Family Archives - 6sigma https://6sigma.com/category/family/ Six Sigma Certification and Training Fri, 28 Feb 2025 13:40:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://6sigma.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cropped-favicon-blue-68x68.png Family Archives - 6sigma https://6sigma.com/category/family/ 32 32 [VIDEO] Take Kaizen Home and Be More Successful https://6sigma.com/kaizen-leanleadership-leanthinking-lean-shmula/ https://6sigma.com/kaizen-leanleadership-leanthinking-lean-shmula/#respond Fri, 28 Feb 2025 06:14:17 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/?p=25497 kaizen, time management, lean, lean thinking, shmula

Kaizen is the Japanese word for “improvement.” In business, Kaizen refers to activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees, from the CEO to the assembly line workers. It also applies to processes, such as purchasing and […]

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kaizen, time management, lean, lean thinking, shmula

Kaizen is the Japanese word for “improvement.” In business, Kaizen refers to activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees, from the CEO to the assembly line workers. It also applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics, that cross organizational boundaries into the supply chain. It has been applied in healthcare, psychotherapy, life-coaching, government, banking, and other industries. By improving standardized processes, Kaizen aims to eliminate waste. It was first practiced in Japanese businesses after the Second World War, influenced in part by American business and quality management teachers, and most notably as part of the Toyota Way. It has since spread throughout the world and has been applied to environments outside business and productivity.

Now, take those simple processes from the factory floor to the home front and you might just find some success. With our world becoming more and more hectic in the digital age, we are losing the battle of a work-life balance.

Check out this amazing video on Kaizen in your personal life.

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Kaizen Methodology For Boosting Personal Performance https://6sigma.com/kaizen-methodology-lean-thinking/ https://6sigma.com/kaizen-methodology-lean-thinking/#respond Fri, 28 Feb 2025 06:14:16 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/?p=25495 kaizen, lean methodology, lean thinking, time management, shmula

Are you feeling overwhelmed and out of control? Not really a surprise for many, considering the demands on our lives in this digital age. We are spending more time at work than any other generation in American history. […]

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kaizen, lean methodology, lean thinking, time management, shmula

Are you feeling overwhelmed and out of control? Not really a surprise for many, considering the demands on our lives in this digital age. We are spending more time at work than any other generation in American history. As a workforce, Americans lose more paid leave from work each year than any other country. Our workdays get longer and they don’t end when we leave the workplace. Our smartphones keep us tethered to the office, and we can never really disconnect until late into the evening. Then, we have to try and balance our professional demands with our personal lives. Spouses, children and extended family demand our time as well, but seem to be getting the short end of the stick for most American workers.

So the question becomes, how do I find balance when the demands on our time continue to escalate? There are a wide range of options available for the busy professional who needs to find balance in his or her life. Browse the internet for five minutes and you will find a long list of self-help experts and gurus who claim that they can make things all better and find the balance you are seeking. But, how do you find the right help, and can you fit the cost into your budget? Things just get more and more complicated, don’t they? Well, a simple answer may be just simple techniques that are practiced in many organizations around the globe and they get results. Just take a look at the Kaizen philosophy and really understand how that applies to your personal life, just like the processes on the factory floor. Kaizen may be just the solution you are looking for!

Kaizen took hold in the years after WWII with the Japanese and the Toyota Production System (TPS). It is based on the belief that continuous, incremental improvement adds up to substantial change over time. When teams or groups implement Kaizen, they circumvent the upheaval, unrest, and mistakes that often go hand-in-hand with major innovation. It’s fitting that the Japanese word kaizen translates to good change. You can take those techniques and apply them directly to your personal life and affect real change. The core principle of Kaizen is waste reduction, so take stock in what you are doing and make some changes. Look at what you need to stop doing that is not productive or unnecessary and make some changes. Look at the time-wasters that sneak into our daily activities and carve them out. Prioritize your tasks and find simpler, easier ways of getting things done. An audit of your daily calendar will truly be an eye-opener for most people.

