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Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:
Lean
Tip #916 - Don’t Expect Training Alone to Fix Your Problem
Having
a well-trained, correctly-focused team is of course an absolute must for any company
looking to operate along Lean lines. But training alone isn’t a panacea and,
indeed, will almost certainly lead to serious problems if it’s not accompanied
by the organization paying proper attention to the other requirements of the
methodology.
Lean
Tip #917 - Develop a Suitable Infrastructure
Lean
is far from a cosmetic practice: indeed, it’s pretty much the opposite, going
deep into the cogs and springs of a business to get the very best out of the
areas of operation it touches. As a result, it needs to be supported by a
suitable organizational infrastructure catering for the specific requirements
of this methodology. Think of what’s required as a somewhat holistic approach
reaching throughout your business - it might sound like a big task, but in
order to make the most of Lean you need to go well beyond the implementation
team.
Lean
Tip #918 - Cultivate a Zero Defect Mentality
The
effectiveness of a Lean program depends on developing a mindset that refuses to
accept or accommodate defects. Defects cost money, waste time, and frustrate managers,
and building and sustaining a prevention-oriented culture requires driving away
both defects and non-conformances. It’s important to create a culture of
prevention, which causes people to prevent defects and non-conformities.
Lean
Tip #919 - Understand Customer Requirements
Quality
is a moving target that is defined or judged by the customer. Lean places the
highest priority on customer input, and adopts a customer-driven quality
approach to anticipating, meeting, and exceeding customer requirements. Lean should focus on
aligning critical to quality customer requirements with the company’s business
strategy.
Lean
Tip #920 - Address the Root Cause
One
critical factor on which the success of a problem solving rests is whether the
analysis of the problem treats the root cause of the issue or the symptoms.
Treating the root cause allows for the successful resolution of the problem and
a permanent fix, whereas addressing the symptoms means that the root cause
remains and will manifest itself later.
A
successful root cause analysis must ask the question "WHY" the
process or product is defective and proceed from there to try to find answers.
Repeatedly stressing the "Why" after each answer allows you to peel
away the layers of symptoms, eventually leading to the root cause of a problem.
Lean
Tip #921 – Use a Data Based Approach to Improvement
Any
good Lean program is steeped in data collection and analysis. Lean emphasizes
gathering data, and then analyzing the same to identify problems, measure changes,
and verify whether the changes lead to the desired improvements.
Lean
Tip #922 - Manage Resistance to Change
Lean
is in its purest sense a change management initiative, for it involves changing
from a current state to a better state. Just as all change attracts resistance,
Lean improvements also attract resistance to change, which may manifest as
employees ignoring new processes, disagreeing with the benefits, making
stringent criticisms, and more. Success depends on how effectively the
leadership rises to the occasion and manages resistance to change.
Ways
to overcome changes involve proactive leadership that lends clarity and removes
doubts, effective communications, a carrot-and-stick policy, and more.
Lean
Tip #923 – Effective Leadership is a Decisive Factor in Lean Success
Effective
leadership is a decisive factor in the success of any project. Lean leaders
need to lead from the front by displaying competence in the key methodologies,
adopting a hands-on approach in the actual implementation, selling the project
to the top management and other stakeholders, striking a rapport with key
functional heads, overcoming resistance to change among the workforce, and
more.
Lean
Tip #924 – Involve the Workforce in Improvement
Quality
improvement through Lean is not the responsibility of a specific team or
department. Successful implementation occurs only when all employees take up
responsibility to implement Lean in their work domains. Such a mindset comes
only when employees perceive the benefits of the change. Benefits come only
when the organization develops leaders and empowers people to become valuable
contributors to the organization's success.
Lean
Tip #925 - Without People, a Process Will Fail
If
anything, good Lean is an intensively collaborative effort. From defining a
problem to identifying what is important to a customer, from brainstorming for
potential solutions to the actual work of implementing solutions, people form
the core of a good Lean project. An important lesson here is to collaborate and
associate with people who can offer ideas, give constructive criticism, and
empower the attainment of your goals.
Lean
relies on people working together to achieve a common measurable goal and the
effective use of collective intelligence.
Lean
Tip #926 - Engage the Right Team to Drive the Change
Having
the right project structure is important. Make sure you have a strong,
multi-disciplinary project team with the authority to make decisions on areas
of design, communication, and change management. At the same time, ensure you
have a group of employees who are representative of the workforce and whose
role is to facilitate upward communication, review plans, and be your
ambassadors in change.
Lean
Tip #927 - Keep Culture Change Top of Mind
Many
organizations focus on the physical and logistical changes (e.g., construction,
moving into the new space) needed when transforming their workplace.
Afterwards, they realize they should have focused much more on the culture
change needed for success. The impact of change on people can be significant,
and managing this is a crucial step to reaping the benefits of these programs.
Lean
Tip #928 - Listen Deeply and Empathetically to the Employees.
You
can expect that the employees will experience the same range of emotions,
thoughts, agreement, and disagreement that you experienced when the change was
introduced to you or when you participated in creating the change. Never
minimize an employee's response to even the most simple change. You can't know
or experience the impact from an individual employee's point of view. Maybe the
change seems insignificant to many employees, but the change will seriously
impact another employee's favorite task. Hearing the employees out and letting
them express their point of view in a non-judgmental environment will reduce
resistance to change.
Lean
Tip #929 – Empower Employees to Contribute.
Control
of their own jobs is one of the key factors in what employees want from work.
So, too, this control aspect follows when you seek to minimize resistance to
change. Give the employees control over any aspect of the change that they can
manage. If you have communicated transparently, you have provided the
direction, the rationale, the goals, and the parameters that have been set by
your organization. Within that framework, your job is to empower the employees
to make the change work. Practice effective delegation and set the critical
path points at which you need feedback for the change effort - and get out of
the way.
Lean
Tip #930 - Create an Organization-Wide Feedback and Improvement Loop.
Is your change effective or optimal? Not necessarily.
You must maintain an open line of communication throughout your organization to
make sure that feedback reaches the ears of the employees leading the charge.
Changing course or details, continuous improvement, and tweaking is a natural,
and expected, part of any organizational change. Most changes are not poured in
concrete but there must be a willingness to examine the improvement (plan - do
- study - act).
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