2 Second Lean 3rd Edition Book Review

Paul Akers, founder and president of FastCap, has published his first book 2 Second Lean: How to Grow People and Build a Fun Lean Culture at Work and at Home. I have been following Paul for several years as he has built FastCap into one of the model Lean Companies in this modern age. So now that Paul has published his story I was delighted to take the opportunity to learn more.

2 Second Lean is different than most books on the marketing written about Lean manufacturing/thinking. This book isn’t really about Lean or continuous improvement but rather the transformation of a leader. The story chronicles one man’s personal journey with the discovery of Lean and how he implemented it in his business and personal life. This personal touch makes the lessons Paul presents more relevant and lasting.

Paul describes his personal journey beginning with a total ignorance of Lean thinking, all the way to being one of Lean's greatest success stories. Paul illustrates the struggle many organizations face when their understanding of Lean is centered only around tools. To quote Paul, “Using Lean as only a tool will leave you disappointed. It is much more than that.” He learns from Domo Arigoto, Vice President of Lexus, “The most important thing for Toyota is people – teaching and training people in a culture of continuous improvement.” This is the turning point for Paul and FastCap.

In 2 Second Lean Paul outlines the steps that he personally used to transform the culture of FastCap. His approach may be a bit unorthodox as he advocates starting in the bathroom but it is simplicity that he is after. Throughout the book Paul breaks down the concepts and thinking into simple easy to understand lessons. 

This book is a very quick read but offers a number of great resources buried within its covers. There are lots of colorful photos and examples throughout the book. If that wasn’t enough Paul even uses QR Codes to link to information and videos on his websites for more detailed learning. The end of each chapter concludes with “The One Thing” which is a synopsis of what you just learned which is followed up by questions to make you act on your own situation. This reinforces the lessons and substantiates the learning for readers. 

There is an audio version of the book that recorded. This is a real treat to listen to since Paul is such a passionate personality. Anyone who knows Paul knows the energy he brings to this topic. Paul goes off script from the book but adds great value. Since the stories are so personal he ad libs throughout the recording adding some new tibits to ponder.

Paul says’, “At the end of the day everyone is a process engineer.” If you want something to stick as a leader you must expect it, inspect it, and reinforce it. Paul has simplified a rather complex process down into a simple phrase: "Identify what bugs you and fix it." Paul shows us that Lean can and should be fun.

In the 3rd edition Paul added 5 new chapters which basically answer common questions he gets. There a is a chapter on Lean Leadership why you want a Lean All-Star. Paul talks about the use of videos to put Lean on afterburners. He also shares his new building and how Lean thinking was incorporated in the design. There is also a chapter on touring his company FastCap.

I highly recommend reading this book and even further endorse the audio portion. You will find 2 Second Lean a fun, memorable, and valuable account into Lean. This story and its lessons is something everyone can benefit from personally and professionally.

The Trust Gap In Your Organization

Most organizations focus on what they do and how they do it. But only the most inspired organizations have leaders who start with why they do it first. The single biggest challenge that an organization will ever face is its own success. The more successful an organization becomes, the more people it has to hire based on what they do. The company’s what keeps growing. The problem is why they do it starts to go fuzzy. And as the what and why lines separate, a trust gap occurs.

Technology, internet can not create trust. Only human contact can. Leaders tell us why we exist, authority/managers tell us what to do. We trust leaders, we distrust authorities /managers. As soon as our audience or clients become anonymous people, you can follow destructive mantras like “I have to follow the rules’, ‘these are my orders’.

Simon Sinek started with his simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership: The Golden Circle, where it’s all starting with the question “Why?” Now Simon takes the next step. After why comes : trust. When we surround ourselves with people who believe what we believe, trust emerges. 

Watch this great TEDx Talk about trust and why.

Lean Quote: Leadership is Not a Dictatorship

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.

"Personally I cringe at the word 'leader.' It's more about getting people do what they're passionate about and putting them in the right context or setting. They're the ones doing the hard work." — Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, said, “Personally I cringe at the word 'leader.' It's more about getting people do what they're passionate about and putting them in the right context or setting. They're the ones doing the hard work.”

While I don't necessarily totally agree with 'leader' being cringeworthy, this is an awesome quote. From my point of view, what he describes is leadership. No one wants a central figure to come in and do everything for them so they can just follow blindly. They want someone that inspires them to be better, someone to follow until it's time to forge their own path.

