Lean Quote: Quality is Never an Accident, It is a Wise Choice

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 is never an accident, it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution. It represents the wise choice of many alternatives." — Willa Foster

These words reflect the level of excellence that we strive to provide to our customers. Let’s take a closer look at Foster’s statement and apply it to Lean and adding value to our customers.

“High Intention” is about setting high standards and expectations. This means we understand the goals of our customers and we do all that we can to exceed them. If we aim to just barely meet our goal then we run the risk of falling short.

“Sincere effort” is about caring about their wants, needs, and desires and doing our best to make these things happen. Realizing that meeting the customers goals must go further than just understanding them. We have to work hard to help make them happen.

“Intelligent direction” is about using the very best tools and information available to develop the best possible recommendations for our customer.

“Skillful execution” is about having talented people that are trained to assist us in implementing plans and strategies designed to meet our goals.

Your reputation rides on the quality of your product and service. Take that extra step to assure your work won’t end back for repair. You get one time to make a first impression. When we work with high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skillful execution, then we deliver to you the highest quality results.

 

Daily Lean Tips Edition #48

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.

Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed.

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

Lean Tip #706 – Recognizing the Commitment of People Can Support Lean Adoption

You need to start creating new stories in your organization to replace the old ones. One of the best ways of achieving this is to recognize the commitment of people who have really bought into the concept of Lean. That mean identifying people who have done things that support the adoption of Lean and then telling others what they did.

Lean Tip #707 – The Power of ‘Thank You’ and ‘Well Done’

It is impossible to underestimate the power of the phrases ‘thank you’ and ‘well done’ when said with conviction to someone who deserves it. It recognizes that the individual has contributed something of value and also helps to motivate them for further participation.

Lean Tip #708 – Create a Continuous Process Flow to Bring Problems to the Surface.

The idea of flow is to reduce the time that any piece of work, person, or project  spends travelling between stages in the process, or waiting for the next stage in the process to start. The ultimate aim is to reduce this wait time and travel distance to zero.

Lean Tip #709 – Use Visual Controls So No Problems are Hidden

As human beings we react well to visual signals. The aim of this principle is to make the performance of teams visible so that people can see what is going on. This will enable them to see how the changes they make impact the team’s performance.

Lean Tip #710 – Become a Learning Organization Through Relentless Reflection and Continuous Improvement

Nothing is perfect and everything can be improved. We must continuously review how and what we do in order to find better ways of doing it. This means accepting the occasional mistake and having the courage to admit it, along with the strength of mind to find a better way of doing things in the future.

Lean Tip #711 - Find the Middle Ground Between Fear and Comfort

Fear is going to cause a lot of stress and it may even lead to dissent among employees. On the other hand, comfort can lead to decrease in production. Lean leaders must learn to eliminate these two scenarios or at least find the middle ground between them.

Lean Tip #712 – Lean Leaders Must Both Lead and Teach Employees

Many leaders forget the teaching aspect of the role. To become an effective leader, one needs to be able to teach. This is especially necessary when there change is implemented and when there are new techniques and business strategies to be learned. Leaders should not just be experts, instead they should be a resource where employees can go to for assistance.

Lean Tip #713 – Lean Leaders Meet Face-to-Face With Employees Regularly.

Face-to-face communication continues to be the most effective. It allows people to hear you talk. It should also give them an opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification and share opinions with you. In other words, to ensure your face-to-face communication is effective, make it two-way.

Lean Tip #714 – Lean Leaders Encourage People to Make Contributions

Let the members of your team know that you welcome their ideas and expect it. Leaders who encourage involvement from the group find this leads to greater commitment, more creative problem-solving and improved productivity.

Lean Tip #715 – Lean Leaders Build on Employees Strengths.

Everyone focuses on improving weaknesses. However, you can find success by paying particular attention to areas of strength. This builds confidence in your team members and recognizes their contribution. You’ll find this rewarding for you and your team members.

Lean Tip #716 - Choose Where to Focus Your Improvement Efforts.

Leaders are critical in setting an agenda for change. Identify the processes you believe are high priority for improvement. Solicit input from staff and customers to identify processes that are in need of attention and to assess where there is the greatest potential for improvements. The processes selected as targets for improvement efforts should be strategic priorities and/or those for which you feel a “sense of urgency” for improving.

Lean Tip #717 – Leadership Must Articulate a Vision and Goals Describing What They Believe an Excellent Process Should Accomplish.

Provide a clear charge to all layers of management and process improvement team members to work towards this vision, making sure that everyone understands the vision. Work with Lean leaders to set specific goals and a manageable scope for each Lean event. Focus on defining the attributes needed for success and empower the team to develop efficient and effective approaches to accomplish them.

Lean Tip #718 – Leaders Need to Actively Participate in Process Improvement Events.

The involvement and passionate commitment of leaders and senior managers is the most important factor in the long-term success of process improvement efforts. Attend process improvement events in their entirety, and invite additional senior leaders to the report-out presentations. Encourage staff to elevate issues that need resolution, and address those issues promptly. Ensure that all participants in Lean events, including delegates of senior managers, are empowered to make decisions and commitments during the events.

