Learning and Change Management Articles
Our expert staff is well known throughout the industry for its breadth of knowledge gained through years of practical experience. The following articles, written by members of our staff, have been published in industry journals and Web sites.
Tapping Into the Most Powerful Force in the Universe
By Scott Franklin
More and more organizations are realizing that their future strength lies in developing and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. Inspiring each and every employee – specifically those closest to the front line – to find ways to make improvements, remove waste, and increase efficiency creates the organizational equivalent of compound interest. Over time, the payoffs can be tremendous.Finding the Hidden Teachers in Your Organization
By Tara Denton, Life Cycle Institute
As appeared in Learning to Change
The only true competitive advantage a company has is its employees’ ability to learn, grow and change so they can discover, improve, innovate and meet the challenges of a dynamic marketplace. Today’s agile companies know that learning and continuous improvement is a priority. Training Magazine’s 2009 Industry Report published that the average organization spent approximately $484,000 on training-based investments last year.Yogi Berra, Change Consultant
By Scott Franklin
Early in his change management career, Yogi Berra was advising a professional sports organization in New York on some of the finer points of managing change. At the executive briefing, Yogi delivered his Change Management Theory overview – which he summed up in this single statement: “You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might end up someplace else."Continuous Change – the Destination, Not the Journey
As appeared in the IMPACT newsletter
The era of continuous improvement is behind us – now let us welcome the era of continuous change. Flexibility vs. rigidity, adaptation vs. adherence, and leadership vs. management are the philosophical transitions that many business chiefs – CEO, CFO, COO – now recognize as imperative to future growth and sustainability. No longer are the chiefs of industry thinking in terms of doing things faster, doing things cheaper and doing things better. Why? Because “things” have changed, and the continuous improvement model that most companies practice today is no longer economically viable. Our focus must shift to leading our organizations through continuous change in order to raise awareness around the importance of innovation, thought leadership, and challenging current products and practices (e.g. things) in order to change the pace of competition.“Hey, Ref! Can we have the ball back?”
By Scott Franklin, Learning Consultant
As appeared in the IMPACT newsletter
A friend of mine grew up playing football in junior leagues, then all through both high school and college. He didn’t go pro, but for the love of the game went on to referee for high school games. In one of his first games as a referee, the ball carrier got hit and fumbled the ball right at my friend’s feet. Over twelve years of intense training kicked in and in a flash, he jumped on the ball and ‘recovered’ the fumble. The play stopped and one of the players asked “Hey, Ref! Can we have the ball back?”Culture Change: Clearing The Road To Reliability Excellence
By Randy Heisler, CMRP, Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in Maintenance Technology
Many sites struggle with poorly performing personnel and physical assets. Operators not operating and maintaining the assets properly, or maintenance personnel not performing adequate maintenance, can lock these operations into a frustrating, reactive environment. This type of environment perpetuates performance problems that lead to higher operating costs as well. Organizations in this mode are looking for answers, but not always in the right places.All Change is not Created Equal
By Scott Franklin
As appeared in SMRP's Magazine, Solutions
As organizations face multiple challenges today, the changes necessary to adapt and thrive range from straightforward to highly complex. In evaluating the complexity of a change, there is one variable that is more significant than any other and that is, “how are the people affected?”Simulations: Thinking Outside of the Box to Build Capabilities
By Tara Denton Holwegner, Life Cycle Institute
Learning means changing behavior to produce desired results. In order to change a behavior, the learner must move new knowledge and skills from working memory to long term memory (the fast-track for the brain to retrieve information for later use). Long term retention is encouraged by incorporating the principles of learning...Planning For The Emotional Side of Change
By Scott Franklin
As organizations go through change, the simple view is that we start with our existing activities, behaviors and beliefs; define a new set of activities, behaviors and beliefs; and then replace the old with the new. While it sounds straightforward, this transition is anything but linear.3A Learning – Align, Assimilate, Apply
By Bill Wilder, M. Ed., Life Cycle Institute
As appeared in the The Advisor, Plant Services' training e-newsletter, and Noria's Lean Manufacturing Journal
Many people are familiar with A3 analysis as a management process – a methodology for thinking, planning, problem-solving and then starting all over again. In this process you begin by defining the problem, describing the current conditions, and defining goals and targets (what’s the desired outcome?) Next you analyze what has caused the gap between current conditions and the desired outcome and you design a countermeasure to help you reach the future state. Then the A3 process calls for planning who will do what, plus a follow-up step to capture what has happened, what you’ve learned and what issues remain.Acting, Doodling and Sharing All Aid in Training Sessions
By Bill Wilder, Director of Education, Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in Plant Engineering MagazineThink back to when you first learned how to ride a bike. Was it by sitting in a conference room while someone read PowerPoint slides, or perhaps through watching a video? No. You learned by getting on the bike and riding it. To learn new knowledge and skills you have to apply them.
Do People Count As Assets?
By Bill Wilder, Director of Education, Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in Reliable Plant Mail e-newsletterIt depends on what you mean by asset. People are not assets like tangible fixed assets such as equipment. People cannot be owned. People do not depreciate. If they are assets, people are intangible assets.
Examining, Analyzing and Cultivating the Skills for Tomorrow
As appeared in Reliable Plant Mail e-newsletter
Managing a business is a creative balance of supply and demand. Your business is focused on bringing in new customers, retaining existing customers and optimizing plant performance to match the growing demand.Growing your Own Workforce
By Bill Wilder, Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in Plant EngineeringThe demand for qualified people is estimated to be twice the supply over the next 20 years. In the state of South Carolina, the Chamber of Commerce projects that between 2010 and 2030, total employment demand in the state, based on U.S. projections, will increase by approximately 16.3%, while the traditional labor pool available to fill these jobs will grow only by approximately 7.0%.
Learning is a Process
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., of Life Cycle Engineering
Learning that changes behavior to produce results is a process - not a single event. The process takes place in an environment replete with competing priorities and time pressures. Learning is more than simply taking a class…How do you replace retiring maintenance people when you can’t find qualified candidates?
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., of Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared on www.reliableplant.comMost organizations today are confronted with a retiring maintenance workforce and a shortage of qualified replacements. The research proving this is legion and widely publicized…
How does your leadership style impact process performance?
As appeared on www.ReliablePlant.com
Process performance is measured by effectiveness -- how effectively the workforce uses the processes as they were designed. To impact process performance by reducing variation in how people use processes, leaders need to consider these questions…
Building Strength-Based Organizations
By Scott Franklin
As appeared in Maintenance TechnologyHistory has provided us a couple of very powerful examples of what happens when the “right” people fill the “wrong” roles. Avoiding this mistake is key to organizational effectiveness…
Leading Change
By Keith Mobley, CMRP of Life Cycle Engineering
Continuous change is not optional for companies that want to survive in the global market that all industries face today…Employee Development: An Investment Worth Making
By Mike Willard
As appeared in Maintenance TechnologyToday, management within many maintenance organizations view their workforce as “resources” that provide the hands necessary to perform a function or to complete a task…
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