I’ve complained about this before, it hardly fazes me any more when the media say that GM is going to be “leaner” in the future. Of course, Lean Thinkers realize they mean “smaller” not “more lean” in the sense of…
TL;DR: At GM, fear and poor leadership blocked bad news from flowing both up and down the organization. Executives were shielded from reality, frontline workers weren’t told the truth, and trust eroded as a result. Without leaders going to the…
After 25 years, GM ditches NUMMI tie-up with Toyota In the news this afternoon: PRESS RELEASE: 2009-06-29 GM Media Statement Regarding GM’s Ownership Stake in NUMMI Attributable to Troy Clarke, president, GM North America “As part of its long-term viability…
Toyota Names Akio Toyoda President, Apologizes to Shareholders for Losses This was rumored for a while, but Toyota has formally named Akio Toyoda as the next President. Yes, “Toyoda” with a “d” — that’s the family name. Back when Toyota…
The infamous “Jobs Bank” was created in the 1980s to protect UAW members from job losses that would otherwise result from automation and robotics. An excellent summary is found here: The Jobs Bank was created as GM made its plants…
A Look at Obama’s Auto-Bailout Team – WSJ.com Stop me if you’ve heard that joke before… so here is the assembled team that will oversee the demise, I mean fixing, of the U.S. auto industry. I actually wrote this Sunday…
GM CEO resigns at Obama’s behest – Mike Allen – POLITICO.com (via Drudge) I’ve been calling for Wagoner to resign for years. I wish GM’s board had made this demand long ago, but the board has been packed full of…
Curious at Amazon, but Not Idle – Bits Blog – NYTimes.com This piece about Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos made me think about visiting the “Gemba” (the Japanese term that means “the actual place” — the place where work is done).…
I’ve always been a huge Simpsons fan, even if the show has gotten less funny in the past few years (flame away on that topic, if you must). The beginning of the this week’s episode made me chuckle a bit.…
As GM and Chrysler were going back before Congress today, they have been back in the news again lately. I have gotten tired of hearing blowhard analysis on the news channels that “the problem is the UAW.” I can’t count…
Op-Ed Contributor – G.M.’s Secret Success – NYTimes.com I agree with the basic premise of this piece that not all is rotten in GM. For example, I rather like some of their recent products — design and execution (Chevy Malibu/Saturn…
Bush Gives Emergency Loans to Automakers – NYTimes.com Detroit News Article I don’t understand this at all. What is the operational definition of “viable”? What will/can change in three months? I’m honestly asking those of you who have been following…