Lean Tip #719 – Management Should Provide Visible Support for Process Improvement Efforts.

Make it clear to people in your organization that you strongly support process improvement efforts, both verbally and through your actions. Following an improvement event, lead by example and implement the new process yourself. Actively participate in follow-up meetings after the event, such as 30-, 60-, and 90-day follow-up meetings, recognizing the team’s progress and reinforcing the importance of continued implementation. Communicate in writing and in meetings why it is important that everyone in the organization commits to supporting and using the new process.

Lean Tip #720 - Clear Obstacles to Successful Implementation.

As new issues and challenges emerge, it is easy to lose focus on the performance and improvement of existing processes. Create time to discuss performance of work processes targeted by improvement efforts (and not just the issue or crisis of the day). Routinely walk around the office/factory to check in with employees at their work stations and ask specific questions about how the process is working, what support is needed, and what challenges are being experienced. Work to remove barriers. Where barriers cannot be removed, work with managers to calibrate goals and strategies to optimize results.

Book Review Toyota Way Lean Leadership

You can’t be Lean with Lean Leadership. The tools are easy to copy but without the people and the leadership they are useless.  Understanding the people aspect of Toyota is the real challenge, until now. Jeffrey Liker and Gary Convis have made this possible with The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership. The combination of Jeff’s decades of research into the practices of Toyota and Gary’s experience of learning leadership from Toyota come together in a unique way to share a model for achieving and sustaining excellence through leadership development.

Liker & Convis offer a clear explanation of Toyota's leadership development model. Basically, this model consists of 4 levels: (1) commit to self-development, (2) coach and develop others,(3) support daily kaizen, (4) create vision and align goals. They explain the importance of "True North" as overarching vision, which is central to decision making.

This book guides you through the Toyota way of developing their leaders. They unlock a new kind of leadership where the emphasis is on learning by doing, and then teaching by doing. A model starting from self development, then coaching others, keeping a clear direction, and supporting kaizen until the big changes are possible.

They tell stories about how Toyota developed American leaders.

Chapter 1 is an overview of the values that Toyota follows for all its operations and the leadership development model that it has evolved from these values.

Chapter 2 covers Gary’s development as Toyota leader in America (NUMMI).

Chapter 3 follows Gary’s move to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK).

Chapter 4 explains how self-development of leaders and their development of others led to continuous Improvement, kaizen.

Chapter 5 reveals hoshin kanri, the process by which Toyota manages the direction of the company, aligns goals, and deals with deviation.

Chapter 6 follows Gary to Dana Corporation after retiring from Toyota where he applies the practices outlined in the preceding chapters outside of Toyota.

Chapter 7 explores the question of how other companies can learn from Toyota’s approach and seriously develop Lean leaders who can sustain and continuously improve processes to deliver the best value to customers.

Each chapter concludes with direct advice to those who wish to learn from Toyota and apply this in their organization.

It is an easy read, with concepts that challenges thinking of most contemporary businesses, and once you start thinking of the implications, it even challenges your individual contributions to the world of work. It completely turns the tables on two basic assumptions in modern business: 1) that the leader is hired because he or she already knows everything and needs to get others to execute and 2) that competence is hired in because it's the employee's personal responsibility to sharpen their skills outside the context of the company.

A great combination of factual information, stories about and from the development of actual Toyota leaders and clear diagrams, there is something here for everyone, no matter what their level of lean learning, or where they are in their lean journey.

The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership should be a must read for all leaders especially those who are serious about operational excellence and want to understand the deep and patient process that is required to develop lean leaders. This is a book I highly recommend be in your library and that you not only read it but apply the learning. We can all do better and this book can show you how.

Note:

The success of this book led Liker to offer an online course to learn the secret to Leanleadership.

When I wrote “the Toyota Way to Lean Leadership” with Gary Convis we knew that “lean leaders” would finally have a way to live the company values, become excellent at process improvement following the disciplined approach of Plan-Do-Check-Act, learn to coach others in process improvement, and lead both horizontally across the company and vertically within their area of responsibility. This allows them to achieve the challenging targets the organization needs for success.

My online course provides an overview of each step in the lean leadership development process: Self-development, Developing and Coaching Others, Supporting Daily Kaizen, and Creating a Vision and Aligned Goals. Throughout the course you will learn more deeply through exercises, case examples, quizzes. and actual projects in your workplace under the guidance of talented lean coaches (LLI Coaches).

Disclosure:

The publisher provided me a copy of The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership for review.

7 Things You Can Do Today To Have A Positive Impact In Your Workplace

Creating a positive workplace is critical to a company's success. Most people who have experience working in an office have seen firsthand the difference between one that has a positive environment and one that doesn't. A positive work environment has a better productivity rate, happier workers overall, better morale, and a lower turnover rate.

There are a number of things that can contribute to a more positive working environment.

Set the example

The example you set in the office will have a ripple effect on your employees whether positive or negative. You can make a positive impact daily by remaining in a good mood and keeping a positive, optimistic outlook at all times. Don't blame others or complain about things you don't have any control over, and don't be vocal about your gripes or annoyances. This kind of attitude and example will spread to your employees and soon create a negative atmosphere in the office.

