Other Essays
Many of the articles in this area will have some foundry terms and there is a good likelihood they will be applicable to management, but I think they also have application to people who are simply living their daily lives.
Besides the essays, I occasionally write shorter pieces on a blog, You can check those out by clicking below.
"The Whole Job" was first posted 11/26/05. I talk about the need for performing well on all aspects of a job and most importantly knowing what all the aspects are.
"Who Says?" was posted 1/29/05. It contains some of my thoughts on being a critical reader. Just because someone wrote it down doesn't mean that it's true.
"Are You Getting a Good ROI on Your Daily Activities?" was published in the July 2003 issue of Modern Casting. It relates how I found paying attention to the value of what I worked on let to cudos from my bosses.
'Are you a “Shoulddo”?'
"Are There Alligators In Your Foundry? was published in the April 2000 issue of Modern Casting. It points out the needs for valid plans and review of those plans if progress is going to be made.
"So What are You Going to Do About It?" was published in the January 2000 issue of Modern Casting. It addresses my views on why problems are not addressed by management and what you can do about it.
"Lobenhofer's Law" was published way back in January of 1979 in Modern Casting. I know it belongs in this category of essays, because of the frequency my wife reminds me of the law in situations that have nothing to do with foundries or management.
"Isn't it Time for a Progress Report?" is something I wrote in 2016. Writing it actually help me realize my customer of almost 20 years needed to talk about what it was I was supposed to be doing for him. Analysing if you are getting nearer your goal is a valuable tool that people are frequently too busy to do.
"BusTour Photography" was finished in 2017. It is somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek piece on the challenges of trying to take photographs while on bus tours.
"What is Your God Like?
Root Cause goes down the path of solving unsolvable problems and how sometimes you just have to do what you can at the time.
To the Grads is my attempt to offer some advice to recent graduates.