Thursday, September 17, 2015

Lean at PAi

Happy Thursday All,

This year, 2015, we have had a lot of buzz about this thing called lean going around PAi.  It's been going on long enough for everyone to start realizing, it's not the next fad that is going to eventually go away.  If you haven't started changing your thinking, don't you think it's about time you do?  What I am challenging you to think about this week is....what does lean mean and do for you?  

Would you define lean as....
  1. A fixed state or goal (being lean)
  2. Continuous change process (becoming lean)
  3. Set of tools or methods (doing lean/toolbox lean)
  4. As a philosophy (lean thinking)
  5. All of the above

Is lean only a manufacturing thing?  How would Cory explain lean to you? Hint: Eliminating waste (D.O.W.N.T.I.M.E.)  These occur in all parts of our company and our lives, not just in manufacturing.

Is lean a positive term in your mind?  Is lean a positive in your team's eyes?  Have you discussed lean with your team?  Is your boss on board and becoming educated about lean?  Are you the boss and wondering what your team is answering to the previous question?

Does your team feel empowered to suggest and help implement ideas that make Paramount a "More Lean" company?

My final question....and I am looking for feed back from all of you on this one....What do you see at Paramount that shows we are changing towards a more lean culture?  A quick one sentence response to all of us would be awesome.

Have a great Thursday!!!

Chris

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Thursday, September 10, 2015

Think About What You Think About

Hello Thinkers,

Think about what you think about.  Say what?  Have you ever thought about what you think about?  Napoleon Hill said in his book, Think and Grow Rich, "We become what we think about."

If you catch yourself thinking about being unhappy, about frustrations, or about negatives, CHANGE THE CHANNEL and think about what you want to happen.

Do you dwell on the past when you are thinking?  Do you think about how you have failed on your last goal so why set another one of those silly things? Or do you think about the future and how it's really in your control to make the best out of it?

Believe that good things will happen.  Expectations have a way of coming true.  You don't "catch" depression and you don't "catch" happiness...you "create" them by the thoughts you put into your mind.  Carefully choose what you read and listen to and choose carefully the people with whom you associate.

My challenge to you today is to stop and think....think about good things and about the future.  

Have a great Thursday,

Chris

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Saturday, September 5, 2015

Communication - Over & Over

Happy Thursday All,

How about thinking about communication today.  Communication is the purposeful activity of information exchange between two or more participants in order to convey or receive the intended meanings through a shared system of signs and semiotic rules.  Wow, let's simplify that....the exchange of information both giving and receiving. 

Research shows that employees in an organization must hear something 7 times before they believe it.  Leaders must say things again and again to enforce it.  It's only then that our people  will think, oh my gosh, I think they are serious.  Many people would say that is over-communicating.  So!!!!  Do we want our people to hear our message?  If they must hear our message 7 times to believe it, think the reverse, do we listen close enough to hear their message?

Have you posted or said something one time and can't seem to understand why people don't pay attention to it?  Most leaders do not like to over communicate.  They say it's redundant and wasteful.  They think they might be insulting there audience.  Bull!  When it comes to communicating, over communication is the best thing.

If your people can't do a good impression of you when you are not around, you are probably not communicating enough.  I dare you to ask your people to do an impression of you....are they able to reiterate the message you keep giving?  Is that the message you hope they are getting?

Don't let your message sound like the parents on Charlie Brown...wha, wha, wha.  Repeat it enough that they hear it and believe it.

Have a great Thursday,

Chris
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Thursday, August 27, 2015

High Five for Kicking Butt at Your Job!!!

Happy Thursday All,

Do you really appreciate your team?  Do you realize how important they are in your success?  Do you understand the sacrifices they make to help you achieve your goals?  

Once again, I want you to put your ego away and give yourself an honest evaluation.  If you answered yes to the above questions....pick up your pencil, pen, or crayon (that is what Alex usually writes with).  Write down 5 things one of your team members sacrifices to help you move forward.  Don't read on until you list 5. 

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Now, when have you thanked them for those sacrifices?  When have you made them feel great on the inside because they made that enormous sacrifice?  How about thanking them for just being here everyday doing their job?  What about giving Alan a high five next time you see him for keeping the trash picked up off the parking lot?  That sure seams crazy, but think how you would feel if someone gave you a sincere high five for kicking butt at your job today!

Challenge to you....go out and make someones day!  It will feel all warm and fuzzy too.

Have an awesome Thursday,

Chris

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Thursday, August 20, 2015

The Right People Are Our Biggest Asset

Happy Thursday All,

We've all heard the statement...."People are our biggest asset."  What I want you to think about today is...do you believe that?  Do you act that way? Do you treat others at Paramount as if they are our biggest asset?  What if we change that statement to..."The right people are our biggest asset." 

