Aimee E. Cowher

I’m often asked “what are the absolute ‘must-haves’ for change efforts to be successful?”  I answer that on different levels for leaders and change agents.   If I had to pick one area to focus leadership’s attention to their business process improvement efforts, it would be project selection.  Projects drive everything – the number of projects needed to achieve financial objectives, the people required to work them and the training those people need to achieve improvement goals.  Projects aligned with strategic objectives can create breakthroughs in process performance.  These projects get resourced because of their strategic impact.  We look for the right people to assign to these projects and we make sure they have the tools to succeed.  Too often, the approach is reversed – companies start with a plan to do training (Lean, Six Sigma, DFSS, etc.,) people volunteer for the training, and then, participants are told they’ll need a project.  It’s a classic case of the tail wagging the dog.  And then, leadership wonders why they are getting less than breakthrough results.  Strategy–driven project selection leads to the right people being trained with the right tools (which should be the simplest tools to accomplish the task; more on this in a successive posting…)  Leadership needs to be involved in project selection and then needs to remain engaged in reviewing the progress of projects, breaking down barriers and expecting results.  This is one way to get “back to breakthrough” and I am hopeful that we will hear more on this topic at the isixsigma conference being held in Miami in January 2009.  Find the details at:  http://live.isixsigma.com/events/summit/miami/2009/default.html

Saludos, 

Aimée

While enjoying a glass a wine with a colleague a few weeks ago, we were debating the issue “to blog or not to blog.”  Being the newly appointed CEO of her company, she admitted that the sales and marketing group were encouraging her to put up a blog on their website.  She relented that she’d have posted anything worth saying within 6 months and wondered who would read it anyway?  Having been working on the design and intent of this blog for some months, I admit at first it took the wind out of my sail.  Then, I adjusted the rudder (mindset) and decided to regain momentum.

I am so fortunate to have the experience of the last 18 years in industry.  It would be impossible for me to share the collective knowledge of all the brilliant people with whom I have worked in a single lifetime, much less in 6 months.  Besides that, every new experience brings new knowledge and more to share, which is the best part of my work!    As for who will read it, who cares?  I just want to write about it and I hope someone out there finds it useful.  Of course, the knowledge-sharing will be enhanced by those who choose to contribute content.

The intent of this blog is simply to share knowledge as it relates to effecting change, or as a wise executive recently labeled it - seeking the art of the possible.  I look forward to sharing my thoughts on books I have read and hope that others will comment and critique in the Book Babble category.  I will also present insights gained through recent experiences in the area of leadership and strategy (Leadership Lingo and Strategy Speak categories.)  And the engineer in me can’t help but offer technical guidance, starting with the basic tools taught as part of a Six Sigma curriculum that are too often misunderstood, abused, or omitted (Techie Talk.)  Of course, I might offer completely irrelevant but hopefully interesting tidbits in the Miscellaneous Musings.  

By the way, if you’re reading, I do care and welcome your feedback.

Saludos,