Lean Quote: Be More Concerned With Your Character Than Your Reputation

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.

"Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." — Abraham Lincoln

This is an appropriate analogy because a shadow shifts over time (just think of the daily cycle that the shadow goes through as the day progresses), the same can be said for all of us, what people think of us can change from time to time depending on what light is shining on us, and which way it casts the shadow, and where they are standing in relation to the source of the light.

The tree however has put down roots, it goes through the daily cycle of shifting light, it goes through the seasons, growing, dropping it’s leaves, dealing with rain, hail and shine. It bends back and forth only so far in a gentle breeze, but resists against strong wind. The tree is what it is, regardless of the light being shone on it.

Character refers to what a person is; reputation is what people in general think he is. Our reputation is only as good as that of which we are perceived. We can have a "good" reputation, or a "bad" reputation. However, we must realize that either of those are relative, and a "good" or "bad" reputation is only in the eye of the beholder.

The differences between your reputation and character are many:

• Reputation is what you are supposed to be; Character is what you are.
• Reputation is the photograph; Character is the face.
• Reputation comes over one from without; Character grows up from within.
• Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community; Character is what you have when you go away.
• Reputation is made in a moment; Character is built in a lifetime.
• Your reputation is learned in an hour; Your character doesn't come to light for a year.
• Reputation grows like a mushroom; Character grows like the oak.
• A single newspaper report gives you your reputation; A life of toil gives you your character.
• Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; Character makes you happy or makes you miserable.
• Reputation is what men say about you on your tombstone; Character is what angels say about you before the throne of God.

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. Reputations come and go. Character will hold you through the storms. Develop character, and you will never have regrets.



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Free Online Process Mapping Tool For Value Stream Maps and More

Process maps and the further extension of value stream maps are an extremely powerful tool to visualize your process. I am a big advocate of creating process maps and value stream maps manually.  When you do it manually it establishes an environment where more participation is possible.  This is critically important in the creation of said maps and  the future improvements to be had.

There are times however when it is useful to create electronic maps for education, training, procedures, and standard work visuals for example.  In this case there are a limited number of resources at your disposal.  The options include a wide spectrum from buying eVSM to using free fonts.

A new web application called Diagram.ly allows you to draw any type of diagram and chart online without login or registration free of charge. 

Diagram.ly is offered by a UK based company JGraph, which develops and supports graph visualization software and web services. This web application is self-explanatory and neatly structured to make it easy to rapidly draw what you need. A drag and drop interface is provided to make diagrams by means of clip art and pre-drawn shapes. All diagrams can be saved to your computer in 4 formats – jpg, xml, png, or svg.

I talked to JGraph co-founder David Benson about adding a set of Lean icons to Diagram.ly so that it could create Value Stream Maps.  Here is the outcome. 

I made this quick VSM in 5 minutes to give you an idea of the capability of this tool.  

Diagram.ly gives you a user friendly option to be able to map your processes including making value stream maps from anywhere with internet access.  I believe you will find a number of great opportunities to use this tool to your advantage.  



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Using U Shaped Cells

Generally a horseshoe or U-Shaped work area layout that enables workers to easily move from one process to another in close proximity and pass parts between workers with little effort. Work cells do not need to be in a U-shaped configuration though this is often common due to maximizing product throughput with minimal use of space.

The layout of workcells in a U shape has several advantages:

• The IN and OUT are close, allowing visual control and management, according to the production takt, a single person can handle both the cell input feeding and output
• The shortening of distances allow sharing of work, as well as reduction of transportation waste
• These layouts provide convenient foundation for one piece flow
• Communication among team mates in the cell is easier
• The work is done inside the U, supplies remain outside
• Usually machines and tables are on rollers (if possible) for quick reconfiguration
• The floor space is generaly fewer with a U cell than stretched line (including inventories and supplies), walk distances are also reduced, as they are Muda (waste).

Paul Akers from FastCap shared some thoughts and examples of U shaped cells from his company in this video:

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New Sponsor - First American Plastic Molding Enterprises

I am pleased to announce a new sponsor to A Lean Journey Blog - First American Plastic Molding Enterprises.

First American Plastic Molding Enterprises is a custom provider of thermoplastic injection molding manufacturing solutions for companies throughout most industries. Because of the versatility of plastic and plastic injection molding, almost any industry with manufacturing needs can benefit from the services offered by First American Plastic Molding Enterprise. They have the capabilities and the expertise to design and craft components of all shapes and sizes. They build parts, components and tools for an array of companies, with services that range from design assistance to actually molding and shipping your requested products.

