interim CEO :: Available for Hire

Available for Hire:
interim CEO (iCEO)

My name is Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey. And I have a problem. I must solve problems. Business problems.

In just 90 days

Otherwise I have trouble sleeping at nights.

Just google me to learn more about my accomplishments...

Check out my profile on linkedIn...

Read my book, Purple Curve Effect...

The Perfect Company

• Between $7 and $77 million in annual Gross Sales
• Privately held, For Profit
• Located in or Near:
• Canton, Ohio
• Hilton Head Island, SC
• Las Vegas, NV
• Ft Lauderdale, FL

I have extensive manufacturing and supply chain experience. Served as CFO for three different companies in three different industries. Did the CTO/CIO thing. Operations Manager. Director of Manufacturing. Worked on several international projects. Oh yea, created a number of startups too. Taught Computer Science for ten years.

As a Jonah in the world of Theory of Constraints, I have studied Lean and Six Sigma at some length. Did my formal training with H. William Dettmer. Completed my Critical Chain Project Management at the A.Y. Goldratt Institute.

Greatest business accomplishment to date: Dynamic 4^3 Strategy Process

So, if you want to apply some truly original thinking to your business, give me a call.

-ski

P.S. Did I mention that I am willing to take 80% of my compensation in the form of equity? Or a "pay for results" method?

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.linkedin.com/in/consultski
Hilton Head Island, SC | Las Vegas, NV
(330) 432-3533 | fax (954) 252-3927

tag: Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

PMconnection for Projects

PMconnection :: Connecting the PM World

Thanks to Jack and everyone at the PMconnection for the opportunity to get the word out on Tony Rizzo's TMx Project Modeling tool.

-ski

P.S. I love it when a plan comes together. Thayer Bennett slaved over the perfect message, and kept Tony and I on topic... a major accomplishment! And thanks again to Lana Lewis of Lana Lewis Design for great visuals. The absolute best, brightest and right people for the task.

walk on the beach

... a rare overcast day is no reason to skip that walk on the wide sandy beaches of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

MBR :: Manifestation

Ed McCullough's MBR

Manifestation is a powerful word. Over a late supper (7pm is way late for me to eat the last meal of the day!) last night Ed shared a concept with me that I found simply amazing.

He had shared portions of the concept over the last few months, but when he announced the title, which I will simply encode as MBR for the moment, the mental image of the completed book raced through my mind. I remark, "That is brilliant."

To which Ed responded, "Maybe."

No, it is perfect. Too perfect to share at this time. I knew that I knew that it was the perfect title for the book. The contents of which would perfectly match the title. As I drove home, my biggest concern was how to prepare Thayer for yet another potentially low paying manuscript to edit!

Merriam-Webster hit the nail squarely on the head with this definition:

manifestation

2. Materialization: a public demonostration of power and purpose.

Ed shared his target (and his passion for this project) with me probably six months ago. Maybe longer. I watched from a distance as his efforts took root. Grew. And finally manifest into the perfect storm!

To think, we met by chance (or was it?) at Toastmasters. Fast Tackers (club# 7199) on Hilton Head Island, SC in 1998. We became fast friends, and among our adventures over the years was his contribution to TOCreview magazine of a great book review of Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point".

As March 2008 draws to a close, and I return to consulting full-time via WWW.THROUGHPUT.US (TPU), I wounder where I would be without mentors like Ed McCullough. No, that is wrongheaded thinking.

I wonder where I will be this time next year because of mentors like Ed.

Allow me to share this one thought: I will be spending a lot more time exploring this "manifestation" concept.

Thanks Ed. Your friendship is worth slightly more to me than all the gold on planet Earth. Here is but a simple toast:

"To manifestation. May we both experience a hundred-fold return."

-ski

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
Throughput.us LLC
(330) 432-3533

P.S. If you have not viewed it before (or, like me, you just want to study the message in greater detail), check out the latest interview that Ed and I did for his Talk of the Town TV program on SKI TV.


©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Quick trip around the Sun

Out with the Old...

