Floor Tape Store

Monday, March 28, 2011

Cultivating Empowered Employees

To "empower" means "to allow or enable."  Successful leaders conduct themselves in such a way that employees feel good about working with them.  How do they do this?  By enabling and allowing employees to succeed.  Empowered employees feel ownership for their work, a critical element  to creating a motivated workplace.  The ten steps that follow are necessary to cultivating empowered employees.

1. Delegate meaningful jobs, not just the "junk" stuff you don't want to do. Workers don't want to perform trivial tasks on a regular basis any more than you do. If the tasks are truly unimportant, maybe they should be deleted altogether. If they are necessary, consider setting up a rotating schedule so workers can take turns performing the task.

2. "Let go" once you delegate (supervisors have a tendency to oversupervise). If you delegate a task, make sure the person you give it to has the skills, the instructions, and the resources necessary to carry it out. If you don't have the confidence in the person's ability to do a satisfactory job, you shouldn't give the task to that person to begin with.

3. Show you trust your employees by accepting their ideas and suggestions. Seek out employees' ideas on a regular basis. Employees feel ownership of a process or a task when they've had input into it.

4. Whenever possible, provide opportunities for employees to work in self-managed or self-directed work teams. Allow these teams freedom to determine the best course of action for meeting agreed-upon goals and objectives. Employees will see firsthand the results of there decisions and feel the pride of group achievement.

5. Give credit where credit is due. A sure way to earn distrust from employees and squelch their enthusiasm is to take credit for their good ideas and performances.

6. Create opportunities to showcase your employees. "Billboard" employees to your own supervisors and to others in upper management as well as to those outside your department or division. Some managers erroneously think that if they give workers credit, upper management will question the manager's own performance. But managers who fall into the trap of competing with the employees they supervise usually stall their own careers.

7. Add interest and challenge to workers' day-to-day routines by implementing job rotation. Job rotation simply involves placing employees into jobs of equal value that they may have expressed an interest in or that you expect, based on their skill strengths, they may do well in. Some organizations encourage employees to initiate job rotation through a formal process, thereby increasing job skill levels as well as motivation.

8. Provide employees with responsibility and authority to successfully accomplish assignments. Today, progressive companies utilize the skills and talents of their employees by assigning them to cross-functional or self-directed work teams. Employees not only perform their own specific job functions by have a team identity as well. Team members are responsible and accountable to the team for achieving its goal, implementing processes, and sharing the recognition for its results.

9. Provide assistance to employees without taking away responsibility to complete the job. Clearly define your role and avoid the temptation to do the job yourself when employees find themselves in hot water. Let employees go it on their own and face those gut-wrenching challenges.

10. Find ways to foster employee self-esteem and self-confidence. Although important, managers and supervisors must do more than give praise and provide meaningful work. To empower employees, supervisors must continually build employee self-esteem.



Stay connect to A Lean Journey on our Facebook page or LinkedIn group.
Follow me on Twitter or connect with me on Linkedin
You can also subscribe to this feed or email to stay updated on all posts.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Lean Quote: Carrots and Sticks

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.

"We could probably win more often if we were willing to deploy seasoned personnel and equip them with sufficient carrots and sticks." — Thomas M. Fran


Motivation is a core factor for a successful business and there have been many studies around it, yet there is no definitive answer or a one size fits all solution to motivation and employee engagement. The several elements of motivation differ from person to person as well as circumstances.

A well known motivational concept is the “Carrot and Stick” approach. This analogy is about using rewards and penalties in order to obtain desired results. It refers to the old story that in order to get a donkey to move forward and pull the cart you would dangle a carrot in front of him or hit him with a stick from behind. The result is the same; the horse moves forward.

So the stick represents fear, which can be a good motivator when used sparingly at the right time. It may produce immediate results that derive from prompt compliance. It is only useful in the short term though, as over time increasing levels of punishment would be necessary to obtain the same results and this can backfire in the form of mutiny and sabotage.

The carrot is then an incentive, which can work very well as long as the individual finds the incentive appealing. In this case, the donkey would have to like carrots, be hungry and/or have a manageable and movable load in order for the carrot to work. This is very important as the incentive must be perceived to be attractive enough.

Reward and punishment are significant motivators only if the reward is large enough or the punishment sufficiently severe. For example, management holds out a carrot, offering a week’s paid vacation to the person who has the highest production numbers. Employees will work hard to reach that target (if the vacation is really what they want), but once the contest is over, they will revert back to their previous level of effort. Or, management wields a stick, threatening some kind of punishment if employees don’t do their jobs. In those cases, people will do just enough to “stay under the radar” and avoid getting into trouble. While some carrots and sticks may work in crisis situations or as a stop-gap remedy, what they mostly do is promote nearsighted thinking, mistrust, cynicism, and a diminished capacity to innovate and create.

Typically, organizations tend to base their motivational schemes on tangible good such as money, in the form of pay and bonuses. The problem with this, like the carrot, is that its attractiveness decreases over time. Sometimes, a simple word of praise from your boss can mean more than a small pay rise. If organizations could find the perfect balance been tangible and intangible rewards, carrots and sticks, this would be the answer to the motivation question. Managers must not overlook these motivators if they want to retain staff and more importantly, have them working to the best of their ability.


