Less Than Six SigmaWhen workplaces fail employees
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 13:04
I teach management and leadership. Recently, the topic in one of my classes was change and stress. I asked my students, who are nearly all employed and range in age from 19 to 55, what caused them the greatest stress in the workplace. Among the… We’re Not Alone, Children Remind UsWe’re part of the world and so part of each other
Wed, 11/25/2015 - 14:55
This month’s column results from my wife, Carole, asking me to “watch this.” This was a short video on her computer showing two young children brilliantly and inspirationally singing, “You Raise Me Up.” I was dumbstruck. Their song immediately took… Doing What You Love and Loving What You DoCan work allow us to become more fully human?
Mon, 10/26/2015 - 12:23
Recently we were drawn to a new book titled Do What You Love: And Other Lies About Success and Happiness (Regan Arts, 2015) in which the author, art historian Miya Tokumitsu, iterates the ways in which the widespread message to “do what you love” (… Becoming EngagedWorkplace culture and management practices at Amazon
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 00:00
The recent news coverage of “bruising” and inhumane management practices at Amazon and other well-known companies got my attention because of its relevance to our new book, The Transformative Workplace: Growing People, Purpose, Prosperity and Peace… Preaching to the ChoirIndustrial Age thinking is out, right?
Tue, 08/18/2015 - 12:33
I recently had a dream in which Adrian Bass, a colleague and friend for whom I have much admiration, asked me why I still care about quality management after all these years.
You can substitute Six Sigma for quality management because, in my mind… Being and DoingConnecting the inner life of spirit with the outer life of action
Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:05
This month’s column was prompted by an especially thoughtful commencement address by Michael Ward, reproduced in the May/June 2015 issue of Imprimis (Hillsdale College). Ward, of course, encouraged the students to strive for success, but… Transcending DifferenceGuidelines for creating a culture of inclusion
Mon, 06/29/2015 - 15:20
“If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.”
—Margaret… The Rise and Failure of Management PracticeFocus less on numbers and listen to what others have to say
Tue, 04/28/2015 - 13:28
Let’s begin with yet another example of a lack of understanding of the Perversity Principle, this one from a recent The Times of India report.
“Authorities in India have reportedly arrested some 300 people and expelled 600 students in connection… Take Care of the FamilyExcellence starts close at hand and spreads outward
Mon, 03/23/2015 - 16:59
Last weekend we took all 16 members of our family on a ski trip. It was amazing, and we are incredibly lucky. We haven’t done such a thing in 17 years, when our first grandchild, Claire, was only one month old. Life gets complex and 17 years fly by… CirclesA powerful form of communication
Tue, 02/24/2015 - 12:35
‘From laughing tots in Haitian preschools to inner-city gang members to top executives in global corporations, people everywhere are gathering in circles. These circles are generating trusting relationships among people with long histories of…
