Take Personal Responsibility For Your Future

Organizations can't stop the world from changing. The best they can do is adapt. The smart ones change before they have to. The lucky ones manage to scramble and adjust when push     comes to shove. The rest are losers, and they become history.

As organizations maneuver in an effort to cope with rapid change, some careers always get caught in the cracks. It’s unfortunate, but unavoidable. Some employees get pinched and, naturally, people cry foul. They accuse top management of “breaking the psychological contract,” of changing the rules. But it’s more accurate to say the organization is merely responding to a rule change called the world. The irony is that executives are in no-win situation.  If they’re smart, and change early like they should, they’re described as uncaring and over-reactive. If they drag around and don’t change until the world forces the issue, they’re considered inept as well as cruel.

Part of the problem lies in the “entitlement” mindset that has crept into our thinking over the past several decades. People come to believe that, because of all the years of work they put in, the organization “owes” them continued employment. Sticking with an outfit – loosely referred to as loyalty – was supposed to entitle a person to job security. Employees learn to expect regular pay increases and periodic promotions. Some folks even go so far as to presume they have a “right” to expect their employees to keep them happy and provide job satisfaction. The burden of responsibility for people’s careers shifted further and further away from employees, and more onto the back of the employers. Both parties bought into this system, and it has been bad for all concerned.

Too often employees rested on their past achievements, instead of requiring themselves to constantly improve their skills. They counted on their work history to qualify them for a promising career future. They became too dependent on their employers, expecting protective policies to shield them from the raw forces of change going on around the globe.

Obviously, it hasn’t work. High-velocity change has eliminated the need for many jobs. Because of new technology and global competition, organizations are being reshaped and work is being done differently. The marketplace is merciless, and it puts definite limits on how generous or protective an organization can be with its people.

This means you should reframe your relationship with the organization, just as it must reframe its relationship with customers and competitors. Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that you’re automatically “entitled” to pay increases, promotions, or even your job…even if you perform well.  Circumstances will keep changing. The best thing you can do is constantly improve your skills, stay flexible, and never con yourself into thinking that your employer is supposed to protect your future.

The era of entitlement is ending. Instead rely on your “rights,” take personal responsibility for your career. Put your faith in the future…and in yourself. Embrace change, and develop the work habits you need for job success in the Information Age.

Lean Quote: Build Trust With These Actions

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.

"If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything." — Mark Twain, American Writer

There are two sides to trust: the first is outward-looking and grows from a person’s past experiences with that particular person or group; the second is inward-looking and comes from the person’s own history, particularly from childhood experiences. The level of trust that anyone feels is fed by both of these sources. You have control over the outward-facing source, so start there.

The technique is simple—simple to explain anyway: start being trustworthy.

Trustworthiness is encouraged by a number of actions that are within your power to take:

1. Do what you say you will do. Don’t make promises you can’t or won’t keep. Most people’s mistrust has come from the untrustworthy actions of others in the past.

2. If for any reason you cannot follow through on a promise, warn the person as soon as the situation becomes clear to you, and explain the circumstances that led to your failure to do what you promised.

3. Listen to people carefully and tell them what you think they are saying. If you have it wrong, accept the correction and revise what you say. People trust most the people whom they believe understand them.

4. Understand what matters to people and work hard to protect anything that is related to what matters to them. People trust those who are looking out for their best interests.

5. Share yourself honestly. A lot of mistrust begins when people are unable to read you. And remember: while hiding your shortcomings may polish your image, it ultimately undermines people’s trust in you. Admitting an untrustworthy action is itself a trustworthy action.

6. Ask for feedback and acknowledge unasked-for feedback on the subject of your own trustworthiness whenever it is given. Regard it as valuable information and reflect on it. Feedback may be biased, and you don’t have to swallow it whole. But check it for important half-truths.

7. Don’t try to push others to trust you further than you trust them. You will communicate subtly whatever mistrust you are feeling, and it will be returned to you in kind. Trust is mutual, or else it is very shallow.

