Lean Quote: Value Listening and Reading More Than Talking for Self 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.

"Value your listening and reading time at roughly ten times your talking time. This will assure you that you are on a course of continuous learning and self-improvement." — Gerald McGinnis, President and CEO of Respironics, Inc.

Learning needs to become part of your daily routine. You are most likely to succeed if you consistently pursue a learning activity each day. Even five minutes a day can make a tremendous difference.

So how do you make learning continuously part of job? Here are six ways to get started today:

1. Pursue ways to develop and apply specific skills. The most effective way to develop your skills it to make it part of your daily routine. Each day, identify where you can practice new skills and behaviors. Compile a list of people who can support your development. Observe people who are skilled in the areas you are trying to improve.

2. Get the most out of readings and seminars. When you are reading or are attending a seminar, take notes. Search for one insight or application in everything you read. Decide what you will do differently.

3. Involve others in your development efforts. Effective development rarely happens in isolation. Instead, successful learning occurs through a continuous process of feedback and support. Learn from people outside of work and realize that no single person will fill all your needs. Use resources available through professional associations, Web sites, blogs, and so forth.

4. View mistakes as learning opportunities. Mistakes are a problem if you repeat them or don't learn from them. When you make a mistake, ask yourself what you can learn from it.

5. Stay informed about industry practices. Industry practices and standards change so you need to keep up-to-date on developments. Visit other companies and talk with their employees. Attend industry or professional meetings, conferences, seminars, webinars, and other educational events. Join a group of professionals who get together to discuss issues of common interest.

6. Seek out and learn from others who are different from you. Getting input and advice from a wide range of people will provide you with new ideas. Develop a habit of identifying what you can learn from each person you meet. Realize that to keep learning, you need to put yourself into unfamiliar situations. Network with others to learn needed information.

Everything can contribute to our experience of learning. But as you may realize, learning is incomplete if we don't listen to the voices of those whose background and experiences are different from our own. Part of our learning continuously is opening our minds and hearts to those who propose a different way.

Lean Gone Lego Red Trolley Factory Worker Interviews

My friends at The Gordon, an online training company, have created another series of Lean Lego videos. The Gordon is Victoria's largest regional stand-alone TAFE and one of Australia's original and leading education and training providers -- established in the heart of Geelong in 1887. This project aims to empower workers to continuously come up with ideas to improve workplace productivity. Their first video Lean Gone Lego delivers an insight into a better way of working in manufacturing.

>

Following on from LEAN gone LEGO is this interview with Robbie the Red Trolley Manager who implemented the LEAN changes. Robbie talks about the benefits of implementing Lean.


Following on from the original Lean Gone Lego clip Sheila, a Red Trolley worker, tells how the new LEAN systems have helped better her workplace. Sheila talks about the positive work environment and teamwork she experienced in this new Lean company.


These are great additions to the original video and they highlight the respect for people aspects of implementing Lean in your workplace. I think those that have seen "Real" Lean can relate to the comments in these interviews. Hope you enjoy a little fun lesson today.

Meet-up: The Operations Blog Marci Reynolds

Today's guest on the Meet-up is Marci Reynolds, who authors The Operations Blog.  Blog posts focus on Service Operations and Tech Support, with an emphasis on how to align and leverage “people, processes, technology and data.” I have been following Marci for a couple of years and always enjoy her creative posts on leadership.


Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Marci Reynolds and I am Vice President of HELP24 Technical/Customer Support for ACI Worldwide, the leading global payments software provider for banks and retailers. I lead an international team of just under 200 employees with offices in the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions. Our vision is to provide the best customer support in the payments industry.

How and when did you learn Process Improvement?
My first introduction to process improvement was in the early 90’s, when I worked at The Boston Globe newspaper where they used the APIMC approach to address business problems. APIMC stands for: analyze, plan, implement measure and control. In the late 90’s, I participated in a Six Sigma wave with another company, was formally trained in the DMAIC process and received my Greenbelt certification. Last year, I got involved with another twist on Six Sigma, which we labeled the “Higher Velocity” approach.

How and why did you start blogging or writing about Process Improvement?
I have been blogging for about 6 years. I started writing about process improvement within sales (i.e. sale enablement) and then switched to process improvement within service operations about 2 years ago (refer to The Operations Blog). I enjoy writing, sharing what I have learned and getting feedback and ideas from the blog readers. It also forces me to keep current with industry trends.

What does Process Improvement mean to you?
It means identifying and taking action to remove the roadblocks and causes that prevent us from fully achieving our business objectives. Process improvement allows us to implement sustainable improvements in results, not band-aid fixes. It is about looking upstream, and thinking about end to end activities, instead of focusing on the end result only.

What is the biggest myth or misconception of Process Improvement?
The biggest myth I have heard is that process improvement (Six Sigma, Lean etc) is only for manufacturing environments. Second, that process improvement can not be used in creative professions, like logo design. In reality, process improvement techniques can be used in any work environment, for any profession and in any industry.

What is your current Process Improvement passion, project, or initiative?
My entire job is about process improvement. Here are some examples of the types of business questions/problems that my team and I are current addressing using systematic, process review techniques: How can we resolve customer cases faster? How can we improve the capacity of our engineering team to implement code fixes? How can we improve collaboration across departments?

Lean and 5S at Home with Paul Akers

Followers on this site know I have a fondness for Paul Akers as you can see from all these posts. He has found brilliant ways to simplify and share the message of continuous improvement. With Paul's 2 Second Lean book he is helping people grow and build a fun Lean Culture.

In a recent video by Paul, he again takes us home to share lessons on Lean. He focuses on using 5S elements to organize his home office and bathroom.  These improvements center around making tasks easier therefore saving him time.



Hopefully, you are applying continuous improvement thinking in your life and this will give you some ideas for your home and office.

