Personal Kanban Kaizen - It's all Digital

In two earlier posts I wrote about the benefits of a personal kanban and showed my first kanban system. One of the weaknesses of this board was the lack of portability of the system with the amount time I spend out of the office.  So I have created digital personal kanban system.

LeanKit Kanban allows you to create a virtual kanban system online.   Their software makes it easy to customize your own kanban board, add color, dates, and more.  They offer several pricing options to meet all your needs from personal to team editions.  The free personal option only allows you to create one kanban board.

Here is the kanban board I made to manage my tasks.

The layout is pretty simple.  If you remember my previous non-digital board I used the following rules to create my personal kanban:

1) Establish Your Value Stream – The flow of work I chose was Backlog, This Week, Today, and Done.

2) Establish Your Backlog – I put every task onto a post-it-note, if the task had a due date I put that on the note as well.

3) Establish Your WIP Limit – I limited my Today column to 3 and therefore limited my This Week column to 15

4) Begin to Pull – As I work on the Today column I pull new tasks into Today.

The built in visuals are a great feature of this kanban.  The color coding helps me manage all aspects of my life in one place.  I use the colors to organize the following grouping of tasks:

Tan - work related tasks: projects, kaizen events, data analysis
Green - personal tasks: kids activities, home projects
Blue - A Lean Journey Blog tasks:  new posts, website maintenance
Red - AME tasks: new workshops, social media posting

If tasks are date sensitive that can be added to the the card and a visual date shows in the bottom right of the card.  When you move the cursor over the task the date is visible.  The date starts out yellow and then turns red if your task is behind.  You can see I was behind a couple on my board.

The software offers a number of analytics to help you understand how well you perform.  I have not really used this information yet to improve my system but it is there.

As I mentioned in the previous system I use this for tasks that take about 1-2 hours.  For smaller tasks I also use a digital system.  I use Google Tasks which is a simple To Do List.  I prefer this over other electronic To Do Lists for the following reasons:
1) It is simple to use.
2) It integrates with my calendar Google Calendar.
3) It is available on my Android phone.
4) I have created 4 lists which match the categories of my Kanban board.

Here is what is looks like in my calendar (which is also color coded), on far right side is the tasks.  There is a tasks shown due on Tue 3/8 for example.

So how do I make this all work. Well, at the end of each day I spend about 15 minutes planning for the next day. It is scheduled on my calendar. I start with the kanban board by looking at what i completed today. Then I look at the This Week area and move 3 items I need to do tomorrow into the Today column. At the end of the week I plan the following week by looking at my backlog of tasks. Also, in this 15 minutes I look at my Google tasks (generally on my phone) and update the list. I pick 3 things I must do the next day and prioritize them as such. As I go through the day i will add tasks to the tasks and kanban board as they come up. This help me keep from losing those thoughts. Since it is digital it only takes a few seconds.

My most productive time is in the morning and generally my most available.  I start with my kanban tasks (at least the first one) and then move to the Google tasks.  I should mention I generally don't check email first thing.  I tend to look at email only 3-4 times per day.  This usually includes a visit to facebook and twitter since I manage several social channels.  I eat lunch in the office most days and use this time to visit all those blogs I highlight once a month.  Learning is a great way to spend my lunch time.

This system isn't perfect but seems to work for me. Hopefully it makse you think about your productivity. In the spirit of continuous improvement and continuous learning share your personal productivity system and advice in the comments here. 

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Lean Quote: Motivation Tips for Managers

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"An employee's motivation is a direct result of the sum of interactions with his or her manager." — Bob Nelson

Managers should remember that people act from motives, and motives come from within, not without, the individual.  A motive is that within the individual which incites that person to action.  This means, in effect, that all motiviation is "self-motivation."  This being true, the job of the manager is to help people find ideas, which will act as inner impelling forces directed to useful ends.  It is the manager's job to get people to want to do that which needs to be done, rather than feeling they have to do it in order to justify their retention on the payroll.  Here are some reliable ways to do this:

