Book Review: Practicing Lean

I finally read Practicing Lean, edited by Mark Graban. Rather, I should say I listened to the audible book which was recently released. The idea behind this book came from Mark who espouses continuous improvement is never something one masters, but rather is a lifelong practice. As Mark points out, people talk about lean thinking, doing lean, implementing lean etc., but all of these phrases miss the point. Lean thinking does not contain any action; doing lean does not contain any thinking, implementing lean could mean that there is end in sight. Practicing lean means that it is something that is done to improve oneself. There is no end and there is both action and thinking.

This is a collection of informal memoirs about lean leadership and transformation in a wide variety of organizations and industries. The stories vary from 5S gone wrong to how people have become better leaders using lean methodologies. A common theme throughout most of the stories is respecting people over simply implementing tools. The individual authors highlight their deep reflection, learning and growth through the years.

The sixteen authors are:

Mark Graban, Author of the books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, blogger at LeanBlog.org
Nick Ruhmann, Director of Operational Excellence for Aon National Flood Services, Inc.
Michael Lombard, Chief Executive Officer of Cornerstone Critical Care Specialty Hospital of Southwest Louisiana
Paul Akers, President of FastCap, author of 2-Second Lean and Lean Health
Jamie Parker, 15 years’ experience in operations management / leadership in retail, service, and manufacturing
Harry Kenworthy, Expert in Lean government after a long career in manufacturing
Bob Rush, Lean Manufacturing Group Leader for Tesla Motors
Samuel Selay, Continuous Improvement Manager for the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton
David Haigh, David works at Johnson & Johnson Canada, the largest consumer healthcare company in Canada
Joe Swartz, Administrative Director, Business Transformation, Franciscan Alliance, co-author of Healthcare Kaizen
Cameron Stark, Physician and Lean improvement leader in Scotland
Harvey Leach, Principal Consultant with The Consultancy Company based near Oxford, England
Andy Sheppard, Author, The Incredible Transformation of Gregory Todd: a Novel about Leadership and Managing Change
Mike Leigh, President and Founder of OpX Solutions, LLC and former Lean leader at General Electric
Jamie Flinchbaugh, Lean advisor, speaker, and author, who has advised over 300 companies on their Lean journey
Lesa Nichols, Founder, Lesa Nichols Consulting and former Toyota leader

You won’t connect to every story but there are plenty of personal experiences that you’ll relate to from your own journey. Part of the appeal of this book is that there is something for everyone within these 16 contributors. As the author pulls you in it feels very conversational.

Practicing Lean isn’t a technical book focused on tools or how to implement lean but rather a reflection of lessons learned in implementation. Common themes include: learn by doing, respect for people, experimentation and pdca, trusted mentor, and continuous learning to name a few. This book shows there isn’t an ideal lean journey but the path can be more clear learning for others’ experiences and applying the knowledge to your own journey. 

I personally found this book inspirational. It made me reflect on some of my mis-steps and learning over my more than 20 years of practicing lean. I strongly recommend it to anyone who is, well, practicing lean in their organizations.

All the proceeds from this book go to the non-profit Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation. Be sure to check out the website and read the heart-wrenching story of Louise Batz and the family who is trying to help others to never have to deal with preventable medical errors.

Lean Quote: Make the Impossible a Reality

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.

"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."   — Robert H. Goddard, Father of Modern Rocketry

This is very powerful statement and I want to explain how I think it relates perfectly to Lean transformation.

For most people, the thought of being more efficient can be impossible.  The amount of time, effort, training, etc. can be daunting.  Most endeavors of substance usually are.  But, I believe that most people think that Lean is even harder than it is.

But, for the people who dream of becoming better, they must take the first step.  Deciding that improving your organization is your goal and then beginning to work towards that goal is how you start.  This is when your journey begins.

As time goes by and you gain some skills, the dream turns into hope.  You no longer think it is an impossible journey, but one that is attainable with dedication and patience.  You see that over time, with good, consistent application of principles, and practicing what you learn, you can gain the skills necessary to improve, and those improvements will eventually lead to more improvements.

Finally, after all the dedication and hard work, you’ll see business performance improve. Your initial dream turned into a hope, and then you made it into a reality.  There is no magic that happened; just determination and effort put towards a goal that over time turned into something very special.

