Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead, and Succeed with INNOVATION!

You have all the reason in the world to achieve your grandest dreams. Imagination plus innovation equals realization. 
~ Dennis Waitley

In my workshops I mention over and over again that "the focus for the manufacturing industry has to be on creativity and innovation, especially if North America wants to be competitive in a global market".

Innovation is a change in the thought process for doing something, or the useful application of new inventions or discoveries.

Unfortunately I realize more and more that many companies seem to believe that innovation must be a big, complicated and very expensive undertaking. This may also be the reason why they would rather stick with what they have and know, as opposed to making huge investments in something that may not materialize.

This is a misconception as innovation can start with very simple changes and improvements. The truth of the matter is that the manufacturing sector will benefit more from a high volume of smaller innovations than a few large ones. Many times innovations will save the company money and that's when you will start asking yourself why you did not encourage this philosophy all along.

Step by step, day by day, questioning things you do, questioning how you do things, questioning how efficient you do things and questioning how to do things better.

However, the key to creating a culture of innovation is encouragement.

Have you ever wondered why it seems easier to solve other people's problems and so difficult to  solve our own? That's just how it is, sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees and yet, if we look at it from another perspective, we are able to see things we haven't seen before. We are so involved in our daily tasks that we start overlooking the big picture. We focus on little, meaningless things that turn out to be very big issues in our mind.

It is clear that we are still so involved in this outdated industrial-age thinking that it seems there is neither time nor room for innovation. People are putting in a lot of time but are they really getting the results they are looking for?
Don't you think it is time to find a better way?

Creating a culture of innovation requires reading about it, educating yourself on it, sharing what you know with others, having meaningful discussions within your organization and also with your customers and perhaps even competitors, being interested instead of interesting, having the courage to encourage innovation, and listen to the ideas and solutions of the people around you.

Ask yourself: Am I happy with the status quo, or am I ready, willing and able to embrace a whole new level of energy in the light of innovation?

Stinking Thinking

It is important to increase awareness when you are in the mode of "Stinking Thinking". Here are some warning signs!

Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead, and Succeed with EFFECTIVENESS!

Efficiency is doing things right; Effectiveness is doing the right things."
~ Peter Drucker


When I first saw this cartoon, it made me laugh. However, giving it a little bit more thought, I believe that there are actually quite a number of people in the workplace who don't work effectively at all and yet they still earn big bucks. 


Do we know what it means to be effective in what we do on a daily basis?


Well, I haven't always considered this but since becoming a small business owner I consciously work on becoming more effective, and now I do put a lot of thought into that.


The way I do this is by asking myself the same questions every day: 
What have I done today to make a difference?
What have I done today to improve my skills?
What have I done today to serve the people around me?
What actions did I take to bring me closer to my goal?
How much progress have I made today?


When I have a positive answer for all of these 5 questions, I feel good about myself and I have proof that I worked effectively. This is a great way for me to measure my goals and my actual achievements. 


Webster Dictionary defines effectiveness as "producing a decided, decisive, or desired effect".
The interesting part, which I believe is often overlooked, is that the second definition in the dictionary states "ready for service and action". To be quite honest with you, I think neither one of them is too common in today's business world. 


Unfortunately I see too many managers who lack decision making skills and with that comes a lack of action. I always say, too much talk and not enough action. 


To gauge how effective you are, please take the time to answer the following questions:


How are you, as a manager, of service to your employees? 
How are you, as a co-worker, of service to the people around you?
How do you contribute to serve your organization on a daily basis?
How many meetings do you attend that are followed by in-action?
What can you do to make these meetings more effective? 
How able and willing are you to stand up for your actions?
How do your actions affect the people around you? 
What positive difference do you make every day?


If people measure effectiveness only by numbers, then they clearly don't understand the true meaning of effectiveness.


Be of of service, take action, and see what difference you can make!

Does Ethics Need Promotion?

Allow me to give you an example of different ethics:

Take the executive who has been educated in the best schools, knows where to shop and always looks his best. He is comfortable dining in the finest restaurants and is at ease in all situations. He is a natural salesman, networker, and he can remember the name of everyone he meets. He is driven to succeed and he will – at all costs. However, he may have been the executive at Enron encouraging his employees to buy stocks while he was selling.

Then there is another type of executive, who may not be quite as polished. He’s a little less relaxed at the company cocktail party and may not end his career in the corner office. However, his goals are customer and employee satisfaction. He is honest and proud of the decisions he makes. He could use a little improvement in the business etiquette area, but he passes the mirror test. He can look himself in the mirror and is comfortable with what he sees.

