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Friday, November 22, 2024

Lean Quote: Leadership’s Function is to Produce More Leaders Not More Followers

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.


"I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.  
  Ralph Nader


Leadership development has become a necessary focus for any organization that wishes to separate itself from the pack and become established in markets that are always changing the rules.

Creating an intentional strategy for developing employees is one of the most important things you can do as a leader to impact the culture of your organization. This is especially true for those you would categorize as future leaders.

If you want to be intentional about developing future leaders in your organization, here are a few keys to consider:

1. Encourage Self-Awareness and Reflection

Helping your employees discover their own strengths and weaknesses encourages self-awareness. A self-aware employee has a better grasp on which areas they wish to improve. By providing constructive feedback and encouraging reflection, you can coach a good employee into becoming an outstanding member of your team.

2. Promote Potential Leaders to Take on Challenges

The best employees are filled with potential, but many companies make the mistake of leaving that potential untapped. Don't let this happen in your organization. Studies show that most employees enjoy using their talents and abilities. In fact, challenging your workers to stretch their knowledge and providing opportunities for them to showcase what they can do is an ideal way to boost morale.

3. Build Strong Relationships

Strong work relationships are mutually beneficial to both management and employees because they make work a pleasant place to be. To build rapport with your team, you must be trustworthy and reliable - and open to suggestions for change. Transparency also helps build strong connections. An open-door policy is preferable to a more traditional tiered hierarchy. In this way, any employee who has a problem can talk to you without following a set chain of command.

4. Use Job Rotation to Broaden Experience

Give your workers a chance to broaden their expertise by working in different parts of the company. This will allow you and them to discover both their strengths and the areas where they need additional training. It will also give them an appreciation of other roles that will be beneficial in managing others in those areas.

5. Create Coaching and Mentoring Opportunities

One of the best ways to develop future leaders is by having them learn directly from other successful leaders. Once you’ve identified candidates that could potentially be great leaders, match them up with a great leader to mentor them, coach them, and consistently provide feedback. A mentor can provide customized guidance that helps prepare junior employees to become more effective leaders in the future. Building these strong relationships early creates opportunities for open, honest lines of communication throughout the leadership development process.

These are just a few of the ways organizations can develop leadership potential in the workplace. By keeping communication open, incorporating leadership into regular professional development, and giving emerging leaders opportunities to grow, organizations can begin to build their leadership pipelines from within.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Lean Tips Edition #307 (#3631-3645)

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips.  It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey.  Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook.


Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

Lean Tip #3631 – Embrace Uncertainty

Change often brings uncertainty, and embracing uncertainty is key to adaptability. Accept that change is inevitable, and that uncertainty is a natural part of life. Instead of resisting or fearing uncertainty, develop resilience and learn to thrive in the face of the unknown.

To embrace uncertainty, practice mindfulness and focus on the present moment. Cultivate a sense of curiosity and openness to new experiences. Remind yourself that uncertainty can lead to growth and new opportunities. The more you embrace uncertainty, the more adaptable you will become.

Lean Tip #3632 – Seek New Experiences

Stepping out of your comfort zone and seeking new experiences is another way to embrace change and develop adaptability. Engaging in diverse activities and exposing yourself to different perspectives can broaden your horizons and expand your ability to adapt.

To seek new experiences, challenge yourself to try something new regularly. It can be as simple as trying a new hobby, exploring a different neighborhood, or engaging in a new social activity. The more you expose yourself to new experiences, the more adaptable you will become.

Lean Tip #3633 – Ask “What If” Questions to Push Boundaries

If you want to help your team, be bold and innovative, ask questions that push them to think outside the box. Don’t limit your questions to slight modifications of the status quo. Ask questions that probe current boundaries and limitations. As a result, your team will start to think innovatively. You can ask questions like: “What if we had to build this process from scratch? What would we do differently?” or “What if our main product suddenly became obsolete?”

Such questions may seem far-fetched, but they prepare you to handle sudden disruptions. And often, the seemingly absurd happens think about how many industries saw their main products become obsolete thanks to the pandemic disruption! Asking these hypotheticals encourages your team to expect the unexpected, think creatively, and respond to uncertainty on their feet. You can do this in team brainstorming sessions and also in one-on-one meetings.

