by Randy Pennington, principal Pennington Group Research shows 70 percent of all change efforts fail to achieve their desired results. The sad reality is that change – as it is addressed in most organizations – fails because it is over-managed and under-led. To make change work, you must stop thinking of change as a process to be managed and start viewing it as an … [Read more...] about Change: Less Management, More Leadership, Better Results
Culture
The Culture Shift of the Morning Meeting
by Brittany Willes, Plastics Business In his book "2 Second Lean: How to Grow People and Build a Lean Culture," author Paul Akers encourages companies to develop a "culture of continuous improvement." Akers champions several methods for building such a culture, the most important of which is implementing morning meetings. When successfully executed, morning meetings offer … [Read more...] about The Culture Shift of the Morning Meeting
Nurturing the Work Environment
by Scott Hunter, Unshackled Leadership Only 30 percent of Americans are satisfied with their jobs. According to the latest Gallup poll, 70 percent are either "checked out" or "actively disengaged." According to the same poll, Gallup estimates that workers who are actively disengaged cost the US as much as $550 billion in economic activity yearly. And, poor communication in the … [Read more...] about Nurturing the Work Environment
Giving Garden Benefits Employees, Community
by Jen Clark, Plastics Business A project that began as a way to celebrate Chem-Trend's 50th anniversary in 2010 has since generated more than four tons of produce for a Howell, MI-based charity. Situated on the grounds of the company's North American and global headquarters, the Giving Garden produces about 20 different types of vegetables annually. "The garden was seen as … [Read more...] about Giving Garden Benefits Employees, Community
Creating Accountable Teams
Plastics Business Manufacturing has changed dramatically since Nicolet Plastics was founded in the mid-1980s. That was especially true in 2009 as the American economy faltered and many multi-national firms started moving high-volume production offshore to avoid rising costs. During this time, Nicolet, a Mountain, WI-based custom injector molder, used a system called Quick … [Read more...] about Creating Accountable Teams