Table of Contents

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INTRODUCTION...................................................................i

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CHAPTER 1—BASICS ........................................................1
How to Understand the Rest of the Book .........................1
Root Cause of the Mess (a.k.a. Blame) ..............................3
My Intent ...............................................................................7
What This Book Does .........................................................8
Lean Management Demystified .........................................9
The ABC Company Versus the XYZ Company .............10
The Big Four Principles .....................................................11
Practical Action #1 .............................................................12
The Role of Profit ...............................................................13
Introspection, Logic, and Reality ....................................14
Personal Life Impacts ........................................................21

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CHAPTER 2—PRIORITIES ..............................................22
How to Truly, Effectively Prioritize .................................22
Practical Action #2 .............................................................22
Practical Action #3 .............................................................27
Practical Action #4 .............................................................27
Follow Up and Follow Through .......................................29
Practical Action #5 .............................................................32
Practical Action #6 .............................................................33
A Surface Symptom Example ............................................37
Characteristics of a True Priority .....................................39
Inefficiencies .......................................................................41

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CHAPTER 3—LETTING GO .............................................44
How to Decide What Can Fall Off Your Plate ................44
Choosing One Over Another ...........................................45

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CHAPTER 4—PRINCIPLES ..............................................48
How to Build the Launch Pad to Effectively Manage ...48
ABC Company’s Guiding Principles ................................54
More Big Picture Concepts ...............................................55
Vision and Mission Statements ........................................56
Strategizing ..........................................................................57
Culture ..................................................................................58

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CHAPTER 5—COMMUNICATION ................................61
How to Communicate Effectively .....................................61
What Is Effective Communication? .................................61
Effective Communication: 50% Sender/50% Receiver ..63
Practical Action #7 .............................................................66
Practical Action #8 .............................................................68
Filters and Experience ........................................................70
Assumptions .......................................................................74
Practical Action #9 .............................................................75
An Assumption Exercise ...................................................79
Projecting You onto Others ..............................................80
Attitude and Effective Communication ...........................83
Judgments ............................................................................84
Tips to Make Communication Effective ..........................87
Open and Honest Communication ...................................92
Be Up Front (Open and Honest, cont’d.) .......................96
Leadership ...........................................................................99
Pendulum Management ...................................................102
Failure to Communicate Example ....................................104

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CHAPTER 6—TOP DOG .................................................106
How to Know Where to Focus .......................................106

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CHAPTER 7—GOALS ......................................................112
How to Achieve Goals in 5 Steps ....................................112
Step 1: Prioritization ...........................................................114
Step 2: Simplification .........................................................115
Step 3: Standardization .....................................................118
     Processes .......................................................................120
     Practical Action #10 .....................................................121
     Keeping on Track .........................................................122
     Process Clarity ..............................................................122
Step 4: Execution ...............................................................123
     Failure to Communicate ...............................................124
     Lack of Employee Buy-in ............................................125
     Lack of Employee Understanding .............................126
     Lack of Management Follow Through .....................127
     Lack of Measurable Tracking ....................................128
Step 5: Verification ............................................................129
     A Proper Metric ............................................................130
     Choose Metrics Carefully ...........................................141
     Finger Pointing Versus Raising Business Issues ...144
     Follow Up ......................................................................145

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CHAPTER 8—PARTS .....................................................148
How to Work the Components of Business ................148
Practical Action #11 .........................................................148
Leaders’ Actions ..............................................................151
The Operations Hierarchy ...............................................152
1. Effective Communication .............................................154
2. Processes .......................................................................155
3. People .............................................................................156
4. Interactions ....................................................................157
     Practical Action #12 .....................................................158
5. Adjustments ...................................................................159
6. Profit ................................................................................160
A Focus on the Employees ..............................................161
Turf ......................................................................................163
Employee Job Knowledge ................................................166

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CHAPTER 9—BRILLIANCE ............................................169
How to Achieve Operational Brilliance in 8 Steps ........169
Step 1 (Establish a strategy of clear, continuous. . .) .. 170
Step 2 (Establish a culture of unrelenting . . .) ...............175
     Employee Buy-in ...........................................................177
Step 3 (Initiate departmental performance . . .) ...............179
     Assessments ..................................................................181
     Conducting Departmental Assessments ...................182
Step 4 (Prioritize issues . . .) ..............................................184
Step 5 (Establish measurable goals &deadlines . . .) ....184
     Practical Action #13 ......................................................195
Step 6 (Track progress of goals & deadlines . . .) ..........195
Step 7 (Continually communicate expectations . . .) ......197
Step 8 (Adjust as necessary. Maintain constant . . .) ...199
     CURP ...............................................................................201

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CHAPTER 10—CUSTOMERS .........................................206
How to Satisfy Customers versus Service Them ..........206

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CHAPTER 11—TEAMWORK ........................................210
How to Achieve True Teamwork ....................................210
Teamwork Definitions and Observations ......................215
The Foundations of Teamwork  ......................................218
An Example of Conflicting Departments ........................222

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CHAPTER 12—MEASURING .........................................227
How to Use Goals, Deadlines, and Evaluations ...........227
Scamming the Metrics: Example ......................................230
Scorecards ..........................................................................231
Excellent Companies .........................................................237
Certifications ......................................................................243

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CHAPTER 13—MUSINGS ..............................................246
How to Round Out Your Management Expertise ........246
Be Specific .........................................................................246
Demand Accurate Communication ................................248
Be Consistent ....................................................................248
The Open Door Policy .....................................................249
Raise Your Hand When You See a Business Issue ....250
Speak Plainly .....................................................................251
The Tyranny of Perfection ..............................................255
Coaching Thoughts .........................................................255
Group Coaching ...............................................................256
Recognition and Rewards ..............................................257
Cynics ...............................................................................258
Conflict Resolution .........................................................258
Rewire Your Hot Buttons ...............................................260
Ready, Fire, Aim ..............................................................262

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CHAPTER 14—SUMMARY .........................................266
Everything You Need to Know in Bullet Points ........266
Bullet Point Lessons ......................................................267
Summary of Practical Action Suggestions: ................270
Call to Action ..................................................................271
Final Thoughts ...............................................................272

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..............................................iv

INDEX ...............................................................................vi