In Clause 4 of ISO Standards using the High Level Structure (HLS) you’ll see that we’re required to identify ‘internal issues’, ‘external issues’ and ‘interested parties and their requirements’. What possible value can this bring us? First of all, change the word ‘issues’ to ‘conditions’ or ‘circumstances’ so that the negative association with the word […]
Are We Out of Context? Read More »
This is a line from a video I used to show as a college professor back in the 80s. It has stuck with me ever since and I say it quite often. ‘Communication’ is getting harder with more distractions. Cell phones abound – most of the participants in training courses that I deliver have 2
Communication is a Synonym for ‘Life’ Read More »
Seth Godin is one of my favourite authors – a great thinker and terrific business person. Even though he’s not ‘ISO’ his thoughts on ‘systems’ fit beautifully. The first mistake we make is the underestimation of the importance of something. Think of the internet. We assume it’s stable and will always work. We don’t really
Two Management System Mistakes We Make Read More »
Daniel Markovitz posted a blog called ‘The Folly of Stretch Goals’ in the Harvard Business Review. He outlined the dangers of using ‘stretch goals’ and gives some examples of unwanted behaviours that can result. He identifies three areas where ‘stretch goals’ can result in ‘off the rails’ behaviours. Stretch Goals Can be Demotivating When an
Why ‘Management by the Numbers’ Doesn’t Work… Read More »
Risk is all around us, all the time! So where does the 10,000 mile journey of ‘risk management’ begin? ISO 31000:2018 has some ideas and can get you started. Managing risk pays many benefits including the enhancement of Organizational Resilience. This includes improved performance from fewer ‘surprises’. This is the first of 4 posts on
Putting Risk In Its Place Read More »
Waiting until the end of your production cycle to do inspections is a recipe for disaster. By then, it’s too late. You have time and money invested by this point and it’s important to get a return on your investment. It makes more business sense to build checks in along the way. Better yet, design
Stop depending on final inspections! Read More »
Most of us like variety, but not everyone likes change. What I’ve discovered over the years is that if I decide that it’s going to be different, I call it variety. If you tell me that it’s going to be different, I call it change! In order to improve and keep our organizations vibrant, we have to
The Challenge of Change! Read More »
It’s all about the risk, these days, and the better we manage it, the better off we are, period! The new Standard calls for it, yes, but it’s just good business practice to assess where the potholes are in our workflow and steer clear of them. Every hour of proactive planning will save 10 hours