8. Try extending your trust of others a little further than you normally would. Being trusted makes a person more trustworthy, and trustworthy people are more trusting.

9. Don’t confuse being trustworthy with “being a buddy.” Being a buddy for any purpose besides friendship is an untrustworthy act. Besides, trust doesn’t automatically come with friendship.

10. Don’t be surprised if your trust-building project is viewed suspiciously. Asking people to let go of their old mistrust of managers (and of you in particular) puts them into a significant (and dangerous-feeling) transition. Their mistrust—justified or not—was a form of self-protection, and no one gives up self-protection easily.

11. If all of this is too complicated to remember and you want a single key to the building of trust, just remind yourself, “Tell the truth.”

As to what you can do with the inner face of mistrust—which goes back to people’s childhoods—the same advice holds true. The difference is that if a person’s history has reinforced their mistrust of others, you will make even slower headway than you will in combating the mistrust you’ve earned by your own actions. But you can make headway with even the most mistrustful person, so get started.

Every hour that mistrust continues makes transition more difficult to manage than it has to be.

Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change by William Bridges

Lean Tips Edition #122 (1831-1845)

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 #1831 - Give Employees the Chance to Problem Solve

Remember, a Gemba walk is more than just an intelligence-gathering trip for you, it is a potential learning experience for the employee. When you ask them why something does or does not work, let them figure out the solution. As managers, we often want to jump right in and solve the problem. However, by empowering your employees to tackle their own challenges, they become more skilled at finding and eliminating waste.

Lean Tip #1832 – Do Not Be Afraid To Ask Questions

A manager must understand what is occurring at their facility, but that does not mean always remembering every single detail. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Your team is there to help you just as you are there to help them. If they can help you understand a process, you can bring that understanding into the decision-making process. Never fear looking foolish, we are all life-long learners.

Lean Tip #1833 - Focus on the Process, NOT the People

The Gemba walk focuses on the process flow, not the people who work in the process. One of the facilitator’s main jobs is to create a blame-free environment during the walk. A Gemba walk is not a search for the guilty! The management should NOT be pointing fingers during the walk. Workers are often victims of a poorly designed process but unfortunately they can also be blamed for that broken process.

Lean Tip #1834 - Share Your Observations with the Team

Whether you plan to make changes as a result of your walk or not, be sure to provide feedback and follow up with employees. They will likely be very curious about what you observed and took away from the experience. Following up with your comments will make your next visit even more effective.

Lean Tip #1835 – Don’t Confuse Gemba Walks with MBWA (Management by Walking Around)

Management by Walking Around is an approach that encourages management participation in the work affairs of employees. A Gemba walk, on the other hand, is about observation and deliberation. MBWA has often devolved into walking around, saying hello, and slapping people on the back. That's not very helpful.

Lean Tip #1836 - Get Out of the “I Know Everything” Mentality

Try and understand the fundamentals of the process pertaining to the problem area. Confirm how it works or exists in its very basic and current form. Get out of the mind-set that you know everything, because if you did, you would know the problem area, cause and its solution as well. Understand the nuances of the techniques which exist in the process. Ask all the basic questions to really understand the problem and note significant points of the process which would then bring immense clarity to the part of the problem you are attempting to solve.

Lean Tip #1837 – Visualize the Problem

Try and document a picture of the process depending on the problem. This may or may not be relevant, but we all know pictorial representations often help. Draw a simple diagram without worrying about technical conventions, specific constraints etc. A simple picture diagram can help visualize the most complex of problems in any area. Use any simple tool like PowerPoint, white boards, sheets, and papers and never shy away from starting to draw these on the fly if understanding a problem is becoming a challenge.

Lean Tip #1838 - Focus on the Root Cause, Not the Symptoms

It’s very easy to get caught up in the symptoms of the problem and most problems are incorrectly attempted by suppressing these symptoms. Abstain from thinking like “The bucket gets filled with water and starts to overflow, so let me get a bigger bucket”, “High CPU usage brings the system down, let’s put more CPUs”, etc. I am not saying you should not suppress the symptoms to give you some respite until the root cause is identified, but abstain from a “fixing the symptom” mind-set. This mentality will keep you away from solving the real problem. Once you know the root cause, not only can the problem be solved, it can be prevented in future too.

