Death From Indigestion - Sustainable Growth

Many contractors are faced with a nearly overwhelming amount of profitable work in the current economy.

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Many are posting record bottom-line profits helping their balance sheets recover from the recession.  

Quote: More organizations die of indigestion than starvation. David Packard.

With that it is important to remember the critical observation from David Packard:     

 “More organizations die of indigestion than starvation” 

Toyota is a very strong company with an amazingly strong culture and even they weren’t immune as they pushed their worldwide expansion a little too quickly.  Toyota was far from death but they did have some operational and quality problems. 

The ultimate root cause was discussed in Developing Lean Leaders at All Levels:  Their rate of revenue growth outstripped the rate they could develop their leadership (talent).  


Will the markets you are in today support you through the next cycle in the economy?  

Do you have a predictable way to develop new business - even in a tight economy?  

Are you investing enough today in building your competitive advantage for tomorrow?  

How does your talent acquisition, development and retention compare to your growth rate and your competitors?  

Learn more about sustainable growth for contractors




Feedback - Build up, Don't Beat Up
Talent development is often slowed down because people don’t know how to give productive feedback. The skills of giving, receiving and acting upon feedback can be developed.
The Quit Option
Most people rarely quit in the middle when they can see the end. They just have trouble getting started because the overall “Big Goal” seems too complicated.
Lean Principle - Observation (Gemba Walks and Learning to See)
One of the most important tools for improving productivity is going to the jobsite or work area and observing for an extended period of time with the intent to understand but not to immediately interact. Observation progresses through about 7 stages.