Over the last 15 years of my lean journey, there are two themes that I repeatedly learn, respect, and waste elimination. Both of these concepts are foundational to the Toyota Production System. I was taught that TPS tools and principles exist to expose waste, so it can be eliminated. I was also taught that the execution of these tools must be done in a way that is respectful to people. The latter is more [...]
At its best Lean can be a powerful catalyst for cultural transformation. In the short term, its implementation can change the way teams interact and how they create and deliver value to the customer and each other. In the midterm, new processes beget new routines that together engender behavior change. Over time, if the Lean effort is sustained, that behavior change gives rise to the fabled continuous improvement mindset that [...]
Oftentimes my efforts to help client organizations improve performance involves assessing the impact of their culture on productivity. For example, despite the fact that many of our days are over stuffed with appointments and conference calls, we don’t typically feel like we’re getting enough done or doing enough well. This article from HBR sheds some light on why that is.
Recently I spoke at the AME conference in Boston and presented Conflict is the Root of All Waste - Continuous Improvement doesn’t stick. The conference brings together people interested in Lean and continuous improvement from over 50 countries and is considered the largest lean conference in the world. In addition to exploring conflict, how we deal with it and how it inhibits our change efforts, we also took a deeper look [...]
I was recently engaged by a VP of Operations to help him make the case for Lean to executive leadership. To that end, I was also tasked with convincing the CEO to revisit (and maybe refine) the organization’s values, purpose, goals. My recommendation was that an airtight business orientation would be essential to driving the organizational alignment necessary for Lean to flourish. While I waited for my meeting to [...]
I get the idea behind incentive plans –reward employees for extra effort related to achieving some sort of organizational goal. Typically one that has been hard to come by. Sometimes they work. When expectations are VERY clear. When the goal isn’t too complex. When employees have enough autonomy to affect ANY issues in their path that impede performance. Most of the time they don’t. First, [...]
If you’re in the Chelmsford area tomorrow, I’ll be presenting my thoughts on how conflict creates waste in the organization and how that – not just process – is ultimately what derails performance.The ASQ Merrimack is hosting the event. Check it out HERE.
I had the good fortune of attending and presenting at AME’s annual conference in Jacksonville last week. As is custom, the event provided a myriad of learning opportunities that I am pleased to say included more emphasis on how organizational culture impacts Continuous Improvement. I think more education, case studies and opportunities to explore the complex people side of the Continuous Improvement equation will have a huge impact on future [...]