Daily consistent improvement is the key to success. Think small in the beginning. Those little changes will, at first, free up 15-20 minutes a day. As you make improvements, those changes get a little bigger. Now, you are not having to work through lunch, or you have actually made the time to catch a kid’s soccer game or make it home on time for date night, without missing any key objectives. They real key to success is to constantly look at ways to improve, become more efficient at tasks or build better habits. Just be patient and you will find success in the process and a much need balance between your personal and professional life.

Read more here about Kaizen. It just isn’t for the factory floor anymore!

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A Little Humor for Easter https://6sigma.com/a-little-humor-for-easter/ https://6sigma.com/a-little-humor-for-easter/#respond Fri, 28 Feb 2025 06:05:56 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/?p=22915 easter humor, easter, easter bunny, lean six sigma, shmula blog

One time there was a grumpy Easter bunny. He might have been grumpy but he was a mighty good actor. One day his friend, Bud was going on the set to do a part in a […]

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easter humor, easter, easter bunny, lean six sigma, shmula blog

One time there was a grumpy Easter bunny. He might have been grumpy but he was a mighty good actor. One day his friend, Bud was going on the set to do a part in a movie. The grumpy Easter Bunny yelled, “Break a leg.”

The next day he went and saw his friend Bud in the hospital for he had fallen and broken his leg.

A short while later the grumpy Easter Bunny said this to a very big celebrity at a cast party.

The next day he was in the hospital too. Finally, the grumpy Easter Bunny got a movie job, and when he walked on stage someone said, “Break an egg.” That’s just what he did and he resigned his position as Easter Bunny!!!

-Anonymous

Happy Easter!

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Celebrating the Fourth of July https://6sigma.com/20205-2/ https://6sigma.com/20205-2/#respond Fri, 28 Feb 2025 06:04:43 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/?p=20205 fourth of july, six sigma, ;ean six sigma, shmula.com

A History of the Celebration

The Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. They’d been working on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on […]

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fourth of july, six sigma, ;ean six sigma, shmula.com

A History of the Celebration

The Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. They’d been working on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on July 2nd and finally agreed on all of the edits and changes.  July 4, 1776, became the date that was included on the Declaration of Independence, and the fancy handwritten copy that was signed in August. It’s also the date that was printed on the Dunlap Broadsides, the original printed copies of the Declaration that were circulated throughout the new nation. So when people thought of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 was the date they remembered.

Thoughts for Reflection

Celebration of the Fourth of July holiday is a special one each year. We enjoy gathering with family and friends, while enjoying the summer season outdoors. Cookouts in the backyard, around the pool with friends and family. As the sun sets, we enjoy elaborate fireworks shows that can be truly majestic. This holiday most embodies the summer season. As Americans, we should be mindful of our history and heritage surrounding the holiday. Take a few minutes to reflect on the birth of our nation. Visionaries with the will to overcome gave us the freedoms that we enjoy today. Each of us possess those qualities and vision. Celebrate being an American and the freedom that invokes.

Wishing you a safe and happy Fourth of July!

 

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BlackBerry Addiction and The Simple Life [video] https://6sigma.com/blackberry-the-simple-life/ https://6sigma.com/blackberry-the-simple-life/#comments Fri, 28 Feb 2025 06:02:56 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/202/blackberry-the-simple-life Yes, I did it. I was becoming addicted to my work. You can imagine it: a trigger-finger, device-focused man, typing away while walking down the hall, while at the kids’ soccer games, in meetings, while shopping, and in any possible venue. No more. No more. I’m fighting back and I’m forcing discipline on myself.

Now, […]

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Yes, I did it. I was becoming addicted to my work. You can imagine it: a trigger-finger, device-focused man, typing away while walking down the hall, while at the kids’ soccer games, in meetings, while shopping, and in any possible venue. No more. No more. I’m fighting back and I’m forcing discipline on myself.

Now, I can focus while I’m at the kids’ soccer games. When I’m shopping with the family, I will actually talk and hang with the family. At meetings, I’ll actually now listen.