Lean Tip #1839 – Implement a Step-By-Step Plan of Action

When you approach problems systematically, you cover the essentials each time–and your decisions are well thought out, well planned, and well executed. Provide a checklist and mark off each item as it is achieved so that others feel that they are achieving their goals and moving away from problems, obstacles, and challenges as they take action steps. This will keep them motivated and in motion.

Lean Tip #1840 - Learn How Things Work

Don’t just find the solution but know how exactly certain things work. By scrutinizing how things work, you will have a better understanding of the process which is vital in stimulating your analytical skills. Asking more questions can help develop better problem-solving skills, retention, and memory of a subject. So don’t be shy to ask questions.

Lean Tip #1841 - Be a Champion of Change.

For successful change to occur, you need to be a dynamic role model. Employees need to know that their leader is personally committed to the success of the change. Practice this by removing barriers, providing resources, ensuring learning, partnering with stakeholders, supporting employees through change, measuring progress and quickly managing resistance.

Lean Tip #1842 - Get in Front of Problems.

Concern is a normal response to a change initiative. Create a safe environment and a mechanism that allows employees to air their issues and bring forth problems before there is any chance of escalation or derailment. Respond fairly, reasonably and in alignment with the vision of the change, regardless of anyone’s role or level in the organization. Keep in mind that what you think is a small issue may be a large concern for the person affected.

Lean Tip #1843 - Build a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Always be looking for ways to improve your business processes and performance, and invite your staff to share their ideas and observations for improvement. Organize forums and online contributions to capture and recognize their input and celebrate your shared successes. Your steps will help your staff recognize change as a positive part of driving continuous improvement and build their morale and investment.

Lean Tip #1844 - Lead by Example

It is vital that your senior leaders model any change initiatives for your employees. If your senior leaders do not “walk their talk,” employees will quickly stop trying as well. Your staff will think, “Why should I make these extra efforts if the people running the organization aren’t bothering?” Leaders who don’t back up their words with actions lose employee trust. A change initiative requires a team effort, and management should be fostering trust and leading their teams. Senior leaders can introduce a change process, but it’s their active participation that demonstrates the organization’s commitment to change.

Lean Tip #1845 - Get Everyone Engaged. 

Figure out a way to get all of your employees engaged in planning and decision-making. That way the project becomes their baby: something they’re willing to fight for. To do this, whenever possible, ask for input and use their ideas.  This way, they have a vested interest in seeing the project succeed.  This can not only empower and motivate employees, it can also lead to new and more productive ways of working that normally would be overlooked during more stable times.

Lean Quote: New Beginnings

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.

"Every day I feel is a blessing from God. And I consider it a new beginning. Yeah everything is beautiful." — Prince

Pause for a moment, and consider the phrase, “new beginnings.” What images come to mind? A beautiful sunrise? A new baby opening his eyes to the world for the first time? Spring? Easter Sunday morning? A chance to start again, when life has become dark and difficult? Beautiful images, full of hope and promise.

For many, Easter is filled with rabbits, eggs and baskets, but for others it signifies the season of spring, of hope and renewal.

I’ve got to tell you, Easter is one of my favorite holidays. The day reminds me that this is a time of new beginnings, new starts and makeovers. It is no wonder that Easter comes in the spring, a time when we work on our gardens, tilling the soil and making way for new plants and vegetables. It is also a time when we clean out closets, getting rid of the things that we no longer need or want.

Easter is a great time to sit down and evaluate or reflect. Ask yourself; ‘Am I happy?’. If no, perhaps try and identify the areas of your life that are making you unhappy. It’s never too late to change! If you say ‘yes, I am happy’, perhaps think about what it is that is making you happy and celebrate this.

