Monthly Archives: May 2010

New Apps Lawyers Should Try

Posted on May 29, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

Nicholas Gaffney recommends 21 apps to make you more effective. My favorite on his list — though not so new anymore —  is Google Voice, which gives me excellent control over my incoming calls, with visual voicemail, transcription, and text and … Continue reading →

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Are You A GTD Black Belt?

Posted on May 28, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

If so, hear what David Allen expects to find when he meets you in this 2 minute podcast. Or read the answer under the fold (it’s not the answer you’re expecting). D. Mark Jackson

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Could An Andon System Have Prevented The Gulf Oil Spill?

Posted on May 28, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

Salon has a disturbing article describing what may have happened on the Deepwater Horizon before the Gulf oil spill.  It’s an interesting account of possible failures that led to the disaster and full of lessons for any team that needs … Continue reading →

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Reports From Shingo Prize Conference

Posted on May 20, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

(updated) Just a quick note to be sure and check out Mark Graban’s reports from the Shingo Prize Conference.  In comments, Mark writes that he plans on interviewing Stephen Covey tomorrow. In his report on Day 1, Mark relays this … Continue reading →

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Saving Lives By Reducing Medical Errors

Posted on May 19, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

Chasing Zero: Winning the War on Healthcare Harm is airing on the Discovery Channel and available for viewing online. The “war” metaphor seems inappropriate, and casting error as the “enemy” doesn’t resonate for me. It’s just not an accurate description … Continue reading →

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Does Technology Make You Complacent?

Posted on May 18, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

Is autopilot dangerous? The National Transportation Safety Board is holding a three-day conference in Washington, D.C. to discuss pilot and air traffic controller professionalism, including whether automation makes pilots complacent.  The New York Times reports: Automation is generally considered a positive development … Continue reading →

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Using Aviation Checklists To Improve Your Work

Posted on May 14, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

(updated below) I’ve nearly finished reading The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. In developing his surgical checklist, Dr. Gawande looked at examples from aviation, which has a long and successful history of using checklists to improve safety. Below are checklists for … Continue reading →

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GM’s Plan For “Zero Waste” Operations

Posted on May 10, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

The New York Times reports: General Motors said last week that 62 of its manufacturing plants (representing 43 percent of its global production) no longer send any production waste to landfills. The company’s goal, first stated in 2008, is for … Continue reading →

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Sleep On It

Posted on May 7, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

Despite the various strategies I like to cover on this blog, the single most important thing we can do to improve our productivity is simple: sleep more. National Geographic has a great article on the latest in sleep research. Let’s roll … Continue reading →

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