Featured content from Catalyst’s experienced team of Trainers and Consultants. Themes include Lean Six Sigma Training and Consulting, Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence
We frequently ask people in our workshops and webinars to tell us about the challenges they experience from day to day. This is done using a non-technical audio measurement system of our own invention which we call the ‘ugh-ometer’. We simply ask people to provide us with an “ugh” if they experience any of the…
Icebergs seem ubiquitous in the world of Continuous Improvement: there’s John Kotter’s change management fable ‘Our Iceberg is Melting’; the Iceberg model used by systems thinkers to get below the ‘surface’ events in order to understand the patterns, structures and mental models underneath; the famous Cost of Poor Quality iceberg that shows there are many…
In her book ‘The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k’, author Sarah Knight provides advice on how we can rid ourselves of unwanted obligations, shame and guilt, to free up time for the things that make us happy. After a chapter focused on looking at ‘things’ (like basketball or having a bikini body),…
You might have come to this blog expecting to read all about the Agile Methodology Steps and how to apply them. In that case, this blog is not the right one for you. In fact NO BLOG claiming to have Agile methodology steps would be right! Let me explain why. The Agile principles and manifesto…
This Sunday, every single person in the UK will unite and take action, with a clearly defined and common purpose. We have done so twice a year since 1916, with a couple of exceptions. Amazing – the fact that people, all of the people, will mobilise and co-operate to change something as ubiquitous and vital…
Increasingly often these days we get greeted with the phrase “May you live in ‘interesting’ times”. Then we may pause a minute to think whether that was meant as a constructive positive wish – or whether there was something deeper meant by it. ‘Interesting’ sometimes seems more to mean ‘turbulent times’ rather than ‘fascinating’. Either…
Before hitting the road with Lean Six Sigma, it is necessary to start the engine. To do this, three vital components are required – a spark, fuel and air. The spark in an engine delivers electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber to ignite the compressed fuel and air. The power of the…
Article Acknowledgement: This article was published on the CQI website. It was adapted for CQI’s Knowledge Hub from Lean Six Sigma for Leaders, by Martin Brenig-Jones and Jo Dowdall, Wiley Publishing 2018. “If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing”. These words were spoken by the quality…
Last week I had the privilege of working with a fantastic new client organisation situated just around the corner from 221b Baker Street, the address of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Each time I walked past there were dozens of people gathered around the famous doorway taking pictures and queuing up for the Sherlock Holmes museum.…
Earlier this summer it was announced that sales of ice cream and frozen treats were up by over 100% on 2017’s figures. Boozy ice lollies were among the fastest growing product areas, with an increase in sales of 188% reported by Waitrose. Mmmm, G&T for me please! But while a proliferation of flavours and combinations…