The idea of a fresh start is for some, the ultimate freedom. It can mean different things to different people but it could mean doing something that you’ve always wanted to do but never had the courage to do it. It could mean changing your thinking which will help to change your behavior, remember: ‘Think positive, be positive’.

You can be empowered. You can have the fresh start that you have always wanted. You can do anything that you want to do. It’s time to make a change.

Guest Post: Steps for Getting On the Path to Self-Improvement

Many philosophers and experts believe that the purpose of existence is nothing but improvement in yourself and therefore help your productivity. To this effect, they advise everyone to make sure that they are always trying to improve themselves. If you consistently try to improve yourself in a variety of ways, then you would soon realize that you are succeeding more often in life.  This is the biggest proof that improvement should be considered one of the prime purposes of existence.

However, the big question is how can improvement in yourself be made a part of daily life? The answer is not regarding one single decision but in small steps. Small steps would allow you to consistently move closer to perfection.  Here are some tips that will help you improve a part of your daily life.

Consider how you have lived your life so far

The first step toward improvement in your life is to analyze where you stand in life. This means that you should take into account all your past successes and failures. While doing this, you should consider why succeeded in certain situations and failed in others.

Doing this would allow you to understand yourself more. As per any psychologist, understanding the problem is crucial when it comes to changing something in yourself. This is why it is so essential for you to analyze your life about your successes and failures.

Understand your strengths and weaknesses

While analyzing your life would allow you to understand yourself, you should try to focus on your strengths and weaknesses more. The key to motivating improvement is to make your strengths stronger and your weaknesses weaker. If you're aware of your strengths and weaknesses, you would be able to make better choices in life. The tip to understand better advantages and disadvantages of your personality is to write down them and then ask your best friend to read and decide what is true or what to add.

If you can make the right choices in life, you would find yourself succeeding more and more. For example, every time you come across a project or a challenge,  knowing your strengths and weaknesses would help you decide whether you should take it on or walk away from it.

Consider the influences around you about their usefulness to you

Self-improvement hinges not only on what is inside you but also what is around you. This means that the people surrounding you should also be given importance about whether they help you or hinder you. Therefore, you should look for people who are bad influences around you and try to stay away from them.

The right kind of people around you can turn out to be a source of inspiration for you. Similarly, regardless of what great qualities you may have,  the wrong kind of people around you can keep you from achieving great things.

Learn to practice moderation in life

Many people have this belief that they should just focus on working all the time. They think that if they can devote as much time to work as they can, they would succeed. This is the wrong strategy because if you focus on quantity of work, then you would not be able to provide as much quality.

Similarly, if you focus on relaxing more than working, then you would never find success in life. Therefore, it is very important for you to learn moderation in everything. In fact, moderation should be practiced about everything from important aspects of life, like work to the mundane aspects of life such as eating.

A positive attitude can create opportunities out of thin air

Another secret of success is a positive attitude. A positive attitude is one of the most underrated things in life. If you can make yourself have a positive attitude in life, you would find that things come easier to you. In simple words, a positive attitude in life can make even the most difficult of things seem easy to achieve for you.

About the Author: Carol James is a writer and editor. She has MA degree in social sciences and is an excellent specialist in this field. Moreover, Carol writes articles, reviews on the different actual subjects. So, if you have any questions regarding the writing, feel free to ask her!

Guest Post: How to Choose a Proper Team Structure for the Highest Efficiency?

Managing projects with different stakeholders, goals and milestones can be difficult for the novice and uninitiated project managers. Even individual teams without outside collaboration do need proper management. What are the most famous and effective team structures that can provide the highest efficiency should you need to shuffle your team up?

·       Functional team

Functional teams are usually separated into different departments that operate within each other’s boundaries. These teams answer to a project manager and have no correlation between each other. Imagine a marketing team working on marketing and HR working on employee management.

These teams work well if the manager is well informed about their individual strengths and weaknesses as well as how to utilize them to get the best results. Functional teams are not a viable solution if there are too few team members or if the project requires multitasking due to strict deadlines.