So, whenever you think that something is impossible, remember this quote and this story.  You might find that what you think is impossible now, is simple the light that will shine in your eyes to inspire you to take the first steps necessary on the journey towards making the impossible a reality.

Book Review: Getting Home

I recently had some time to read a book I have been meaning to get to. Getting Home tells the wonderful story of a very special lean journey. Zack, a defense lawyer, and Liz, a schoolteacher, left their careers temporarily to rebuild homes for desperate survivors of Hurricane Katrina but wound up staying in New Orleans, where they reconstructed the entire process for rebuilding after disasters. After a chance meeting, they wound up partnering with Toyota to apply TPS to cut the time and cost of rebuilding.

When they first connected with their Toyota advisor, the simple question, “Are you ahead or behind?” prompted the response that drives all improvement, all scientific advancement, all innovation: “We don’t actually know.”

Being able to answer “Are you ahead or behind?” means you have to have a point of reference – what is supposed to happen, in what order, with what timing, with what result. If you don’t know those things, you can only get a general sense of “on track” or not.

Plus, they had to create a culture that developed people as problem solvers at SBP (St. Bernard Parish), the disaster relief nonprofit they founded, in order to sustain the improvements. Today, the organization is a global model for disaster recovery efficiency, and with the help of thousands of volunteers, has rebuilt homes for more than 1660 families in disaster-struck areas across the US.

This book drives home the idea Lean isn’t about specific tools. It isn’t that important whether this-or-that specific tool or approach is put into place, it is critical to understand what the tools you use are there to achieve. Each tool surfaced more detail, which in turn, challenged the next level.

Getting Home also details an innovative blueprint based on their experience for how private industry, relief agencies, volunteers, and all levels of government can work together to dramatically shrink the time between when disasters hit and victims get home in a prompt, efficient, and predictable way. And they offer advice we can all use on how to prepare for disasters.

For those familiar with Lean, I think you'll enjoy reading about the transformation, and you will get ideas on how you can better deploy these concepts at your work.

If you work at a nonprofit, this will inspire you to seek out a new way of managing and engaging with staff and volunteers, and will likely challenge your current way of thinking in a good way!

This is an inspiring read for anybody who is interested in finding innovative ways to make a real difference in the world.

Order your copy here.

 

5 Powerful TED Talks to Teach Leadership & Character

How to become a leader in every matter is the right question for everyone who wants to be successful. Not all students can afford expensive consultations with leading coaches, but in fact, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to become a leader and strengthen your character.  Ted Talks provides an opportunity for everyone to get valuable information from leaders. Here you will find the top 5 performances that will reload your understanding of how to become a leader.

Why Watch Ted Talks?

Ted leadership videos for students are a great way to improve knowledge and get invaluable information for free. Such performances allow you not only to gain new knowledge but also the point of view of successful people.

“Ted Talks is an invaluable storehouse of useful knowledge. At the beginning of my career, I often watched speeches about what a leader should be like, and later attended many pieces of training. I can say that insight from Ted Talks are no worse than popular and expensive self-development meetings with coaches.”- shared his experience the CEO of  Online Writers Rating that provides writing services reviews.

So, if you want to become successful and develop your leadership skills, why not spend an hour of your time to gain invaluable knowledge? By the way, some 10-15 minute presentations are equivalent to two-hour lectures at the university. But even more importantly, most speakers make their speeches in a fun manner, which allows you to combine studying with pleasure.

1. The Difference Between Winning and Succeeding by JohnWooden

Success and leadership go hand in hand. But have you ever thought about what real success is?  Most people tend to think that success = victory, but John Wooden thinks completely differently and suggests starting with understanding what success is.

In this Ted Talk character and success video you will get a lot of motivation and perhaps you will understand that your approach was obviously wrong. Despite the fact that this speech was released in 2001, all the instructions and explanations are very relevant today and will be so for a very long time. The 17-minute report will be a good motivation and thought-provoking for those who want to become the best version of themselves in this life.

2. What It Takes to Be a Great Leader by Roselinde Torres

There are a lot of training programs for the development of leaders. However, a study conducted by Roselinde shows that only 58% of the companies surveyed can boast of achieving leadership effectiveness. According to the speaker, modern leadership development programs are not a panacea, but the truth lies on the surface.

