Five Lean Lessons from Playing Ice Hockey

When I am not at work (as a Quality Manager) and not writing articles for this blog I spend a great deal of time coaching youth ice hockey. This past weekend our season came to an end with the completion of playoffs. As a Lean leader often does I took some time to reflect on this past season.

As a coach you can’t help but feel a sense of instilling good behaviors in your players. While you might be teaching specific skills and helping them understand the strategies of the game I think the opportunities to teach life lessons are the most important. In my experience I liken this to the way a Lean Sensei (champion, mentor, teacher) coaches continuous improvement thinking. They don’t focus on the tools necessarily but rather the approach or method of problem solving. It is this that provides a valuable foundation of Lean thinking from which you can address any situation.

As I looked back over the season I started thinking about the lessons I hope my players learned. Many of these lessons are the same that I and others try to instill in the organizations we work with. So in no particular order here are five lessons that apply to sports and Lean:

1. Never give up. Sports have lots of highs and lows throughout the game. Perseverance is necessary to turn a bad situation into a good situation. When your team is behind never give up or you will be defeated. Lots of teams come from behind to win.

Lean also needs perseverance to get you through the difficult bumps in the road along the way to improvement.

2. Practice. Practice. Practice. All sports teams practice in order to improve. The key to their practices is to focus on basic skills for game situations. This high speed sport is much about reading and reacting so you must practice with intensity if you want to play with intensity.

In your organization you may not necessarily call it practice but you certainly experiment. This experimentation is what prepares us to solve more and more complex problems.

3. The power of teamwork. Hockey is not an individual sport it requires every member of the team to play their part to win. It also requires everyone to be at their best. Open communication and chemistry are an essential part of teamwork.

We all have roles in our organizations but it is the power of teamwork that makes our endeavors successful. It takes everyone working together on a common goal to be successful in Lean.

4. The value of hard work and sacrifice. Undoubtedly it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice along the way to get to the elite levels of the game. But this makes winning so much sweeter in the end.

Lean takes lots of hard work as well but it makes wins you get much more pleasurable. It is this hard work that creates customer value and makes your organization competitive in the market place.

5. Winning requires a positive attitude. There are a lot of things out of our control and adversity is part of the challenge but how we react is up to us. The right attitude can keep you moving forward. Never dwell on what you did wrong but what you need to do better for the next game.

Lean requires a willingness to try something new to improve our workplace. Fix what bugs us. Make work easier.

Even if you’re not a hockey fan like me, I hope you’re able to take some of these life lessons from ice hockey and apply them to your experiences. I think these are lessons we can all use especially in a continuous improvement environment. What do you think?

Lean Quote: Create a Positive Work Environment

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.

"You cannot implement quality improvement in a hostile environment." — Donald Stratton

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.

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.

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.

 

Three Operational Discipline Techniques That Improves Quality

To ensure the success of your corporation you must ensure that your company is operationally disciplined. Operational discipline must be part of your company's culture.

Operational discipline is defined as the deeply rooted dedication and commitment by every member of an organization to carry out each task, the right way, each time. ‘‘Discipline’’ in this context does not refer to punishment, but to doing things in a way that results in positive benefits. Operational discipline reflects the strength of an organization’s Lean culture in making systems effective and in providing tangible result. In addition, a high level of operational discipline typically contributes to improved business performance through higher productivity, higher quality, reduced waste, and lower costs.

Operational discipline is the willingness to create and follow processes/rules and hold people accountable for performing them. In Lean speak, it includes elements of Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA).  There are 3 operational discipline techniques that you can use to produce higher quality.

Standard Work (Plan-Do)

Standard work is a written description of how a process should be done. It guides consistent execution. It is the most effective combination (method) of manpower, materials and machinery.

Andon (Check-Act)

Andons are audible, or more commonly visual, signals that something has happened.  The aim is that andons quickly alert managerial and technical staff to a problem having arisen so that they can get to the source of the problem and begin to investigate it.

Audit (Check-Act)

The final step in the process is setting up a quick audit process to make certain your rules are being followed and your process is staying in good shape. Use audits to not only sustain the improvements from Kaizen, but also expose new problems and resolve them with your employees' involvement and input. In the beginning, the audits may need to be more frequent to force the discipline to adhere.

In an organization where a strong Operational Discipline culture exists, there will be a “deeply rooted dedication and commitment by every member of an organization to carry out each task – “the right way, every time.” Through standard work, each process is defined and performed the same way every time. Implementation of signals will alert you of problems early which improves quality and provides a foundation for continuous improvement. Auditing ensures you do what you say you will do. Create a culture that is operationally disciplined and you will find improved business results, better quality, and less waste.

The 3 A’s of Respect for People

A mature Lean organization is based on “Respect for People”.  Respect for people is about building mutual trust and human development.  Lean managers must take responsibility for other people reaching the objectives they set.  They seek to develop and engage individuals through their contribution to team performance.