Lean Tip #3634 – Change Your Mindset, Focus on Continuous Improvement 

One of the biggest ways manufacturers can learn to deal better with change is to become an organization that embraces a culture of continuous improvement. Manufacturing companies that focus on continuous improvement are not only more likely to succeed in an ever-changing business environment, but they are also more likely to implement changes when needed.

This type of company culture prioritizes continually making small changes that improve operational processes. It involves constantly reviewing processes and procedures, looking for ways to make them more efficient and effective. It’s important to encourage feedback from employees at all levels of your organization and to use this feedback to make meaningful changes.

If your staff is always focused on making improvements and changes — and is included in the change-making process — they will naturally become more comfortable with change over time.

Lean Tip #3635 – Invest in Training and Development

To embrace change you must invest in training and development for your employees. This includes providing access to training programs, workshops, and seminars that help employees stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies. It’s important to create a learning culture where employees are encouraged to learn and develop new skills.

In addition to providing training opportunities, it is also important to recognize and reward employees who actively seek out opportunities for learning and development, as this reinforces a culture of continuous improvement, encourages ongoing professional growth and makes staff more open and comfortable with change.

Lean Tip #3636 – Address Continuous Improvement Challenges By Communicating Openly

The most important thing you can do when introducing anything new into your business is to communicate with your employees as to the reason why. By clearly communicating the need for process improvement and process improvement tools, you can help to reduce fear and actually spark interest/ support.

Lean Tip #3637 – Address Continuous Improvement Challenges With A Proof-of-Concept

Rather than starting with widespread alterations, you can begin with a proof-of-concept project. For example, if there are multiple processes you wish to amend, start with one.

Then, you can use it as an example as to how the no-code tool has not only improved the organization, but also the lives of employees, too. When employees experience the benefits first-hand, they will be more willing to take part in widespread changes.

Lean Tip #3638 – Make Continuous Process Improvement the Norm Within Training

Change isn’t always easy. It’s vital to train and support employees as you make any adjustments to existing processes. This is especially true when you implement new technologies and want your employees to make use of such tools. They should feel comfortable using new technologies as part of their processes and routines.

Lean Tip #3639 – Improve Your Process with Time Studies

One of the most significant resources wasted within a business is time. Being able to accurately measure and gauge how much time a process takes on behalf of your employees can offer insight into where you can optimize a process. It’s as simple as using software to time a process. Then, you can analyze how long processes take and find ways to eliminate wasted time. This could be in the form of automating approvals and reducing touch-points, thereby preventing potential bottlenecks and delays from occurring.

Lean Tip #3640 – Use Catchball to Get Continuous Improvement Going Within Your Organization.

Within organizations, processes are rarely started and completed by a single person. As such, every process needs to have someone who can be held responsible for its execution, but still requires the input and assistance of multiple people. Catchball is a method of continuous improvement that requires the person who initiated a process to state its purpose and concerns to the others involved clearly. In this way, they can then “throw” it out to the group for feedback and ideas for improvement, yet the single person remains responsible for its completion.

Lean Tip #3641 – Emphasize a Personal Understanding of the Philosophy of Kaizen Across all Levels of the Organization.

Instilling an understanding of kaizen as a long-term practice, rather than a management initiative, is important in order to sustain continuous improvement. Continuous improvement is as much about mindset as it is about actions.

Making sure your employees understand the history and philosophy of kaizen will help sustain a culture of continuous improvement that permeates the company. Building a company culture with a steady focus on improvement is critical to maintaining momentum in your kaizen efforts.

Lean Tip #3642 – Empower Your Employees to Solve Problems

Employees who are closest to the problems in your operations are the best-equipped to solve them. They are your greatest assets in your kaizen efforts, so give them the support they need to implement improvements. Developing your team’s abilities through training and support should be as much a part of your continuous improvement program as making improvements to manufacturing processes.

Additionally, engaging team members to identify problems and suggest improvements in their work areas encourages a sense of ownership over their work, which can improve overall motivation, morale, and productivity.