It has been a quick trip around the sun; hardly seems like a year.

I just completed a great assignment. Hard to believe the year is up already!

Throughput.us LLC (TPU) is my focus for the next year. Basically, TPU is all about helping with Project Management. So, if you, or a business partner is struggling with projects that seem to "come apart at the seams", you know where to turn.

-ski

Improvement Symposium

Experts Gathering

May 13, 14, 15, 2008
Weber State University

CPI Symposium

H. William Dettmer
Dr Lisa
Larry Leach
Grant Lindsay

for He is Risen

"He is not here: for He is risen,
as he said."
—Matthew 28:6

Home Title Insurance Fight

The Point of Beginning

Reading the April 7, 2008 issue of Forbes magazine, I noticed a small article on the title settlement industry:

Title Fight (scroll down the page slightly)

Once upon a time, I worked for a very gifted settlement industry guru by the name of Perry Hamilton. He solved this problem. But nobody cared.

"Title insurance firms rake in $18 billion a year for a product that is outdated, largely unneeded and protected by law, we wrote."
— Forbes Magazine

Wrong. Most of you know Les Brown. My favorite motivational speaker. The story I heard was that he bought a house from a friend, failed to buy the title insurance, and then lost his money and the house when the rightful owner came forward. Ouch.

If I were Steve Forbes, and he knew what I know about this industry, he would contact Perry Hamilton ASAP for a great story... and for the opportunity to champion the real fix for the cause of waste in the settlement industry:

Fee Simple Hosting

I was working for Perry as he started this adventure some years ago. His efforts at Condell & Co. via his various publications and events helped raise the professionalism in the industry. Those in the industry know that the article quotes bogus margins of 86% to 89%. Yes, they have unusual reporting metrics (using the term commission very loosely), but the real problem is waste. Perry Hamilton and a small team invented a better solution.

But the major players have yet to adopt his "Universal File Sharing" of policies.

That is the real crime.


Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
Throughput.us LLC
(330) 432-3533

P.S. I recall suggesting an Open Source solution, but Perry demanded the legitimacy of an IBM to help persuade the big boys. Five years later, we know that has yet to help. Maybe time to revisit the technology players? Especially in the light of Sun and Jonathan Schwartz' purchase of mySql...

Perry: if there is anything I can do to help, let me know.

©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

W. Edwards Deming :: Out of the Crisis

Wake Up Call

A search of another topic led me to the Sunarcher blog, which then resulted into my bumping into yet another post on Deming's work, and his Out of the Crisis book.

I can relate to Dr. Dinkelacker's writings and every once in a great while reflect kindly on my days in software development. Of course reality quickly comes crashing down around my ears, I give my head a shake, and remind myself "ain't no way" I could ever go back... and yet, there are some great apps that still need written. But I digress...

It is a shame that most people believe that Deming's message was one of quality. As if his work was called "Deming's System of Profound Quality". Is was not. The three defining words are "system", "profound", and "knowledge".

Wake up America

I doubt that Dinkelacker is quoting me (although I can dream, can't I?) when he states:

"W. Edwards Deming's work on quality, while widely misinterpreted and misapplied in the USA..."

It was this lead sentence that caused me to grab his RSS feed (via bloglines, still my favorite tool for such adventures). Yet, his blog is full of nuggets of great value. Like this link to his employer's "An Owner's Manual for Google's Shareholders" ala Warren Buffet.

Today's challenge: Read Point #4

"End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move toward a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust."

For me, Deming forgot an important concept (although some might argue that it is inherent): due date performance. Come on, we are Americans. We don't do "inherent" very well.

Spell it out

What gets posted on my wall gets done. Period. And very little else... that is why I do not allow my wife to make lists for me. I see a list and immediately my mind starts solving the challenges standing in the way of accomplishing everything listed. May I suggest that your mind does likewise? (BTW, I know your mind does as well, and the sooner we all awake each morning remembering this profound fact, the sooner we solve the world's systemic problems.)