1. Be genuinely interested in them.
2. Get them to see the end results of purposeful, dedicated, consistent effort on their part as it relates to their future and the advancement of their careers.
3. Provide them with goal-oriented job descriptions.
4. Utilize incentive programs, which will have purpose and meaning for them.
5. Show them how they fit into company goals and the related importance of their work.
6. Give them deserved praise and meaningful recognition.
7. Keep them achieving.  Achievement is, in iteself, a great motivational factor.
8. Help them set goals, which will coincide with those of the company.
9. Get rid of "dead wood."  Productive workers are more productive when every person contributes to the team effort.
10. Help them acquire and maintain a spirit of achievement by careful planning and organizing their efforts directed toward attainment of meaningful results.
11. Help them set and achieve self-improvement goals.
12. See to it that they get the acceptance and approval they need to satisfy their thirst for recognition and a feeling of importance.
13. Help them attain a conviction that they are accepted and approved, and that in your estimation, they appear in a favorable light.
14. Show them how and why they are doing useful, worthwhile work.
15. Tell them about their progress.  This they want to know.
16. Listen with interest to their triumphs, their problems, their ideas and their grievances.
17. Show them how they can get what they want by meritorious performance.
18. Never neglect them, ignore them, forget them.  This is one of the worst mistakes a manager can make in handling people.

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FastCap Comedy: Fix What Bugs You

I have talked about FastCap and their improvement videos here before.  Now there is a bit a humor from the folks at FastCap.



While this video is a little bit comedic there are still valuable lessons to be learned:
1.  Fix what bugs you - make your job easier.
2.  Go to the shop floor - the Gemba is where problem solving occurs.
3.  Work can be fun - make improvement enjoyable if you want more.


There is a great deal that we can all learn from FastCap.  They have over 250 videos on their YouTube Channel FastCapTV. Many are about small daily improvements from the shop floor fixing what bugs them. Take some time to review these.

Book Review: e2 Continuous Improvement System

The Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership's (GBMP) Bruce Hamilton and Pat Wardwell have written a new book, e2 Continuous Improvement System.  Bruce Hamilton is infamous from the Toast Kaizen video and Pat is on the AME regional board with me so I was looking forward to reviewing their book.  


e2 stands for "everybody, everyday" a saying Bruce has made the tag line for GBMP's approach to Lean. The e2 Continuous Improvement System is a proven process for energizing and engaging employees in Lean learning and practices.  The key component of e2 provides tacit learning to make lean techniques relevant and exciting in the context of your organization.  This is a system I am familiar with from my experience with the GBMP team.


Bruce and Pat wrote this book to support their mission to keep jobs in the US.  Their experience has shown that copying Toyota's methods without careful consideration to their whole system will produce short-lived and even negative outcomes.  In this book they set out to educate everyone about the real power of behind TPS being human intelligence and creativity.


The book is comprised of 3 major sections: Foundation, Management, and Countermeasures.  The foundation section defines the e2 learning system, history of Lean thinking, and basic principles of Lean.  Elements like Kaizen, policy deployment, idea systems, and assessment make up a portion of the Management section.  Countermeasures is about the more well know tools used in improvement like 5S, visual systems, standard work, kanban, poka-yoke, and others.


Each lesson in the book contains practice exercises so you can learn by doing.  It also includes DVD lessons from their library of videos that are designed to amplify key points, offer examples, and supplement learning.  Lessons end with a reflection exercise which allows you to really think about your learning and these lessons.


This is a workbook style book with many visuals and examples.  At only 226 pages it flows well and is easy to read. It contains visual indicators for key points, practice exercises, DVD lessons, and more. This book serves as a complete training package for either independent study or group based book study.  You can even purchase an optional on-line review and self assessment tool to check your learning through short quizzes.


It is not surprising that many of the practice exercises include going to the Gemba to observe.  I would have liked a list of the supplemental training materials including DVD's to make purchasing them easier.  This book can also serve as a great reference guide after reading and learning but without an index your are going to have to rely on the limited table of contents.


e2 Continuous Improvement System follows a proven system of tacit learning of Lean based on the approach of everybody everyday. Any leader looking to transform their organization or is already managing and sustaining a transformation will want to read this book.  The lessons in this book are valuable for everyone in any organization.  I recommend you get this book today and start your Lean Journey now.

The 7S of Effective Change

The 7S model is a management model that describes 7 factors, which together, determine the way in which organizations operate.  It was developed in the early 1980s by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, two consultants working at the McKinsey & Company consulting firm.  The basic premise of the model is that there are seven internal aspects of an organization that need to be aligned if it is to be successful.  These seven elements are all interdependent, so failure to consider one of these factors may affect the others. 

The elements are grouped into two sub-categories of "hard" elements (red circles) and "soft "elements (brown circles). 

"Hard" elements are easier to define or identify and management can directly influence them.  Soft" elements, on the other hand, can be more difficult to describe, and are less tangible and more influenced by culture. However, these soft elements are as important as the hard elements if the organization is going to be successful.

A simplified description for each of the elements can be given as:

Strategy: the plan devised to maintain and build competitive advantage over the competition.