The speaker suggests an understanding of what makes a modern leader successful by answering three questions. Such an approach as "going with the flow" is a real collapse for a modern leader according to Roselinde. In a six-minute video, you will learn about the secret skills of modern leaders. Emotional stamina for criticism, the ability to interact with people who think differently, and preparing not for yesterday’s events but for tomorrow’s reality are the basic skills of modern leaders. Agree, the truth lies on the surface. In this presentation you will find practical material, not only motivation.

3. Learning from Leadership’s Missing Manual by Fields Wicker-Miurin

In the pursuit of finding how to become a leader, we often forget that leadership qualities come from within. Surely, it is always necessary to improve these qualities. The speaker suggests that real and inspirational stories are even more useful than expensive training and methodological materials.

In this presentation, you will learn about the inspirational experiences of leaders who have had a special impact on society. The speaker offers to draw experience from those people who have made a special contribution to your society. Just such people and their stories are listed by the speaker. These real examples are practical material and of course enough motivation and inspiration.

4. The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers by Adam Grant

Do you think procrastination is your fault and a barrier to becoming better? What if you look at it from the other side? This presentation will change your understanding of the thinking of successful people, and the speaker reinforces his statements with real examples.

“In our student days, we often scolded ourselves for procrastination. But it turns out that this is not a problem at all and it’s possible to benefit from it. And this performance perfectly demonstrates this. ”- said the team of the Best Writers Online.

This video will allow you to change your thinking and learn about the ways successful people think. Perhaps the thing you reproached yourself for is the potential that you need to wrap up in the right direction and start generating creative ideas. There are also some characters from Ted that are common to successful people and leaders. The speaker jokes and motivates a lot, so this is an excellent performance for those who are interested in success from a non-standard perspective.

5. Secrets Of Success In 8 Words, 3 Minutes by Richard St.John

This is one of the short ted talks on leadership that charges with motivation and inspiration. As the speaker says, this presentation is a two-hour lecture shortened to three minutes. The most significant thing is that in this speech you can find the answers on how to become a leader, what character traits you need to have and in fact you get a ready-made action plan. And all this in no more than 3 minutes of your time!

The speaker drew up this plan based on the success of real people, and each spoke about how they became successful. This video is required to watch because in just three minutes of your time you can get a good motivation and start to get better.

Final Words

It is not necessary to spend a lot of time and money to learn how to become a successful leader and what character traits to emphasize. Thanks to Ted Talks you can find a lot of useful information that is often sold at expensive seminars. Consequently, devote time profitably spending only a little on watching videos from our list.

About the Author: Frank Hamilton is a blogger and translator from Manchester. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.

Lean Quote: It is Better to Know Some of the Questions Than All of the Answers

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.

"It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers."   — James Thurber

Ability of leaders to ask the right questions is critical to the success of continuous improvement. The type of questions will determine the quality of process improvements. If leaders do not know what to look for, teams would get the message that they can get away with whatever is possible.

All management should learn to ask these three simple questions:

       1) What is the process?

       2) How can you tell it is working?

       3) What are you doing to improve it (if it is working)?

Nothing sustains itself, certainly not Lean manufacturing or Lean management. So, establish and stick to a routine including regular visits to the Gemba, check the status of visual controls, follow-up on daily accountability assignments, and ask the three simple questions everywhere. Lean management is, as much as anything, a way of thinking.

Guide by asking questions, not by telling grown up people what to do. People generally know the right answers if they have the opportunity to produce them.

When an employee brings you a problem to solve, ask, "what do you think you should do to solve this problem?" Or, ask, "what action steps do you recommend?" Employees can demonstrate what they know and grow in the process.

If you don't ask the right questions, you don't get the right answers. A question asked in the right way often points to its own answer.

10 Ways to Motivate Your Team

While the saying “You can’t motivate anyone, they have to motivate themselves” may be true from a psychological perspective, people are more likely to motivate themselves when a manager creates a motivating workplace environment. Employees give 110 percent because they want to work hard, not because they have to. 

Leaders must understand that in today’s new workplace, there does not exist a single recipe to motivate employees. Rather, it’s about how to maximize the ingredients in order to create hundreds of recipes that are customized and authentic; that provide long-term engagement. To get you started, here are ten ways to motivate your team.

