Lawrence M. Miller
Coach, Author and Speaker
High Performance Organization Design and Leadership
Visit Larry's blog Management Meditations and contribute to the continuous search for the keys to cultures of commitment and quality
From the latest post:
Toyota: Did they believe too much in their own reputation?
The Washington Post today reports Toyota’s own explanation of their failure. By their own account, they put growth ahead of quality. They did not have the sense of urgency to respond to customer feedback. Again, nothing in this condemns shop floor practices, the essence of the Toyota Production System, or “lean”, rather it condemns the priority and actions of senior managers.
Designing the Human Side of Lean Enterprise
Lawrence M. Miller & Associates provides consulting and training services to help build the “lean” organization and a culture that is focused on continuous improvement and business performance. We have been involved in the human side of quality improvement, creating the team-based organization, for thirty years. As one of the early proponents of employee involvement and quality management we have seen the field develop through fads and fantasies to sound management principles. High performing organizations require the personal skills and leadership at the top, the skills of continuous improvement at all levels, and the organization structure and systems that enable lean processes and customer focus. We are prepared to facilitate the development of these critical components that lead to business success.
Our mission is to improve our client’s business performance while enhancing the culture and competencies of the client’s managers and organization; to contribute to the material, intellectual and spiritual wealth of the client; and to advance the skills and knowledge of our field.
I am pleased to announce the publication of my new Team Management workbook, Lean Team Management.
The team in an organization is like the family in a society. It is the fundamental building block of trust and competence in an organization. As companies attempt to follow the efficiency of companies like Toyota or Honda, they often focus on the technical things and bypass the hard part - the culture, the human skills, style and systems of the organization. At the heart of that social system is the small work group, the team, both at the front line level and at all levels of management. The most effective organizations are built on the foundation of effective teams. This workbook presents the most essential practices and skills of effective workgroup and managing teams.
Lean Team Management takes the reader through the vital steps of managing process and performance to customer needs. This is the result of thirty years of hands-on experience implementing Team Management in organizations of every kind.