Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email.
News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace better.
Operational Excellence, Improvement, and Innovation
How to Not Lose Your Job to AI
Is AI coming for your job? Maybe, maybe not? But the future is uncertain. Here is a well-thought out article on how not to lose your job to AI.
Boeing Reminds Us What Happens When Safety Is Number Two (or Three or Four)
The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration have systemic issues with safety and quality after concluding its investigation into the Alaska Airlines “door plug” incident. The NTSB concluded that the probable cause of the accident was “Boeing's failure to provide adequate training, guidance, and oversight” to its workers, and that “Boeing relied on a single point of failure, which was a human not filing or documenting a record”. Perhaps it's a blessing that investigators couldn't identify the individual who didn't install the bolts, as it could have ended up letting Boeing's leaders off the hook for their responsibilities.Â
Is Your Process On The “Brink of Chaos”?
Many managers are content to operate their business processes on the brink of chaos – meeting specifications but ignoring assignable-cause variation. “If it ain't broke don't fix it” or “we're still in the ‘green'” are their common refrains. But rest assured, entropy will eventually bring the process into chaos. The key – use process behaviour charts to identify and address assignable causes on a continuous basis.
5 Non-Negotiable Components of Change Management Training
Change management training often focuses on tools and episodic contexts. But if change is the new normal, isn't change management simply a basic management capability? Here are 5 non-negotiable components of an effective change management training program.
Creating a Culture of Improvement
Netflix Recommendation on CEO-Led Culture
Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster.
Many of us are captivated by bold, confident, and charismatic leaders driven by exciting missions to succeed. However, this allure can sometimes mask dangerous levels of hubris, leading to catastrophic outcomes.
Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster explores the profound consequences of Stockton Rush, founder and CEO of OceanGate. Despite his charismatic and daring leadership, Rush's unchecked hubris ultimately led to disaster. He dismissed expert advice, cut safety costs, and silenced dissenting voices–actions that proved deadly.
This story serves as a powerful reminder that a CEO's attitude and values–especially in startup and innovative environments–shape an organization's culture, for better or worse.
Sometimes, Waiting Is Smart Strategy
Everyone wants to be the “innovator”. The first to market. We fetishize leaders who have a bias for action. There's something about waiting and seeing which most organizations reject as complacency or even a shirking of fiduciary responsibilities. But when is it actually the most prudent action to deliberately not take action? When ‘wait and see' is smart strategy.
Humble Inquiry – The Third Edition
Asking better questions is still the ultimate leadership and relationship skill. One of my all time favourite books, Humble Inquiry, by Edgar and Peter Schein, is back with a new and improved third edition, including a foreword from Michael Bungay-Stanier.Â
Skip Steward hosted Peter Schein on Connecting the Dots, where Peter discussed the key updates he made to this classic.
Coaching – Developing Self & Others
Taking Constructive Feedback Is An Underrated Skill
They call it “tough love” for a reason. It can be hard to truly receive constructive feedback and take action – it's too easy to take it personal and become defensive or dismissive. But if you make that a habit, people stop telling you the truth and you stop growing. “The people who grow the most are the ones who take feedback the best” according to Adam Grant.
How To Say No At Work
We're conditioned to say yes to our bosses and colleagues at work. We want to be liked, or seen as agreeable. But saying no, especially right away, makes you look decisive and focused, when done the right way. How to say “no” at work.
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Let’s work together to build a culture of continuous improvement and psychological safety. If you're a leader looking to create lasting change—not just projects—I help organizations:
- Engage people at all levels in sustainable improvement
- Shift from fear of mistakes to learning from them
- Apply Lean thinking in practical, people-centered ways
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