AME Blog

“You have achieved excellence as a leader when people will follow you anywhere, if only out of curiosity.” I love this phrase attributed to four-star general and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin Powell. Powell shared that for a leader to be successful, one must foster open communication,... More

Many AME members live in Canada or the United States, so for most of you, this week is a celebration of Canada Day and U.S. Independence Day. These two celebrations remind me of the importance of honoring and remembering our successes. Hundreds of years ago, the United States declared independence and... More

Did you know Flag Day in the USA was last Friday, June 14? It commemorates the adoption of the American flag by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, during the Revolutionary War. The flag, known as the "Stars and Stripes," has 13 alternating red and white stripes and a blue field with 13 white... More

AME Consortia membership is one of the most valuable parts of AME. An AME Consortium is a group of local companies that collaborate to develop broad, deep and accelerated lean-CI progress better, faster and easier than they can do alone. These dynamic practitioner-to-practitioner networks are designed... More

Of all the federal holidays we celebrate, Memorial Day is both cheerful and somber. It is a day of observance focused on remembering and thanking the countless Americans in uniform who have given their lives for this country. Memorial Day is truly about acknowledging those heroic individuals and the... More

In a previous Mother’s Day letter, I shared that if there were a job description for the role of mother, “multitasker” would be the first bullet point. I would also add “SMART goal-setter” to the job description. I was fortunate to grow up with a mother who was a skilled multitasker and goal-setter.... More

This week, I would like to share an interview with our long-time AME Home Team member, Sara O’Hara. Sara has been with AME for 20 years and has seen many changes and innovations in her career. Sara is by far the kindest, most selfless person I have ever had the honor of working with — she always... More

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal the other day titled “How Gen Z is Becoming the Toolbelt Generation.” The article shared that Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, are rapidly ditching college and traditional schools and choosing skilled trades instead. Rising pay and new technologies... More

I had the opportunity last week to hear AME volunteer Robert B. Hafey (Bob) share his expertise in “Lean Safety: Workforce engagement and culture change.” Ryan Zeng, AME Seattle Consortium facilitator, sponsored this training, which resonated so deeply. Hafey shared how lean and continuous improvement... More

April is right around the corner, promising warmer weather, lighter evenings, and an enriching AME event season. AME has some incredible learning opportunities in April. Join us in person on April 10 for the Blue Q: Benchmarking Plant Tour, where we will expand the future through lean innovation and... More

I recently attended a "Milk and Cookies" open house event at the Peake Childhood Center in Hampton, Virginia. While there were a lot of "oohs" and "ahhs" about the incredible work they are doing with pre-kindergarten children, it was even more fascinating to learn about the impact early childhood education... More

Valentine’s Day, with its trademark heart-shaped chocolates and flowers, is traditionally reserved for romance. Last year, I shared that I would like to reframe the narrative and challenge us to take the time to show a little extra love to those other people in our lives—our coworkers, suppliers,... More

Last week, I talked about celebrating my four years as CEO of AME and how wonderful this experience has been. I am forever grateful to the AME trailblazers for this dream. In my January fifth letter, I talked about AME’s history and the pioneers who founded this incredible organization four decades... More

This past week, I read some intriguing articles about how we can enhance our value at work. My greatest takeaways boiled down to these simple ideas: Do work on what truly matters. Busy work is not a value-add and distracts us from our mission. Be humble about what you know, and always share credit. Build... More

2023 was an action-packed and wonderful year for AME. Through all the challenges, successes and celebrations, I am humbled you have graced me with the honor to continue to lead this forward-thinking, innovative organization and work with such outstanding members, volunteers and boards, as well as a fantastic... More