First American Plastic Molding Enterprise serves a wide range of customers with unique thermoplastic injection molding and precision injection needs. They assist countless injection molding buyers with quality, reliable solutions.


If you are interested in advertising your business on A Lean Journey you can find more information about that here.


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Lean Quote: No Email Day - 11.11.11

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.

"Face-to-face communication remains the most powerful human interaction." — Kathleen Begley, Ed.D., author of Face-to-Face Communication

Today is No Email Day, a campaign to encourage people to stop using email for 24 hours for greater productivity and to realize how email has become abused/overused. Can your organization handle no email for an entire day?

The No Email Day manifesto suggests switching off your email completely to help you get inspired and focus on your real work—for just one day.

NO EMAIL DAY by Paul Lancaster

View more documents from Paul Lancaster

NO EMAIL DAY is a campaign to encourage people to stop using email completely for 24hrs on 11th November 2011 and do something more productive with the time saved instead.

This could simply involve other forms of communication like actually talking to someone face to face, picking up the phone or even writing a letter (remember those?) or spending time away from work to reconnnect with the offline world.


Ever wonder how much time you are on email? What would do if you weren't on email today? So how will spend your day today?

2nd Annual World Quality Month

Last November, ASQ, together with organizations, leaders, and stakeholders in the Global Quality Community, celebrated the inaugural World Quality Month. This year ASQ is again joining with the Global Quality Community for World Quality Month 2011.

“Consumers and other businesses will seek to interact with those organizations whose commitment to quality is strongest, or in other words, those with which they are likely to find success and satisfaction.” – Paul Borawski, Chief Executive Officer, ASQ

As businesses look ahead to 2012, it is clear that reinforcement of and commitment to quality will be of paramount importance to their health and growth. Further, industry-leading organizations are keenly focused on improving quality from within, with employee training and process improvement topping the list of areas in which they intend to invest time and money. The overriding global economic uncertainty has not diminished member organizations’ commitments to quality – in some ways, it has strengthened it.

World Quality Month is an annual celebration of quality and its impact in the world. Through the joint efforts of ASQ, its many World Partner organizations, leaders and stakeholders in the Global Quality Community, the inaugural World Quality Month began in November 2010. World Quality Month was established both to reignite attention once generated in the 1980s by National Quality Month in the U.S. and to create a united, global forum for the organizations that have celebrated World Quality Days in November to come together and raise their voices for quality. November is designated as a worldwide celebration of quality – a time to showcase the advancements and valuable quality contributions in businesses, communities and institutions.

So in November raise your voice for quality. Every day. Make a point of it. I bet you’ll enjoy it. And when December 1 rolls around, you don’t have to stop. Speaking up for the importance of quality is our daily responsibility. The biggest barrier quality faces is making people understand that excellence just doesn’t happen. Excellence isn’t good intent. Through quality, excellence is available to everyone.


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Learning From Wiremold and Art Byrne

My friend Bob Emiliani recently shared a collection of videos from a research project he led on Wiremold's Lean transformation in 2001.

These historic videos capture an amazing event that took place on 5 November 2001, when a group of more than 25 executives, physicians, and department managers from Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) made the long trip from Seattle, Washington, to West Hartford, Connecticut, to take a tour of The Wiremold Company. 

In the videos, the Wiremold executives do a wonderful job of translating Lean management from manufacturing to healthcare, and in doing so show how Lean can be applied to any organization in any industry. I have two key takeaways from the videos that I would like to share with you. They are:

• The Wiremold senior management team’s determination to immerse themselves in daily Lean thinking and practice - for more than a decade - and willingness to share and help others; to teach others and to learn from others. These are typical characteristics of highly effective Lean leaders.
• The VMMC team members, CEO on down, were willing and eager to learn new things. They recognized that they were not educated or trained for Lean at any point in their careers. And yet they did not suffer from the typical “I’m the doctor, so don’t tell me what to do” or “It won’t work here because we’re a hospital” mentality.

As Art Byrne says in the introductory video I encourage you not to find the differences in what we do but look for the similarities. There is much to learn from these videos no matter who you are - Board member, owner, investor, CEO, mid-level manager, supervisor, labor leader, politician, journalist, academic, student, etc. Art says we can all generate a list of "but, but, but, but,..." reasons why it can't be done however we need to find the "least waste" way of doing things.

I encourage you to review these unedited videos from Bob Emiliani's research on Lean.  If you want even further study I recommend you get a copy of Better Thinking, Better Results. In this book Bob, covers this research on Wiremold's Lean transformation. It is often used as a handbook by executives in companies of all sizes, in nearly every industry, to assist their Lean transformation.