I apologize for the hiatus since my last article, but as Six Sigma wags like to say: “shift happens.” 

I intended to write something for the New Year, but I was knee deep in a new book entitled Lean Six Sigma Secrets for the CIO: COBIT, ITIL and Beyond. While I was writing my chapters, every pundit was, and still is, talking doom and gloom about the world economy. There is no question that some of us may face adversity. Hey I know: I am not exactly hundred percent billable (hint, hint). Undoubtedly, this adversity will force some of us to confront difficult issues in our lives, our organizations and our markets, issues that we would rather avoid and probably have managed to avoid for a long time. 

However, the New Year, like springtime, is a good time for reflection and renewal. It is time for you to engage in hansei.  Hansei, or critical self-reflection, is a core part of the Japanese ethos and requires that you acknowledge your mistakes and pledge improvement. When you reflect carefully, determine root causes, and take focused, creative actions, your future should shine brighter. In the end, you need only follow these simple steps for success:

1. Reflect on any problem you face;
2. Trace the problem to its root cause;
3. Take bold action;
4. Check to verify you did something of value;
5. Make adjustments when necessary; and,
6. Start all over again.

I’d love to hear what business processes your reflection has led you to work on and how you plan to tackle them.  Please e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it should you want to discuss them or need help with any process improvement tools or techniques.  If I cannot help you, we can use the collective or swarm intelligence to find the answer.