Lean Tip #3643 – Document Your Process and Performance Before and After Improvements have Been Implemented

In kaizen, it’s important to “speak with data and manage with facts.” In order to evaluate improvements objectively, existing procedures must be standardized and documented. Mapping the process’s initial state can help you identify wastes and areas for improvement and provide a benchmark for improvement.

Measuring performance against existing benchmarks allows you to demonstrate ROI from your kaizen efforts and keep the company aligned around improvement. It also allows you to identify areas where your efforts are working–or not–so you can make strategic decisions about future improvements.

In order to measure performance objectively, you should identify metrics that quantify improvements. These may include metrics revolving around quality, cost, resource utilization, customer satisfaction, space utilization, staff efficiency, and other KPIs.

Lean Tip #3644 – Standardize Work to Make Improvement Last

In order for improvements to last, they must be standardized and repeatable. Standardizing work is crucial to kaizen because it creates a baseline for improvement. When you make improvements to a process, it’s essential to document the new standard work in order to sustain the improvements and create a new baseline. Standard work also reduces variability in processes and promotes discipline, which is essential for continuous improvement efforts to take root.

Lean Tip #3645 – Create Your Own Kaizen Guidelines

While there are many resources available to guide you through your kaizen efforts, it’s important to personally understand your company’s kaizen journey. Reflecting on your kaizen efforts after improvements have been implemented is an important part of the continuous improvement cycle.

As you reflect on your efforts, develop your own kaizen guidelines. Start by creating guidelines based on your own experiences improving the workplace. Keep in mind that these guidelines should be for your colleagues, your successors, and yourself to understand the problems you have overcome. These guidelines will ultimately help you as you approach your next challenge.


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Monday, November 18, 2024

2024 Northeast Lean Conference Recap Summary Part 2


In a continuation of my recap from Day 1 the 2nd day of the Northeast Lean Conference Leveraging Lean to Thrive in Uncertain Times did not disappoint. Andrea Haas, President at Summit Polymers, demonstrated how they used Lean Practices to Succeed in automotive industry after Tariffs, COVID labor shortages, microchip shortages, global supply chain disruptions, and inflation. They specifically focused on Jidoka, building in quality with Poka Yoke and Andon, standardized work, and kaizen to successfully navigate these uncertain times.

Cultivating a Lean Culture Through Individual Change Management

Evan McCoy, Continuous Improvement Leader at Kone, shared how to create awareness, desire, knowledge, action, and results around creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement. What can we do about the fact the 70% of change initiatives fail?

He promotes the ADKAR Framework for Change

Awareness – change begins with understanding why

Employees will want to know why? Why now? What’s Wrong?

Leaders must be ready to answer what’s changes and why, risks of not changing, what’s not changing, why now

Desire – Change involves personal decisions

Build desire and momentum by showing not telling. Focus on the small improvements. Celebrate and show recognition.

Knowledge – Change requires knowing how

Do and show rather than tell and teach. Formal training (10%), learning through experience (70%), learning through socialization (20%)

Ability – Change requires action in the right direction

People leaders must set the tone for the teams. Time is constrained resource create space and culture for improvement. Allow for experimentation and risk. Improvements must be visible and impactful.

Reinforcement – Chage must be reinforced to be sustained

Meaningful link between improvement and daily work. Simpler, easier, more efficient improvement in process. Accountability systems to reinforce. Performance measures that connect and reward and recognize by leadership and peers.


Breaking the Buy-In Barrier: Getting Lasting Senior Leadership Commitment

Melissa Lin, Associate Director Continuous Improvement at Phillips, knows about the importance of senior leadership buy-in. To be successful you need senior leadership commitment actively and visibly participating throughout the journey, building a coalition of peers, and communicating with employees.

Is the resistance directed at you or because of you or something else?

These are the most common obstacles to senior leadership buy-in, what they really mean, and how to overcome them.

Gimme the ROI – They want the facts, data, quantifiable benefits and/or risk mitigation to buy-in so you can solve that with a strong, clean A3.

I dont see the problem – They want the facts verified with their own eyes, irrefutable evidence change is required to be convinced so bring them to the Gemba and let the problems show themselves or bring it to them in the form of spaghetti diagrams or VSMs.

