Positive Organizational Development Tools

Sarah Lewis and her organization, Appreciating Change aim is to achieve whole system change, with positive and creative solutions working through psychological processes such as emotional engagement, the creative imagination, core values and key strengths. These approaches minimizes the challenges of resistance to change and getting buy-in.  In the podcast we introduce Sarah’s new Positive Read More …

Lean Product Development & Design

So what has happened to Lean Product Development and Lean Design? I had mentioned Allen Ward previously and his pioneering work in the area of Lean Development. Allen unfortunately passed away several years ago ( a tribute to his work) and his torch; I believe has best been picked up by Michael Kennedy who has Read More …

Starting Lean in Product Development and Design

Many of us get in a hurry with Lean trying to think it is this groundbreaking and another silver bullet. We forget that Toyota started working with Deming in the 1950s and progressed through a series of changes to what evolved into the Toyota Production System today. In my podcasts and my experience with leaders Read More …

Sales and Marketing are not Product Development or Innovation

I find it interesting to watch as people try to take their product development skills and innovation tactics and apply them to Sales and Marketing. I will admit there are a “few” similarities but what works for development and innovation does not necessarily work for established brands.  Even when you go to market with new Read More …

Building Value into the New Product Development Process

Dr. Eric Reidenbach has been a favorite author, mentor and collaborator with me through recent years. We developed the info-program Driving Market Share  where we spent a great deal of time discussing his favorite past time, the subject of value. He has given me the honor of posting his latest article. I have taken the Read More …

Difference between Development & Design

The thought process that I try to embed in Lean Service Design can be summed up in one word: Empathy! It is a major differentiator between the traditional process methodologies of Six Sigma, and I say this tongue–in-cheek, Lean. Seldom when you search (like never) the index of books on Design for Six Sigma, Lean Read More …