1. Follow the platinum rule. 
The Golden Rule (treat others as you want to be treated) has a fatal flaw: it assumes that all people want to be treated the same way. It ignores the fact that people are motivated by vastly different things. One person loves public recognition, while another loathes being the center of attention. The Platinum Rule (treat others as they want to be treated) corrects that flaw. Good managers are great at reading other people, and they adjust their behavior and style accordingly.

2. Be strong without being harsh. 
Strength is an important quality in a leader. People will wait to see if a leader is strong before they decide to follow his or her lead or not. People need courage in their leaders. They need someone who can make difficult decisions and watch over the good of the group. They need a leader who will stay the course when things get tough. People are far more likely to show strength themselves when their leader does the same. A lot of leaders mistake domineering, controlling, and otherwise harsh behavior for strength. They think that taking control and pushing people around will somehow inspire a loyal following. Strength isn’t something you can force on people; it’s something you earn by demonstrating it time and again in the face of adversity. Only then will people trust that they should follow you.

3. Remember that communication is a two-way street. 
Many managers think that they’re great communicators, not realizing that they’re only communicating in one direction. Some pride themselves on being approachable and easily accessible, yet they don’t really hear the ideas that people share with them. Some managers don’t set goals or provide context for the things they ask people to do, and others never offer feedback, leaving people wondering if they’re more likely to get promoted or fired.

4. Be a role model, not a preacher. 
Great leaders inspire trust and admiration through their actions, not just their words. Many leaders say that integrity is important to them, but great leaders walk their talk by demonstrating integrity every day. Harping on people all day long about the behavior you want to see has a tiny fraction of the impact you achieve by demonstrating that behavior yourself.

5. Be transparent. 
Good managers are transparent and forthcoming about company goals, expectations, and plans. When managers try to sugarcoat, mask, or euphemize in order to make things seem better than they are, employees see right through it.

6. Be humble. 
Few things kill motivation as quickly as a boss’s arrogance. Great bosses don’t act as though they’re better than you, because they don’t think that they’re better than you. Rather than being a source of prestige, they see their leadership position as bringing them additional accountability for serving those who follow them.

7. Take a genuine interest in employees’ work-life balance. 
Nothing burns good employees out quite like overworking them. It’s so tempting to work your best people hard that managers frequently fall into this trap. Overworking good employees is perplexing to them; it makes them feel as if they’re being punished for their great performance. Overworking employees is also counterproductive. New research from Stanford shows that productivity per hour declines sharply when the work week exceeds 50 hours, and productivity drops off so much after 55 hours that you don’t get anything out of the extra work.

8. Recognize great work.
Who in your team goes the extra mile, consistently performs above expectations, or behaves in a way that reflects your company values? From those that make time to help new joiners settle in, to those that never miss a deadline, make time to let employees know how much you appreciate their effort. Try to recognize attitude as well as performance; an employee with a fantastic work ethic and a positive outlook can do just as much for team morale and motivation as someone consistently hitting their targets, so show them how much they are valued. A simple ‘thank you’ or ‘well done’ can do the trick if you haven’t got a formal recognition scheme in place – it’s just important to show recognition in a timely, consistent and meaningful way.

9. Offer career progression.
Most employees will want the opportunity to progress in their roles, and if there is a lack of progression available, they’re likely to lose motivation and will eventually look for a new job. Let employees know that there’s a career path for them within the company, and encourage them to get involved in additional projects where possible, to take on more responsibility and gain new skills. Try to provide training – whether on-the-job or external, and discuss any promotion opportunities they can work towards. Find out their career goals and how you can support their development; it shows you’re invested in them and value their contribution.

10. Build trust as a leader.
People respect others that they can trust: if your team members don’t trust you, you’ll have difficulty motivating them. Gaining trust requires time and transparency; a good leader is open, honest and shows respect for their whole team. Employees who know they can trust their manager will feel comfortable approaching them if they have any issues or feel unmotivated. It’s far better that they discuss their issues with you rather than look for a new job elsewhere.

Motivating your employees can never be overvalued. Make sure it’s at the top of your agenda. When you show an interest in motivating your employees, your employees will show an increased interest in working for you.

10 Ways You’re Demotivating Your Employees That You Need To Stop Right Now

Organizations know how important it is to have motivated, engaged employees, but most fail to hold managers accountable for making it happen. Most managers don’t demotivate their employees on purpose. They act improperly without thinking about what damage they are doing to the enthusiasm and motivation of their employees.