Guest Post: Defining a Lean Organization is a Matter of Character

Today and tomorrow I will be doing a two part guest post on Christian Paulsen's Lean Leadership Blog. I attempted to define a Lean enterprise by the characteristics that embody a Lean organization. A Lean enterprise simplistically is a company that spreads Lean thinking across its entire organization. Those who find success embody a set of distinct characteristics that can help us understand what it means to be on this Lean journey. The first seven characteristics focus on elements of strategy, alignment, and continuous learning. The next of set characteristics focus on execution and continuous improvement.

Here is an excerpt from this post:

Lean is all about respecting people while eliminating Muri (overburdening), Mura (unevenness), and Muda (non value added activity) in all business processes. It is a philosophy which embodies a manufacturing culture of continuous improvement based on setting standards aimed at eliminating waste through participation of all employees.

While Lean can be beneficially applied to any process within an organization, its greatest benefit comes when it is applied across the enterprise. In The Machine That Changed the World in 1990, Jim Womack, et al., emphasized “that Lean thinking can be applied by any company anywhere in the world but that the full power of the system is only realized when it is applied to all elements of the enterprise.”

Lean focuses on creating and implementing processes throughout the entire organization that are highly responsive and flexible to customer demand. Lean paves the way for delivery high quality products and services, at the right location, at the right time, all in a cost effective and profitable manner.

...

A Lean Enterprise is not created quickly. To be successful, Lean manufacturing requires building a culture of operational excellence. It’s easy to say (or define), but harder to instill throughout an organization, which is why a lean implementation takes time. But the benefits of lean are undeniable, and those companies who make the journey stand to gain significantly. When a business applies lean thinking, culture, and methods throughout the entire organization and beyond its four walls to customers and suppliers a Lean Enterprise is formed.

To read the full article continue here.

Lean Quote: Dreams Can Come True With Courage

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.

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." — Walt Disney

When things are difficult, unknown, and perhaps unattainable we may turn the other direction. We must find the inner strength to overcome these perceived barriers. History has proven time after time that the power of a thought is the beginning for actions that will alter the future positively. Understanding this, and having the courage to keep going even in the face of all obstacles, allows us to accomplish anything we want.

Recognizing these truths about courage will assist you in overcoming any challenge that you face:

1. Courage Begins with an Inward Battle - Courage isn't an absense of fear. It's doing what you are afraid to do. It's having the power to let go of the familiar and forge ahead into new terrritory.

2. Courage Is Making Things Right, Not Just Smoothing Them Over - Courage deals with principle, not perception. It's knowing when to stand up and having the conviction to do so.

3. Courage in a Leader Inspires Commitment from Followers - A show of courage by any person encourages others. But a show of courage by a leader ispires. It makes people want to follow them.

4. Your Life Expands in Proportion to Your Courage - Fear limits a leader. But courage has the opposite effect. Courage not only gives you a good beginnig, but it also provides a better future.

Courage means trusting yourself to overcome your fears and doing what you are afraid to do. Courage increases conviction and inspires others to confront their fears.

Walt Disney embodied his quote by dreaming big and being courageous despite the challenges and skeptics. Without his courage to dream and execute we would not have the institution that has become Disney. 

It takes courage to begin the journey towards our dreams and courage to see them through.

What You Need To Know About OSHA Floor Marking Standards

Today, I would like to introduce a guest post by Mike Wilson from Creative Safety Supply. Mike enjoys blogging and reading about the lean manufacturing niche. He is invested in Creative Safety Supply, known for its safety products to help manufacturers with their 5S and Lean Projects. Mike is going to talk about the importance of 5S, specifically set-in order with floor marking to improve safety for employees.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the government agency that is responsible in developing the rules and regulations to promote the safety of the employees working in various industrial facilities in the United States. One of their tasks is to ensure that these facilities are in compliance with the existing rules and regulations when it comes to marking floors and setting boundaries benefiting the workers.

About OSHA Floor Marking Standards
The major concerns of OSHA are the safety and welfare of the employees. These can be achieved by following osha floor marking standards that deal with the appropriate usage of floor marking tape and other materials when it comes to safety markings and setting boundaries. The organization also ensures that the aisles, hallways and other passages are built according to the standards.

In order to give you an idea, here are some of the guidelines being imposed by OSHA regarding floor safety markings:

• Broken lines should not be used as markings
• Icons, symbols dots, graphics and other elements can be used when necessary
• Line markings should be at least 2-6 inches long and 2 inches wider
• The markings should occupy the recommended space in the aisles and other areas
• The passages and aisles should not be less than four feet
• The passages and aisles should be at least three feet larger than the biggest equipment in the area

Materials to Use for Markings
The importance of having safety floor markings in the workplace is incontestable so you need to comply with the rules set by OSHA. Along with this, you also have to make sure that you are using the best material for markings. Essentially, there are various materials to use for floor markings but the most common are tapes and paints.

Paints for safety floor markings are incredible as they are long lasting, tough and resistant to moisture, water and other environmental elements. These can be used if you are looking for floor marking materials that can withstand heavy environment traffics.

Paints are available in many colors so you can have plenty to choose from. There are also glow in the dark marking paints and those that have anti-slip features making it a great tool to use in floor markings. However, using this can be time consuming and involves more hassle than using the other kinds of material like floor marking tape.

Floor marking tapes are growing in popularity when it comes to marking floors for safety due to a great number of reasons. Primarily, floor marking tapes are fast and easy to use. There is no hassle involved in using this product because you can just cut and stick and you are done. There is no need to set period for drying line when using paints.

Also, it comes in various forms like the vinyl tape which is the most common type. It can be purchased in different colors as well and glow in the dark. Lastly, they can also last for long if most especially if you choose the best kind.