If you’re looking for ways to create an environment where people are driven to do their best work, you’ll need to think beyond carrots and sticks. It’s a bit trickier, perhaps a little messier, but if you want to create a thriving organization, you’ll need to consider motivation from the inside out.

What motivates you at work? How do you motivate others?



Stay connect to A Lean Journey on our Facebook page or LinkedIn group.
Follow me on Twitter or connect with me on Linkedin
You can also subscribe to this feed or email to stay updated on all posts.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Lean and Metrics The FastCap Way

Paul Akers from FastCap answers the question from a follower on what Lean is and what metrics you measure in a Lean environment. Paul’s response is a great one and worth repeating. The following key points summarize Lean and Lean Metrics:

1) Make Lean so simple anyone can understand it.
2) Fix what bugs you and improve it everyday.
3) Every employee must make a 2 sec improvement everyday.
4) People fail sometimes and solutions may not valid but you learn from that.
5) Create a routine like: start day with Sweep, Sort, Standardize, then improvement time, then morning meeting.
6) Give people time everyday to experiment, train, and teach.
7) Simple metrics –
           a) 1 improvement everyday
           b) Orders out in 2 hours
           c) Less than 1 mistake a week
           d) Want customers to rave about us
8) Defects are something the customer sees.
9) Develop the skill and capacity to solve problems by everyone everyday.

Here is Paul in his own words:



Paul says he likes Lean compared to other methodologies because it is focused on the individual, respect for their creativity, and brings them into the process on a daily basis.

What do you think? Did Paul Akers get it right?


Subscribe to my feed Subscribe via Email LinkedIn Group Facebook Page @TimALeanJourney YouTube Channel SlideShare

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

TPS: The Source of Human Progress

While on the internet the other day I came across these videos explaining the history of the Toyota Production System.  They appear to be from an older video that has been edited and then subtitled in Portuguese (I believe).  I think I had seen the original video before on the Art of Lean provided by Art Smalley.  Still learning about the history of the Toyota Production System can provide a look at the progress of manufacturing by human thinking.





Subscribe to my feed Subscribe via Email LinkedIn Group Facebook Page @TimALeanJourney YouTube Channel SlideShare

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Daily Lean Tips Editions #11

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips.  It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey.  Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook.



Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

Lean Tip #151 - The following three points are extremely important in establishing standard work.


The following three points are extremely important in establishing standard work:

The reality of the shop floor is clearly reflected in standard work.
Standard work must be realistic and applicable to the shop floor.
Standard work must lead to continuous improvement opportunities.

Lean Tip #152 - We must ask why the standard work times are not being met

Always ask youself "Why?" repeatedly while observing the shop floor in detail. Ask questions like,"Why is work performed in a certain way?", "Why are workers moving in a wasteful manner?" and "Why are we have trouble reducing standard work time?" Then, start thinking firmly about what you can do to improve the situation.

Lean Tip #153 - If there is a problem, go to the actual place and solve it if you want to get things done.

If there is a problem, go to the actual place and solve it instead of just criticizing it as if it does not concern you at all. This is one of the most fundamental practices that we can do to facilitate the ability to get things done.

Lean Tip #154 - Ideas are different from knowledge.

Ideas are different from knowledge. Anyone can aquire knowledge by reading books or attending school. In other words, knowledge can be readily purchased. On the other hand, ideas are aquired by ones own experience. You must apply your knowledge to create ideas.

Lean Tip #155 - Fix the problem immediately and move on.

Some managers point out a problem to workers and leave it to them until it is solved. This does not motivate workers to fix the problem right away. Taiichi Ohn always made sure his workers:

Fixed the problem immediately after it was identified.
Confirmed the result with their own eyes.
Ignoring problems means the waste remains in production affecting your process.

Lean Tip #156 - Visit the work area to understand and monitor improvement plans.

What can you tell at a glance? Here are some ideas to focus on:

What items are being worked on?
What items should be worked on?
What is the expected and acutal production rate?
What problems are the workers having?
How many people are needed?

Lean Tip #156 - Visit the work area to understand and monitor improvement plans.

What can you tell at a glance? Here are some ideas to focus on:

What items are being worked on?
What items should be worked on?
What is the expected and acutal production rate?
What problems are the workers having?
How many people are needed?

Lean Tip #157 - Make standards visually apparent to satisfy the customers need.

At a glance, employees and management should be able to tell what the customers need and what rate of production is needed to meet this. Any reason that the standards cannot be met should be visually apparent, so the problems can be solved immediately.

Lean tip #158 - Lean Tools can help create clear standards but they also need to be sustained.

Tools like 5S, standardized work, set-up reduction, and pull systems/kanban all help create a clear, standard work environment. But if these standards slip, then they quickly cease to become standards. Employees then become cynical about improvement and it slows down or stops.

Lean Tip #159 - Problem escalation should not be viewed as a sign of weakness.

