Lean Quote: Build A Culture of Empathy

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.

"The purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer." — Peter Drucker

As management guru Peter Drucker said, “The purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer.” Empathy is an important component of keeping a customer.

Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another’s shoes and walk a mile.  It’s the ability to imagine what it might be like to experience and relate to the thoughts, emotions, and experience of the other person. Empathy is more than simple sympathy, which is being able to understand and support others with compassion or sensitivity. 

Some people naturally exude empathy and have an advantage over their peers who have difficulty expressing empathy. Most leaders fall in the middle and are sometimes or somewhat empathetic. Fortunately, empathy is not a fixed trait. It can be learned. If given enough time and support, leaders can develop and enhance their empathy skills through coaching, training, or developmental opportunities and initiatives.

When empathy is not practiced within the organization—with all constituents—it’s impossible to expect it to happen with customers. It has been said, “You can’t truly love another before you learn to love yourself.” Organizations are no different. If we don’t love and respect and admire the people we work with every day, we can’t collectively give our customers the love they deserve. Empathy is an inside-out job.

Transformational leaders need empathy in order to show their followers that they care for their needs and achievement. Empathy is a powerful antenna for understanding the experiences of those around us. It helps good leaders become great leaders and is a key to business success.

Customers want to feel that we understand and appreciate their circumstances without criticism or judgment. Customers have simple expectations that we who serve them can put ourselves in their shoes, understanding what it is they came to us for in the first place.

Build a culture of empathy. Empathy is an essential component of caring about your customers, your employees, and your company, and its absence signals larger problems in organizational culture. Empathy can’t be plastered on like a fake smile, but it can be cultivated from within.

 

Book Review: Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement

Jeffrey Liker is at it again with another addition. Building upon his international bestselling Toyota Way series of books, The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement looks critically at lean deployments and identifies the root causes of why most of them fail.

The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement by Liker and Franz is a result of decades of practice trying to help companies on their operational excellence journeys. The book starts with some theory, focusing on what makes anybody excellent in anything. Then the book draws on what Dr. Deming taught Toyota about becoming excellent which it took to practice diligently with Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA) at all levels of the company all the time.

The book is organized into three major sections outlining:

1. Why it is critical to go beyond implementing lean tools and, instead, build a culture of continuous improvement that connects operational excellence to business strategy
2. Case studies from seven unique industries written from the perspective of the sensei (teacher) who led the lean transformation
3. Lessons about transforming your own vision of an ideal organization into reality

The book begins with a short synopsis on the Toyota safety recall issue that has plagued the company in the last couple of years. Liker wrote a detailed account of this already in Lessons For Turning Crisis Into Opportunity. Then they go into detail using the Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA) methodology.  Liker and Franz contrast true PDCA thinking to that of the popular, superficial approach of copying "Lean solutions." They describe the importance of developing people and show how the Toyota Way principles support and drive continuous improvement.

The second section brings together seven case studies as told by the sensei who led the transformation efforts. The companies range from traditional manufacturers, overhaul and maintenance of submarines, nuclear fuel rod production, health care providers, pathology labs, and product development. The contributing writers' experiences, and philosophical and technical views of Lean takes the reader on a comprehensive journey beyond any superficial and limited coverage of Lean tools and processes.

The final section comprises of a composite story describing a company in its early days of Lean implementation, where the authors describe what went right and wrong during the initial implementation efforts. The authors bring to light some of the difficulties the sensei faces, such as bureaucracies, closed-minded mechanical thinking, and the challenges of developing lean coaches who can facilitate real change. The book ends with a discussion on how to make continuous improvement a way of life at your company and the role of leadership in any Lean transformation

The value in this book for me comes from the case studies that look at real people in real industries that aren't automotive along their real lean journeys. The case studies demonstrated not only what was done well but what wasn't. There were varying levels of successes in the stories, but all showed the power of developing people into problem solvers. They teach us just like at Toyota there is always opportunity to improve and learn more.

You won't read it in one setting. It’s a long book at 432 pages but it’s packed with value.  It took me almost a year to read this book because of all the information the authors distilled within its pages. This is a book you can continually refer to for advice along your own journey.

This book shows the evolution of Lean and demonstrates how anyone can adopt these principles and philosophies in their environment. The authors explain Lean is not a set of tools but rather a business philosophy around developing people as problem solvers who continuously learn and improve.

The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement is valuable reading for anyone seeking to transcend his or her tools-based approach and truly embrace a culture of continuous improvement.  It is definitely written for the practitioner with a good mix of theory and case studies. Lean enthusiasts will certainly enjoy Liker and Franz’s addition but so will anyone that wants to lead lasting improvement in their organization.