Blackberry — goodbye. No thanks. I switched to a normal, everyday, non-fancy cell phone the other day. I don’t miss you at all, but my family has missed me. I’m back to being human — no more devices to carry around; no more trigger-finger, device-focused, relationship-scarring BlackBerry to keep me down.

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Cars for Big Families: GMC Yukon XL or Chevy Suburban [video] https://6sigma.com/perceptual-maps-gmc-yukon-xl-versus-chevrolet-suburban/ https://6sigma.com/perceptual-maps-gmc-yukon-xl-versus-chevrolet-suburban/#comments Fri, 28 Feb 2025 06:02:56 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/200/perceptual-maps-gmc-yukon-xl-versus-chevrolet-suburban Typical to most mormons, I have a big family. So, I’m looking for cars for big families. Yup, we have 5 biological kids. Atypical, however, is that my wife is white, I’m Filipino, and we’ll be adopting 2 African American kids in the next little while. We’re excited and are […]

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Typical to most mormons, I have a big family. So, I’m looking for cars for big families. Yup, we have 5 biological kids. Atypical, however, is that my wife is white, I’m Filipino, and we’ll be adopting 2 African American kids in the next little while. We’re excited and are learning a lot about adoption, raising transracial kids, and learning to do black hair. Anyway, more on that later.

Because my family is gigantic, we need to upgrade from our trusty little van to a heftier car. I’ve done my little research and have spoken to friends and strangers about big cars. I’ve narrowed my choices down to the GMC Yukon XL or the Chevrolet Suburban.

Based on specifications, they’re head-to-head. Based on price, there’s a difference. The Chevrolet Suburban is roughly ~$3,000 to ~$5,000 cheaper, depending on features. I’ve realized that I’m price sensitive when it comes to cars, especially when the Retail Price on these bad boys are around ~$37,000 to ~$51,000 for a brand new model. I think I’ll get a used model, with around 5,000 to 15,000 miles on it. That way, it will be cheaper, yet virtually brand new.

Perceptual Maps

Perceptual Maps is a simple, graphical technique used to render the perceptions of customers for certain products or services against several dimensional attributes. Often, a Perceptual Map is used to see how the customers or potential customers percieve a product, brand, product line, or service. Perceptual Maps are very common in Brand-Checkup studies and Product Evaluation studies.

Perceptual Maps can be created ad-hoc, without an statistical measuers, as I will do below. But, they are typically created using regression-driven techniques such as Multi-Dimensional Scaling, Factor Analysis, Discriminant Analysis, Cluster Analysis, and Logit Analysis.

I was once worked at a research firm as a researcher; on one study, I was an investigator that researched the brand perceptions of credit cards against 4 dimensions. The result of that study informed the credit card companies of the customer’s perceptions of their brand. Given this data, the credit card companies then created a strategy around the study in order to move the customer’s perceptions. For example, Discover Card was percieved as “Cheap and Inclusive”. This result informed Discover Card in such as way as to develop a new product that would hopefully be perceived as “Elegant and Exclusive” — that product would later be called their Platinum Card.

Perceptual Maps, Market Research, and the Automotive Industry

I created my own Perceptual Map for how I perceive the Chevrolet Suburban and the GMC Yukon XL:

perceptual map example in auto industry

In my view, the Suburban is more affordable and dependable than the GMC Yukon XL. The GMC Yukon XL, in my view, is more sporty and elegant — at least from what I’ve read and seen. Now, compare the two hefty cars against my 1993 Ford Station Wagon LX — I view that car as very dependable and affordable, since it falls on the bottom left of the matrix.

This is just my perception; and, perceptions change. Right now, I am price sensitive ($40K for a car is a lot for me) and I want a car that is reliable and dependable — nothing fancy: just a good, hefty, car that the whole family can fit in.