There are 3 essential elements of Respect for People that start with “A” which managers need for a sustainable Lean culture:

Alignment – Means of connecting objectives and capabilities.

Tell your employees the most important goals for your organization and let them know of the progress towards those goals. Help people feel they are a part of something bigger than themselves or their job by sharing your company's overall vision. If the goals are unclear then the employees are not sure what they are being asked to do.

Autonomy - Being competent and empowered to make decisions.

Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company's philosophy. The desire of people to be self-directed is autonomy. To create an autonomous environment where people can self-direct, you need to inspire people, and help them to discover their talents, sometimes talents they were not aware they had.

Accountability - To do what we say we will do and uphold our commitments.

To successfully empower someone, we must also assign accountability. Empowering employees without associated expectations is confusing and ineffective.   Empowerment happens when employees use the company tools to solve problems.

Lean is both sub-optimal and unsustainable without the Respect for People part. If you are serious about the longevity of Lean in your organization you will need to focus on this aspect and encourage it.

Lean Quote: Quality Controls Requires Effective Tools

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 control is more than just a state of mind. It requires effective tools." — McCormack

Most organizations use quality tools for various purposes related to controlling and assuring quality. Although there are a good number of quality tools specific to certain domains, fields, and practices, some of the quality tools can be used across such domains. These quality tools are quite generic and can be applied to any condition.

The Seven Basic Tools of Quality is a designation given to a fixed set of graphical techniques identified as being most helpful in troubleshooting issues related to quality. They are called basic because they are suitable for people with little formal training in statistics and because they can be used to solve the vast majority of quality-related issues.

The tools are:

1. Check Sheets – A generic Tool which can be used for collection and analysis of data. A structured and prepared form that can be adapted for wide variety of issues
2. Control Charts – This is a graphical technique,which can be used to study the changes to a process over time
3. Pareto Chart – This is another graphical technique, which can be used to identify the significance of individual factors
4. Scatter Chart – This is used to identify the relation between variables, by plotting pairs of numerical data, with one variable on each axis. The points will be falling on a line or a curve, if the variables are related.
5. Cause and Effect Diagram (Also called as Ishikawa Diagram or Fishbone Diagram) – This can be used to structure the brain Storming Sessions. It is used to sort ideas into useful categories. Many Possible Causes are identified for a stated problem and the effect on the problem are identified
6. Flow Chart (Stratification Charts) - This tool is used to identify the patterns within the data collected from multiple sources and clubbed together. It is used to identify the meaning of the vast data by identifying patterns.
7. Histogram – It looks very much like a bar chart. it is used to identify the frequency of occurrence of a variable in a set of data.

The seven basic tools of quality can be used singularly or in tandem to investigate a process and identify areas for improvement, although they do not all necessarily need to be used. If a process is simple enough – or the solution obvious enough – any one may be all that is needed for improvement. They provide a means for doing so based on facts, not just personal knowledge, which of course can be tainted or inaccurate. Ishikawa advocated teaching these seven basic tools to every member of a company as a means to making quality endemic throughout the organization.

 

Daily Lean Tips Edition #60 (886-900)

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 #886 – Doing It Right Costs A Lot Less Than Doing It Over

Why does it seem that there is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do something over?  If you want to be a proactive organization it will pay huge dividends if everyone concentrates on doing their job right the first time - even if it takes a little longer to make sure it is right.  And by doing it right the first time, you not only increase your company's efficiencies, but you can also have an immediate impact on customer loyalty, retention and overall profits.

Lean Tip #887 - Break The Daily Grind

Most every employee is assigned a task according to his/her skill set; however, it is important to consider rotating people throughout an organization.  This will give them two things: One, a better appreciation of what others do and two, it will help break the daily complacency, monotony and boredom of a job.  You can do this by and giving people new tasks/job functions within the company or other divisions -- which adds to their skill set and a better overall view of the organization.

Lean Tip #888 - Make it Easier to Get Things Done

After removing distractions, you want to make working as easy as possible. In general, make sure that tools for completing jobs are nearby the workers. Fewer distractions will increase productivity.

Lean Tip #889 – Don’t Work Hard, Work Smart

This is somewhat of a cliché, but it has to be mentioned. We aspire to instill this in all employees. On the long run this can make all the difference. Think about this scenario, would you rather spend thirty minutes everyday on a specific task, or implement a system that will require you to invest 2 hours for one day then a couple of minutes every day instead of the thirty? I think the choice is simple and this is an example of working smart.

Lean Tip #890 - Offer Training to Build Employees Skills and Engage Them.

No one wants to get stuck doing the same thing every day for the rest of their lives. Encourage employees to take courses that expand their skill sets. Imagine how much more productive your business will be when employees have enhanced their ability to better communicate, solve problems, and find improvements. Engaged employees are enthusiastic about their jobs, confident in their ability to achieve excellence and motivated to have a greater impact on the success of the business.