Due date performance is a key component of Trust. But for me, I must spell it out. How many times have you told someone that a goal without a date is (at best) only a wish? Show of hands, how many of you actually think that is was luck that page 27 of my book, Purple Curve Effect, talks about my favorite things in life and business?

Truth is stranger than Fiction

Page twenty-seven draws to a close on the concept that makes it all possible: the Dream.

What's your dream?


Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
Throughput.us LLC
(330) 432-3533

P.S. FYI: Zig Ziglar has the greatest example of "price versus cost" that I have ever heard, when he tells about the two bicycles they bought his son many years ago. I noticed that Zig will be in Charleston, SC again this year (this coming week!). Well worth the cost to hear Zig live, if you never have. What are the chances that Zig received this piece of inspiration from Deming?

©2008 Jeff SKI Kinsey. All rights reserved.

Time does not Equal Money

Now I lay me down to sleep...

When a thought hits me right between the ears at somewhere around mach two. I (and others) have often remarked, "Time and money are interchangeable." Not enough time to complete a project, throw money at the conflict.

Not enough money to create that new product (or division, or business startup), just start throwing time at the idea. Spend weekends and holidays slaving away. Sounds simple enough. In fact, it even seems to make sense.

Wrong

I write a lot. I spend more time thinking. Listening to my iPod, just thinking stuff up. How to fix this challenge, how to fix that problem, how to make money both now, and more in the future.

Time ≠ Money

This might be my biggest breakthrough. Ever. Not to brag too much (just enough), I have had some great breakthroughs. But this takes the cake.

A dear friend, my pastor, and my employee, George Brayton tried to teach me a lesson about money circa 1990. I did not "get" the metaphor he used. And he would not disclose the message of the parable. Then a few short years later, at age 60, he woke up dead. Dead to us, but what a day of rejoicing that must have been in Heaven. But I digress...

He said, "Lend me $20 right now."

So, I pulled out two $10 dollar bills as I recall, and handed them to him. He then suggested that I would want my money back, to which I agreed. He reached into a different pocket, pulling out a $20 bill, and handed it to me. Then looked me in the eyes, and asked:

What is the lesson?

I had no idea. Over the years I have come up with a pretty good guess. George preached (among other things) that you should never, not ever, miss a payment on a debt. Never. He actually built a house using his credit cards to finance it, as he knew he could not get the loan he wanted at the rate he wanted to pay! Then he had it appraised (at a significantly higher value than his costs), and financed it for about 70% of its value, more than paying off his credit cards. And earning a substantial discount on the interest rate. He then used the 'profits' to expand his food service business.

Last night, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Money can be replaced.
Time cannot.

That is huge. Maybe not to you... maybe not today... maybe not ever. However, that doesn't change the fact: time, once expended, may not be recovered.

Have an investment go bad? So what. Get over it. Life happens.

Ever wait an hour on a prospect in a small dingy make-shift lobby, only to have them half-heartedly listen to your presentation? We all have. Allow me to let you in on a secret: you will never get that hour back. It is gone forever.

More importantly the leverage that hour might have given you is also gone.

Interested in making money?

Call me.

Together, lets leverage our talents (for sure), but let us master the brief time we have together. To accomplish some truly worthy goals.


Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
Throughput.us LLC
(330) 432-3533

©2008 Jeff SKI Kinsey. All rights reserved.

New TMx Logo

It takes a Village...

It is mostly about people. Business that is. For me, business is about solving problems for money. Solve more problems than the next guy, make more money. Of course, address the concept of "throughput" and you get to keep more of the money. But I digress...

Part of the village on the TMx adventure was Thayer Bennett. Her desire to build a great marketing plan around Tony Rizzo's Total-Matrix planning tool known as TMx. Also, Lana Lewis of Lana Lewis Design created the final artwork. Please visit WWW.PDITMX.INFO to see the graphics up close and personal.