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Stories of Adoption: We Adopted a Baby Boy https://6sigma.com/weve-adopted-a-baby-boy/ https://6sigma.com/weve-adopted-a-baby-boy/#comments Fri, 28 Feb 2025 06:02:52 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/254/weve-adopted-a-baby-boy Update 2013: Since writing this post, my wife and I have adopted 4 children. We are so blessed and are very lucky to be their parents. Go here to learn more about the adoption process.

  • We adopted Preston cutest little afro puff.
  • […]

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    ]]> Update 2013: Since writing this post, my wife and I have adopted 4 children. We are so blessed and are very lucky to be their parents. Go here to learn more about the adoption process.


    After about 3 months in the process, we adopted a baby boy – a special and precious and healthy 7lb 2oz, 20 inch baby boy.

    The adoption process was an experience — a lot of waiting time, over-processing, and really full of waste, and a lot of joy also. It’s an interesting business because it pretends that it is not a business. Unfortunately, the laws of supply and demand still play and the basic courtesies of customer service are still relevant, but there are government regulations that make this business a little different. Emotions are a big player in this space too, which encourages those in the adoption industry to continue playing the “we’re not a regular business” game.

    Needless to say, we’re very excited and that all the fuss, paperwork, and waiting was worth it. Indeed, the laws of the Psychology of Queueing hold — the more valuable the service, the more waiting and fuss the customer is willing to put up with.

    Nevermind that for now, but more on the process later. We’ve adopted and we’ll be bringing him home today. We’re excited for this new chapter in our life!

    stories of adoption, how to adopt

    I want to leave with a little note from my main Asian Brother, Guy, that is pretty descriptive of how I feel:

    You can love an adopted child as much as a biological one. A man’s contribution to a pregnancy lasts about ten seconds — five if he told the truth — three if you asked the mother. And yet I’ve met many men who who were skeptical about adoption because they didn’t think they could bond with a child that didn’t have their DNA — ie, the ten-second commitment. This is simply not true: when you hold your precious jewel for the first time, no one cares if none of those chromosomes came from you. Certainly not the baby. Certainly not your wife. So get over it. Your DNA isn’t the Holy Grail — to mix several metaphors.

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    https://6sigma.com/weve-adopted-a-baby-boy/feed/ 6 We Adopted a Baby Girl https://6sigma.com/weve-adopted-a-baby-girl/ https://6sigma.com/weve-adopted-a-baby-girl/#comments Fri, 28 Feb 2025 06:01:32 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/443/weve-adopted-a-baby-girl Update 2013: Since writing this post, my wife and I have adopted 4 children. We are so blessed and are very lucky to be their parents. Go here to learn more about the adoption process.

    • We adopted Preston cutest little afro puff.
    • […]

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      ]]> Update 2013: Since writing this post, my wife and I have adopted 4 children. We are so blessed and are very lucky to be their parents. Go here to learn more about the adoption process.


      We adopted a baby girl. And, we are so happy.

      Our little baby girl was born yesterday.  Mylie is our 7th child and we brought her into our family through adoption.  For long-time shmula readers, you might remember that we just adopted Preston last year.  Yup, we did it again 1 year later, and we’re very, very happy.

      The last month has been a humbling experience to spend time with the birth parents.  Building a relationship with them has been great, but an emotional time for our family.  I’m very thankful for them and to them — for the good people that they are and for choosing our family to be the parents of Mylie.

      Here she is – she’s very cute and will probably have a to-die-for Afro Puff:

      how to adopt a child domestic

       

      The Adoption Process

      The process is challenging.  Because there is a lot of ourselves invested — in time, money, and emotion — in the process, we’re willing to put-up with things that I normally would not.  This is not surprising; in fact, this is Queueing Psychology at work.

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      https://6sigma.com/weve-adopted-a-baby-girl/feed/ 4 Adopting a Baby Boy: We Were Lucky and Did it Again https://6sigma.com/we-adopted-again/ https://6sigma.com/we-adopted-again/#comments Fri, 28 Feb 2025 05:55:59 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/?p=496 Update 2013: Since writing this post, my wife and I have adopted 4 children. We are so blessed and are very lucky to be their parents. Go here to learn more about the adoption process.