What is the right person?  As James Lovell the American astronaut said "There are people who make things happen, there are people who watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what happened."  I think what we are looking for is more of the people who "make things happen" and equally well fewer of the people who "wonder what happened."  What other traits does the right person have?  Are they stagnant or are they growing?  Are they a leader or a follower?  Can they communicate?  Are they dedicated?  Are they honest?  How about their ability to think on their own?

What kind of person do we hire?  Southwest Airlines believes that the company's recipe for success lies in "hiring the right people, at the right time, with the right attitude."  They feel they should hire for attitude and train for skills.  Do we do that as a company?  Is that important to you?

If we all stop and think about it, if we want to be able to say that our people are our greatest asset, we need to have the "right" people with the "right" attitude and only then can we set about giving them the "right" skills they need to do the "right" job!

Enjoy your Thursday, and don't forget....THINK DIFFERENTLY!

Chris


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Thursday, August 13, 2015

Outside the Box Thinking

Happy Thursday All,

The goal of the "Thursday Think Tank" is to get each of us to use our noggin and think.  Whether it be outside the box, inside the box, or not around a box at all.  No matter what your job is, sometimes we put ourselves on auto-pilot and quit thinking....don't do that.

Here is some "out of the box" thoughts from Dennis.

All,
Chris asked me to come up with something to share with you for the Thursday Think Tank. Below you will find links to several innovative ideas where people created these products by thinking out of the box. After looking at the link or watching the video the link takes you to, close the linked window to return to this email. 

Link # 1 
Microsoft Office is a very popular software suite that many of us use. We have several different versions of Microsoft Office including Office 97, Office 2000, Office 2003, Office 2010, and Office 2013. Let's say you use Office 2003 and it does everything you want it to so you are happy to stay with that version. Then you start receiving files that were created in Office 2013 which you cannot open because Office 2003 will not open files created in Office 2013. So what do you do? You are required to upgrade to Office 2013 for $400 and you have to learn how to use the new version. Is there an alternative? Yes, I am in the process of testing Open Office which is a FREE Office substitute which you can download off of the Internet. It does read the newest file formats created by Microsoft Office. I will let you know the results of my tests and here is a link to information about this product.


Link # 2
Microsoft Windows if the most popular computer operating system in the world with over 85% of all computers using some version of Windows. Windows XP and Window 7 are the most popular versions of the Window Operating System. Unfortunately for Microsoft they created Windows 8 which is a very unpopular operating system. The vast majority of their customers wanted a new operating system to replace Windows 8 that looks like Windows 7. Their were a few people that liked Windows 8 and wanted a new operating system created that maintains the "tiled windows" like Window 8. What was Microsoft to do? They created Windows 10 which has the features of Windows 7 and the "tiled windows" of Window 8 and is now offering it FREE to their Windows customers. I downloaded it yesterday and have started testing it. Below is a link to Windows 10 information. 
 

Link # 3
This link is a car that is slated to come out in 2016 and will get 84 mpg and will cost $6800


Link # 4
Next we have  a flying machine that costs $14,995 and is available today. 


Link # 5
My last link is the most fun. If I win the Lotto I am going to get one of these :-)


Dennis
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Thursday, August 6, 2015

Unity Through Diversity

Happy Thursday All,

Imagine a baseball team (St. Louis Cardinals) built out of all the same type of player.  Let's look at a couple examples....
  • Adam Wainwright, a 6' 7" 235 lb pitcher.  Wow, would we have a hell of a pitching staff.  He might even make a pretty good catcher....but short stop?  How about a utility player?  Can you imagine if your team had a 2.98 era?  But what about the team striking out 1 out of every 3 at bats, or having a .198 batting average.  Not so good.
  • How about a team of Matt Holidays?  Can you imagine the power in that lineup?  How about Matt Holiday playing short stop?  
  • What about Matt Carpenter?  He can play most positions.  He can hit for average and for power.  He might be able to be an ok pitcher.  This player is getting closer.
For a baseball team, you need to have a team put together with players of different strengths....which also means they probably have different weaknesses.  You might be able to find a player that fits in a lot of positions, like Matt Carpenter but even a Matt Carpenter is not going to be a superstar at all positions...like pitching.

You are probably asking now, what does this have to do with PAi?  Why are you talking about the Cardinals?  I don't even like baseball.  This has a lot to do with Paramount.  Paramount, like the Cardinals, has built an awesome team.  We have players that are strong in certain areas and weak in other areas, and that is OK.

The "think different" part of this?  How about looking at the strengths of your team mates and helping them become stronger in that area.  Let's not concentrate on Adam Wainwright being a better hitter so much that he loses focus on pitching. We want Steve Wands to sell, not concentrate on how to get it all printed, even though my question to him lately is "How the hell do you think we can get all this done?"

Let's all become a stronger team by working on our own strengths and know when and how to ask for help on things that are not our strengths.  We need different personalities.  We need different players, and it is OK that everyone doesn't do just as you would do.  To quote TJ from earlier this week..."We should have unity through diversity."

Have a great Thursday,

Chris
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