As many of you know, I built the eCommerce back end that allows those suitably impressed individuals to convert the free download into a fully licensed product with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Finally, thanks to Tony Rizzo for staying true to the vision. In fact, if you want a sneak peek at the future of "help systems" you must download this app. This thing will practically build project models by itself! Hit the "what's next" button and it takes control. Kind of scary.

Actually, quite profound. But maybe not for everyone.

I was talking with a friend (lets call him, Harry) and asked which project planning software he used. He said, "Pad." I queried further, "Pad? I am not familiar with that. Who makes it?"

A paper pad and a pencil

Ouch.

TMx can even help my friend Harry.


Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
Throughput.us LLC
(330) 432-3533

©2008 Jeff SKI Kinsey. All rights reserved.

Bob Nardelli :: Take Two

Get Ready... for Nardelli?

This banner from last year was up for the buy out, as Chrysler more or less went private. A very good thing in my mind.

Surprise, Surprise

Checking out this Bloomberg article, I noticed that Bob Nardelli is at the helm of Chrysler LLC. I guess I missed that announcement. Of course, privately (or "closely held") companies do not have the reporting requirements that publicly traded companies must observe.

"Chrysler announced in November it planned to cut 12,100 jobs by the end of this month, including as many as 10,000 manufacturing jobs. It also canceled four models and later announced a plan to consolidate dealerships and shrink its lineup further."

I predict Chrysler will shortly leap frog GM and Ford. In a big way.

Six Sigma works. Lean (Toyota Production System) works. Of course those that follow my blog know that Constraints Management (CMM) works (CMM is the combination of Eli Goldratt's TOC and the late Col. John Boyd's OODA Loop as documented in H. William Dettmer's books Strategic Navigation and The Logical Thinking Process). Not having bogus quarterly numbers to hit simply to appease Wall Street is a very good thing.

While I am 100% against the lay-offs, I will not second guess Nardelli. At least not yet.

Lets consider judging them on their product: the actual cars and trucks that they build.

What a novel idea.


Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
Throughput.us LLC
(330) 432-3533

©2008 Jeff SKI Kinsey. All rights reserved.

Attitude :: Altitude

"Change your thoughts and change your world."
—Norman Vincent Peale

Ever get busy? Too busy?

We all do... but it is what you do about that fact that makes a difference. Mac over at simple truths dot com created this great graphic reminder that the human mind sets one's vantage point.

In the world of professional selling (is there any other kind?) there are numerous opportunities to become disappointed. It is what you do about your circumstances that make all difference in the world. And in your commission check.

As promised, I am looking at my success hanging on the wall in front me... are you?


Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
Throughput.us LLC
(330) 432-3533

©2008 Jeff SKI Kinsey. All rights reserved.

Wanted :: Case Studies :: Purple Curve Effect

Enough about me!

Share your application of the Purple Curve Effect. I am looking for examples where you have read the book and applied the material to create throughput.

Please include the statement, "I give SKI the permission to use my comments as he deems appropriate."

For those unwilling to share their one of their competitive advantages, I understand. Consider dropping me a note saying as much. I will not share information that you do not want made public.

-ski

Lists :: Results :: Profit

If your goal is profit...

It is important to work backwards, from profits (the goal), to the present day. In order to do that, I suggest that you pull out a piece of paper. A very large piece of paper. I like the new post-it® poster sized pads. Great for hanging on the wall after you get your bearings and destination plotted.

Everyone has at least one flaw. One of mine is that of approaching every "new thing" with a serious "doubt" complex. As in, "I doubt this will be of any value to me." You know, after all, if there were a better way, I would have already thought of it!

Wrong

Many moons ago, working as the (first) DBA for the Town of Hilton Head Island, SC, my boss had both of us attend a StephenCovey workshop on "First Things, First." Held at the Technical College of The Low Country as I recall. Maybe USC-Beaufort. But I digress...

I went in thinking "What can this teach me?" I already had my dream job at my dream location. This was before Covey bought Franklin as I recall. Or right around that time.

But learn I did

I took away the concept of placing the biggest rocks first. Common sense? Sure. It was years later that I determined that my Purple Curve Effect (based on finding and focusing on the weakest link, and only the weakest link) was based in part on Covey's "big rock" approach.