The glory of a leader can be plagued and overshadowed by many concerns that can affect the team’s success. A leader must wear many hats and be able to lead and encourage a team to perform. It is necessary for a leader to become an engaged member of the team, but be able to lead at the same time. It is inevitable that different personalities, industries, and goals will force any leader to adapt and mold to fit the current environment. What is the best way to successfully encourage and lead a team? This is the million dollar question.

There is definitely a difference between leadership and dictatorship; unfortunately many so called “leaders” confuse the two. According to webster, we can easily see the distinguishing differences between the two:

Leadership – the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group.

Dictatorship – absolute, imperious, or overbearing power or control.

Aha, one guides, directs, coaches and leads a group and the other tells the group to do this thing, this way, because I said so and more importantly because I have the power… I am the dictator.

Leadership is really about influencing people to believe in you and follow you. A leader takes people where they would never go on their own. Encourage your team members to the tasks that are most critical to achieving the main objectives. Make sure the rewards are useful and worthwhile. Try to understand each member and what they really want from their work and life in general.

Busy Does Not Equal Productive

Just because you are busy does NOT mean you are productive. This animation explains some of the major differences between busy behavior and productive behavior.

Here are the 6 Major Differences Between Busy People and Productive People:

Priorities

Busy People have many priorities.

Productive People have very few priorities.  Their mission is clearly defined and they put their energy on the few items that will bring them the biggest results.

Yes Vs. No

Busy People say Yes quickly.

Productive People say Yes slowly.  They don’t commit to anything that steers them away from their mission and goals.

Handling of Actions

Busy People focus on actions and checking things off of their To-Do list.

Productive People focus on clarity before action and have very few things on their To-Do list.

Multi-Task vs Focus

Busy People are always multi-tasking.

Productive People don’t multi-task but focus on one course until completion.

Email Management

Busy People respond quickly to emails.

Productive People don’t allow emails to determine their priorities.  They don’t allow other people to manage their day and are not distracted by the incoming email alerts.

A Question they Ask Themselves

Busy People ask, “What else can I add?”

Productive People ask, “What else can I remove?”  At the beginning of the day, they determine what needs to be their most important tasks of the day, in line with their goals.  Then, throughout the day, they take time to review their priorities and eliminate or delegate anything that doesn’t align with their vision.

Switch your focus from being busy to being productive, so that you can accomplish more, see tangible results, and have time for fun.

Don’t Aim for Busy, Aim For Productive

7 Lessons We Can Learn From Geese To Succeed

Living in New England you become accustom to seeing the migration of Geese.  As the leaves start turning colors the Geese head south for the winter.  Geese are fascinating creatures and we can learn many lessons from them. Below are 7 things we can learn:

1. Sharing a common goal: As each goose flaps its wings it creates “uplift”, an aerodynamics orientation that reduces air friction, for the birds that follow. By flying in a V-formation, the whole flock achieves a 70% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

The lesson we can learn here is that people who share a common direction and goal can get where they are going quicker and with less effort because they benefit from the momentum of the group moving around them. Make sure your team and company is aligned towards a common goal.

 2. Increasing visibility: Flying in a V-formation increases the visibility as every goose can see what’s happening in front of them.

The lesson here is to make our organizations visible in both org-chart directions. Having top-down visibility enables leaders to stay connected with the edges of the organization to make better informed decisions. Bottom-up visibility enables employees to see the bigger picture, engages them, and empowers them to better align themselves with the organizational objectives.

3. Having humility to seek help: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the friction of flying alone. It then quickly adjusts its mistake and moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

The lesson we can learn here is to be humble to admit the challenges we face and to seek help as soon as we get stuck. This humility will enable you, your team, and your company to move faster and achieve more.

4. Empowering others to lead: When the lead goose in the front gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and allows another goose to take the leadership position.

The lesson here is to empower others to also lead. Micro-managing and keeping tight control will burn you out. It will also disengage and demotivate others around you. People have unique skills, capabilities, and gifts to offer. Give them autonomy, trust and a chance to shine, and you will be surprised with the outcomes.

5. Always recognizing great work: The geese honk to recognize each other and encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

The lesson here to make sure we praise people and give them the recognition they deserve. Lack of recognition is one of the main reasons employees are unsatisfied at work and quit. It’s very common for people’s efforts to go unnoticed by their peers in a busy and fast-moving work environment. However, remembering to constantly provide recognition and encouragement is vital and keeps teams motivated to achieve their goals.

6. Offering support in challenging times: When a goose gets sick or wounded, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

The lesson here is to stand by each other in difficult times. It’s easy to always be part of winning teams, but when things get difficult and people are facing challenges, that’s when your teammates need you the most.

