#23 CCM Conference Provides Tips, Tools & Support for LEAN Communicators
In the rarefied air of Aspen, Colorado in late April through early May, I listened to a number of great, inspirational speakers talk about several aspects of leadership. They and almost 100 colleagues gathered for our annual CCM (Council of Communication Management)...
#22 Tips for Being Herded Effectively
You can’t choose your relatives. And if you’re a LEAN Communicator who’s short on staff, budget and other resources, you seldom can select your co-workers. You must work with your current colleagues; you can’t hand off the responsibility to others. So what if you’re...
#21 Lean Transformation Summit Leads by Example
In early March, I joined 280 LEAN thinkers from 15 countries to attend the third annual Lean Transformation Summit, sponsored by The Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI). Having attended all three conferences, I give a standing O to LEI. This organization practices what it...
#20 Are you shoveling or are you shovel-ready?
Are you shovel-ready or are you always shoveling? From a LEAN Communications perspective, being shovel-ready is a helpful state of being for you and your customers. The act of shoveling though is a occupational hazard for your customers—that is the stakeholders to...
#19 Are You the Victim or the Ruler of Your Destiny?
Yin and yang. Oil and water. Sweet and sour. Dealing with opposites is generally one of my joys. I work with so many different people with opposing philosophies, approaches to work, and actions. Figuring out the best way to collaborate and support them is fun,...
#18 Learning the Power of Process from the Dead Masters
Forget 2008? The miserable year of financial meltdowns, fraud and extreme fluctuations in fuel prices. Not yet. For those of us involved in process, 2008 brought more turmoil. We lost three great process thinkers—at least those of us lucky enough to have come under...
# 17 Be LEAN, Not Extreme, in Your Communications
Want to be an extremist? Stick to sports, religion or economic forecasting. Please stay out of the professional communications field. Why? Extreme communicators do themselves and others a grave disservice, especially from the perspective of LEAN Communications. They...
#16 Is Business Literacy Holding Your Company Back?
As your teachers told you, the three R's—reading, writing and 'rithmetic—are fundamental to learning. Now that you're out of the classroom and in the work world, you still use the three R's every day. But how are you dealing with the...
# 15 Innovations in Communication at the Annenberg School
The Is have it! The LEAN Communicator has 5 Is critical for effective communications—inform, inquire, instruct, involve, and influence. I'm inspired to know I'm in good company. Dean Ernest J. Wilson III of the Annenberg School for Communication at the...
