| Consultant's Corner |
by Bill Cowley |
| If history can repeat itself, why can’t I? Great solutions can fail and some cumbersome methods will succeed. A few bright ideas flicker and fade while other dull processes keep going on their own power. It doesn’t matter how good the project leader is or how many recommendations the consultant has earned. The system can be the latest and greatest, the cutting edge of technology and there is no guarantee of success. There is, however, a common feature to both the successes and the failures. It is the people that make it work or break it down. It is all up to the user. (Admit it. You knew it was going to be your fault, didn’t you?) |
| Business is a team sport. It takes more than one to make it work. We need both leaders and supporters. If we only had a single type, nothing would get done. Each of us must do our part to make it work better together. We must look around and ask questions. We don’t have to like the answers or change because of them. Keep the process moving and be aware of the possibilities. Keep an open mind, look for the compromise solution and see where that takes you. |
| If you look around this newsletter, you will notice there is a movement afoot. Users are getting involved and taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with other users to discuss issues and share solutions. In San Diego, Orange County, and the Bay Area users are meeting and actively seeking answers. They are not content to wait until the next conference. There are too many questions to be answered and too many things to achieve to wait. They want to make their own magic. |
| Is this just a sign of the economic times? Are we just trying to build our sweat equity? Are we forced to do more with less? What makes us build a personal network to face old problems with fresh ideas? But really, does it matter why we are getting together? This may be the hidden blessing in all of the bad news from the last few years. Users are getting involved, asking questions and finding answers. We are cultivating the power from within. |
| This is what makes business work better. All of us learning more and sharing our successes. (Don’t forget to share your failures, too – I have learned more from the failures). Don’t accept the answers blindly. Kick the tires and assure they will work for you. Have the tenacity to hang on until we find a way to make it work better, faster, smoother. |
| Would you like to start a local user group or join an existing on? Let me know I will forward your information on to someone who can help…wc |
| About Bill Cowley |
| With over 30 years experience in materials and manufacturing systems, Bill Cowley is principle of gurusome consulting where he helps Expandable customers in Southern California increase their usage of the Expandable system. Bill enjoys the challenges of working with interesting people in a diverse range of companies and sits as an officer on the IEUGA Board of Directors. Due to constant freeway gridlock, Bill is now addicted to audio books. |
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