
KME Fire Apparatus knows a lot about putting out fires, but the company, in fact, lit a fire under the productivity of the painting operation at its main fabrication facility with a new liquid system from Herr Industrial.The new line, commissioned in early 2010, churns out five times more finished parts per day in a footprint 55% smaller than the predecessor system.
Read MoreRecipe for an Awesome Business Speech
OK, I admit it—I like attending finishing tradeshow presentations.
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Picking Up Productivity
The original lean manufacturing philosophy, "The Toyota Way" has come to symbolize a way of doing business in manufacturing that produces the highest quality and financial success.
Read MoreBetter Brains, Better Business
Back in the day, the role of a manager in any business was simply to assure that things got done efficiently, and it didn't matter a whole lot how this was accomplished.Modern managers, however, are expected to be more facilitative than controlling and directive, and in that capacity, they may take on a variety of roles as advisor, role model, friend, and, when necessary, counselor.
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Do-It-Yourself Training
Training and recruitment of good manufacturing people is like the weather, in that everyone talks about it. But unlike our ability to influence the weather, there are things a shop can do about training and recruitment. This story describes one shop's innovative and successful approach to this vexing problem.
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