News

Senior Leaders: Your New Manager Development Efforts are Failing Your Firm

New manager development is hard work. The benefits to organizations that get it right include strengthened performance, improved engagement and retention, meaningful collaboration, and increased innovation. Oh, and the strengthened leadership pipeline is alright, too. I checked, and new managers... Continue Reading

US Economic Growth for Last Quarter is Revised Up to a 5.2% Annual Rate

Shrugging off higher interest rates, America’s consumers spent enough to help drive the economy to a brisk 5.2% annual pace from July through September, the government reported Wednesday in an upgrade from its previous estimate. The government had previously estimated that the economy grew... Continue Reading

AI Is Coming for All Our Jobs...Or Is It?

How leaders, employees and organizations can better prepare themselves for the impact of AI. Offices devoid of human workers. Streets occupied entirely by driverless vehicles. Factories and restaurants running on automation alone. While these may be extreme scenarios, artificial intelligence (AI)... Continue Reading

Better Continuous Improvement Through GAPS: Go See, Ask, Pause, Study

Four consistent habits that effective leaders practice to foster greater engagement and problem-solving. Leaders want their organizations to stay relevant, survive and thrive and solve important problems for their customers, the organization, and work processes. From large corporations such... Continue Reading

What Should I Be Observing When I Walk the Shop Floor?

Identifying opportunities in safety, sustaining 5s and quality should be part of leaders' daily routine. As a leader in the field of manufacturing, as soon as you step onto the shop floor you need to pay attention to your environment. This includes safety, 5s and quality with the process... Continue Reading

LEI for the U.S. Declines Again in October

About the Leading Economic Index and the Coincident Economic Index: The Leading Economic Index provides an early indication of significant turning points in the business cycle and where the economy is heading in the near term. The Coincident Economic Index provides an indication of the current... Continue Reading

Global Manufacturing Economic Update

Weakness in China, Europe Continues to Challenge Global Manufacturers The J.P. Morgan Global Manufacturing PMI™ edged down to 48.8 in October, with activity in the sector contracting for the 14th consecutive month. New orders decreased at a slightly slower rate, but output,... Continue Reading

A Balancing Act: Using AI for Internal Workplace Communications

Human oversight is essential to get the benefit of AI in workplace communication, says Ciara Flaherty of Springboard Communications. Imagine the bustling offices of a multinational, where employees span continents and time zones. Now imagine a scenario where this organization is launching a... Continue Reading

Does Your Business Suffer from Toxic Customers or Clients?

If you’re in business, you’ve likely encountered toxic people like these: The Unreasonable Demander. A small boutique clothing store had a customer who would come in regularly, try on numerous outfits and then demand special discounts for each item. She would threaten to leave... Continue Reading

US Producer Prices Slide 0.5% in October, Biggest Drop Since 2020

U.S. wholesale prices fell sharply last month as inflationary pressure continued to ease after a year and a half of higher interest rates. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it hits consumers — dropped 0.5% in... Continue Reading

The Metal Treating Institute: Spearheading Solutions in Heat Treating

Within the complex landscape of the heat treating industry, companies face a multitude of challenges. These range from navigating an uncertain economy and the competition for skilled workers to the transfer of invaluable expertise from seasoned employees to the rising generation. Additionally,... Continue Reading

Workers are Missing Cog in US Manufacturing Gears

There’s a spanner in the freshly restarted U.S. manufacturing machine. A factory construction boom sparked by President Joe Biden’s industrial policies has led to unbridled optimism about the sector for the first time in decades. The hardest part of the process hangs in the balance,... Continue Reading