AME Blog

I know Valentine’s Day, with its trademark heart-shaped chocolates and bright red roses, is traditionally reserved for romance. I’d like to reframe the narrative. What if we all took the time to show a little extra love to those other people in our life—our coworkers, suppliers, customers, friends... More

It was a sunny afternoon in May of 2020, and I was running a staff meeting on Zoom with my team. I had just become CEO in January, and all of my plans were scrambled. Between the pandemic, supply chain breakdowns and preparing to move our largest in-person event to an all-new virtual format, it seemed... More

January is a time when we usually cycle between feeling invigorated, hopeful and a little bit downtrodden. There’s pressure to ride the momentum of the new year by immediately putting our resolutions into practice. All the while, wintry weather and short days tend to make running out of steam a common... More

For lean professionals, nothing is ever stagnant. Standard, yes, but never stagnant. We are always looking for better, faster, more efficient processes—or, in the case of the last several years, adapting in response to crises. As we rapidly approach the end of 2022 and start to look forward to 2023,... More

October was an exciting month for AME. In addition to reconnecting at AME Dallas 2022, we welcomed our 2022-2023 AME Board of Directors and Executive Committee. I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Marc Braun for his service as he steps down from the role of AME Chair. He and Past Chair Wayne... More

We have been practicing agility and flexibility forever. However, recent events mandated quicker responses than many of us have experienced in our careers or, frankly, were prepared for. I know I certainly was not. Change can be proactive or reactive. When we practice agility and flexibility proactively,... More

We are all familiar with the phrase “what goes up must come down.” Well, an interesting phenomenon is developing within the U.S. workforce, suggesting that those who exit might soon return…only this time on their terms. As workers experiment with “quietly quitting” in the post-pandemic labor... More

Last week I wrote about resilience and the incredible fortitude found within the supply chain and manufacturing industries. This adaptability, however, is only part of what makes AME and its partner organizations industry leaders and innovators. Our members are constantly pioneering new ways of thinking,... More

As the Industrial Revolution peaked in the U.S. at the end of the nineteenth century, workers’ rights were considerably undervalued and overlooked. Across the country, marches, protests and eventually the infamous Pullman Strike rocketed labor abuses to the top of the national agenda. After more than... More

AME is a large organization, with consortia spanning all regions of the United States and internationally, including a large presence in Canada and Australia. I often forget how wide our network is because the AME community is such a tight-knit and close family. You might think it is clichéd to refer... More

Last week, I wrote about the benefits of reverse mentoring when responding to digital change and generational gaps in the workforce. It also made me realize there was a larger conversation at play. When we implement forward-thinking initiatives to maintain standards of enterprise excellence, we are doing... More

As we leave June behind us and brace ourselves for the inevitable July heat, it is startling to realize we have already passed the halfway mark for 2022. Together we collaboratively addressed the challenges of the last few years and are now coming back stronger—and different. Offices have reopened,... More

A colleague recently shared a piece of advice that they received ahead of their first job interview, and it really stuck with me. In a nutshell: The interview doesn’t start when you walk into the office. Your impression starts with the first person you meet in the organization. It starts with your... More

Collaboration is a cornerstone of continuous improvement. AME was created because its founders realized we all gain by sharing, learning and growing together. In 1985, our mission of fostering practitioner-to-practitioner learning across the globe was born; this mission to inspire a commitment to enterprise... More

Each year, the U.S. Navy invites a select few to attend its Distinguished Visitor Embark, a rare experience to witness life aboard a Navy aircraft carrier. For years, this was one of my bucket list items. In 2010, I was finally able to live that dream. I landed, stayed the night and took off from the... More