      • We adopted Preston – cutest […]

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        ]]> Update 2013: Since writing this post, my wife and I have adopted 4 children. We are so blessed and are very lucky to be their parents. Go here to learn more about the adoption process.


        Our little baby boy was born June 23, 2008. Lakin (pronounced “lay-kin”) is our 8th child and we brought him into our family through the blessing of adoption. For long-time shmula readers, you might remember that we just adopted Mylie in November 2007 and we adopted Preston in November 2006. Yup, we did it again, and we’re very, very happy.

        how to adopt a child international

        Some people ask why we have so many kids, or why we’ve adopted so much. I’ll attempt to answer those in the People Are Dang Nosy Section Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section at the end of this post but, first, I want to explain a little about the Adoption Process.

        The Adoption Process

        The process is challenging. Because there is a lot of ourselves invested ” in time, money, and emotion ” in the process, we’re willing to put-up with things that I normally would not. This is not surprising; in fact, this is Queueing Psychology at work. As a reminder, below are the tenets in the Psychology of Waiting Lines:

        1. Unoccupied time feels longer than occupied time.
        2. Process-waits feel longer than in-process waits.
        3. Anxiety makes waits seem longer.
        4. Uncertain waits seem longer than known, finite waits.
        5. Unfair waits are longer than equitable waits.
        6. The more valuable the service, the longer the customer is willing to wait.
        7. Solo waits feel longer than group waits.

        The process itself can clearly be improved. Below is the process that we went through for both of our adoptions. Because there is no “adoption” Standard Work, then you will find a lot of variation in the industry and, we all know, that variation from a process perspective isn’t a good thing and leads to an inconsistent and poor customer experience. Nevertheless, below is our experience ” in general:

        • Search for Adoption Agency
          • Download Packet
          • Print Packet
          • Fill-out Packet
          • Mail-in Application
        • Submission
          • 3 Reference Letters
          • Fingerprints (6 week wait)
          • Health Assessment for everyone in family
          • Proof of Marriage
          • Employment Check including Financial Health
          • Homestudy (took about 1 month)
          • Family interview
          • 1:1 interviews
          • Agency Write-up
        • Approval
          • Agency Committee reviews file
          • Accepted as Adoptive Family
          • Create Profile (parallel process above, 2 weeks)
        • Matching
          • Agency calls us to tell us situation & ask permission to show our profile
          • If no, then we continue to wait
          • If yes, then Agency shows our profile to Birth Mother
          • If Birth Mother chooses our profile, then we meet Birth Mother
          • If we like birth mother and she likes us, then we are matched.
        • Birth
          • Make arrangements for day of delivery
          • Relinquishment in Utah is 24 hours after delivery
          • After Birth Mother signs relinquishment papers, then Adoptive parents sign documents & pay Agency Fees.
          • Bring baby home.
        • Post-Placement
          • 3 post-placement visits by the Agency at 2, 4, 6 months.
          • After last post-placement & 6 months after relinquishment, then can finalize with attorney and judge.

        Adopted Versus Biological

        Guy Kawasaki — a fellow Asian and someone I admire — has adopted a few kids also and said this ” something that I believe is true and important:

        You can love an adopted child as much as a biological one. A man’s contribution to a pregnancy lasts about ten seconds ” five if he told the truth ” three if you asked the mother. And yet I’ve met many men who who were skeptical about adoption because they didn’t think they could bond with a child that didn’t have their DNA ” ie, the ten-second commitment. This is simply not true: when you hold your precious jewel for the first time, no one cares if none of those chromosomes came from you. Certainly not the baby. Certainly not your wife. So get over it. Your DNA isn’t the Holy Grail ” to mix several metaphors.


        Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

        Dude, so why so many kids?

