What a High Unemployment Rate Really Means
Alberta is no stranger to extreme business cycles. But what's been happening in the last few years is something new; it feels like a new reality is setting in. We're lagging behind Canada in unemployment. Some businesses are forging ahead, and some are hunkering...
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What is Your Why?
"People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” - Simon Sinek We've heard it before: find your "why." But what does it really mean, and why does it matter now more than ever? We know Simon Sinek from his ridiculously popular TED Talk: "How Great Leaders...
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How to Save Your Business in Alberta’s Downturn
“It’s only after you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, transform.” - Roy T. Bennett A lot of struggling business owners and managers insist that this year, this decade will be different—and yet, they aren’t making the systemic changes...
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The 3 Lifestyle Choices of a Lean Leader
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Wishing is not enough; we must do.” - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe If you want to lose 30 pounds, you know you won’t do it in a day. Or a month. You have to make it a project. And if you want to keep that 30 pounds off, you know...
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Engaging Your Millennial Employees
“I hire people brighter than me and then I get out of their way.” - Lee Iacocca Complaining that younger generations don’t want to work, are entitled, and don’t fully commit to their jobs is a Baby Boomer pastime. But complain as we might, the younger generation is...
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Let’s Change How We Think About Inventory
“The more inventory a company has, the less likely it is that they have what they need.” - Taiichi Ohno We look at inventory stacked up and think of it as money in the bank. It’s time to start recognizing it for what it is—frozen cash that is far from an asset. It’s a...
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Is Overdelivering Costing You Money?
“Don’t talk, act. Don’t say, show. Don’t promise, prove.” - Anonymous We read it in every business book; "Under promise, overdeliver." It sounds like a slam dunk, but there's another side to consider. Over-processing is a deadly waste that erodes our bottom line—and...
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What are Your Financial Statements Really Telling You?
“We want to turn our inventory faster than our people.” – James Sinegal We all get financial statements. Our bank needs them, and we’re used to referring to them as a guide to our financial decisions. As important as they are, it’s important to remember that their...
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Find Better People with Process Improvement
“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you." – Maya Angelou Efficiency (and saving money) is the direct...
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Balancing Efficiency & Quality for Your Customers
It’s easy to fall in love with efficiency. It promises big savings to those with the fortitude to see efficiency-saving measures through. Process Improvement is built on small, compounding efficiencies. As easy as it is to get carried away, we must always balance...
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