Lean Tip #2626 - Boards Need to be Accessible
and Close to the Workplace
The purpose of visual management boards is to
be a reference point for discussions around team performance. Therefore the
boards need to be located near where the teams work. That means in a safe location
(not a forklift aisle) in the workplace where noise is sufficiently low to
allow a conversation and where the board will not be obstructed by materials or
machinery. People stand up during their daily meetings, so there needs to be
sufficient space to enable the team to meet in front of the board. Lighting
also needs to be good enough to read what is on the board.
Lean Tip #2627 - Visual Management Boards Don’t
Have to Look Beautiful
One of the greatest frustrations with
implementing visual management boards is managers’ preoccupation with
aesthetics – how the board looks. I strongly advocate for handwritten graphs
and problem-solving strips because this shows that it is the team itself that
is updating the data. Using the “green pen = on target, red pen = off-target”
approach really communicates strongly to the team how they are going. The team
leader has to pick up the red pen to record off-target performance. This is a
very conscious act and makes the Team Leader and the team very aware of the
problem performance area. It then inevitably prompts a problem-solving
discussion about how to turn the red line into a green one.
Lean Tip #2628 – Avoid Having Your Daily
Management Meeting Around a Computer Screen
Computer printed graphs and computer “dashboard”
screens in the workplace are by definition developed by someone working on a
computer. That person is usually a manager or staff member who works in an
office and is not part of the team. The act of preparing, printing and posting
the graphs lacks the immediacy and impact of handwriting the result using the
red or green pen. The computer dashboard approach reduces engagement further
because now the data is being fed to the team by a computer and the team are
the passive recipients of this information. Computerized production rate clocks
or graphs can be useful to maintain a constant takt time during the day, but
having a daily team meeting around a computer screen is unlikely to generate
much engagement.
Lean Tip #2629 – Make Visual Board About
Conversation Not “Wallpaper”
If you think just putting information on a
Visual Management Board on the wall will get people to engage, then you will be
disappointed. I see many big immaculate visual displays sprawling across
entrance halls and walkways with literally dozens of metrics displayed. Here is
the bad news: no one looks at them. In many cases, the job of printing the
graphs and posting them is delegated to an administrative staff member and not
even the business leaders notice or read the graphs. We call this type of
visual management board “wallpaper” because that is the only function they
serve. The boards need to be the focus of structured daily conversations about
how the team is going, what are the barriers to improvement and how these
barriers can be overcome. Therefore visual management boards go hand in hand
with daily meetings.
Lean Tip #2630 – Provide Visual Factory
Training
Visual communication cannot be effective if the
employees don’t know what the different signs, labels and other items mean. For
example, if you’re using red floor tape to indicate that there is a potential
for fire but people don’t know that, they can’t take the necessary precautions.
With that in mind, your facility must provide
training to everyone in the area whenever using visual communication. If you’re
just implementing a visual strategy you can often do one large training session
for all the employees. If you’re just looking to expand and improve an existing
strategy you can ensure people are aware of the updates through one on one
communication with their supervisors.
Lean Tip #2631 – Use a Skilled Kaizen Facilitator
The facilitator should be trained in lean
techniques and philosophies and be able to help your team stay on track and
motivate them; the facilitator should be someone who is passionate about
creating positive change. You may wish to hire a consultant for this role or
train a team leader from within your organization. Having a skilled facilitator
is key to the success of your Kaizen event.
Lean Tip #2632 – Make Sure Leadership is Engaged
in Kaizen
Make sure your organization understands the
importance of the Kaizen event to your business’s bottom line. Gaining buy-in
is crucial to the success of your Kaizen initiatives, and if your
organization’s leaders are committed to sustaining a culture of continuous
improvement, they will set the tone for the rest of the company.
Lean Tip #2633 – Focus Kaizen By Setting The Scope
And Limits Of The Event
Clearly define the scope of the Kaizen event.