        My wife and I love children and we believe in the institution of the family. We have 5 biological kids — 3 singletons and 1 doubleton and 3 adopted — but they are all thankfully ours. By the way, the ‘singleton’ and ‘doubleton’ talk is old Set Theory talk coming out. Fun.

        Even more fundamental, though, is this: when all is said and done, on my death bed, I will not wish that I had spent more time at work or other similar activities. All I will take with me are my relationships and my memories. The most meaningful relationships are those with family and with dear friends. We believe in the family; it’s where my wife and I receive our greatest joy, experience our toughest challenges, and also where we gain our deepest learning.

        So, are you a white guy? What are you, bro?

        Actually, I’m not Caucasian. I’m Filipino, my wife is Caucasian, we have 5 biological kids together (so they are 1/2 Filipino and 1/2 White, and 3 kids that are African American.

        Hey man, why adopt? — Why you gotta be doin’ that?

        Good question. My wife and I can produce biological children. My wife has always wanted to adopt — her heart is big, kind, and charitable — and she teaches me everyday. I have come to believe in adoption and am a huge proponent of it now.

        There are many children in the world that need loving parents. We are doing our part to help in the most meaningful way we know how: bringing children into our family, parenting them, teaching them to be the best they can be, and watch them grow and contribute back to society. We’re really blessed to be the parents of our children.

        What kind of car fits all ya’ll?

        We drive a big 15 passenger Ford Econoline Van. I’ll be the first to admit that the Van is not cool, incredibly offensive to our environment (I’m really sorry), but it’s what fits our family. I have attempted to make it less uncool by installing 2 DVD players in it that drop from the ceiling. The 2 DVD thing is pretty cool.

        Ummm, so wachu tizzle, wizzle?

        I’m not sure what you mean, but drizzle, fizzle.

        Hey, so where’d your hair go? — You are balder than an eagle, man. Dang, you ugly.

        Thanks for noticing. Yes, I have no hair. I am developing a theory about hair and here it is: I believe that hair is for the insecure. Deep inside, you’re hiding something.

        Do you drive like a big ‘ol bus or something?

        Please see response above but, to answer you briefly — Yes.

        Man, your house must be packed. How many bedrooms you got in that thing?

        We live in a modest home. We have 10 bedrooms, but our kitchen and living room are a little smaller. Pretty much all of the square footage in our house is in bedrooms, but every child has their own room and my wife and I have our own room that she let’s me share with her.

        That’s pretty cool that you’ve adopted so much. Good job, man.

        Thank you.

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        https://6sigma.com/we-adopted-again/feed/ 11 Book of Mormon Printing Press – Meet the Mormons https://6sigma.com/book-mormon-printing-press-meet-the-mormons/ https://6sigma.com/book-mormon-printing-press-meet-the-mormons/#comments Sat, 25 Oct 2014 02:17:37 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/?p=15645 This is a two-part post that I’ve entitled “Book of Mormon Printing Press – Meet the Mormons”. Earlier this year, we went to Palmyra New York to see early Mormon history. I’d like to show a few pictures and a video about that trip and the very complicated process of typesetting and printing the first […]

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        This is a two-part post that I’ve entitled “Book of Mormon Printing Press – Meet the Mormons”. Earlier this year, we went to Palmyra New York to see early Mormon history. I’d like to show a few pictures and a video about that trip and the very complicated process of typesetting and printing the first Book of Mormon. Before I show you a video of the printing press of the original Book of Mormon, I’d like to first discuss is a movie I recently saw entitled “Meet the Mormons” – a very good and inspiring movie.

        Meet the Mormons

        I’m a Mormon. The movie showcases the lives of 5 Mormon families. What I love about the movie is that it is so real and down-to-earth and really shows what Mormon families are like. It turns out we’re like most people who have challenges, sometimes struggle, and yet our faith helps us through it all and it knits us together. I strongly suggest you check out the movie. Go see Meet the Mormons.

         

        Visiting The Book of Mormon Printing Press

        During Spring Break of 2014 while we were living in Nashville, we decided to hit a few of the Mormon Church History Sites. We went to Palmyra New York and visited the E.B. Grandin building, the place where the original Book of Mormon was printed. There, we learned about the fascinating process of typesetting and how complicated it was to print the first Book of Mormon.

