Can't Read the Label From Inside the Jar

By definition it is impossible for any of us to know what we don’t know.

D. Brown Management

July 2, 2018 2 minute read

Quote: You can't read the label from inside the jar.

We could be in the top 5% inside our domain and better off spending time scaling the machine rather than perfecting it.
We could be missing something major and not be able to see it.
We could be in a very high-leverage position where even a small improvement could have a huge impact.
We could be missing so much context for the model that we have difficulty seeing how new information fits in thereby limiting our Situational Awareness.

Who are the top 5 people inside your organization that help each other refine your models of projects, your company and the industry?

Who are the top 5 people you are mentoring and coaching to help them refine their models?

Who do you turn to on the outside of your organization that is experienced and unbiased to help give you perspective?

Job Instruction (JI): A 1940s Solution to the Craft Labor Shortage

The shortage of qualified craft labor, crew leaders, and supervisors has been solved before - just not in our lifetimes. The lessons from the Training Within Industry (TWI) and specifically the Job Instruction (JI) training can be used by any contractor.

foreman training labor productivity

Production Tracking - Building Talent Faster

In 2018 a contractor’s primary growth constraint is available talent. At the craft and field supervision level there are plenty of people available; the constraint is about attracting them to the industry and training them.

Management System Improvements (4 Interlinked Phases)

Many improvements fall short of expectations because steps are skipped in the earlier phases. Following these four phases will result in faster overall adoption of the changes, better outcomes, and most importantly, development of the team.

management process value stream workflow