The Simple Tools of Control
In Western culture, the word “control” has an undeserved bad rap. It conjures up the image of a…
Rank is Nothing; Talent is Everything
“There are three enormous tasks that strategic leaders have to get right” Patraeus said one night in Baghdad.…
System Improvement
What about the leader of a typical large, successful company? Most times, these people are not innately special.…
First You Must See. Then You Can Act
The systems insight arrived because I was under enormous mental and physical pressure. Until that late-night revelation, my…
Learning How to Sleep
For any recurring problem, there is a path to sorting things out: Take the inefficient system apart and…
The Toilet Paper Illustration
As an example of systems-thinking, and at the risk of an awful pun, reaching for a piece of…
It’s Just the Way We Do Things Around Here
When the “Shall I do it now or later?” question comes up for a new Centratel staff member,…
Measuring the Body
Here’s an excerpt from Sam Carpenter’s book Work The System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working…
Gone Missing
Several years ago we had our house remodeled. Immediately after, we “flipped” another house. In both cases, numerous…
The Tip System
Here is an evaluation system, albeit waggish. It’s about tipping in restaurants, and I’ll preface things by saying…
The Cardiovascular Equipment Sign-Up System
Here’s a remove-the-system-altogether scenario. It’s the ultimate in simplifying things. My staff and I take delight in chucking…
Losing Key Employees
In my small business, Centratel, each of our half-dozen key management people has had several years of on-the-job experience.…
Installing a Preventative System
Sometimes we install a system and it doesn’t do much. We achieve the desired effect by the mere…
Paying the Bills: An Illustration of Replacing an Old System with a New One
For years, a nagging problem in my small business, Centratel, was the time and effort it took to…
Leader and High Earner
Not too long ago I participated in Cycle Oregon, a weeklong bicycle tour. Seventeen hundred riders pedaled an…
The Roots of America. The Roots of Your Business.
It’s Sunday, September 6, and Linda and I are in Philadelphia. We stand in a pouring deluge –…
The Curse of the Blackberry: A Subtle yet Virulent Anxiety
“In the past 20 years, the lure of instant gratification has gripped the youngest half of our population.…
Communication in the Workplace: Quality versus Quantity
“The quality of your communication equals the quality of your life” – Anthony Robbins The sense I have…
Focus on the System, Not the Product
It seems logical the manager’s total efforts should be focused on the product or service itself; that all…
Point-Of-Sale: The ‘Do It Now’ Theory
“Why? Because I’m the mommy and I said so.” – Anonymous mommy Do it now and let’s get on…