·       Cross-functional team

As the name would suggest, this team structure is the polar opposite of the functional structure. Cross-functional teams operate on an “all-in” basis and every team member is required to pitch in towards the final product. These teams are very creative and have unconventional ideas that can often flourish into imaginative results.

However, having no real leadership or structure, team members are often prone to conflict and individualism. This is a good choice of structure for small teams and those with vastly varying skillsets that wouldn’t function otherwise, for example, an essay writing service, or design studio.

·       Matrix team

Matrix teams operate on a dual-leadership basis. Simply put, teams with matrix structure answer to project managers and upper management at the same time. This can often lead to confusion and broken deadlines due to miscommunication errors.

Matrix teams are also very traditional and team members are strictly assigned to their specific tasks without an ability to stray from it. If the management knows what they are doing, this can be a very good option for managing large teams or those without proper leadership.

·       Self-managing team

Putting no one in charge of your team might sound disastrous at first. Unlike the previous structures we have discussed, self-managing teams offer an unprecedented level of autonomy and personal responsibility for team members.

This is the best way to let a team decide whether or not they can put their differences aside and work together as professionals. Members of self-managing teams will also gain far more experience from a free working environment and even manage to develop leadership skills themselves as a result.

·       Virtual team

Managing a virtual team might not be the ideal solution for inexperienced managers. Those who prefer working online will find that people work much better if their mutual interactivity is limited to chat rooms and Skype meetings.

Working in a virtual environment allows each team member to feel comfortable by staying at home, all while pitching in and working on a common project that everyone has a stake in. While virtual teams might be harder to manage, they also allow for the highest level of flexibility, allowing members to literally be on different sides of the world and still work together.

Drawing the line

Before opting for a definitive team structure, ask yourself the question of what the point of that team really is. Why are you putting together a team and do you really think that the people you choose can work together?

Most team management problems stem from a lack of understanding for the members involved as well as mismanagement of said members by pairing them with people they can’t work with. Use your best judgment and weigh your personal leadership skills against the needs and wants of the project. It’s the only way to pinpoint what the proper team structure is for you.

About the author: James Scott, experienced writer and co-founder of writing service Essay Supply. A bit of musician, a bit of a dreamer, a bit of introvert. From parts you get the full me, without them I won't be complete. 

Lean Quote: There Will Always Be New Things to Learn From, If You’re Curious Enough

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.

"Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up." — Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking, the brilliant British theoretical physicist, died last week at the age of 76. I saw the quote above on some online article and couldn’t help think of similarity to Lean thinkers.

This world we live in is constantly growing and developing in many ways. If we look out for it, there are countless new things we can learn every day.

Learning never stops. Look around your surroundings, even the people you spend time with.

There is so much out there to learn from. Read a new book, meet a new friend, or sign up for a new class.

If you pay more attention to the things around you, you might even learn something new just by going for a walk outside.

Throughout his career, Hawking did revolutionary work in the fields of astronomy, cosmology, and mathematics. He conducted extensive research relating to the origin and development of the universe and also published a widely popular book on the subject in 1988 — A Brief History of Time — which has sold over 10 million copies. Hawking also served as a professor at the University of Cambridge for most of his career and received more than a dozen different honorary academic degrees for his trailblazing scientific work.

In addition to his professional achievements, Hawking was known for his personal resilience, as he battled the neurodegenerative disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) from age 21 onward. The disease left him almost completely paralyzed, but did not stop him from pursuing his lofty scientific ambitions.

Despite being so brilliant, Stephen Hawking remained relatable throughout his life. His leadership qualities were readily apparent to anyone he met, thanks to his willingness to speak out, his passion, and his total authenticity. Dr. Hawking left behind a legacy of creating and passing down knowledge, and we’ll continue to learn from him for many years. I thank Dr. Hawking for his numerous contributions to the field of science, and for being an outspoken advocate of learning and leadership.