This isnt a priority for us – They want to see connection to the big picture, need help focusing on top priorities and fixing problems on their plate so use Hoshin Kanri to connect to True North and use Root Cause & 5 Whys to solve problems.

I dont think itll work – They want results, proof of improvements, and one less thing to worry about so have well scoped value stream for kaizen and show respect for people.

 

Developing a Company of Problem Solvers

Edge Coble, Director of Continuous Improvement at Gemline, shared how they use Continuous Improvement Boards to develop, engage, and empower everyone into problem solvers. Continuous improvement is about seeing the problem not waste elimination. Waste is a byproduct of poor flow.



The CI Board is:

               Way to identify and resolve problems

               Aligned to corporate goals & dept KPIs

               Diversity of viewpoints, knowledge & experience

               Cross-pollination & rapid deployment of improvements

               Source of accomplishment and pride



The CI Management Model for Engagement has these leadership styles

Collaborative – CI Leadership – working together

Leave Alone – Manager not around

Authoritarian – Tell what to do

Parental – Treat as part of extended family

Continuous improvement is about spotting the disruptions in your team’s workflow, understanding why it’s happening, and determining a speedy correction.

Created an idea board in MS Planner (Teams) – see picture

 

Passing the Baton to a New Generation of Problem Solvers

Karl Wadensten, President of Vibco, was the final keynote of the conference. As Vibco celebrates its 52nd anniversary, Karl shared how embracing Lean has powered his company through challenging times and still enables them to thrive today. I’ve been to their facility several times and it is very impressive so I would recommend a visit.

The future of continuous improvement will be characterized by a more balanced approach that prioritizes job satisfaction, social responsibility, and sustainable practices alongside traditional metrics of success. Organizations that embrace this paradigm will not only enhance employee engagement and satisfaction but will also contribute positively to society an the environment.

Gen Z has a distinctive perspective on the current workplace, influenced by their upbringing, and educational experiences which is different than other generations.

Emphasis on purpose – seeks work that aligns with their personal values and contributes positively to society.

Focus on learning and growth

Importance of mental health

Comfort with Technology

Preference for collaborative Work

Skepticism Towards traditional career paths

Job satisfaction over job security

Understanding these perspectives allow organizations to create environments that attract and retain Gen Z talent.

When the rubber hits the road. The boss is the coach. The boss is authentic. The boss shows vulnerability. The boss knows when to lead and when to follow. The boss show’s purpose and passion for his people.


The 21st Annual Northeast Lean Conference will be October 27 & 28, 2025 at the Double Tree Hotel & Conference Center in Manchester, NH.

The 2025 Northeast Lean Conference



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Friday, November 15, 2024

Lean Quote: The Quality of a Leader is Reflected in the Standards They Set for Themselves

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.


"The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves. —  Ray Kroc


As a leader, what you tolerate in the business is what eventually becomes the culture and ultimately dictates the performance of your business or unit. If you tolerate under performance, then under performance becomes the new norm. if you tolerate missed targets, then missed targets become the new norm. if you tolerate excuses, then excuses become the new norm.

And by tolerating, I mean the conscious decision you take on a daily basis to accept that level of performance. The conscious decision to allow the excuses that surround you to infiltrate your plans or offset the underperformance.

If you do not tolerate underperformance and excuses, they will disappear from the culture. If you constantly practice the way to do things, prioritize and execute on the most important things and generally do more of the right things more often, then success will become a habit. The consequence of not doing this is that underperformance becomes the culture.

Leaders need to be first grounded in their own values and hold fast to that line – then hold others accountable to it as well. No exceptions except in very extreme circumstances and only if it would not change the goalposts for the organization itself. As the leader, you are the first line of defense for your own and the company’s values – don’t let anyone change those. You become what you tolerate. Set the standard you want for them.

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Wednesday, November 13, 2024

2024 Northeast Lean Conference Recap Summary


This year’s Northeast Lean Conference marks a number of milestones in Lean as the conference celebrates its 20th Anniversary. It also marks the 25th Anniversary of Toast Kaizen Video and the 35th Anniversary of the book the Machine the Changed the World. LEAN in conference name is an acronym for Lead Enable and Nurture. The theme this year was about “Leveraging Lean to Thrive in Uncertain Times” which we can all certainly relate to in some way.

