Robert W. "Doc" Hall

“Us” is Doc Hall, Jack Ward, Dave Veech, and Susan Skjie so far. But we’re looking for more Compression Thinkers. If you think there is something to this, you are invited to register as a Compression Thinker.

Robert W. “Doc” Hall is Professor Emeritus, Indiana University, frequently called “Doc” by industry friends. He now lives in Hondo, TX. Hall is a founding member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, and has long background in manufacturing as well as academia. He’s been involved with what is now called lean operations since the late 1970s, and has written a great deal about it, including cases of some of the best companies practicing it.

Jack Ward, Tuxedo Park, NY is a former CEO of Gabor International and a general manager of several companies.

Dave Veech, Louisville, KY, a former military officer, is the founder of The Lean Way, and is a leading lean consultant, especially on the behavioral changes that accompany it.

Susan Skjei is an instructor in authentic leadership and an executive coach in Boulder, CO.

Now this group would like interested people to begin thinking how to transition from today’s expansionary environment to one in Compression. Obviously, many organizations have to navigate financial requirements of the present economy at the same time they are doing it. And they have to stir a positive attitude about it. The first impression is that Compression = Doomsday. It doesn’t. Not taking action is more likely to head for a doomsday.

The idea is to get beyond advocacy and activism. What do we really have to do?

Compression thinking by that name began with Doc Hall’s book Compression (2009) None of its ideas are original. Rather, it integrates a number of ideas seen over a 30 year period and organizes them into a framework for working organizations to cope with our 21st century problems.  A prior book, The Soul of the Enterprise (1992) touched on some of the same topics, but by 2005 he had reluctantly concluded that the world in the 21st century has no “easy out.” We have to become far more frugal and far more inventive. The vigorous learning enterprise proposed combines applies the best ideas seen in working organizations in recent years. The economic thinking turns conventional economics upside down.

Compression Thinking can never be complete. Times change. Technology changes. Some resources dry up. A few new ones may open up. But the key is developing people to function effectively to increase our quality of life in more challenging circumstances than the 20th century.

Events and Presentations

September 7-15, 2010: Doc will present Compression and engage in dialogs on how to apply it in the Melbourne, Australia area.

September 21-22, 2010: “Doc’s Cubbyhole” discussions of Compression at Lean Accounting Summit, Las Vegas, NV.

September 19-20, 2010: Presentation and “Doc’s Cubbyhole” at Northeast Shingo Prize Conference, Providence, RI.

Presentations are interactive and “take off” from this web page.