We are living in a time when what is happening in our world will fuel substantial and sustainable change in what work looks like. What will shape the future of work?
Living in a Historic Time: The Future of Work
Humans and Robots: The Workforce for the Modern Warehouse
As National Robotics Week kicks off, I’m reminded – again – that questions about robots and people in the labor force continue to take place.
What I Learned from Starting a New Job in the Middle of the Pandemic
For me, starting a new job has always reminded me of how I felt as a child, on the first day of school. There is the anticipation of a new adventure, the thrill of meeting new people, the little voice in my head that alternates between excitement and trepidation. Then there is starting a new job in the middle of a pandemic.
Class of 2020: You Do Have Control Over Your Future
One of the lessons we are all learning during this time is that, while we didn’t choose this situation, we can choose how we respond to it and what we do while it is happening.
Automation, Robots and the Future of Work
For all the history of humankind, the nature and shape of work has evolved, as curiosity and innovation have allowed us to develop tools and technologies that advance nearly all aspects of work and play. As machines are able to do more and more for us, we find ourselves wondering how the definition of work will evolve and what it means.
Fear is a Four-Letter Word
As business leaders, we’re motivated by a lot of emotions. Perhaps none more powerful than fear – fear of failure, fear of losing the respect of those who we respect, fear of – well, you name it. What I realize, more and more, is that we’re so busy taking action, we don’t take the time to explore what our fears are and how they influence the ways in which we work….
When Manufacturing Transformation Meets Resistance, There’s Usually a Good Reason
There are many good reasons for the growth in industrial robots and manufacturers know them all. But when it comes to embracing transformative change in the highly controlled and intensely process-driven world of the factory floor, personal motivation plays a powerful role in making it real.
The Recession Cometh and Robots are Ready
The looming question of recession is no longer if, but when. For manufacturers, the lack of flexibility they need to successfully navigate the uncertainty is exacerbated by labor shortages and rigid automation. The good news: collaborative robots boost flexibility and more.
Grieving the Death of a Company
Rethink Robotics, a pioneer in the new category of collaborative robots, changed the way companies think about factory automation. And yet despite the best efforts of a hardworking team, last month, Rethink Robotics shuttered its doors.
Industry 4.0: A Crucible Forging a New Breed of Leaders in Manufacturing
Getting consensus on the best strategy for harnessing Industry 4.0 isn’t easy. That’s ok. What the pundits say isn’t keeping leaders up at night – there are plenty of real world challenges for that. What we do know is leadership will look very different in the digital age of manufacturing.
Jim Lawton 