Don't dwell on the negatives

Mistakes are inevitable. Deadlines are missed, typos are made, and plans are botched. If these things are happening on a regular basis, then it is important to call attention to the problem and fix it. However, don't dwell on mistakes. Doing so can bring down the overall motivation of the office. Instead, focus on how they can be fixed and how to prevent them in the future. It's important also, when reprimanding or pointing out something negative, to preface and end on a positive note.

Foster good communication skills

You can make a positive impact daily by taking the time to communicate with and recognize your employees. Don't rely solely on email and phone calls to conduct the majority of your business and correspondence with your employees as well as your customers where possible. Instead, drop by offices and cubicles. Face to face interaction can have a more positive, personal effect than just emails or phone calls.

Set Goals and Deadlines

The greatest keys in helping people to become self-motivated are clear goals, a sense of purpose and urgency and challenge. These elements provide a feeling of accomplishment, the "Wow I did it!" feeling. People thrive on challenge and this will drive the positive attitudes in the workplace that you want.

Promote Respectfulness

Job titles may mean that there is a certain order to control and responsibility, but that doesn't mean someone with a lesser job title is any less important. Respect each individual for what they bring to the organization. Success and positive attitudes in the workplace are created when the entire team respects the value of each position and the diversity of thinking, talents, styles and experience each person brings.

Create Team Spirit

One of our basic human needs is to feel we belong to something bigger than ourselves, and for many people that need is met by being part of a supportive work group. Encourage an attitude of cooperation rather than competition. This unity will help your team members feel valued and that they belong. As a result they will want to be at work, your team will function smoothly, and your unit will be better able to carry out the missions and goals of your organization.

Continue Learning and Trying Out New Ideas

Encourage your organization to promote the importance of learning at work as a value. A culture of learning promotes both formal and informal learning, It acknowledges that employees need opportunities to try out newly learned skills and that mastery or competence takes time. It’s possible that creating a culture of learning will reduce resistance to change, because change is an inevitable part of learning and performance improvement. A positive environment promotes learning.

These are just a few of many ways you can have a positive impact throughout your office and with your employees. Creating a positive workplace is critical to a company's success. It is important for managers to define a purpose, set clear goals, and use appropriate positive reinforcement to motivate employees. Continuing to do so will make your office a better, more productive place to work for all employees.

Lean Quote: Use PDCA to Develop People

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 Toyota, PDCA is more than a way to get results from process improvement. It is a way of developing people." — Liker and Franz, The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership

Developing people means challenging people. But just issuing challenges isn’t enough. You must also teach a systematic, common means of creating solutions and meeting those challenges.

To get people across an organization to systematically work on improvement every day requires teaching the skills behind the solution. And for that to happen, their leaders and mangers also need to practice and learn those skills.

A simple, pragmatic problem solving methodology is the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) approach. It begins with a Planning phase in which the problem is clearly identified and understood. Potential solutions are then generated and tested on a small scale in the "Do" phase, and the outcome of this testing is evaluated during the Check phase. "Do" and "Check" phases can be iterated as many times as is necessary before the full, polished solution is implemented in the "Act" phase.

One of the advantages of developing and following a proper PDCA cycle is the ability to learn and acquire wisdom.  Wisdom requires that we arrange what we observe and know, and create meaning from it; it also requires that we consider what we need to unlearn as well. 

The purpose of PDCA is to generate surprises and thus opportunities for learning & progress toward the target condition. Unexpected results (surprises) lead to valuable learning experiences. When a hypothesis is refuted this is in particular when you can gain new insight that helps you learn, improve, adapt and innovate. When a result is as-predicted it confirms something you already thought.

The PDCA procedure is specified, but the path is not. Things will occur along the way that shift your thinking and cause you to revise your ideas. That’s normal. The target condition remains the same, but the path shifts as you learn.

The steps of PDCA constitute a scientific process of acquiring knowledge. The PDCA cycle model is built as a continuous loop and this loop ensures frequent iteration. This is very beneficial because this is the learning cycle that is necessary in solving problems as well as developing problem solvers and leaders alike.

 

Learn Any New Skill in 20 Hours With 4 Simple Steps

With just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice, you can go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach for acquiring new skills quickly with a small amount of practice each day. He shows how to deconstruct complex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers, creating a realistic framework for drastically cutting the time it takes to acquire any skill.

In the video above, he reveals the four steps to learning any new skill, fast.

The four steps in Kaufman's method are:

1. Deconstruct the skill: Break down the parts and find the most important things to practice first. If you were learning to play a musical instrument, for example, knowing just a few chords gives you access to tons of songs. If you want to learn a new language, learn the most common 2,000 words and you'll have 80% text coverage.
2. Self-correct: Use reference materials to learn enough that you know when you make a mistake so you can correct yourself.
3. Remove barriers to learning: Identify and remove anything that distracts you from focusing on the skill you want to learn.
4. Practice at least 20 hours.

If you are interested in learning more you can read Kaufman’s practitioner's guide to rapid skill acquisition, “The First 20 Hours, How to Learn Anything…Fast!”