What do you think?

Manufacturing Excellence - Something to think about!

One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big advice on the door on which was written: “Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym." In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know who was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself. The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd within the room. The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up. Everyone thought: “Who is this guy who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he died!” One by one the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul. There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: IT IS YOU." You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself. Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life. “The most important relationship you can have, is the one you have with yourself.” Examine yourself, watch yourself. Don’t be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses: be a winner, build yourself and your reality. The world is like a mirror: it gives back to anyone the reflection of the thoughts in which one has strongly believed. The world and your reality are like mirrors laying in a coffin, which show to any individual the death of his divine capability to imagine and create his happiness and his success. It’s the way you face life that makes the difference! If an egg is broken from outside force .. life ends. If an egg is broken from inside force , life begins. Great things always begin from our inside...

~ Swami Vivekananda (1863 - 1902)

Our Next FREE Workshop is at the Richmond Hill Central Library on July 13, 2010

We have scheduled our next workshop "Layoff During Difficult Times - The End or a New Beginning?" to give back to our community.

Did you lose your job?
Are you fearful and stuck, looking for guidance?
Are you ready to be pro-active and make a plan for your life?
Do you need help identifying and setting your goals?
Do you want a confidence boost and create more self-awareness?
Do you know someone who lost their job recently?
Do you want to move forward and find the right job for YOU?
Are you thinking about self-employment?

We can help! We provide a supportive and positive learning environment and empower people to achieve their full potential and realize their dreams. It is all about taking action and taking 100 % responsibility for your life and for your results!

Sometimes it's tough to stay positive considering all the fears and insecurities we have to deal with. However, we have learned from own experience that attitude is everything and it is our goal to communicate to YOU how you can turn a positive outlook in your job search into action.

Come and join us! It's time to sign up.....

Our commitment to you is to give you positive energy, a lot of new ideas and a fantastic workshop without any investment for you, except your time. If you give us your commitment to participate, please do not let anything prevent you from attending. It will be well worth your time and effort.

This attitude alone will separate you from others who are looking a job. I firmly believe, how you do anything is how you do everything!

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it, and the faith to believe it's possible."
- Rich Devos

When? July 13, 2010 from 6 pm - 8.30 pm
Where? Central Library, 1 Atkinson Street, Richmond Hill L4C 0H5 (west/south corner of Major Mackenzie and Yonge)

Motivation Without Compensation

How can we overcome "functional fixedness" and move into the land of creativity? Take a look!

Manufacturing Excellence - Inspire, Lead, and Succeed with OPEN-MINDEDNESS!

People are very open-minded about new things - as long as they're exactly like the old ones. 

~ Charles Kettering

Have you ever wondered WHY it is sometimes so difficult to accept other people's ideas? It seems particularly difficult if the idea comes from someone who, in our mind, is hierarchically below us because..... "I am the boss, I am smarter, I know best, and I have to know it all". 

Being open minded is to consider all perspectives as possibilities. However, it does not imply that one necessarily believes in all perspectives. As long as we are willing to accept that others beliefs are equally as legitimate as our own.

In our faced paced society it is important to be open and aware to new ways of doing things. I know that I am guilty of this myself but many times I think that I have to do it all on my own, instead of accepting and appreciating other people's help and input. It is very difficult for me to accept help but I am learning. :-)

If you are open-minded it helps you to be more flexible and to better deal with change because you are more willing to change your perspective on certain things. Open-minded people are also less judgmental, more optimistic, they have great problem solving skills and they are always willing to learn and to grow. 

Many of you who follow my videos and articles know that I am a firm believer that there is a lot of unused brainpower in many organizations. People in general but especially front-line workers are still seen more as bodies than brains and that's why many companies don't reach their full potential. 

I am convinced that every worker has a 50,000 $ idea in his or her head but there are 3 main obstacles that need to be overcome:

1. We have to find a way to get the idea out of the employees' head.
2. We have to listen to the idea with an open mind and avoid using the words no, but, or however.
3. We have to empower employees to implement their ideas, even if it means that they have to find cost saving ideas in order to make the implementation of their idea possible.

You think this won't work? Think again!

Although it may not always be easy to be open-minded, it certainly is well worth the effort for both, you and your team, and can go a long way in improving things around you.

It has been said "Your mind is like a parachute. It only works if it's open."

So, what do you think? Are you open-minded?

Sport For Your Brain or Go Insane

Having good energy is important. Take a look what you can do to improve your health and well-being!