My thoughts this week are about transparency. Everyone wants transparency with them. It is a far different game when asked to share information with others. My thesis this week is that the game has changed. Information is power has been replaced with Information is power if shared. Please allow me to explain. The benefits of…
An important concept in the world of continuous improvement and operational excellence is the Japanese term “gemba.” Roughly translated, gemba means “the place where actual work is done” or “the place where value is added.” In manufacturing plants where continuous improvement was honed, going on a daily gemba walk is often required of all managers. …
During an evening event at an internal conference this past November, I was enjoying a beer while looking ridiculous in a green and white running outfit, mullet, and Hulk Hogan mustache after completing a skit at our opening session and ice breaker. I was feeling pretty good about things, mainly because I had made it…
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. My very first post on this blog occurred a year ago and was about Martin Luther King Jr. and my thoughts about him and the holiday. Given that few were reading my blog then, I thought I’d recycle much of it, as my thoughts very much remain the same. …
I was asked a few weeks ago to give a short talk about how I see the agricultural markets in 2023. A short talk is normally no sweat, but publicly predicting the next few months sent me into a cold sweat. The ag supply chain is crazy right now. How was I going to explain the craziness…
It has been a few weeks since our last update. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I was fortunate enough to get to spend the holiday with extended family which in our case, is spread all over the country. It was a blast, all but for Saturday afternoon as 11 of us watched our beloved Ohio State…
One of the great things about leading professional development as a leader is that the lens through which you view and coach others also serves as a mirror upon which to self-reflect. Thus, I find that the more I dig into ways to help my team get better, the more introspection and room for improvement…
Over the past few weeks, I have traveled to various locations across the 10-state footprint our organization serves. I’ve also spoken to several executives at various companies about the state of the agriculture industry and overall economy. All have the same great need – people. Apart from the tech industry dealing with the post-pandemic hangover,…
In the agricultural world, we’re starting a new year. Thus it is time to discuss annual goals and objectives. There is always a fair amount of handwringing about the exercise, so I thought I would provide my views on the subject, as they have evolved over my career. First, I believe in goals. As a…
I’ve been thinking about constraints lately. After several years of strong economics, our industry fundamentals are changing rapidly. When faced with a difficult challenge, I can easily get stuck in a binary way of thinking – either/or, black/white, win/lose. But to successfully navigate the challenges ahead, we need to broaden our approach to problem-solving and…
