Early this morning, Mark Graban brought to our attention via Twitter that we were mentioned in a Harvard Business Review piece titled "Learning New Things Means Getting Up From Your Desk".

Power's piece showcases the merit of getting away from the computer screen and actually going out to learning new things. Power explains that learning from other companies is a learning experience whose returns can be far greater than what's compiled through big data or reading articles from major authority publications.

The article places VIBCO alongside other forerunners in operational excellence and systems improvement including GE Appliances and Autoliv, Here's the excerpt with our mention:

"At VIBCO, a small manufacturer in Wyoming, R.I., big organizations like Citizens Bank and GE Locomotive, as well as many hospitals, have visited the plant to learn about the company’s continuous improvement efforts. VIBCO offers tours 3-6 times per month. Each tour lasts for 3 hours and is followed by a debrief, facilitated by CEO Karl Wadensten. During the tour, visitors engage directly with VIBCO’s line employees. This direct interaction gives visitors a real look at the hard work of continuous improvement, and it gives VIBCO employees the opportunity to feel like superstars as they show and talk about their hard work with visitors who are deeply interested in what they have to say. The interactions refocus employees on continuous improvement. Ideas inspired by visitors are welcomed, considered, and implemented. Some examples of “tour-inspired” improvements include a new assembly cell layout, improved visuals to communicate standard work, and development of new machining fixtures."

Read the whole piece here: 'Learning New Things Means Getting Up From Your Desk' by Brad Power via Harvard Business Review