LESSONS FROM EUROPE

As we watch the Euro falter and European Union countries flail at the challenge of millions of arriving refuges, it is worthwhile to consider your own partnerships.

Germany and Greece seem to have very different philosophies on fiscal policies, while sharing a currency. Do your most important partners share your commitment to innovation and growth? Do each of you demonstrate that by how you invest?

Hungary is building a wall along its Serbian border in an effort to stop refugees. That relatively short border fence will incent refugees to enter Croatia and Romania, Hungary's EU partners. EU nations are already discussing ending free travel between borders, regardless of the negative impact that will have on businesses.

How does your selling direct to consumers impact your distributor partners? How does your distributor partner also carrying competitors' products impact you? Is there a breaking point for either party?

I believe firmly that selecting and developing the right partnerships will propel an organization forward. What is most important to those relationships is the ethics and openness of leadership. Blind trust is silly, but partnering because of technical capabilities without verifying character and vision is equally dangerous.

Business partnerships have money at their very core. Money impacts all relationships in ways that few other factors can.

Choose your partners wisely.

The Starting Pistol

Ivan Turgenev:
"“.. if we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin”

The Tape

Rebecca Morgan:
"Delay no longer."

September 24-25, 2015: San Francisco, CA: Two days of classroom and hands-on practice integrating Visual Management and Leader Standard Work at Boldt Construction. The presenter at this AME event is LEI consultant and author Mark Hamel.

October 5-7, 2015: Las Vegas, NV: The annual APICS conference will once again present multiple tracks of expert presentations on supply chain, offer plant tours, and continuous networking opportunities. Join 2,000 of your peers in supply chain to learn what the best organizations are doing, and share your successes and struggles.

October 18-23, 2015: Cincinnati, OH: The AME international conference is in Cincinnati (the north side of the river!) this year. Plant tours, workshops, keynotes, special interest sessions, and practitioner presentations supported by numerous networking opportunities provide value alternatives every day. If you haven't attended an AME conference and want to learn about operational excellence, here's your chance. If you've already attended one, you already know the value.

October 29-30, 2015: Houston, TX: The APQC annual Process Conference includes 2 days of presentations on topics related to process definition, management, and control. It is preceded by 3 days of workshops. While I have not yet attended this conference, my experience with APQC has been excellent. I would expect nothing less in Houston.