“So, You’ve Read 10 Books About Lean and Now You’re Really Confused? Been There.”

The conference got started with a key note from Brad Cairns, Lean pioneer and entrepreneur, talked about his life long journey. He started like many did consuming many books on the subject. He read the Lean Turn Around by Art Byrne and started down Lean Journey. Learned he couldn’t transform people so he hired lean consultant named Jim Lewis, Quantum Lean. Read The Toyota Way and many other books. . Learned from Paul Akers at FastCap, Kaas Tailor, Michael Althoff at YelloTools, and other great practitioners. He created Kaizenify.app to bring shopfloor tools to you. He pays it forward through sharing lesson podcasts, youtube, etc.

He shared 4 lessons not learned in books that you should take note of:

1) Preparation – You need to know where are you going and where you are starting from. You need to know when you’ve made improvements. The P&L is a poor measuring tool because it last month, last quarter, last year. Measure forward looking tools (over the line chart, throughput $/labor hrs, pieces/day)

2) Internal people – You can’t transform donkeys into racehorses.

3) You - Good speech from Jocko Willink. You can improve from suffering.

4) External People – If you make the change everything will change. Are your advisors helping you? Lean is for 2% of the world. Go Hard of Go Home. You pick your hard. Are the people you spend the most time with boat ankers or propellers? Sometimes you need a kick in the butt or shove in the right direction.

How Do You Create A Lean Culture? Art Knows

Art Byrne, Wiremold CEO, (where I worked) shares how to Create a Lean Culture from his newest book “Lean Turnaround Answer Book”. Most significant steps are below:

1. If given the option no one will choose to do Lean. Communicate about the change to Lean (what, why, when, how) and what’s in it for them. Let them know they will not lose their jobs due to improvement. Everything must change. You can’t have a lean culture without a Lean enterprise involving every part of the business. Sales & Marketing – level load orders, Accounting/Finance – standard cost accounting incentives all things we try to get rid of in lean, IT/Human Resources – hire for lean. Lean is not a cost reduction program.

2. Lean can not be managed; it must be led. The leader must be an expert. You can not delegate a Lean conversion. The leader must be hands on in the Gemba. Leaders should do 12 1-week Kaizens per year to learn about Lean.

2. Requires a new mindset focused on your processes not results. A company is nothing but these 3 things: A group of people, a bunch of processes, delivering value to a set of customers.

Set Operational Excellence Goals – What are we Trying to Do Here?

Wiremold examples:

100% On Time Customer Service

50% reduction in Defects (every year)

20% productivity gain (every year)

20X inventory Turns

5S and visual Control Everywhere

3. Change Structure – Most companies are organized functionally. Align your structure with value streams and move the equipment.

4. Kaizen, Kaizen, Kaizen

Create Kaizen Promotion Office. Kaizen includes everyone. Culture changes through kaizen.

5. State your Core Values: People, Customers, Kaizen

Live by the lean fundamentals

Work to takt time

One piece flow

Standard work

Pull system

Learn by doing = culture change

5. State the Behavior you expect

            Respect others

            Tell the truth

Be fair

Try new ideas

Ask why

Keep your promises

Do your share

6. Eliminate the Bad Actors

7. Share the Wealth

               Profit sharing

               401k match

               Suggestion program

8. Run the company on Operational Excellence Goals. Most run on make the month. It takes 2 weeks to close the books then you look back at things you can’t do anything about. Look forward not backwards.

Deploy the Op Ex Goals to the team leaders, review progress weekly, ask what kaizen are you planning next week, and look forward not backward.

“If you don’t try something, no knowledge can visit you.”

 

The Five Factors of Managing Change

Lara Laskowski and Arturo Sanchez from IDEXX understand that 50-70% of change initiatives result in failure but they people they have something in common. Their organization has a cure for false starts, limited change, frustration, and very likely another failure. They created a model for Productive Change involving Vision, Skills, Incentive, Resources, and Action Plans.