        I didn’t know much about typesetting before this trip, but I now have such a respect for the original printers and how much work they went through so that the rest of us can have the blessing of books in general. I’m going to share several photos from that visit to the printing press – I’ll do my best with the labels since I don’t remember what the tools were called or what they were used for.

        This was a press to keep the pages glued together:

        book of mormon printing press

        This was leather used for the book front and back covers:

        typesetting tools used in the 1800's

        This is where the typesetting tiles would go into:

        tiles for typesetting

        These were the tiles being prepared for typesetting:

        arranging the tiles for the ink

        These are ink balls for typesetting:

        ink balls for typesetting

        Print Proof of Book of Mormon:

        first proof of book of mormon

        Gluing the pages of the Book of Mormon:

        gluing the pages of the book of mormon

        This is a plane used to trip the edges of the Book of Mormon:

        plane used to trip edges of book of mormon pages

        Here’s another press that glues the pages together:

        book of mormon getting glued

        This is where they stamped a gold trim on the pages of the Book of Mormon:

        gold leaf stamping of book of mormon

        Another stamping tool for Book of Mormon:

        another stamping tool for book of mormon

        Large press to squeeze the pages of Book of Mormon together:

        large press to push pages of book of mormon

        Below is a short video showing how the original Book of Mormon was created back in the 1800’s:

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        Moving to Nashville Tennessee https://6sigma.com/moving-to-nashville-tennessee/ https://6sigma.com/moving-to-nashville-tennessee/#respond Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:09:38 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/?p=9957 I haven’t written in a while. I apologize for that. You see, I’ve been quite busy. I recently accepted a position with a great company based in Nashville TN. So, on December 19, 2011 we moved from Utah to Tennessee. The company moved us, so that helped a lot, but there was quite a bit […]

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        I haven’t written in a while. I apologize for that. You see, I’ve been quite busy. I recently accepted a position with a great company based in Nashville TN. So, on December 19, 2011 we moved from Utah to Tennessee. The company moved us, so that helped a lot, but there was quite a bit still to do in moving my family from a place we’ve grown to love and established as our home for the last 6 years. Along the way, I learned a few things that I’d like to highlight here.

        1. Over time, unless one actively practices 5S daily, a family tends to accumulate a lot of stuff.
        2. Practicing and implementing 5S in a family isn’t quite as easy it is to do at work or in other settings.
        3. Having a good attitude and being an example of positivity makes a big difference in times of change and transition.
        4. Moving a big family and catering to each person’s needs is hard.
        5. Moving can also be exciting.

        moving to nashville tennessee, advice
        I’ll share more lessons-learned in the next coming weeks. For now, I have some boxes I need to unload. Happy Holidays and Have a wonderful new year everybody. And as always, thanks for reading shmula.com – I do not take your attention for granted. Thank you.

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        Change Management is Like Potty Training https://6sigma.com/change-management-is-like-potty-training/ https://6sigma.com/change-management-is-like-potty-training/#respond Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:47:59 +0000 https://opexlearning.com/resources/?p=4861 My son turned 2 years old in June 2010. By most standards, barely a 2 year old isn’t ready to be potty trained. I beg to differ.

        The other day, after breakfast, I placed him on the toilet, hoping so badly he would go poopy. After 30 minutes or so, he finally went poopy and […]

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        My son turned 2 years old in June 2010. By most standards, barely a 2 year old isn’t ready to be potty trained. I beg to differ.

        The other day, after breakfast, I placed him on the toilet, hoping so badly he would go poopy. After 30 minutes or so, he finally went poopy and we had a serious party – screaming, clapping, and smarties all around. I thought for sure he was potty trained.

        If They’re Not Ready, then They’re Not Ready

        I’m really tired of the diaper stage of parenthood. So in my anxiousness to get out of this stage, I thought I could hurry my son along from diapers into underwear.

