I am a big fan of Halloween. It brings out the inner child we tuck away most days of the year, allowing us to relive and reinvent precious childhood memories.
Halloween also allows us to exercise our scope of creativity. Think about how costumes have evolved over the years. I know many of us can recall the days when we slipped flimsy plastic masks over our faces and struggled to breathe through the too-small nostril holes. Now, special effects makeup and DIY (“Do It Yourself”) costumes are all the craze, and half the fun of Halloween is witnessing how impressive your friends’ creations turn out.
I believe that Lean and Halloween have more in common than we realize. How many of us as kids (or with our kids now) mapped out the most strategic candy-collecting route in the neighborhood? Did you maximize cul-de-sacs or save time by avoiding the houses without porch lights? Perhaps you took stock of the homes with the most generous giveaways or largest candy bars for next year’s bounty.
There are plenty of connections we can draw, but I think one of the most important is nurturing our creativity when the opportunity arises. Lean professionals are some of the most innovative people I know. Why else would we embed principles of continuous improvement into our operations if not to constantly stretch our brainpower to develop solutions for complex problems?
MC Jon Colby with the AME Home Team: Desiree, Sara and Denise at the 2023 AME International Conference
I’m thrilled that I celebrated Halloween week at the AME Conference in Cleveland this year. By now, you should have seen some innovative costumes on LinkedIn or in person. My favorite is this group – how can you not love their Wonderland theme? I joined as Alice and our home team member, Barb, was the Cheshire Cat. What was your favorite costume this year?
As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.
