one80too! Audie Penn, March 15, 2024February 7, 2026 one80too This site holds work that accumulated slowly. Each post names something that became clear only after it was lived. These are not ideas gathered to form a system, and they are not written as instruction. They are observations — moments where work, leadership, and human behavior aligned clearly enough for…
Number 173 – What the Numbers Are Teaching People Audie Penn, February 7, 2026 Eliminate metrics that drive inappropriate and counterproductive behaviors and decisions (when empowered to do so). Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic Metrics rarely fail on their own. They do exactly what they are designed to do. The problem is that people do exactly what the metrics ask. Over time, the measure…
Number 35 – The First Improvement Is Attention Audie Penn, January 17, 2026February 7, 2026 Identify ergonomic, safety or employee satisfaction issues that may slow or jeopardize improvement efforts. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic Most improvement efforts don’t stall because the plan is weak. They stall because the work already costs something—and leadership is asking for more without first seeing the cost. Sometimes the cost…
Number 64 – Teach and Develop Scientific Thinking Audie Penn, December 6, 2025February 6, 2026 Teach and develop scientific thinking in others through experiential and experimental learning. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic Organizations often say they want scientific thinking. What they usually mean is that they want better answers. Scientific thinking, however, begins before answers are available. It begins with the willingness to not know…
Number 24 – Assess Organizational Design and Policy Audie Penn, November 7, 2025February 6, 2026 Assess organizational design and policy to ensure the promotion of human development and the flow of value. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic It would be easy to pass over the first word in this sentence, but that would be an error. The word ‘assess’ is often overlooked and invokes assumptions…
Number 178 – Make Problems Visible Audie Penn, October 28, 2025February 6, 2026 Gather and analyze metrics to make problems visible, and to identify and develop opportunities to create capacity for growth. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic I once asked a CEO this question, “If you discover a problem in February, would you wait until November to address it?” You can imagine his…
Number 113 – Use Standard Work Audie Penn, October 15, 2025February 7, 2026 Use Standard Work for Leadership and Non-production Processes. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic This OpEx TopEx immediately calls to mind leader standard work and all the resistance I have experienced over the years. If everything we produce is the result of a process, and we expect process standard work to…
Number 167 – Reduce and Eliminate Excess Metrics Audie Penn, October 10, 2025February 7, 2026 Reduce and eliminate excess metrics that micromanage behaviors and outcomes. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic It is still strategy deployment season, and I am even more deeply engrained in the thinking. As momentum builds and our 3D deployment work continues, number 167 is perfectly fitting. In a recent conversation with…
Number 163 – Larger Business Results Audie Penn, September 29, 2025February 7, 2026 Communicate how specific improvement efforts are affecting larger business results. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic Since it is strategy deployment season, OpEx TopEx number 163 fits the season. In a current strategy deployment engagement, with a frequent client, we are exposing the executive team to this new experience in strategy…
Number 144 – Frequent Progress Checks Audie Penn, September 22, 2025February 7, 2026 Set Expectations for Frequent Progress Checks Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic As soon as I read this OpEx TopEx this morning, I recalled a consistent conversation from a client visit last week. Among the many terms that included in those coaching conversations were accountability and responsibility. When we set expectations…
Number 135 – Set Goals for Improvement Efforts Audie Penn, September 9, 2025February 7, 2026 Set Goals for Improvement Efforts Across Value Streams Practitioners: Integrative, and strategic One of my favorite books comes from George Koenigsaecker. His classic work, Leading the Lean Enterprise Transformation, comes to mind when I read today’s OpEx TopEx. One way to set goals for improvement efforts across value streams comes…