Tag Archives: Sustainability

For the Birds

By John Evelyn  |  September 21, 2010  |  Agility,Alignment,Capability,Conferences and Events,General,Lean,Leverage,Resources,Six Sigma,Tailoring,Technology

Ever watch birds flying in formation? There are some fascinating bits of science that have evolved over the years that enable a large flock (a team with a shared mission) to execute a migratory process effectively and efficiently. They have come up with a process that successfully incorporates the laws of physics, economics and group behavior. Leadership of the flock rotates so that fatigue is dissipated across players rather than concentrated on one alpha. Of course, it’s taken a long time for this to evolve, and they may have some insights worth emulating.

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Oh, Can You See By the Dawn’s Early Light?

By John Evelyn  |  July 4, 2010  |  Blind Spots,Capability,Execution,Integrity,Leadership,Legacy,Purpose and Values,Sustainability

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
So begins the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain signed by the United States Congress on July 4, 1776. We in the US, celebrate July 4th as Independence Day this weekend with festivities, fireworks, picnics and devotionals to those whose lives were dedicated and often taken to secure these unalienable rights. In fact, the words could serve as anthem to peoples all over the world as a never ending objective and pursuit.
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A Gulf of Inconvenience

By John Evelyn  |  May 18, 2010  |  General

The oil well disaster events of the last weeks have been nothing short of ugly. In the background, the echoes of simplistic politicians ranting “Drill, baby, drill!” strike discordance with the fears and unavoidable harm playing out in the Gulf and spotlighted on the nightly news. Congressional hearings into the events are fraught with finger pointing at those called to testify and between those testifying with blame becoming the volleyball, destined to be set up, passed, and slammed until it hits a score.
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Going for the Gold

By John Evelyn  |  March 2, 2010  |  Agility,Competition,Execution,Fit for purpose,Obesity,Operational Excellence,Rigidity,Sustainability,Teamwork,Winning

By now many of us are working through the withdrawal symptoms of POSD, or Post Olympic Stress Disorder. The quality of coverage keeps ratcheting up every time, particularly with the clarity of HDTV, bigger screens, and cameras suspended in truly agile systems. I am amazed at how the athletes perform at levels that continue to redefine what is humanly possible and just how little the difference is between the first and the fifth placers … often a fraction of a second. High performance is redefined.
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Toyota’s Headache and Tylenol

By John Evelyn  |  February 16, 2010  |  Capability,General

Toyota’s woes continue. This week they’ve announced production idles at two US plants, their recalls have grown to 8.5 million vehicles globally, allegations of cover-ups are blazing across the news wires, and dealers across the nation are experiencing further drops …
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Love that Potential!

By John Evelyn  |  January 26, 2010  |  Agility,Capability,Execution,Fit for purpose,Lean,Leverage,Operational Excellence,Resources,Rigidity,Six Sigma,Teamwork,Technology,Winning

A long time ago I studied engineering, mechanical engineering. I loved the subject and the lenses it brought. It was and is about transformation, solving problems, creation, leverage, and making new things that work and making old things work better. …
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It’s Not in the Bag …

By John Evelyn  |  October 23, 2009  |  General

It’s hard to miss the green. Bordering on fashionable, sometimes imitating political correctness, tugging at our sensibilities of responsibility, the green movement is here. The issue is enormous and affects everything from choices about the water that we drink in or out of plastic bottles, how we sort and take out the trash, our transportation choices, and even the faddish colors of the cloth bags some carry to the market. I suspect that I’m not alone in the surrealism of the duality of playing a participant actor in my micro world, and simultaneously as a spectator to the unfolding of the global drama. Surrealism emerges in that I may “feel good” about my cloth bag, but am skeptical of how the big drama will end, and whether the writers of this bigger play have blinders as I may.
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“One Thing …”

By John Evelyn  |  October 18, 2009  |  Capability,General

It’s really great to be surprised, particularly when it’s a good one. For close to two decades I’ve been ranting about three rules, the only three rules we need to execute, improve, or accomplish close to everything. There are many attributes that contribute to success, brains for example, but those are not what this is about. The three rules are focus, discipline, and follow-through.
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The Real Deal

By John Evelyn  |  October 1, 2009  |  Alignment,Blind Spots,Capability,Competition,Execution,Fit for purpose,Integrity,Leadership,Legacy,Purpose and Values,Respect,Risks,Sustainability,Transparency

While driving this morning I caught some news on the radio. One disturbing bit of news reported that a large defense contractor in Great Britain is facing potential fines of over $1 billion for alleged bribery paid in pursuit of business.
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“Good, or Got Lucky?”

By John Evelyn  |  September 18, 2009  |  Agility,Blind Spots,Capability,Competition,Diagnosis,Execution,Fit for purpose,Legacy,Rigidity,Risks,Sustainability,Tapestry of your life,Winning

“To the victor belongs the spoils” is the famous quote by New York Senator William Learned Marcy (1786-1857), recited in the U. S. Senate, 25 January 1832. This one sure gets lots of traffic. It brings with it a lot of imagery of the uglier side of politics, graft and an all or nothing perspective. I can recall, as I read world history in high school, images of conquerors doing all the pillaging and other stuff. Certainly, the principle still has legs today, ugly legs at that.

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