Vision – You need a clearly defined vision, problem statement with who, what, when, where, and why.

Skills – Need SME of the process, create robust training plan with standards

Incentive – What motivates people to take action, WIFM

Resources – Data needed, software used, people in process, and budget

Action Plans – Need robust action plan to implement improvements with ownership.


When elements of the formula are missing you can end up with confusion, anxiety, limited change, frustration, and false starts.

 

The Magic of Change Mindset with Magician Zane Black

Brad Morrow, The Wizard of Lean, had a wonderfully engaging presentation to view ourselves as powerful change agents, embrace risks, and adopt a new view on failure.

There’re three mindsets:

Empowered Mind: Sense of empowerment means you need to take risk. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Risk-Taking Mind: The only way to expand your comfort zone is through discomfort. Embrace fear.

Fear acronym = False, Evidence, Appearing, Real

 

Failure Embracing Mind: Why do we fall? So, we can learn to pick ourselves up.

Fail acronym = First Attempt in Learning

Failure is not your last chapter.

If I am Empowered “What Will You Do Next?”

 

Wiring the Winning Organization

The final keynote of the day was from Steve Spear who has written Creating High Velocity Organizations and Wiring the Winning Organization. 25 years ago, he wrote “Decoding the DNA the Toyota Production System” which noted Toyota had created a community of scientists within their organization.

If everything’s the same (resources between car companies) but the outcomes the only thing different then it’s the management system. They create conditions to solve really hard problems. As leaders we are responsible for people solving problems. Shape the problem-solving space to move from danger zone to winning zone.



There are 3 ways:

1) Slowification – Make problem solving easier to do.

2) Simplification – Make problems easier to solve.

3) Amplification – Make problems more obvious that need solving

How do we create processes and procedures that allow for problem solving. 5S, 1 piece flow, Jidoka, and Andon are examples of tools that move problems from the danger zone to the winning zone.

 

I’ll share some additional highlights from my 2nd day at the conference in my next post.

The 21st Annual Northeast Lean Conference will be October 27 & 28, 2025 at the Double Tree Hotel & Conference Center in Manchester, NH.

The 2025 Northeast Lean Conference



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Monday, November 11, 2024

Four Valuable Life Lessons From Strong-Willed Veterans We All Need

Today is Veterans Day Observance. To a lot of us, it means no school, lots of doorbuster sales and, hopefully, a day off from work. The meaning of Veterans Day can be of little insight to those who have no family members or friends who have served time in the service. But, those who do may see the importance of today a little more clearly.

We have supported our loved ones through their times of self-sacrifice and loyalty, as well as the most demanding, dangerous, terrifying and noble times. Their acts of valor trickle into their civilian lives, and we dedicate this day to them.

In honor of the veterans, here are four valuable lessons only a strong-willed veteran can teach us civilians about life:

1. Learn from the past

“Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” said George Santayana, a philosopher. There are historical precedents for many of the battles that are fought in the military, and the same is true of medicine. If you study the past objectively and think about how it turned out, you will have a clearer vision of how you should proceed. Don’t repeat other people’s mistakes.

2. Make a plan, but don’t be tied to it

“Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable,” said General Dwight D. Eisenhower. You have to be prepared to accept that your plan might not work. But, the fact that you went to the trouble of developing the plan will prepare you to know where to pivot.

3. Anticipate problems

“Every battle is won before it is fought,” said Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu. If you spend all your energy telling yourself how great your work is, you will believe it. Instead, put your energy into finding the weaknesses and anticipate the problems. Then solve them before they happen. This means realizing your biases and resisting them.

4. Ask for help

Lastly, learn to ask for help when you need it, take care of the relationships that sustain you, and allow yourself the privilege of taking care of yourself when you can. Remember that you are human, even when the situation seems inhuman.

The best thing you can learn from a veteran is to appreciate where you are at this moment in life. You have the ability to determine where life takes you. Most of that freedom wouldn't be ours if it wasn't for the men and women who devote their lives to make America what it is. This day is for you; we salute you for your bravery, your perseverance and your passion for our country.

Happy Veterans Day!


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