Few things are as costly and disruptive to a business as managers who kill morale. Demotivated employees underperform, and then jump ship at the first opportunity.

What follows are some of the worst behaviors that managers need to eradicate from the workplace.

1. Making a lot of stupid rules. Companies need to have rules—that’s a given—but they don’t have to be short sighted and lazy attempts at creating order. Whether it’s an overzealous attendance policy or taking employees’ frequent flier miles, even a couple of unnecessary rules can drive people crazy. When good employees feel like big brother is watching, they’ll find someplace else to work.

2. Letting accomplishments go unrecognized. It’s easy to underestimate the power of a pat on the back, especially with top performers who are intrinsically motivated. Everyone likes kudos, none more so than those who work hard and give their all. Rewarding individual accomplishments shows that you’re paying attention. Managers need to communicate with their people to find out what makes them feel good (for some, it’s a raise; for others, it’s public recognition) and then to reward them for a job well done. With top performers, this will happen often if you’re doing it right.

3. Hiring and promoting the wrong people. Good, hard-working employees want to work with like-minded professionals. When managers don’t do the hard work of hiring good people, it’s a major demotivator for those stuck working alongside them. Promoting the wrong people is even worse. When you work your tail off only to get passed over for a promotion that’s given to someone who glad-handed their way to the top­­­­­­­, it’s a massive insult. No wonder it makes good people leave.

4. Treating everyone equally. While this tactic works with school children, the workplace ought to function differently. Treating everyone equally shows your top performers that no matter how high they perform (and, typically, top performers are work horses), they will be treated the same as the bozo who does nothing more than punch the clock.

5. Tolerating poor performance. It’s said that in jazz bands, the band is only as good as the worst player; no matter how great some members may be, everyone hears the worst player. The same goes for a company. When you permit weak links to exist without consequence, they drag everyone else down, especially your top performers.

6. Going back on their commitments. Making promises to people places you on the fine line that lies between making them very happy and watching them walk out the door. When you uphold a commitment, you grow in the eyes of your employees because you prove yourself to be trustworthy and honorable (two very important qualities in a boss). But when you disregard your commitment, you come across as slimy, uncaring, and disrespectful. After all, if the boss doesn’t honor his or her commitments, why should everyone else?

7. Being apathetic. More than half of people who leave their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss. Smart companies make certain their managers know how to balance being professional with being human. These are the bosses who celebrate an employee’s success, empathize with those going through hard times, and challenge people, even when it hurts. Bosses who fail to really care will always have high turnover rates. It’s impossible to work for someone eight-plus hours a day when they aren’t personally involved and don’t care about anything other than your productivity. 

8. Micromanaging and not empowering. It’s difficult to take ownership and focus on being productive with your boss leaning over you, monitoring your every move—like a babysitter. When managers demand to sign off on all work assignments, employees are often left waiting for approval on several projects at a time and find themselves scrambling to meet looming deadlines. Micromanaging kills creativity, chases away top talent, and results in average workers.

9. Not encouraging development and offer opportunities for growth. Repeating the same tasks and responsibilities, without new challenges, can negatively affect our attitudes, and this is no different in the work environment. Employees understand that continued learning is the best way to remain current and employable, so to ignore this will only hinder your employees, and your business. If a workplace feels stagnant, non-progressive and uninspired – your employees’ motivation levels will soon dwindle.

10. Poor leadership. Effective leadership is an essential factor in the motivation of your staff. If strong leadership is lacking or is negatively affecting the outlook of the team – certain employees may start to feel demoralized.  Leaders must have a flexible, inclusive approach to managing a team and be able to communicate clearly whilst instilling confidence and focus. If a particular team or individual is lacking motivation in your business, it may be due to a lack of good management.

Many companies treat employees as disposable. Employees generally receive inadequate recognition and reward. Many say management is much more likely to criticize them for poor performance than praise them for good work.

Management inadvertently makes it difficult for employees to do their jobs. Excessive levels of required approvals, endless paperwork, insufficient training, failure to communicate, infrequent delegation of authority, and a lack of a credible vision contribute to employees' frustration.
Most companies have it all wrong. They don't have to motivate their employees. They have to stop demotivating them.