Lean Connections

I’ve been on the waiting list to attend the TED conference (subtitled: Ideas worth spreading“) for a while now and unfortunately I’m still pretty far down the totem pole.  So in the meantime I’ve had to make do with reading TED presentation transcripts and checking out their videos and podcasts.  This one struck me as timely and relevant to my work and to all the manic discussions now taking place in both the public and private sectors regarding executive compensation.

So, is money the ultimate job motivator? Here is the link to an awesome video of Dan Pink speaking at this year’s TED conference on exactly this issue.  Turns out that it depends highly on the kind of work that needs doing. And it looks to me like we might just want to revisit some of our basic asssumptions about how we pay people and the kind of performance we get in return.  Let’s do some out-of-the-box lean thinking on this one. What do you think?  Adam Zak

Will you select the right one?

In every conversation with senior leadership I’ve had during the past two weeks this one truth stands out loud and clear:  Acquiring, orienting and deploying the right new talent is an expensive business to get right, and even more expensive to get wrong.  Just think of all that muda!

When “Hiring Lean and Green,” you’re hiring change agents, quite often the executives who will outline a new vision for your company, and then inspire your team to make that vision a reality.  So what does it take to recruit the right Lean & Green executives for your organization?

Live Webinar, August 4, 2009 – 1:00 PM EDT – click for more information and to register

Please join Adam Zak, Founder & Principal of Adam Zak Executive Search, for this live no-cost Webinar. Adam will discuss attracting and retaining leaders with experience and a passion for continuous improvement and operational excellence as well as environment and sustainability. This live on-line event is sponsored by the Human Capital Institute and airs at 1:00 PM EDT on Tuesday, August 4, 2009.  (If unable to connect with above link, please enter the following URL into your browser for more information and to register): 

http://www.humancapitalinstitute.org/hci/events_webcast.guid?_trainingID=2506

Background:

Recruiting and retaining the right executive talent to lead Lean & Six Sigma efforts poses a great challenge. Today’s most experienced Lean leaders hail from those industrial sectors which were pioneers in continuous improvement.  As still greater numbers of companies venture into Lean and Six Sigma, the demand for this expertise is beginning to outweigh overall supply. So where and how do we seek out the best of these individuals?

On the other hand, the challenge in recruiting the right Green leaders is different, but no less daunting. Can we even agree upon what makes an executive Green? How do we deal with imprecise definitions and varying skill sets?  How can we focus on targets which are moving due to the evolving nature of executive backgrounds?