        I was wrong.

        And, this is despite me having 9 children and having potty trained 6 of them – I should know better.

        The Poopy Diaries: The Next Day

        The day after he went poopy, I tried it again, but to no avail. I realized, maybe he’s just not ready. And, forcing a 2 year old to go poop is a losing battle – if the kid doesn’t have to go poop, he doesn’t have to go poop. And, it’s okay. He’ll learn in his own due time – with my loving help. But forcing will only delay his progress.

        Organizational Readiness and Poo

        Analogous to me forcing my son to be potty trained when he’s not ready, most organizational change consultants, lean consultants, six sigma consultants, turnaround consultants, management consultants, etc., attempt to force their client companies toward change, when maybe the client company is not ready.

        if the kid doesn’t have to go poop, he doesn’t have to go poop.

        True, Deming did say that change isn’t necessary and neither is survival. Despite that, forcing a company toward change isn’t very successful in the long run. If they’re not ready, then they’re not ready. Let the fittest organizations survive and the weak organizations fall by the wayside.

        Some Plant, Some Water, Some Harvest

        In many cases, those that plant the seeds, water the seeds, and harvest the seeds are different people. The same is true for companies – some are ready for seeds to be planted, some where those seeds are watered and cultivated, and some are actually ready for change – the harvest step.

        Given this natural law, one can’t force a seed to sprout and grow. It takes time.

        What is Organizational Readiness?

        Here are a few, related definitions:

          • Organizational Readiness is an awareness of the current state of the organization; that awareness leads to urgency and desire and willingness to change.
          • Organizational Readiness is the ability and capability for an organization to shift (or pivot) from the current way of operating to a different way of operating.

        • Capability, in the context of Organizational Readiness, means assessing the skills necessary to make the desired changes successful.
        • Willingness, in the context of Organizational Change Management, means that the leadership and employees want to be part of the change.
        • Organizational Readiness also means identifying any barriers to change, prioritize which barriers are higher in importance than others, and having a solid plan to address the barriers to change.

        Given this natural law, one can’t force a seed to sprout and grow. It takes time.

        Assessing Organizational Readiness

        Step One: Identify Desired Change and Commit a Champion

        • Write it down. This might mean stating the current conditions of the organization and then clearly articulating a future vision after the change has occurred. Leadership and key stakeholders should be involved.
        • A must-have is a champion with enough authority to make things happen. This is a critical step and the future of your change initiative rests with this one.

        Step Two: Determine Current State versus Future State

        • What is the current state of the organization – in every facet, but prioritized from people, finances, customers on down.
        • What is the gap between where the organization wants to arrive at versus where it is currently?
        • Is the future vision aligned to the current values and culture? If not, then that represents a gap that should be addressed.

        Step Three: Determine Resources, Skills, and Talent Gaps

        • How much funding is needed to achieve the change? Is funding available for the initial change?
        • What skills and talent are required to achieve the change? Who satisfies that criteria today? Can we upskill and retrain our people? If so, what is the timeline?
        • What other initiatives might be competing with the desired change? Can both initiatives co-exist or align?

        Step Four: Identify Stakeholders and Stratify them in a Barrier Chart

        • This is also known as Force Field Analysis or a simple Stakeholder Chart.

        • Once the chart above is completed, then it makes sense to as the following:
          • For a given influential stakeholder that is a major barrier to the success of the initiative, what is the root cause of their resistance and what can be done to help them progress from Major Barrier to Full Support?
          • For a given non-influential stakeholder that is a major barrier, we need to choose whether we should spend time convincing that person to support?
        • Doing this step is also critical because, at the end of the day, it will be people that can either make or break the change initiative. So, spend appropriate time here and, remember, that most people don’t change for objective reasons, but they are affected via emotion and for subjective reasons.

        For More Context

        Below are a few videos of Ken Blanchard, a noted change management thought leader, speaking about large-scale change and how to lead a change management effort.

        Resistance to Change

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