7. Staying committed to core values and purpose: The geese migration routes never vary. They use the same route year after year. Even when the flock members change, the young learn the route from their parents. In the spring they will go back to the spot where they were born.

The lesson to learn here is to stay true to our core values and purpose. Strategies, tactics, and products may change in order for an organization to remain agile, but great companies always stick to their core purpose and values, and preserve them with vigor.

Lean Quote: Don’t be Afraid to be a Bold Leader

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.

"No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it." — Andrew Carnegie

Good leaders are trailblazers, making a path for others to follow. Great leaders, however, inspire their people to reach higher, dream bigger, and achieve greater. Perhaps the most important leadership skill you can develop is the ability to provide inspiration to your team. If you inspire them to reach for the stars, they just might bring you back the moon.

Bold leadership isn’t reserved for the chosen few, and it certainly isn’t limited to popular culture’s definition of big, brash, loud leadership. Bold leadership is about the everyday behaviors we use to build trust, focusing on the needs of others, leading with confident humility, and vulnerably engaging with our people in authentic and genuine ways.

Bold leadership is not what you think. BOLD leadership is:

Building trust – if employees don’t trust you, why would they follow you?

Others focused – leadership isn’t about a leader, it’s about empowering the people around you.

Leading with humility – it’s a common misconception that leaders are infallible but the most successful people in leadership positions show they’re human.

Daring to be vulnerable – authenticity brings people to you. No one wants to follow a robot, they want a real person who connects with them and understands what they’re doing/who they are.

I think this is an awesome acronym to live and lead by, it covers all of the main points of a great leader. Don’t be afraid to be a bold leader.

Guest Post: What is Lean Canvas Methodology and Why Is It Important?

When you think of a successful startup or even a successful multi-million-dollar company, you probably think of the well-laid out plan that must be in place behind it, right?

From the business’s marketing strategy to their target audience to their finances, and so much more.

Details, on details, on details.

Well, this might not actually be the case anymore…

The new trend in the business industry is lean canvas methodology.

What is lean canvas methodology?

Typically, business plans take weeks of preparation – days of meeting with distributors, days of brainstorming and hours of typing it up. These elaborate plans detailed the path that each business thought was surefire for success…

But, Harvard laid out numbers showing that such detailed plans didn’t actually workout that well.

So, insert the methodology of a lean canvas…

The methodology of a lean canvas is to approach a business with a bit of creativity and almost some experimentation. The idea behind a lean canvas is that it offers enough flexibility so that it can be adjusted based on customer feedback.

To break it down:

Instead of having a business plan in hand where you have projected what you expect to happen with your business, you simply become a mirror – remaining open to the actual outcomes and reflecting the feedback of customers onto the canvas.

While it might sound a bit taboo at first, it can better prepare and equip you for the bumps of each business that will come along the way…

Why is lean canvas methodology important?

Lean canvas methodology holds importance in all aspects of a business – from securing investors to satisfying customers and ultimately to the overall success of the business.

Securing Investors

The bottom line is that in general, investors and just humans in general, have an incredibly – and embarrassingly – short attention span. Investors don’t want to spend their time sorting through pages and pages of a business plan just to investigate if your ideas are worth their time and money…

However, the lean canvas methodology can provide them all the answers they need right up front – keeping them happy and getting you investors.

Satisfied Customers

Are satisfied customers not the overall goal of every business?

Without customers spending money on your product or service, you wouldn’t have a business or a paycheck…

So, does it not make sense to focus most of your time, efforts, and money on making them happy?

The lean canvas business model focuses on being like a mirror – simply reflecting the feedback provided by customers. This ensures they are happy and gives you easy insight as to what you should or could be doing.

Overall success

Ultimately, the lean canvas is an actionable plan that focuses primarily on problems, solutions, key metrics, and competitive advantages. These aspects combined help determine a better and more effective route for the business to go in – maintaining customers as their main focus.

Everybody likes to keep things simple – we are a people of simplicity and ease.

So, why not keep it simple with your business model, too?

Rather than spending weeks and months on what you think might happen and trying to make your business fail-proof without any real knowledge of the future…

Focus on listening to your clients and adopting a lean canvas model to ensure that you maintain a competitive advantage.

Would you be open to applying the lean canvas methodology to your business? Let us know why or why not in the comments. 

About the Author: Annabelle Short is a financial consultant and writer at Content Blossom. She splits her time between London and Los Angeles. Annabelle has worked with many companies providing guidance and advice on finance related topics. Moreover, Annabelle has experience in leading and managing different project teams. Annabelle is a mother of two, and in her free time she likes to sew and make crafts.