The main focus of the event should be an area or process in which it has been
determined that inefficiency is reducing value to the customer. The focus can
be narrowed by analyzing KPIs, root causes, and other Lean metrics. Keep in
mind that the end goal is to promote continuous improvement and reduce waste.
Lean Tip #2634 – Define The Team For Success
While everyday Kaizen should involve all
members of your organization (from employees on the shop floor to upper-level
leadership), Kaizen event teams usually consist of 6-10 people and should be
strategically chosen. Keep in mind the following when choosing team members:
·
At least half of the
team should be made up of people who regularly perform the work that the Kaizen
event is intended to improve.
·
Limit the number of
managers/company leaders on the team.
·
Choose team members
from a wide range of relevant departments, who all touch the process being
improved
·
Include people who
provide input to the area
·
Include people who
receive output from the area
·
Include subject matter
experts who have special knowledge about the process.
·
Include someone who’s
not directly involved in the process to provide an outside perspective.
Lean Tip #2635 – Define Kaizen Success
It’s imperative to be able to objectively
measure success from your Kaizen event and other continuous improvement
efforts. Identify metrics that quantify improvements. These may include metrics
revolving around quality, cost, resource utilization, customer satisfaction,
space utilization, staff efficiency, and other KPIs. Set benchmarks for
improvement by measuring your current performance.
Lean Tip #2636 - Give Employees Authority to
Make Important Decisions.
To show an employee that you truly trust and
respect his opinions let him make decisions that will impact your company’s
culture and future. Allowing team members to reward and mentor each other or
empowering an employee to decide which vendor you'll use can propel them to
take further initiative and trust their own judgment.
As your company grows, you'll need to delegate
more work to others; this is an important first step in training yourself to
let go of doing things your way, and it's a first step toward training your
teammates to have the confidence to manage those tasks without you.
Lean Tip #2637 - Encourage Each Person to
Contribute During Meetings.
We’ve all been in meetings when an urge to
speak up struck, only to keep quiet. Eventually, you start to feel as if your
voice isn’t valued. As a leader, you can prevent that from happening by encouraging
your employees to participate in meetings.
Prep your meetings accordingly by keeping them
short and focused. Give your team all relevant materials in advance, and pick
productive times of the day, such as 10 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. Only invite key
stakeholders to keep the meeting lean and mean.
Assign attendees specific duties for the
meeting so they remain involved, and regularly ask for feedback, invite
questions and make your meetings interactive. And if you have trouble getting
everyone to weigh in, use your powers of persuasion. Get attendees to say “yes”
by having everyone agree to something right from the start. Actively listen, be
empathetic and let people “own” their ideas.
Lean Tip #2638 - Recognize Each Employee's
Contribution.
Rather than simply assign a task to a team
member, explain why she's been chosen for this specific task. For example, you
could tell her how awesome her design of Client X's website was and that you
have another client who could benefit from her unique skills. Showing how an
employee's specific contributions are helping the business succeed offers new
motivation.
Likewise, share feedback from clients,
co-workers and other leaders. Because customer service is important to me, I
pass along positive customer reviews and comments to my team.
Lean Tip #2639 - Inspiration Instead of
Motivation!
Motivation is a force from the outside.
Inspiration is a force from within. When your team members are inspired, they
feel an inner urge to do better. They are not doing it for someone else. They
are doing it because they feel like it.
How do you inspire? Delegate the tasks
properly. Be an example of the type of worker you want everyone to be. Create a
calm workplace that makes them glad they are working for you.
Lean Tip #2640 - Develop An Action Plan
Create an action plan to make the team building
part of your everyday work or life. Often retreat days or team building
programs have few links with everyday business or organizational objectives.
Ensure that when designing the program you create links to the organization or
to everyday life so that participants can “bring the learning home”. This can
be done by building into the program formal action planning time, and having
managers follow up during regular staff meetings. Coaching can be leveraged to
keep the “learning alive” after team building events. Research whether
individual, team or group coaching will work best for your organization.