Yes, I give Eli Goldratt a lot of credit. His book, "The Goal" caused me to think things through, at least to a much larger degree than my previous efforts. And having read most of Goldratt's books, I can honestly say that it was H. William Dettmer that gave me the vantage point needed (for me) to frame all these great ideas. Ideas that were bouncing around my head in somewhat random order.

When Thayer Bennett and I put pen to paper to create the Purple Curve Effect, a number of ideas gelled into that curve of unending growth (and therefore profit). But for as many times as I talk with business owners and the executives managing various silos (departments), I am amazed at how easy it is to loose one's way.

I am guilty

I am just as guilty as the next guy: there is no post-it®
note page stuck on the wall in front of me!

How is that even possible? Have I given up? Hardly. I got lazy. Plain and simple. No long explanation necessary.

Are you lazy

Me too. Just as soon as I finish this post, I will break out three items that are instrumental to my future success. Yours too. Shame on you (and me!) if you dare complain about your lot in life, and do not have the map to your success on the wall in front of you.

1. Post-it® note pad (or other suitable poster material)
2. Copy of Purple Curve Effect —SKI's Throughput on Command (PDF or paperback)
3. Copy of Strategic Navigation by H. William Dettmer

Want help? I have a new seven step rule before I accept a new client:

1. Buy my book
2. Read it
3. Then (and only then) buy Dettmer's Strategic Navigation
4. Read it
5. Buy a jumbo notepad
6. Call me and share your passion for results
   
7. Schedule my Dynamic 4^3 Process

Of course you can do all these steps and still not save your business. Or create a new business from scratch. During the 4^3 workshop you will create a CRT (Current Reality Tree) of your existing state (or the current state of the industry for which you are launching a new business) as well as a Strategic IO Map (Intermediate Objectives Map) of where you are headed in the next 90 days. And the next 12 months. Maybe even a 36 month goal.

Together, we will map out these two critical data points. Then, take a week or two and perfect the CRT. Think through the cause and effect linkages expressed on the CRT. Hang it on your wall along with the SIO Map. Get input from those on your team. Share any revisions and/or clarifications with me. Failure to share the revisions prevent me from being of any further assistance.

Next Step

We jump back into the book Strategic Navigation to "Analyze the Mismatches".

All in the pursuit of profits.

A most excellent goal.


Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
Throughput.us LLC
(330) 432-3533

©2008 Jeff SKI Kinsey. All rights reserved.

More SKI TV

SKI TV offers Infomercials Have a business idea or concept to promote? Consider the SKI TV Infomercial! This win-win package includes everything but the content.

• $4000 value for just $3500
• 28.5 minute "Half Hour Infomercial" format (suitable for play on your local cable or TV station and your web site)
• 25 minute audio Podcast of the episode
• One 60 second TV commercial (edited from the infomercial)
• Two 30 second spots
• Royalty and Licensing options available
• 50% Retainer required to schedule production

Please drop me a note if you would like more information. -ski ski@throughput.us P.S. The small print: we refuse to produce content we deem inappropriate.

cognitive dissonance

A conversation with H. William Dettmer

Recently, an email discussion between Bill and I evolved to this statement:

"Decisions, especially by the senior decision makers, are not made on a rational basis, but on an emotional one. And as they become comfortable with the emotional decision, they begin to look for (or find) logical justification to support what they're emotionally decided to do---or not do."

As Churchill observed, "Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but usually he just picks himself up and continues on."

Bill went on to say, "I suspect that you're experiencing one of two possible phenomena. Either":

1. What you present [in the course of my consulting at Throughput.us LLC] is at some level of "cognitive dissonance" with their decision-maker's emotional comfort, or
2. There is some more powerful, but unspoken, agenda going on behind the scenes that you have no knowledge of---which for whatever reason has more emotional appeal than your logical presentation does.

Perhaps both? Neither?

Business owners want what they want.

What do you think?


-ski