Recent Blog Posts
Lean Businesses: Find the Cause Not the Blame
Sometimes a company like the non-profit Jeff described will come to Changing Lanes to help a company become a Lean company with Continuous Improvement. One of the first things addressed is the way problems and errors are handled. Getting to the root cause of a problem...
Owning The Situation
A few years ago I was part of a web service project, it was volunteer weeknight work. The project was a web service that would help a lot of people. Which is what I love to do. At the start of one of the development meetings the head developer brought to our attention...
Blending Management and Encouragement
The old picture of a donkey with a carrot held in front of him so he will keep moving forward on a never ending walk to reach the carrot doesn't really work well with employees. Instead we want to blend management with encouragement. Management empowers us to provide...
If I Owned this…
I cannot count how many times I have sat behind my desk thinking "If I owned this place I would do things differently". Whether or not I could run the business better if I did own it is not the point, it is the mere fact that I cared and wanted to make a difference....
I’m Not an Employee Any More
I became an employee when I was 10 years old when I started mowing lawn and doing other work for my Dad at our rental properties. It wasn't until I was 20 when I started my own business, that I thought I became a business owner. I actually became self employed. I...
Ownership Thinking for Business Growth
I remember the feeling when I walked into my classroom as a child and saw my desk with my name on it or a cubby at day care with my child's name one it. As a child, I felt I belonged and as a parent, I felt my child was welcomed to join the school adventure. These...
Grow Well… Getting to THERE from HERE
Have you ever stopped into a local business that has changed owners? Well, I did this weekend and it was a great experience at the Quilt Foundry. The layout was changed slightly, the marketing was now email and web based but the new owners and new staff were helpful,...
Want it, Think it, Do it, Become it.
Humans are amazing. If we want to do something bad enough and believe we can, we will find a way. Take for example, the space race, (a little before my time I know, but I feel is one of our greatest achievements to date. Too bad it was for all the wrong reasons.) Back...
Continuing Your Education
Take time to improve your skills and knowledge. Take at least 1hr a week to learn something new. Read an article or a chapter in a book. Watch a tutorial. Go to a class, seminar, or training program. What ever it might be, take some time to improve your knowledge and...
A Healthy Staff may Save You Money
Small business owners who invest in wellness programs may see monetary benefits as well as a more productive staff. Research suggests that for every $1 spent on worksite health promotion programs, a company can see an average of $2.43 in savings related to fewer sick...