Sage Advice
Recent Posts
- New Stimulus Plan - Snow Swept Trailers
- Ditch Switching Short Sighted Shippers
- Shippers Under Attack - Justly or UnJust #1
- Time to Hug your Best Carriers
- Close to being DQ'd for Poor Process?
- Looking for Productivity- Measure Perfect Shipment Performance
- Good Judgement Needed
- Easter Bunny endorses model Contracts to Improve Hopping Around!!!
- Load Securement – Help or at Least do no Harm!
- Tips to become a Logistics professional
Recent Comments
- viagra on Bad Bid Process harms Company Reputation
- Jatil Sharma on New Stimulus Plan - Snow Swept Trailers
- taximan on Packaging having a negative impact on your transportation costs?
- taxiguy on Packaging having a negative impact on your transportation costs?
- buy levitra with no prescription on Bad Bid Process harms Company Reputation
Most Commented On
- Bad Bid Process harms Company Reputation (28)
- Tips to become a Logistics professional (14)
- New Stimulus Plan - Snow Swept Trailers (5)
- Vehicle Size and Weight – The Voice of Change belongs to you (5)
- Packaging having a negative impact on your transportation costs? (3)
Archives
- February 2009
- January 2009
- November 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- October 2007
- September 2007
Blog
Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (2)
August 23, 2008 The failure of the U.S. 4x100 Track Relay teams this week at the Olympics is a great example of how superior athletes can fail to deliver world class results because: they lacked leadership; were taught/self taught poor or different forms(processes); and didn't practice enough - tried it a few times and thought they had it down. Well they had it down alright...and the women seeing the failure of the mens' team did the same thing. It's amazing and sad at the same time. How could this happen on the world stage? How could these talented people simply drop the baton? Well it happens every day and it is happening in Logistics and Transportation as you are reading this article.
When I see this type of problem it is a strong indication that management has either assembled talented 'individuals' who are only interested in themselves and can't spell 'Teamwork'; does not understand what needs to happen; does not know what their current 1st pass yield rate is; does not know how to assess/solve the problem; is impatient and interested in the short term and low hanging fruit; does not understand that productivity and superior service only come from consistently effective, efficient, and exceptional performance; and has not seen the need to invest in the education of the team.
If your Logistics/Transportation group is made up of self-centered individuals who operate in a loosely defined and/or inconsistent process, relying on heroics to win -- your team will soon be DQ'd by your strong business partners!
Have you done your due diligence and contingency planning? When is the last time you audited your processes or asked your business partners if the have an ISO certification or can show you their process audits/measurements? How close are you and your partners away from dropping the baton on the world stage and not only embarrassing yourselves but putting your company and customers at risk?
Close to being DQ'd for Poor Process?
August 23, 2008 The failure of the U.S. 4x100 Track Relay teams this week at the Olympics is a great example of how superior athletes can fail to deliver world class results because: they lacked leadership; were taught/self taught poor or different forms(processes); and didn't practice enough - tried it a few times and thought they had it down. Well they had it down alright...and the women seeing the failure of the mens' team did the same thing. It's amazing and sad at the same time. How could this happen on the world stage? How could these talented people simply drop the baton? Well it happens every day and it is happening in Logistics and Transportation as you are reading this article.
When I see this type of problem it is a strong indication that management has either assembled talented 'individuals' who are only interested in themselves and can't spell 'Teamwork'; does not understand what needs to happen; does not know what their current 1st pass yield rate is; does not know how to assess/solve the problem; is impatient and interested in the short term and low hanging fruit; does not understand that productivity and superior service only come from consistently effective, efficient, and exceptional performance; and has not seen the need to invest in the education of the team.
If your Logistics/Transportation group is made up of self-centered individuals who operate in a loosely defined and/or inconsistent process, relying on heroics to win -- your team will soon be DQ'd by your strong business partners!
Have you done your due diligence and contingency planning? When is the last time you audited your processes or asked your business partners if the have an ISO certification or can show you their process audits/measurements? How close are you and your partners away from dropping the baton on the world stage and not only embarrassing yourselves but putting your company and customers at risk?
Posted by John A. Gentle on August 23, 2008 | Comments (2)
Reader Comments
at 8/25/2008 7:41:57 AM, jrader commented:
Practice makes perfect...and enables routine, even extraordinary steps, to appear effortless. Teamwork as a concept is turned into performance when management accepts responsibility for making sure "I" is not a letter the team uses to spell teamwork. When an environment has been created that only recognizes team accomplishments...teamwork will become the standard. "Personalities" are difficult to remove from our business and personal world. It begins with management. So, what does this have to do with the 4X4 relay? Occasionally, a team member has to "slow down" and be willing to "make up the difference" to ensure team success. In the end, the best teams won the 4X4 relays.
at 9/8/2008 9:26:33 AM, Dwight commented:
Some valid comments here but please change the picture of this fellow. I am not sure the image that is trying to be projected but "odd" is the word that comes to mind. Assuming this person is a bright person, please use a picture that is not so strange. Thanks.
Advertisement
Advertisements
