Each month new articles, book reviews, and other content are added to the Superfactory website. The new content is featured in the monthly e-newsletter which goes out to 50,000 subscribers worldwide, and we will also post a monthly heads-up on this blog.
New content in December includes:
The featured article is a Peter Drucker memoriam piece from Michael Ballé and is titled Lean Leadership: Knowledge Productivity for the 21st Century. The following is a brief excerpt, and you can read the entire article here.
What would Peter Drucker have to say about this? This is a question I have asked myself often, particularly when stumped with a situation that didn’t fit anyone’s expectations. I remember reading Post-Capitalist Society fifteen years ago, just as I was completing my first business book, Managing With Systems Thinking, and I remain, to this day, in awe of Drucker’s insight into the transformation of our capital driven society into a knowledge society.
At the time, I had the opportunity to study something Peter Drucker mentioned several times in passing: kaizen. As part of my research on mental models, I observed how Toyota taught one of its suppliers the techniques of what is now called lean management. I was incredibly fortunate to discover a management practice focused entirely (and explicitly) on developing knowledge.
The featured book this month is Bounce: The Art of Turning Tough Times Into Triumph by Keith McFarland. The following is a brief summary, click here for more information.
Why do many people and companies crumble in the face of difficulty, while others use adversity to bounce back even stronger? Here from New York Times bestselling author Keith McFarland is a leadership fable for those wary of fables, a story that rejects pat, heard-it-before advice and shows–in a startlingly fresh way–how to use challenges to make both yourself and your organization stronger.
Drawing inspiration from such sources as the work of M.I.T. social scientist Ed Schein, the film Saving Private Ryan, and his own experiences as a CEO leading companies, McFarland cleverly weaves a story whose practical insights can be put to use immediately. Bounce may be the most indispensable guide to facing challenges ever written.
Gemba Academy has added the first several modules of their Practical Problem Solving course to their Lean Package. Take a look at how Gemba Academy is revolutionizing online training, on demand, in High Definition HD quality.
We continually update the other major sections of the website, including:
- PowerPoint Presentations: Over 50 downloadable PowerPoint presentations on lean manufacturing, quality, enterprise, and safety concepts.
- Factory Toolbox: Almost 300 downloadable forms, procedure templates, assessments, and tools to help you not reinvent the wheel.
- Events Calendar: a listing of lean excellence seminars, workshops, training, and conferences worldwide
- Topic Information: Summaries and resources on over 40 enterprise excellence topics.
- Virtual Factory Tours: Web and streaming video tours of over 100 factories.
For all you LinkedIn junkies, we have created a LinkedIn group for Superfactory, which now has over 3,500 members. Join the group to
network with other Superfactory enthusiasts and to show our logo on your profile. If you haven't explored LinkedIn, check it out to see why over 17 million professionals use it for networking.
We are always looking for new articles and other content. Contact us via the Superfactory website if you would like to contribute to our knowledge base.