Lean Tip #891 - Don’t Talk About It, Just Do It.

Lean requires a bias for action. Just like the Nike tagline, you should go ahead and just do it. Deploying Lean means you're following a PDCA (plan-do-check-act) cycle and that it's okay to fail. Whether you succeed or fail, you're following through on Lean.

Lean Tip #892 - Discard Conventional Fixed Ideas.

Part of problem solving is thinking outside of the box. Encourage people to think this way and not in the same old way that got them into the problem to begin with!

Lean Tip #893 - We Don't Have Bad People, Just Bad Processes.

For the most part, this is true. By concentrating on the process and building continuous improvement there, you will have the culture change that you're looking for.

Lean Tip #894 - Do Not Seek Perfection. Do It Right Away.

Taiichi Ohno used to regularly nag at people not to let a quality problem "escape" to the next customer. You've got to stop what you're doing, put a countermeasure on it and do it right away.

Lean Tip #895 - Correct Mistakes Immediately.

You've got to fix mistakes immediately. Don't wait for the next shift to do it. Don't wait for the weekend to do it. Don't wait for maintenance to do it. Quality depends on immediate action to correct mistakes.

Lean Tip #896 - Do Not Spend Money For Kaizen.

It is not necessary to spend money to fix every problem. All that proves is that you have a lot of money. I don't care whether you're in manufacturing or health care, you don't have "extra" money. Toyota says that they use their wits, not their wallets, for continuous improvement.

Lean Tip #897 - Question Everything. Ask "Why" Five Times.

A brilliantly simple root cause problem-solving tool, asking why five times becomes easier the more you do it. Adopting this as a default way of looking at things will aid, not only your problem solving, but other areas, too.

Lean Tip #898 - Ideas are Infinite. Execution is the Key.

This simple maxim is often overlooked as people get caught up in meetings and so on. You've got to be the change you want to see, not the change you'd like to see. It's the same as not confusing better with best. You want to move to better right away, not take forever working out what "best" looks like.

Lean Tip #899 - Take No Action and Nothing Will Happen.

If you do nothing, nothing changes. Be aware of items that stall your action. It's better to have a 50-percent reduction in waste right away than it is to take no action and hope for a 100-percent reduction in waste sometime in the future.

Lean Tip #900 - Kaizen Starts With Taking a Look at the Actual Place of Work. Continuous improvement efforts must start with a trip to the Gemba. The Gemba might often be the factory floor, but people forget about Lean in the office, where half of the work starts out being late! It's easy to see waste on the floor, but it's harder (at first) to see waste in the office or other value streams. Going to the Gemba will make it easier.

Lean Leadership Lessons From The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

Like millions of others from around the globe I have been glued to the TV watching the winter Olympics from Sochi. Once again the eyes of the world are on its best and brightest athletes as they attempt to push the human body to new limits, and remind us that our best human qualities — determination, perseverance, innovation, sacrifice, and camaraderie – know no bounds.

As much as the Olympics represent the pinnacle of the sporting world, they are also the source of a number of inspiring stories that showcase both the human spirit and what we can accomplish when we strive to be our best.

To that end, I’d like to share some important lessons for leaders on how to guide their organization to succeed and thrive, regardless of the challenges that stand before them.

Lesson 1: Olympians know no goal is impossible with the right mindset. If you want to succeed, don’t lose sight of your goals. Stay unwaveringly motivated. Your focus determines your results. Focus on the right things.

Lesson 2: When Olympians suffer an inevitable setback, they don’t let themselves succumb to doubts. You can’t compete at the highest levels without inner-confidence. And when you do get a taste of success, don’t rest on your laurels. You have to pivot, hone in on the strengths that have carried you so far, and overcome adversity with perseverance.

Lesson 3: There’s no substitute for surrounding yourself with the best possible team. With the right players, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish. Don’t compromise on talent, and hold yourself to the lofty expectations people will place on you.

Lesson 4: Olympians break through excuses. Many businesses will face immense challenges on the road to success. They will also be presented with opportunities to overcome these challenges. Don’t squander your potential with self-imposed limitations. Don’t make excuses for why you cannot engage more fully. Capitalizing on your chances is a matter of being dedicated and sacrificing for the greater good of the business.

Lesson 5: Olympians never stop learning from mistakes. In business you need to measure everything so you can analyze how to be more effective, more productive, and more profitable in the future. What gets measured gets improved. You never settle for good. You always strive to be great. It’s an attitude of constant improvement.

Lesson 6: Olympians give 100% commitment to their goals. You have to give 100% commitment to what it is you want to achieve. Without a doubt those that are competing have committed themselves 100%. They don’t expect it to be easy and are ready and willing to do what it takes.

To achieve success businesses and leaders within them need to take a long term view. The reality is there is no shortcut to success. These lessons above show how we should approach our leadership and guiding the people we lead towards achieving our shared goals.