Blog & Resources

Flexibility now dominates the way we speak about the future of work. And while a new hybrid working survey shows that employees do indeed want flexibility, it also shows that this flexibility is conditional upon their autonomy to exercise it in whichever way is best...

The marketplace for talent has shifted. You need to think of your employees like customers and put thoughtful attention into retaining them. This is the first step to slow attrition and regain your growth curve. And this does not happen when they feel ignored in the...

Taichi Ohno, progenitor of the Toyota Production System, identified seven forms of waste, and lean insiders often add an eighth: the waste of human resources. I propose a ninth: the waste of overthinking. Rationality plays a starring role in our Western culture. Its...

“Just be yourself.” “Be real.”  “Be authentic.” We have all heard one of these phrases at one point or another—maybe on the way to a blind date, a job interview, or an important talk or presentation. It’s a compelling notion, the idea that we can just be...

With all of the attention that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have captured, a few things are still missing. First, from the plant floor to the board room, there is a need for clarity around the terms and implications for each area of emphasis. Second, as with...

Having to tell someone that they’re not meeting their work standards can get awkward fast. Luckily, simply asking them to evaluate themselves can do a lot of the work for you. If they can spot the problems on their own, it saves you a lot of trouble. If not, make sure...

Ben Armstrong has his finger on the pulse of U.S. manufacturing. That’s what happens when your research has you talking with dozens of manufacturers across America to understand their struggles and successes and how we might address the industry’s long-simmering...

When it comes to flexibility, executives are often worried that they’ll open Pandora’s box and set a dangerous precedent if they allow some employees to work flexibly. They worry that if they let a few employees work from home, then the office will always be empty and...

A surge in civilian aircraft purchases sparked a surprise jump in sales of big-ticket manufactured U.S. goods in August, according to government data released Monday. Durable goods orders rose 1.8% compared to July, to $263.5 billion, taking flight on a nearly 78%...