That experience shaped how I approach every continuous-flow environment to this day. Whether it’s manufacturing, service delivery, or even a knowledge-work process, the principle holds: follow the work, not the workers. The product will always reveal the truth about the system.

And that’s why, whenever I walk into an organization that should have continuous flow, I still say the same thing—half joking, fully serious: “Let’s follow the fish.” People usually stare at me, confused. No one knows what I mean. And that’s exactly why it still makes me laugh.

Because behind the joke is a simple lesson that has guided me ever since: if you want to understand flow, don’t watch the people. Follow the product. Follow the value. Follow the fish.

Most organizations claim to value continuous improvement, yet very few practise the foundational discipline that makes improvement possible: loss accounting. Without it, teams drift into reactive behaviour—jumping from issue to issue, patching symptoms, improvising fixes, and celebrating “heroic saves” that feel productive but ultimately keep the organization trapped in a cycle of recurring problems.

Loss accounting breaks that cycle. It brings clarity to operational noise. It replaces assumption with evidence. And it ensures that countermeasures are aimed at the real issues, not the convenient ones.

Alignment decays without reinforcement. As a VP, you must continually reconnect decisions, priorities, and behaviours back to the shared definition of “good.” When drift appears—and it will—you pull the team back to center.

Transformations don’t fail because leaders disagree. They fail because leaders stop reinforcing.

Transformation is not a project. It’s a shift in how an organization thinks, behaves, and performs.

And that shift begins with alignment.

If you want a transformation that lasts—not just a burst of activity—start by getting leaders on the same page, speaking the same language, and championing the same definition of “good.”

Because when leaders align behind a shared vision, the organization doesn’t just follow. It accelerates.

Kintsugi teaches us that brokenness is not failure—it’s the foundation for beauty. In organizational transformation, this philosophy becomes a powerful lens for rebuilding Targeted Operating Models (TOMs) that honour legacy while enabling future excellence.

In Japanese folklore, the Tengu were enigmatic beings—part feared, part revered. With their red faces, long noses, and supernatural abilities, they were often seen as disruptive forces. Yet over time, they became known as trainers of the greatest samurai, shaping warriors who embodied discipline, resilience, and precision.

The Tengu were not gentle teachers. They demanded rigor, clarity, and relentless practice. But their guidance forged warriors who could withstand chaos and emerge victorious. In this way, the Tengu embodied the paradox of strength and humility: fierce yet wise, demanding yet transformative.

The samurai had the Tengu. Modern organizations have us. That’s the spirit behind Tengu Consulting.

Constructive intolerance is not about being unforgiving. It is about being precise and relentless about the behaviours that make a strategy real. When leaders call out misalignment every time it appears, and do so with clear intent, neutral observation, supportive alternatives, and follow‑up, the organization learns faster and aligns more deeply. The result is a culture where new behaviours are practiced until they become the new normal and performance follows.

Transformation is not a roll of the dice. It’s a series of intentional, aligned choices that convert ideas into sustained behaviour. The difference between a leader who reacts and one who thinks is not charisma or budget—it’s discipline in design. Redo the agenda, connect the routines, define the LSW, and choose metrics that force decisions. Do that, and the next time you add someone to an invite, they’ll come prepared to a meeting that changes something worth changing.

A strong start is the simplest, highest-return investment a plant can make. It turns planning into performance, transforms reactive firefighting into predictable execution, and creates a culture where every shift becomes an opportunity to improve. Start sharp, keep everyone informed, and the week will follow.

When failures occur, use these three deliberate moves together: 1) say "It is unacceptable," 2) immediately ask "How do we…" to generate concrete, owned solutions, and 3) set an aggressive timeline to implement a permanent fix. Combine those moves with a clear structure of containment, diagnosis, systemic redesign, and tight ownership so the senior person who called the action receives a full, actionable plan by the deadline. That combination converts reactive firefighting into prioritized, measurable change that reduces the chance of the same crisis repeating.

Movement from X to Y is only the conversation starter. The real work — and the real chance of success — lies in defining an aspirational TOM, assessing where you are today, and building a clear, governed roadmap to deliver the future state. When organizations take that disciplined path, transformation stops being a leap of faith and becomes a managed journey with measurable outcomes and lasting value.

Remembrance Day is more than commemoration; it is a civic and organizational discipline that turns memory into better judgment. Nations that remember design policies with humility; individuals who are grateful live with clearer purpose; organizations that honour the past transform with legitimacy and lower risk. If we treat memory and gratitude as practical inputs to decision-making, we build futures that are not only new but also wiser and more resilient.

Storytelling is the bridge between strategy and sustained action. When narratives are crafted to show how a new target operating model drives the organization toward its True North, they create clarity, reduce resistance, and mobilize employees to change behaviors every day. Stories make abstract change tangible, explain trade-offs, and invite ownership across levels.

Transformation succeeds when people understand why it matters to them and how to operate differently every day. At Tengu Consulting we unpack why transparent communication, aligned messaging, and hands‑on coaching are the three levers that convert announcements into lasting behaviour change.

Sustained improvement requires more than a good project. It needs a system that captures and signals performance, a named owner with authority and routines, a deliberate transfer backed by objective acceptance criteria, and independent audits that verify adoption and durability. When these elements are combined, transformation projects convert short-term gains into long-term operational advantage.

Transformation isn’t a one-off project—it’s a repeatable way of orchestrating change. By investing in rigorous governance, structured change management, phased roadmaps, and regular adaptation rituals, you turn intentions into outcomes. Whatever the questions you’re wrestling with, this disciplined framework will deliver the benefits you seek and enable the cultural goals you envision.

Once you’ve defined your organization’s true aspiration and completed a thorough current-state assessment, the next step is to build a roadmap that’s fully aligned with who you are today and where you want to go. A tailored plan ensures every investment, initiative, and conversation zeroes in on what truly moves the needle for your teams and customers.

Every organization strives for growth, but true progress begins with a clear picture of where you stand today. A current-state assessment rooted in the nine essential dimensions offers a structured way to measure how far you’ve come—and what remains to be done.

Aspiration isn’t a slogan plastered on a wall. It’s the living essence of why your organization exists and where it’s headed. By systematically exploring these nine questions, leaders and teams align strategy, culture, and operations around a shared purpose.

A well-crafted Targeted Operating Model stands as majestic and purposeful as a mountain range. It channels strategy into action, nurtures interconnections, and perpetually renews value—just as mountains supply water, minerals, and habitat. By embracing nature’s timeless design principles, organizations can develop operating models that withstand challenges, nourish growth, and endure for generations.