Scott's passion is developing the thinking required for organizations to learn how to compete and win. Through the 4 Leveraged Learning Consortiums that he facilitates as the president of HPS Consortium, he developed the Organizational Systems Thinking model. The model is the foundation for the thinking of the consortium members and many of the organizations are now the benchmark for world class continuous improvement.
Through his 30 years of experience, Scott has championed the expansion of continuous improvement and lean thinking into the manufacturing, healthcare, higher education, government, service and not-for-profit sectors through improved thinking, models and methods. Scott is the first to deploy value stream mapping to improve information flow processes and launch the lean thinking approach for purchasing and supply chain management.
Scott developed his foundational thinking at Rockwell Automation - Allen Bradley as a continuous improvement facilitator and supply chain leader. It is during this time that he developed his strong understanding of organizational culture, leadership, team work and people engagement.
Scott earned his MBA at Wilfrid Laurier University. His master's thesis was based on the supply chain development process, commodity management, that he helped develop at Rockwell Automation. The commodity management approach is the benchmark for excellence in supply chain management.
Scott also believes that it is important to give back to the communities that support us. He is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener, Ontario. St. Mary's is a global leader in the deployment of lean thinking in healthcare and he is working with the hospital to develop and implement a lean thinking model for board governance.
Scott Smith retired from HPL in the spring of 2024. He is still an active leader and mentor through his other business, High Performance Solutions and Consortium. We wish Scott well, and look forward to working collaboratively with him in the future.
"Working with hundreds of organizations over the last 30 years, I have seen a lot of 'stuff', some great and some not so great. Every day, I learn from both and use what I learn to improve the thinking that our consortium members and organizations we serve use to compete and win.
My passion to make work a place where people grow and find meaning started at an early age. My father was employed as a labourer at a furniture factory. He experienced a work life that people should not have to endure. The 'leaders' (a title I now understand you need to earn) of the company abused the workers. His workplace was unsafe both physically and mentally. He was a very smart man and had a lot to offer the company, but he was never given the opportunity to contribute and learn. After a time working for the company, he was left physically broken and unable to work or support his family.
Unfortunately, this management approach is still used extensively in organizations today and is leaving scars, both inside and outside, on many people. It is my mission to make the organizations I work with a better place for everyone. Through the work we do, we will achieve this.
To have better organizations, we need better leaders. This is why Glenn Sommerville and I launched High Performance Leaders Inc. I am privileged to team up with Glenn, a leader that is dedicated to improving the way he leads and is passionate about developing other leaders.
HPL has a better way to develop the skills that are critical for leaders to develop great organizations. Together, we will make a difference that matters."
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