Structure: the way the organization is structured and who reports to whom.
Systems: the daily activities and procedures that staff members engage in to get the job done.
Shared Values: these are the core values of the company that are evidenced in the corporate culture and the general work ethic.
Style: the style of leadership adopted.
Staff: the employees and their general capabilities.
Skills: the actual skills and competencies of the employees working for the company.

The central theme of the model is that the seven elements are interconnected and interdependent upon one another. In order to achieve business success, each of the seven elements must be aligned and mutually reinforcing each other. Effecting change using this model involves the assessment of all areas, simultaneously taking into account their nature and effect on each other.

If something within your organization or team isn't working, chances are there is inconsistency between some of the elements identified by this model. Once these inconsistencies are revealed, you can work to align the internal elements to make sure they are all contributing to the shared goals and values.

The 7-S model is a useful way to look at the many interrelated aspects of a complex organization and it's a great way to help you understand your organization and leverage it for effective change. 

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Lean Quote: For Success Attitude is Important

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"For success, attitude is equally as important as ability." — Harry F. Banks

Managers can and should influence an employee's attitude.  If someone has a negative attitude or is convinced an opposing idea is better than yours use these nine principles to change people's attitudes without giving offense or arousing resentment:

1. Begin with Praise and Honest Appreciation.  Begin by finding a common point on which both can agree, something the other person has done well and for which specific praise can be given.
2. Call Attention to People's Mistakes Indirectly.  This is the difference between saying "You're dumb!" and "What you did was dumb and I know you're better than that!"
3. Talk about your Own Mistakes before Criticizing Others.  A mature manager will probably admit that he or she has made the same mistakes that others make.  Sharing this fact before delving into the other person's error will cement the relationship and pave the way for constructive action.
4. Ask Questions instead of Giving Direct Orders.  This is a powerful principle to develop creative thinking on the part of subordinates.
5. Let the Other Person Save Face.  A "cornered" animal will fight back; so will we.  Give a person an opportunity to save his or here self-image.
6. Praise the Slightest Improvement and Praise Every Improvement.  When a person is doing something new, he or she needs immediate feedback and feeling of accomplishment.
7. Give a Person a Fine Reputation to Live Up To.  The most important "reputation" a person can live up to is the manager's high opinion of that person.  If they sense you turst and respect them, they will work very hard to earn that trust and respect.
8. Use Encouragement.  Make the Fault Seem Easy to Correct.  Wether an employee changes his or here attitude or behavior will depend largely on their conception of the difficulty of changing.  You can help them by using this principle.
9. Make the Other Person Happy about Doing the Thing You Suggest.  This is accomplished by sharing the benefit to the other person that will be the  result of doing the thing you suggest.

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Book Review: Moving Forward Faster

Finally, there is a book on Lean leadership for executives.  Bob Emiliani, the author of the Real Lean series of books, has revealed the secrets of Lean management.  Moving Forward Faster, The Mental Evolution from Fake Lean to REAL Lean explains the advantage of Lean management over conventional managment. 

Bob looks at the economic, social, political, and historical aspects of Lean management that very few think about.  These provide a much better explanation for why there is a lack of success in many Lean transformations.  Based on his observations and research there are 85 items that represent most of the fundamental knowledge that Lean pratitioners lack yet must become aware of in order to succeed long-term.  Bob has compiled this comprehensive guide so that we may learn how to evolve our thinking from the modified versions of Lean seen in many organizations to REAL Lean.  One based on continuous improvement and respect for people.

This book is written for the executive levels of organizations but others leading Lean transformations will also find this useful.  It is intentionally a quick easy read with each chapter consisting of a short statement followed by bullet points describing how each statement is inconsistent with Lean management.  The resulting thinking behind each statement however will keep you intrigued for a long time.  The book is printed in color which brings the element of visual management into your learning.

Bob suggest that these 85 items can used to assess and diagnose problems with your Lean transformation.  Each of these problems serves as a starting point for root cause analysis and the identification of practical countermeasures.  You can also use it to help identify causese of failures in other organizations.

In his final words, Bob challenges executives to further commit to to studying and learning Lean by practicing the ideas in this book.   One of the most important duties of executives is making decisions.  In the appendix of this book Bob explains a process for completing a failure analysis.  Learning from our mistakes and those from others is crtical to success.

I highly recommend Moving Forward Faster as a guide for your Lean transformation.  This is a resource I am sure you will continually reflect upon in your own journey.  I know I will.  If you want to understand what REAL Lean is and how to support it or lead it in your organization then this book will be a must read for you.  Get your color copy today.


Note:  The author provided me a copy of this book for review.