The authors were awarded the Shingo Research Award at the 24th annual Shingo Prize Awards Gala this past year. The Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award recognizes and promotes research and writing regarding new knowledge and understanding of lean and operational excellence. Awards are given in four categories: (1) books (monographs), (2) published articles, (3) case studies, and (4) applied publications/multimedia programs.

Disclosure: The publisher provided a copy of this book for the purpose of reviewing it.

Techniques for Building Consensus in Workplace

Effective coordination requires the ability of individuals and groups to successfully collaborate. The strength of a meeting lies in the diverse input of its attendees. This diversity can also lead to problems if the group can’t come to a consensus and make decisions, large or small.

Consensus means “general agreement” and having that as a goal encourages and focuses the participants. It also creates equity and ownership in whatever decision is made.

The Challenge

Building consensus is often a bumpy ride. It involves:

• Investing time to make sure each participant’s voice is heard.
• Collaboration, in which each person reviews his or her position in light of other ideas expressed.

Tips for Building Consensus

These tips list the components of the meeting climate and structure that need to be in place to build consensus:

• Establish and revisit evaluative criteria.
• Give adequate time to work through the issues.
• Consider conflict inevitable on the way to consensus.
• Expect and encourage negotiation and collaboration between meeting attendees to move towards consensus.
• Emphasize fact over opinion.
• Use structured decision-making tools.
• Recognize that giving in on a point is not losing ground; gaining on an issue is not winning.
• Encourage attendees not to give in just to avoid conflict.
• Let it be known that flipping coins and voting are not viable alternatives to sharing information, debating points, providing data, and exploring other alternatives.

Success

Success can be difficult to judge. You’ve reached consensus when meeting participants can answer, “yes” to these questions:

• Will you agree this is the next step?
• Can you live with this position?
• Are you comfortable with this course of action?
• Can you support this alternative?

Consensus building is a decision-making process that is vital to any improvement effort or other process requiring participation. True consensus, where everyone agrees with each decision, is powerful and fulfilling. When everyone truly agrees on the actions or decisions of a group, everyone will be more committed to the course of action taken, and people will be more motivated. When consensus exists, people tend to feel very positively about a group and tend to get a lot of work done.

Why Team Building Activities Can Improve Motivation in Your Workplace

Today I am pleased to introduce a guest post by Isabelle Riley on improving workplace motivation with team building activities. This is a topic that she speaks from experience on as team builder herself.

Many companies now employ team building activities to motivate their workers and create a positive attitude and work. Why? Here are a few reasons modern companies are heading in this direction:

Team building improves productivity in the workplace. As employees learn to work together more effectively, they are able to do their work more efficiently. Less time has to be spent correcting errors and work can be divided according to team member abilities, reducing repetitive or overlapping work. Team building activities often give employees the opportunity to identify ways to improve processes, policies or procedures that have inhibited productivity. These activities can also increase employee motivation. This happens in several ways. First, when employees succeed in team building activities, they become more confident, which boosts their motivation. Second, commitment to team building activities demonstrates that the business is willing to invest in their success. Third, employees are often more motivated when they gain trust in their fellow employees and feel confident that their work as a team will be recognized and appreciated. You can try utilizing some activities yourself, or you could employ a team building event service, such as Uplift Events, to run a professional team building event.

Team building activities typically involve introducing a problem that team members have to solve together. The problem solving skills that they practice in a simulation can transfer to into the workplace. Through the activities, team members gain the skills that let them identify barriers that have previously hindered them in accomplishing goals and come up with ways to overcome those barriers. Team building activities can give employees structured ways to solve problems together while making each aware of the resources that each team member brings to the workplace. Team building activities also promote creativity by taking employees out of their usual environment and give them an out-of-the-ordinary task to perform. This environment often gives permission for employees to be more creative and to use their imagination to accomplish the tasks set before them. It also sends the message to employees that their creativity is welcome in the workplace. These creative problem-solving skills transfer back to the workplace once the activities are complete.

There are a whole range of activities that you can use in your workplace to help your workers gain that extra motivation kick that you may need and improve workplace relations between all your staff.

Isabelle Riley is a copywriter  working  with Uplift Events  a company  that filled a gap they saw in the market  for  team building events  that  were uplifting, fun, unique and most importantly, customizable.  They   felt   employees needed   to be rewarded with personalized  events through  corporate team building  activities  that were not only  fun & memorable, but provided them with a sense of satisfaction and achievement.  When   Isabelle   is not  writing content  she enjoys  all  household   chores  and bonding with her little boy.

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.