Find Out Why What Works for GE May Not Work for You

May 17, 2010 - PRLog -- One size does NOT fit all!  Jack Welch is smart, but he doesn’t know your business like you. Have you or your company invested heavily in process improvement, only to be disappointed by cost overruns and (lack of) results? In What Works for GE May Not Work for You: Using Human Systems Dynamics to Build a Culture of Process Improvement, Larry Solow and Brenda Fake argue  these results are not a function of the tools themselves, but how such efforts are implemented. Their book provides new tools for managing and sustaining process improvement in today’s complex non-linear business environment.

Section One reviews the key bodies of knowledge of process improvement theories (Lean, Six Sigma, and Human Systems Dynamics) needed to tell the case story of TryinHard Marine.  Section Two follows CEO John Saylor as he implements a typical, linear process improvement initiative, with all of its trials and tribulations.  In the re-telling of his story, the authors present tangible ways to address a range of complex, non-linear, and emergent organizational issues as they arise. The last section provides additional tools to enable adaptive action at all levels of an organization.

Endorsements

"This book approaches work from of the world “as it is” perspective, not as we wish it was…. Want to increase your success rate on process improvement? Read this book and incorporate its ideas …."
—Dr. Warren Wilhelm, DBA Harvard Business School, President, Global Consulting Alliance

"This is a ‘must-read’ for anyone involved in Lean, Six Sigma or any business process improvement initiative!  Solow and Fake focus on the organizational dynamics which can cause derailment and offer a different language for moving projects forward. "
—Kristine Quade, author of Dynamical Leadership: Building Adaptive Capacity for Uncertain Times (2010)

About the Authors

Lawrence Solow has focused his 30 years of organization change efforts at the intersection of people, processes, and strategy.  Experienced as an internal and external change agent, he has helped a variety of profit and not-for-profit organizations make change happen. Lawrence is President of 3-D Change, Inc. He holds a MA in Organizational Communication-Temple University, is a Six Sigma Black Belt and a graduate of the Human Systems Dynamics Institute. http://www.3dchange.com  

Brenda Fake is an Operations Manager and Organization Effectiveness consultant for 20+ years, applying her skills in a diverse set of public and private industries that include: transportation, telecommunications, finance, engineering, public works, and high-tech manufacturing.  Brenda is the Founder of O-2 Optimizing Organizations, holds a BA Degree in Communications-University of Minnesota, an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, is a Six Sigma Green Belt and a graduate of Human Systems Dynamics Institute. http://www.optimizingorganizations.com

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Productivity Press is a premier source of authoritative information on organizational development offering the broadest selection of books and learning tools about lean methodologies, based on the Toyota Production System. www.productivitypress.com