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An 'R' Word Worth Focusing On

13 February, 2008

It appears that unpredictability is the operative word these days - from weather to politics to economics - the status quo is being challenged. With some of the blatant errors made by the many pundits in the media, a critical eye and ear on what we see and hear is certainly in order. Nothing new here. Throughout all this, it seems that everyone wants to talk about an 'R' word, so I will add my voice to the discussion:

My 'R' word is Resilience: Resilience is defined as the ability to recover from, or adjust easily to, change. Resilience addresses the fact that there will always be disturbances to the status quo, both positive and negative. As a Prostate Cancer survivor, the concept of resilience has taken on more importance for me. We all experience those surprises in life that challenge us and 'test our mettle.' Whether we are talking about disturbances in our health, unexpected weather or other emergencies, or our business, increasing our resilience helps us move through these challenges more effectively and helps us gain more from the experience.

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The Problem with Friction... (Operationally Speaking)

6 February, 2008

As I work with my son to build his Cub Scout Pinewood Derby car, I am reminded that the difference between winning and losing these races is based on how much the builder can minimize friction - i.e. between the track and the wheels and between the wheels and the axles. These are usually simple things that can make a big difference starting with basic alignment of the wheels and a little graphite on the axles.

Which brings me to the subject of this post: "Operational Friction"

Much like physical friction, operational friction is "resistance or conflict" which consumes additional effort and energy and produces less-than-optimal results. Fortunately, operational friction can often be reduced or eliminated with changes in processes, procedures, technology, training, attitude or staffing.

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