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More from Joe Thompson
Looking for evidence that people are still thinking
- By Joe Thompson
- Mar 2, 2018
- Management
- Blog Post
Noted joke-teller Jerry Seinfeld once quipped that bookstores are the only evidence we have that people are still thinking. Outside of the world of academia and its research papers, he might be right. With all the media bias, outright partisanship, and “fake news” floating around, it can be...
Where does leadership come from?
- By Joe Thompson
- Feb 5, 2018
- Management
- Blog Post
No secret formula exists for creating leadership. Not even Colonel Sanders could whip together enough ingredients to patent a leadership recipe. Leaders, the good ones anyway, all share key attributes, like self-confidence, creative thinking, and the ability to delegate tasks to those further down...
Turns out you can reinvent the wheel
- By Joe Thompson
- Jan 9, 2018
- Management
- Blog Post
Sometime around 3,500 BC, man invented the wheel. It wasn’t very advanced and wasn’t used for transportation, either, but as a potter’s wheel. A few centuries later the ancient Greeks, who were likely sick of walking everywhere, put the wheel to use on chariots and the transportation industry...
Doing business in the Matrix
- By Joe Thompson
- Dec 1, 2017
- Management
- Blog Post
The holiday season is upon us again, and with it comes cold weather outings, family meals, and other festive traditions. One tradition I always look forward to is watching the Theodor Geisel masterpiece How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Geisel, a.k.a. illustrator and rhyme-writer Dr. Seuss,...
Leadership: Hard to define, imperative to have
- By Joe Thompson
- Nov 9, 2017
- Management
- Blog Post
Leadership is a difficult-to-define skill. It’s difficult to cultivate, even difficult to identify. Good leaders don’t need to be bosses, either. But all bosses should be good leaders. And, companies that identify and develop leaders in-house can save themselves time and thousands of dollars...
New strides in internal communication may step on toes
- By Joe Thompson
- Oct 11, 2017
- Management
- Blog Post
High-tech big thinker Elon Musk is at it again. He’s trying to change the world. Already well known for changing the technology of the automotive and aerospace industries, Musk now is trying to change the way internal communication happens in business; specifically his business, Tesla. This...
Large-hole repair requires technique, knowledge
- By Joe Thompson
- Sep 28, 2017
- Cutting Tools
- Article
Higher-than-necessary feeds also contribute to higher heat generation, something to avoid when cutting hardened materials.
Technology Spotlight: Visual Work Instructions
- By Joe Thompson
- Sep 14, 2017
- Automation and Software
- Article
Visual Knowledge Share (VKS) is a touchscreen-based operator visual aid installed at a workstation. As a part arrives at an operator’s station, the worker scans the part’s bar code, and work instructions, which include text, video, and part drawings, appear on the screen. The visual nature of...
Canadian Cities Seek Manufacturing Innovators
- By Joe Thompson
- Sep 11, 2017
- Management
- Blog Post
Way back in 2014, additive manufacturing and the IIoT were still in their infancy, traditional manufacturing remained somewhat cyclical, and The Conference Board of Canada issued a scathing report titled “How Canada Performs: Innovation.” The report compared innovation -- on a relative basis --...
The Right Rough
- By Joe Thompson
- Aug 22, 2017
- Cutting Tools
- Article
Editor’s Note: This article is based on Seco Tools Product Manager Jay Ball’s presentation “Optimized Roughing,” given April 12, 2017, Reynoldsville, Pa.
All Skills Aren’t Created Equal
- By Joe Thompson
- Aug 15, 2017
- Management
- Blog Post
In the last issue we asked several job shop owners about the challenges facing their businesses that worry them the most. In almost every case, the answer was the same: skilled labour shortages. The revelation was not only unsurprising, it was expected. This broken-record-like revelation has been...
Looking Forward to the Next 150 Years
- By Joe Thompson
- Jul 10, 2017
- Management
- Blog Post
Happy 150th birthday, Canada. You look great for your age. In the last 150 years, Canada has given the world some real game-changers, including the Robertson screw and, more importantly, the Tim Hortons’ double-double. But as we celebrate our sesquicentennial, let’s not look backward but...
If you build it, they will drive
- By Joe Thompson
- Jun 30, 2017
- Management
- Blog Post
Automotive production in Canada has a long and storied history. In 1867 Henry Seth Taylor built the first automobile in Canada, a steam-powered, one-off jalopy that made Chitty Chitty Bang Bang look like a Bugatti. Taylor unsurprisingly was also the first Canadian to be involved in a car accident,...
Multitasking at the Next Level
- By Joe Thompson
- Jun 22, 2017
- Metalworking
- Article
It’s not just safety requirements on the machine tool that are important either. Handling the powdered metal requires caution, training, and good work habits.
Getting Lean for the Summer
- By Joe Thompson
- Jun 21, 2017
- Management
- Blog Post
Summer is upon us. For some people that means weekend getaways to the cottage; for others who have felt cooped up for far too long, it’s just time to enjoy the outdoors again. There is something we can all agree on as we look forward to another summer season, however: Getting lean is hard....
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