Problem escalation should not be viewed as a sign of weakness. If an employee cannot handle a problem without assistance, he or she should ask for and count on management support. Making problems visible and solving them immediately should feel normal if you want to improve.

Lean Tip #160 - An effective idea system is not about the amount of savings obtained.

An effective idea system is not about how much savings are obtained from the ideas put forth. Typically we have many small problems compromising material and information flow throughout our companies, so it is many many small ideas that we are looking for.

Lean Tip #161 - Answer three questions to determine an inventory strategy for your pull system.

To implement an inventory strategy based on pull of the customer you need to determine three things:

How much inventory will you keep?
Where will you keep the inventory?
How will you replenish inventory based on customer pull?

Lean Tip #162 - Not all stock is the same, changes in demand requires different types of stock.

There are three types of inventory to consider:

Cycle stock: This is the minimum amount of goods being built for the next shipment and protects against average daily demand and demand through replenishment time.

Buffer Stock: These are goods held to protect against predictable common-cause variation in demand.

Safety Stock: These are goods held at any position in the stream to protect against unpredictable special-cause variation in demand.

Lean Tip #163 - Separating your stock can help you understand the source of abnormal inventory.

Separating inventory into buffer stock (to absorb customer variation) and safety stock (to absorb supply variation) aids in problem-solving by identifying the source of the cause of abnormal inventory (overstock or understock).

Lean Tip #164 - Reduce incoming and outgoing inspections to create flow in your supply chain.

Material (and information) should flow uninterrupted from suppliers to customers in a Lean supply chain. Shipping and receiving inspections are nonvalue-added processes and should be eliminated. To do this you will need quality-at-the-source and error-proofing.

Lean Tip #165 - Beware of Forecasting and Marketing Strategies When Looking at Consumption

When researching customer consumption, be sure to review forecasting and marketing strategies. Price discounting or promotions designed to push product into the marketplace will appear to increase ‘consumption” in the short run, but this rarely last for any extended period. Models that use historical data to forecast future consumption also can give inaccurate guidance.


Stay connect to A Lean Journey on our Facebook page or LinkedIn group.
Follow me on Twitter or connect with me on Linkedin
You can also subscribe to this feed or email to stay updated on all posts.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Platinum is Worth More Than Gold When Comes to Treatment of Others

You may have heard of the Golden Rule before. Many people aspire to live by it but the Golden Rule is not a panacea. Think about it: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The Golden Rule implies the basic assumption that other people would like to be treated the way that you would like to be treated.  Is that the right assumption?

The alternative to the Golden Rule is the Platinum Rule:
"Treat others the way they want to be treated."

The Platinum Rule accommodates the feelings of others. The focus of relationships shifts from "this is what I want, so I'll give everyone the same thing" to "let me first understand what they want and then I'll give it to them." This rule presents us with a significant challenge, in order for us to follow it we must listen and inquire about the needs of others, and suppress our desire to tell them what it is that they need.

I believe the real goal of the Golden Rule is to treat others the way they would like to be treated. The Platinum Rule, distilled to its essence, equates to respect for others. After all, isn't it really about being considerate of others? Isn't it about understanding what their needs and wants are and empowering them to succeed by meeting those needs and wants? When you empower those around you, it makes for a positive and uplifting environment. Who doesn't want to be in a happy workplace?

The Platinum Rule not only applies to your employees but your customers, vendors, and partners. If you really want to deliver customer excellence and not simply deliver customer service then use the Platinum Rule. I think the best way to find out how your customers like to be treated is to ask them.

Customers may or may not like being treated in a standardized manner and they may or may not have the same preferences as the employees they are dealing with. In other words, they may want to be treated differently.

Knowing the personality preferences of others can help employees adapt their own behaviours to reflect the preferences of your customers. Reflecting the needs, wants and expectations of the customer – in a manner that creates a collaborative relationship – will achieve much greater success.

By teaching your employees to recognize, respect and reflect the customer’s preferences, by changing how you approach customer interactions, you can differentiate your company, its products and services from your competitors.

When you think about it the Platinum Rule is a value adding proposition while the Golden Rule is not. When dealing with others feeling valued can translate to respect. Respect for People is the most critical element for success in a Lean environment. So treat others the way they want to be treated.  It is worth more.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Lean Quote: Quality Improvement is About Management Improvement

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.

"Quality in Client Services is a Team Issue, Top to Bottom." — Joseph L. Mancusi, Ph. D.

Before any action is taken, the management team must know and understand the areas where improvement can be noted.  Often, the problems are poor cooperation, poor communication, lack of commitment to team goals, poor management training and distrust of senior management.

By questioning workers in an interview or through a survey, managers learn how the organization is seen by the employees.  Go to the Gemba and engage the workforce to find what bugs them. They will show areas for improvement in management, morale, productivity and quality.  The first step to improve quality is to improve management team functioning.


Stay connect to A Lean Journey on our Facebook page or LinkedIn group.
Follow me on Twitter or connect with me on Linkedin
You can also subscribe to this feed or email to stay updated on all posts.